Goal for the new year - Learn more about the products

The average no-lye relaxer has the ingredients below, based on packaging information. This can't be good because as a combination of ingredients, these items have been linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive issues, allergies and immunotoxicity and other concerns such as skin, eye and lung irritation and challenges from a biochemical or cellular level. All in all, this isn't good and can't possibly be healthy especially for a young girl who has years of future use hair relaxing ahead of her. if you look below, you'll see DMDM Hydantoin - that's FORMALDEHYDE. The stuff that's used to prep bodies for burial. That's can't be good.

We already have so many things that we're exposed to on a daily basis and all of these things add up to compound hear issues associated with diet, exposure to toxic elements and the overall stresses of life.

Water Aqua, Mineral Oil Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Calcium Hydroxide, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Steareth-10, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Steareth-2, Water Aqua, Guanidine Carbonate, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protei, Yellow 5, EDTA, Water Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid, Polyquaternium-47, DMDM Hydantoin, Panthenol, Parfum Fragrance, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenol Red Dye, Propylene Glycol, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Commiphora Myrrha Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hedera Helix Extract Ivy, Urtica Dioica Extract Nettle, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract Rosemary, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract Sage, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Water Aqua, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Dimethicone Copolyol, Polyquaternium-47, Hydrolyzed Collagen, DMDM Hydantoin, Panthenol, Parfum Fragrance, Tetrasodium EDTA

What do we know about black hair care products?

Here we are, about to begin a new year (2011). We've had a black president for two years; markets have crashed; we're waging one active and one passive war; unemployment is above 9.0%, (above 20% if we're talking about the African American community); we have a black hair care industry made up of Asian suppliers, natural hair care product providers; a few remaining chemical treatment manufacturers/suppliers and the big established multinationals that are profiting from our community. All of  this and we still can't get the mainstream African American hair care product providers, to manufacture products that are safe and non toxic to the scalp. 

No where else in the world can you find a community so willing to fund a $9 billion industry, without demanding more from the product providers. With the average cost of a perm falling between $150 and $200, this translates to a cost of between $1,300 to $2,600 annually, for every black woman who’s hooked on the proverbial “creamy crack”. I know we have some great new companies, creating healthy, more natural products, made from non toxic ingredients. I additionally know that the traditional product providers will lose customers as women become more informed of the options and risk associated with its usage. My question however is, when will our sisters demand more? When will they require that the manufacturers produce a product that won't burn their scalps, weaken their hair, consume hours out of their lives per treatment? 

This blog is about the traditional black hair care industry and how it must become more sustainable, if it wants to survive and thrive in this new era. My post will include the horror story examples, the risk that  hair care providers are exposed to,  and a new way of looking at an old industry in a new way. I hope you all enjoy - please let me know your thoughts.