When one thinks of natural hair in the context of black people, a lot comes to mind. The natural hair conversation is an ever-evolving one that has seen many people advocate for acceptance and inclusion of hair types that aren’t straight and silky looking. As the image of black hair transforms it’s becoming paramount to accept that natural hair is here to stay! Though it is still a highly political and sensitive topic for many, progress has been made in terms of developing products that actually accommodate black people’s hair and their needs.
5 Safe Products for Natural African Hair
As the industry develops to accommodate more African creators, it is exciting to see that more African people are designing hair care products that meet the unique requirements of the various hair types. Inherently, hair should be a highly political topic but when it comes to African hair, it’s only natural given historic injustices where black people were judged on their appearances and seen as inferior to their counterparts with straight hair. Hair straightening is a practice spanning centuries to recent times where people mainly use cream relaxers.
However, scientists do know that chemical hair relaxers, more often used by Black women, contain potentially harmful chemicals, including possible carcinogens and chemicals known as endocrine disrupters, which can interfere with hormone function and could raise breast cancer risk. Thus it’s becoming more and more imperative to find healthy and natural ways to take care of our hair.
Here are some of our favourite hair care products:
1. Pro Bella Beauty – Angola
Pro Bella Beauty is an Angolan specializing in caring for African hair for both adults and kids. Based in Angola, the brand is vegan and cruelty-free, and quite reasonably priced.
2. Tricia’s Naturals – Kenya
Tricia’s Naturals is a Premier African source for Natural Hair and Wellness. They’re products are known for being highly effective. The brand is dedicated to simplifying the natural hair journey while saving time and money. Tricia Naturals offers expert advice for all stages of natural hair.
Our brand has a strong emphasis on non-toxic, natural ingredients made from Africa’s Bountiful, healing Botanicals. – Tricia Wanjala, Founder
3. Volumicious – South Africa
“The Product Volumicious was founded in 2016 by the owner Zoey Mkabela after she lost her hair during pregnancy. The product was Inspired by her BSC Honours project which she did at the University of Stellenbosch which involved investigating a plant, that was eaten by pregnant sheep, resulting in the newborn lambs being born without fur. She found that there was an active compound that was responsible for this problem.
During her maternity leave, she began to research and investigate active compounds that are responsible, not for hair loss but hair growth. She found a significant amount of them and through a process of trial and error, she restored to use a different number of them and test them out to see their efficacy.
The results were remarkable. Zoey then launched the results of her hair journey in July 2017 on social media and people were interested and since then has been warmly welcomed by users all over the country and has grown since its inception as the product provides results.” – https://volumicious.co.za/about/
4. Nubian Seed – Lesotho
Nubian See is a Botswana-based green beauty formulator and supplier of natural and organic skin/hair care products, made using raw plant based ingredients proudly reflecting Africa’s bio-diversity.
Beauty, rooted in nature
We at Nubian Seed, are purist in nature, and believe in the power of our primarily single ingredient products to enable customers to experience their complete healing properties as nature intended. We strive to impart knowledge on the wonders of indigenous natural ingredients.What was once but a seed in our African soil, is now a source of nourishment and healing for your skin and hair.We aim to return you to your roots, and to help you discover the beauty therein.
5. Beauty by Emeraude – Burkina Faso
Beauty by Emeraude is a brand of natural cosmetics made in Africa that promotes quality and authenticity. They manufacture healthy and natural products for your well-being.
Contact Us to join the growing community of African hair and beauty brands
The AB&H Cluster aims to grow this thriving community of beauty and home products passed down from one generation to the next. The platform will grow into a reservoir of resources and knowledge, and a tool of empowerment for African brands to craft successful strategies in penetrating a high-potential yet saturated market. With the key players located across Sub-Saharan Africa, The AB&H Cluster is well-positioned to propel and empower emerging brands.
Through these various initiatives, female-owned enterprises will gain an opportunity to grow their businesses to ensure compliance in the country’s which they operate and beyond. Our goal is to bring small businesses closer to becoming more established. If you’re the owner of an emerging beauty or home brand in Africa, we are so keen to hear from you!