How do U feel about hair companies jumping on the natural hair products bandwagon?

**akamsnikki** · 03-17-2013, 04:02 PM

Since I've been a member of this site, I have noticed these hair care companies catering MORE to those with natural hair. IDK if this is a good or bad thing.

When I go to Sally, I notice more and more there are less products for relaxed hair and more products for "natural" hair. Should we have expected this progression of mass marketed natural hair care products?

IDK how I feel about most of these products though considering they are pretty much the same products for relaxed ladies, just repackaged and renamed. Can anyone say Petrolatum and Mineral Oil?

**Claire76** · 03-17-2013, 06:36 PM

If they know what they're doing--using decent ingredients and such--I don't mind. Haircare companies are in business to make money. Mind you. I can understand looking at an old company's new line and thinking something like, "Where were you when I needed you?"

But really. So long as no one's being exploited, I can't fault them for trying to keep up with their customers.

**MommieDearest** · 03-17-2013, 07:34 PM

^^ ITA.

I only fault them for not "seeing the light" sooner. I'm at the point now where I have a few staple products that I use, and 2 of them come from the grocery store. So for me, many of these new natural products are too much too little too late. *shrugs*

**pookeylou** · 03-17-2013, 08:11 PM

I wish all motives for going natural were pure...including companies.

But most likely their motive is the bottom line...money. They say all the right things, but it's still up to the consumer to look at the ingredients list to know for sure that what they are putting in the product is truly natural. Its up to the consumer to say, "Do I really need this?"

I like it when anyone goes natural. I want women to do it because they realize their hair is beautiful...like their skin tone, the shape of their nose...all parts of us. I want us to be natural because our hair does not need to be "fixed". Its fine the way it is. I want us to go natural because its healthier and we keep more of our hair when we do it the right way.

Some businesses get that. Some don't care. They just want to cash in.

**CoilyHairedBeauty** · 03-17-2013, 08:42 PM

I agree, I feel like they just want in on all the money in the natural hair care industry. and they've learned so much from youtube and other sites about how to target us.......

On the other hand, maybe it's good that the spotlight is on natural hair. We now have more product choices than ever. And maybe people who were reluctant to go natural will give it a try.

I don't know, I feel like natural hair kind of lost its novelty. (And it really shouldn't be a novelty...What came first, our napptural hair or the chemicals that kill it?) It's just becoming so highly commericalized....Being natural is no longer "unique". That can be viewed as positive or negative. Also, the reasons. At first, I went natural because I wanted to see if my hair would grow longer. Then I stayed natural because I liked the look. And I guess I went through this mental/spiritual transition......and now it's all trivialized...

Sorry, rambling off the top of my head....Carry on.

**Batyah** · 03-17-2013, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by akamsnikki

Since I've been a member of this site, I have noticed these hair care companies catering MORE to those with natural hair. IDK if this is a good or bad thing.

When I go to Sally, I notice more and more there are less products for relaxed hair and more products for "natural" hair. Should we have expected this progression of mass marketed natural hair care products?

IDK how I feel about most of these products though considering they are pretty much the same products for relaxed ladies, just repackaged and renamed. Can anyone say Petrolatum and Mineral Oil?

This is exactly how I feel when I see the commercials from Dark n Lovely and the like. I'm not impressed and I'm just NOT interested. As far as I'm concerned, they're gimmicks.

**Claire76** · 03-18-2013, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by CoilyHairedBeauty

I agree, I feel like they just want in on all the money in the natural hair care industry. and they've learned so much from youtube and other sites about how to target us.......

On the other hand, maybe it's good that the spotlight is on natural hair. We now have more product choices than ever. And maybe people who were reluctant to go natural will give it a try.

I don't know, I feel like natural hair kind of lost its novelty. (And it really shouldn't be a novelty...What came first, our napptural hair or the chemicals that kill it?) It's just becoming so highly commericalized....Being natural is no longer "unique". That can be viewed as positive or negative. Also, the reasons. At first, I went natural because I wanted to see if my hair would grow longer. Then I stayed natural because I liked the look. And I guess I went through this mental/spiritual transition......and now it's all trivialized...

Sorry, rambling off the top of my head....Carry on.

I'll paraphrase something a friend of mine once said. IMO natural hair shouldn't be "unique". It should be the (expected) norm.

**CoilyHairedBeauty** · 03-18-2013, 03:55 AM

I see now, many of the companies jumping on the bandwagon make products that you can get from the bss. Most bss products are not that high quality. The product are ok, but they contain a lot of petrochemicals and fillers. I'm thinking for example, Softsheen-Carson, Motions...e.t.c.

I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer quality ingredients. Not just tacking the words "with argan oil" on the label. Not a fan of them putting "natural hair" on the package just to sell more jars. Totally agree.

imo, products are not-so-much black and white, or curly/straight. For example, the conditioners I use aren't even marketed toward "us". It just works for my hair. One exception though, would be Kinky-Curly products. The difference there is that the owner herself has kinky-curly hair, and makes quality products for that type of hair. She didn't come from a commercialized company that just slapped a label on some gel and tried to sell it.

Personally, I'm not attracted to these companies just b/c they say they have something for natural hair. With any product, I look at the ingredients and reviews.

They are taking advantage.

**AStone** · 03-18-2013, 04:29 PM

Well it shows that times are changing and natural hair is slowly becoming the norm. However, just like "natural organic relaxers" are walking oxymorons so are most of the so called natural hair products. If you want to sell natural hair products do some research and then make something, don't just pull a quick switcharoo and call it a day.

**LBellatrix** · 03-18-2013, 07:03 PM

The only "good" thing (and I'm being TRULY SARCASTIC with that "good") about the proliferation of products for "natural hair" is that maybe now that these products (with all their cheap fillers) exist I won't have to hear women talk about how "expensive" it is to be natural. Of course we know -- those of us who've been here for a minute -- that if anything natural hair care is less expensive if you have the right (amount of) ingredients.

There was that photo that went up showing a kitchen counter full of bottles and jars and (I think) it was labeled "A Typical Natural Hair Wash Day." At this point in my life nothing could be further from the truth. When I make my homemade mixes -- right now I have two -- I make enough to last me quite a while. But I can see how someone thinking of going natural might look at that photo and think...wait for it..."ain't nobody got time for that!" and then go to the local CVS and buy something labeled "for natural hair."

Bottom line is they'll make lots of money off dumb consumers and how is that different from anything else that's being made today? Econ 101. *shrug*