This is a pretty interesting topic which makes for great a great discussion and maybe some serious change. We all know Just For Me right? they had the cute little jingle with the little girls showing off healthy looking straight hair; happy, smiling giving the brand authenticity through a well made commercial.
We all knew it was a relaxer, albeit mild, but a relaxer just the same. Nowadays the brand has shifted its focus to “texture softeners”, which means “It is for hard-to manage hair, it mildly loosens curls and kinks that cause hair to tangle and break during combing.” It allows for “Long hair that grows without the breakage from combing”.
Hmm…I can just hear the jingle now.
Do you feel as if your natural hair needs managing? Do you feel as if your little girl’s natural hair needs managing? I guess what I am asking is, is there a market for this type of product and is the market big enough where a company might want a piece of it.
Are there still women who find their texture “unmanageable”?
The answer is yes, we see it daily, women talking about how difficult their texture is or needed help to deal with their daughters hair because it gets so tangled, dry and hard. We do not believe any texture is unmanageable, we talk about how to manage our hair on a daily basis so that should definitely not be an issue.
In some instances even though the texture of your hair might be manageable as a parent you might just prefer a looser texture for yourself and for your daughters and this is where brands like Just For Me try to capitalize. This is especially true in the light that texture discrimination exists in some areas of our community.
I read Christina’s article on BGLH and she was on point in every paragraph. Christina made the point that one way or another this relaxer company and others are going to try to recoup the money lost from relaxer sales, this might mean pushing a product that is clearly a mild relaxer covering it up with some of the very insecurities we are trying to prevent.
Ethnic and multi-ethnic children, especially little girls, realize the values that society places on outer appearances, especially what may make them different, much sooner than you might think. Little girls form their self-image early and are impacted by messages and other influences in their environment. By the time your daughter begins to interact socially with friends or family members or take in the many messages in the media, she will have some idea about her image and how others may view her.
In order to ensure your daughter has a healthy self-concept, it is important to begin talking to her about her identity as soon as possible so that you can instill in her a strong self-esteem and a healthy self-image. It is just as important to de-emphasize the importance of outer beauty and communicate to her that her beauty begins on the inside. Because we believe this is crucial for little girls, Just for Me™ Texture Softener™ tapped nationally renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere to offer ways to start the dialogue with your child.
Keep reading, it gets better:
Proactively talk about loving your daughter’s hair. Your daughter’s hair is unmistakably linked to her self-image and self-esteem. If she feels her hair is a problem, she will also think there is a problem with her image. If she believes her hair is beautiful, she will believe that she is beautiful.
Your little girl will take her cues from you, her mother. Be careful not to inadvertently pass along negative feelings through the frustrations of everyday grooming.
Um, yeah it’s a relaxer!
Just a different name for the same product to teach our daughters their natural texture isn’t good enough. All natural hair is manageable if taken care of properly with consistent regimen
Just a mild relaxer
I put it in my daughters hair and in the beginning it was curly. Then it was straight and made her hair very brittle. It broke her hair off and I had to cut it.
wow I was saying the same thang it is a perm
same here
My cousin brought this for her then 3 YO daughter 2 years ago to loosen her curls and it messed her hair up. Her hair broke and I had to do the big chop on her hair by cutting the relaxed parts. Now her hair is growing back naturally and healthy. Don’t buy this product for your daughters or any little girl.
They even got the nerve to put a half-breed on the front. ..LOL
That was a very rude comment…….no one is half-breed…we are all full human beings…..
I haven’t heard that phrase since I lived in the U.K., except they said half-caste, not half-breed.
Anyway, I would like to see black people get in an uproar over the pre-occupation they have with “being mixed” as opposed to every country’s terminology for them. I find it just as offensive when black people show favoritism towards people (especially children) that look more “mixed” and less black. I’ve seen this happen so often within the black community that I know it’s not some isolated event. Can we please stop putting “mixed” people on a pedestal that they haven’t earned and start recognizing and praising our own beauty for a change? We have black websites doing it, but it needs to happen on an individual level. And it makes no sense because in spite of our self-hatred, we are so emulated, yet we cede our power when we belittle our own beauty features that make us unique. Don’t think some “mixed” people and other ethnic groups haven’t picked up on our insecurities and figured out ways to capitalize off of it. Educate yourself about your hair so you don’t have to be dependent on chemicals, thereby proving ignoramuses in society right when they claim that your hair is inferior to others. Up You Mighty Race!
I had to cut my daughter’s hair it became dry,belittled after retouch her shoulder length hair broke off and became uneven. I am now using pink lotion to keep her natural hair moist.
Its a relaxer same thing.
They even got the nerve to put a half-breed on the front. ..LOL
What century you from ?
Half-breed??? Really, she’s not an animal, she’s a child lady.
What is she a dog or something? That’s someone’s child take that raggedy wig off your head lets see what people call you Smh…
Well the children are not the ones buying it so the burden is on the parents. NO WAY in hell I’d put a chemical in my child’s hair.
The girls on the box are clearly not using this product. They have their natural textured hair. This is why my daughter will only see a perm when she is old enough to make that decision for herself.
I’m having a difficult time believing that a MOTHER would put a chemical on her 3 yr old BABY’S hair. A THREE YEAR OLD, REALLY?????????? THAT’S A BABY.
Sadly enough there are parents ignorant enough and lazy too put this In their child’s hair.
I think she meant because the mixed child hair is already curly thats how I took it not as an insult!
I used this from I was 14 to about 16 and first my curls were great and my hair was managable but after awhile my hair got brittle and started to remain straight and break off. I am 17 going on 18 and ii have not put that in my hair for over a year and my hair is healthy but the “Texturized” hair has never been curly again. I am now going natural to obtain back my original curls.
I personally wouldn’t recommend this product for young girls hair.
It kills me how people say “targeting children”as if children go buy these things themselves. A relaxer isn’t a bad thing as long as the person applying it does it right and takes care of the hair. I am a stylist and I have a daughter. (No she’s never had 1) I know numerous children who come to me relaxed and healthy as well as some natural children who hair is a hot mess, broken off and damaged. It’s not about what u use, it’s about taking care of the hair
A recruiter is a relaxed. People need to read. Read those ingredients and compare to the ingredients on a box of relaxed. No lye relaxes are extremely bad for the hair. It contains calcium hydroxide which is the main ingredient in Nair hair remover. After a period of time it will start to remove the hair starting at the edges. This is why you see millions of people, especially children, with no edges. It also dries the hair out, which is why the companies are making them now with all of these ” miracle” conditioning ingredients. As to children getting this mess, I wish parents would stop being so damned lazy and learn to actually care for their children’s hair. I am a hairstylist and none of my younger customers have texturizers or relaxers. There moms started bringing them in when they were 2 or younger and they all have a head full of healthy hair. Stop the madness people. Most people doing this also fail when neutralizing the hair. Just because you don’t see any cream doesn’t mean there is no chemical left In the hair. The chemical itself is clear. Do your research and leave those babies hair alone.
Calling somebody a half breed is an insult. If your referring to hair than thats what u do, refer to the hair; not to the race of the child using such an ignorant ass term.
I use to put these chemicals in my older daughter’s hair and it did nothing to it only relaxers worked but regretted that. I vow now to educate and empower my baby about her hair that she will love it and keep it natural always. I’ve even chop my locks to learn how to maintain my hair so I can teach her about hers. These natural hair sites are a God send for us.
It’s for convenience. Time, oil, and a Denman brush works wonders without creating a cycle of dependency on chemical products.
it’s going to damage their hair !! it’s a fake product
what is a fake product?
this product says that it’s to manage the hair and keep the curls but it’s like a relaxer and damage the hair
These are bad for children of any age, yes it straightens the hair very well but it damages it and leave the hair dry & brittle and it will start to thin the edges no matter what moisturizer you use, this is still a harmful chemical that should never be used….If your daughter hair is hard to tame just brush it everyday & use a natural moisturizer and keep the scalp greased & wash & condition it every 2 weeks..
It is a relaxer same ingredients just mixed differently. I was natural I put one in my hair a day ago. My hair looks the same you would swear it’s natural BUT IT’S NOT anymore. I like it because I’m able to brush and comb my hair now with the products I spent a lot of money on that didn’t work before. I would not use it on my child’s hair I would just tough it out. I’m a parent that would rather spend less time on me and more time on my child.
She wasn’t thinking, I even cursed her out about that.
I’ve used this for five years on my daughters hair, it’s like a relaxer (took away her curl patter) (which was extremely thick) but has grew her hair incredibly.
I used it in both of my girls’ hair. With one, after 6 months, it broke and I had to a big chop/braids and let her hair grow back naturally. He hair is thicker and stronger than before.
With my other daughter, her hair grew and it’s still thick and nice. It’s been 2 years for her now. So every little girl is different.
As a hair stylist although it may be another form of a relaxer it uses less chemicals nd for children who do have unmanageable hair textures because there are a lot if children who do I belie its a good product to help parents who have trouble managing their childs hair not to make them think their textures are not acceptable but ttlo help manage their textures
Used this on my daughter’s hair when she was five. It made her hair straight and brittle just as if I had permed it. Ended up cutting off the relaxed ends up to her natural texture. Never used it again and grateful that her hair has returned to its natural state
Relaxer by another name.
I’m 25 and I use this brand…I hate relaxers they make your hair bone straight. .I had been natural for about 3 years and decided I couldn’t take it anymore. So when I decided to get a new haircut I used the just for me texture softener. I loved it, my hair stayed thicke and whenever I was my hair it looks as if it’s still in the natural hair stage. In other words
It just made my hair more soft not straight. I would recommend this product….make sure your hair is always slightly oiled or moisturized as it should be….idk about children or what age is good, but everyone has a different texture of hair…this product happen to work well with mines.
It does target the child. Just like cereal. Children and cartoons are on cereal to get the attention of the child. A child sees this and will think her hair can look like that and will ask her mother for it. Simple marketing.
Just for me means just for bold it took me years to my hair back to my childhood length relaxer or the worst and I’m happy to be relaxer free for nine years
I actually used this on my hair thinking it will just loosen my hair up but it became straight.that stuff smells just like a relaxer just not as strong
worse chemical ever. too strong for my 38 year old hair i cant use it
It works for some and not others. Several individuals have brittle and terrible breakage to begin with, so you can’t go through life blaming everything and everyone for improper use of products and style and take down/removal methods. My natural hair breaks combs no matter how much shea butter, coconut oil, and anything else you want to put in it. I was glad when I started getting relaxers because it even hurt using pressing combs.
FYI: Save any lectures for someone else. I know how to properly apply relaxers, style, and maintain my relaxed tresses. I have never had breakage or tragic hair loss…I don’t have any problem growing long and thick hair….Never have and never will be brainwashed and I know exactly where I come from.
Hair is dead. Take care of it, keep it presentable, and move on.
That’s what water,oil,& jojoba oil is for! Don’t use this bs!
I purchased this thinking it was just like a deep conditioner kind of thing. My hairdresser said return that now. My daughter loves her curls and occasionally will ask to blow it out and we will but I quickly remind her that she is beautiful with her natural hair.
People need to learn how to manage their kids hair without this nonsense.
I’ve been getting relaxers since I was VERY young. Maybe too young. But my mother knew how to take care of my hair and keep it healthy and passed that knowledge onto me. Although we have relaxers we have very thick hair that grows fast. So I hate how people automatically assume a relaxer and healthy hair can’t go together. You can’t just slap the cream on in your kitchen and pray for the best. I love my relaxed hair because of the versatility. If I want to be straight one day I can but I can also throw some leave-in and rollers in my hair overnight to wear a curly fro (see im not self hating as people may think). Although I do agree that if you’re going to relax your child’s hair that you should wait a while just because you relax doesn’t mean it won’t be healthy. That part is up to you and how you take care of it.
@Taylor Arianna,
That is awesome someone taught you how to keep your relaxed hair healthy. Most girls don’t get that instruction, for that matter any instruction. You know so many more people with relaxer horror stories, (bleeding/weeping scalps, massive over processing etc.) so that is why those two words don’t go together. Don’t let your feelings and experience blind you from what is really happening to a large majority. If you can relax it and grow it long, you should teach those that desire that. My natural hair is a statement, one of rebellious queenhood, I am taking back my image and defining it for myself. As far as health and relaxed, it is a rare breed that has both going.
Vee I didn’t say u were a half breed. I said your comment was rude and this is coming from a half breed. Meaning ME! you dnt need to break anything down. Ignorance is ignorance plain and simple no matter how you try and put it.
All I can say is I purchased this product at family dollar one day.Put it in my daughter’s hair and it broke her hair off terribly.That was my experience with it.
Cantu shea butter products help grow her hair back healthy.And it helped stop the hair breakage at the same time,Especially the leave in conditioning repair cream.
I use it in my daughters’ hair and compared to relaxers, I think,it’s much gentler. It just takes the kink out a bit….so,I can manage it easier. I am not good with hair…so it makes styling a better experience for all of us. However, I’ve used relaxers on my oldest and it broke off and ruined her hair. We didn’t do anything on her hair for 1.5 years after her last terrible relaxer and her hair has grown and is much healthier….thanks to deep conditioning, hot oil treatments and protective styling.
I swear some of the natural hair nazis should just eat the damn relaxer since they wanna have the word in their mouth so much. I went natural for the second time at 28. The same way we have the ability to choose in other areas of our lives, we have the ability to choose what works for us. I eventually learned to manage my 4c hair but it was time consuming and I had single strand knots and split ends on almost every strand. The same way I chose to cut my relaxer off at 20 and go natural and then again at 28…the same way I decided to use this product. BECAUSE I AM A BIG FRIGGING WOMAN AND I CAN!!! I kept it on my hair for no longer than 4 minutes and combed it through with my fingers. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. I don’t care if it is a relaxer…then it’s MY miracle relaxer. I don’t care who is on the box either, it’s not the box I am putting in my hair it’s the contents. I f you have the time or energy to invest in natural hair…good. I didn’t. I can’t tell my client I was late for his court hearing because I was detangling my hair. Just for me’s target audience has always been children. You have the choice…love it or leave it.
I relaxed my hair for decades with no self-hate issues so I understand when women say they’re just doing it for convenience. Having said that, if you’re having that much of a problem with detangling, there are methods to mitigate that, which you didn’t figure out during your natural journey. Naptural85 (youtube guru) has a video doing a co-wash and detangling session in 25 minutes from start to finish and her hair is down her back and THI-I-ICK!
Detangling cocktail: Before getting in the shower put extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil in your hair then a cheapie conditioner with slip ( I use Nutiva and Tresemme Naturals). The tangles literally melt out of your hair and stay out as you shampoo and condition your hair in the shower. Just don’t rough up your scalp and make sure you finger detangle in the same direction.
The only thing really stopping women from managing their natural texture is motivation. You just don’t feel like doing it, and that’s okay. But I wish more people would come out and say that as opposed to “oh, my hair takes too long to detangle”. Cause where there is a will, there’s a way. I REFUSED to go back to the creamy crack so I was EXTRA-DETERMINED and EXTRA-MOTIVATED. to style my natural hair. That’s coming from a full-time grad student, parent, and employee.
Coililana,
Preach! Since I started pre-pooing my hair with just coconut, YES. I consider myself a Natural Nazi but you would be too if you are dedicated and determined. I don’t care how other people wear their hair. Just to bring up a new thought I think a lot of you lady’s are missing: Taking care of your natural hair is trail and error. Just because cocnut oil works for me doesn’t mean it will help you. You gotta get out and try things and keep track of what worked and what didin’t. So it takes patience, and having a basic method to your madness.
Whitby Rickikhi Davis, as a hairstylist, why would you even promote the bs?! Smh. When you know better you do better. Naturally textured hair can be managed without a chemical. No it is not a good product. Smh
Nicole Hartley I really don’t care what or who you are…this conversation between us is just like the “bi-racial” girl on the box it just doesn’t need to be. If you’re boo hooing over my term you definitely wouldn’t like the term I’ve heard on some parts of the east coast. I’m ignorant because you feel that you’re not a half breed, you’re mixed, half of this and half of that, bi-racial. It all sounds the same to me.
Nicole have you ever used a texturizer? Have you ever used a pressing comb on your hair? Does your hair even get “nappy” ? And I don’t mean tangled either.
You make a point! Black womrn use words like nappy head, good hair and discriminate regarding hair textures but get upset with the term half-breed! These same people want their child to have looser curls etc,.
I am not a mother, but I am totally offended by a “texture softener.” I don’t want this to be a us vs them thing but I feel that is exactly what this “softner” is. Subconciously you are telling our black daughters, “You seriously can’t be happy with that hair.” and “it isn’t good enough, your hair will only be tolerated if it lays down.” Grrrrrrrrr…Now that my rant is over, It is so important to teach your daughter early that differences make everyone unique. Challenge your young ones to think about a world where everyone is the same, and instill in them that accepting others differences makes them a better person. Same on “Just for Me” stop peddling your poison images and thought processes onto our youth and then trying to tell us what to do to fix it….smh
What’s wrong with half breed? Lol. Half white, half black. Half breed. Is it harsh because you usually hear the term in animals?
Dogs and cats breed. We refer to animals as ‘breeds’….we refer to humans in terms of as race. So half white/half black means…MIXED RACE.
Love the article! My daughters hair is natural (4c) and absolutely beautiful. I tell her all the time how beautiful her hair is; I don’t find her hair to be unmanable because we take such good care of her hair. I don’t care for a relaxer or locs in her hair at this time – when she gets older she make that decision but she will know how to take care of her own hair. The issue I have with companies is the underline message that our hair is unmanagible. They don’t have to worry about me buying their product.
Yes, let’s go from kinky coiled 4c-3c hair, to wavy/curly hair. It’s not about the bone straight anymore, but that “mixed” hair look 😉
BUT, each to their own. Peace!
do not recommend…..basically another chemical for you to break your child’s hair off! tried it it was very drying to my child’s hair i let it grow out and chopped it all off over time
I used it a few times on my daughter(about 3 times) as she has very thick and hard to manage hair. But i soon realised it was making her hair even drier and it started breaking. Thanks to so many useful pages both on FB and Youtube Inhave learnt how to care for her hair the natural way. It’s been a year since we last used it and her hair is growing and doing fine.
Lesson learned: Put quotations when reposting a negative comment another says to make a point with the OPPOSITE view. Folks read all the comments before assumptions.
I mix mild relaxers with a jar of moisterizing cream to keep from breakage and burning. Im more into a textured effect than bone straight. Would not recommend any relaxer on child.
So little girls need this product to avoid feeling “different” and to maintain healthy, intact self image & esteem…? Smh…
When I was a kid it worked fine for me. … and I still PROUDLY USE “RELAXERS” … I guess it only works for certain hair types….
used it on my 3yr old lold 3 times just to make her hair easy to manage.It weakend, brittled and off coloured her hair.Now im waiting to do the big chop in winter..i feel so terrible for spoinling her hair when she loooooves hair so much
Just do you. All this arguing is ridiculous. People can talk all they want but unless you’re going to work my or my children’s hair everyday than don’t worry about how I take care of it. Mixed hair can get nappy just like black hair can so please get off that nonsense. Nit picking a child on a box because you don’t think she’s black enough. Get over yourself.
Shame
I would never put something so harsh full of chemicals in my child’s hair! I dont believe in relaxers…
I don’t understand how these harsh chemicals protect hair from breakage lol.
They have to leave our children alone! Afro hair is beautiful. Just a way to make money once again
1
Yes. That box should say texturizer. Stop trying to fool people. If adults want to loosing their curls via chemicals, that is there business. But I havw an issue with perming a childs hair. I didnt get any chemical until I was almost in high school, but thats just me
It’s a relaxer I use it on my clients same results same scalp burns it may be a little milder but still a strong chemical process
Listen the fact remains that if you use a chemical relaxer on anyone’s hair you have to be prepared to pay special attention to it hair is strongest in its natural state and with the right products any hair type can be manageable
They can call it what they want but absolutely is a relaxer! I used it on my girls about 3 years ago and it caused major breakage. Never again!
That kit has been around for years. Are they trying to rebrand it as something other than the relaxer that it really is? Here’s a link to an old commercial, circa 1993 . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ex5IHLdZQk
IT’S A PERM!!!! You can try to sugarcoat it any why you want to…. It is what it is…. A PERM!!!!
Treacherous.
Oh gosh I was going to comment about this product as have used it on a child but I dont think I will lol
Its a chemical
These things have been around for a long time.the question should be is it okay to use such harsh chemicals on kiddies.growing my mum was adamant never to use it now that I’m a mum I will be actively teaching and engaging my kids in the art and act of grooming our Afro hair I hate that we lost so much knowledge about what makes us who we are but glad that we found ourselves again most especially thru my wonderful hair that has a mind of its own but will always work with me to always look pretty
Its going to be hard for some mothers to reassure their daughters as they are still struggling to accept their own texture. I have mentioned before about the “can’t yous” these are the women bold enough to approach me and ask me can’t I twist out, braid out, denman brush shingling out my 4C hair to make it look curly or wavy…. Its almost like I’m insulting their eyesight because I accept my natural texture as is and don’t try to make it look curly / wavy… smh…
Ive used this before once i completely stopped using relaxers and i must say i did enjoy it. It did not have my hair bone straight but if i washed it it would be my natural curly hair but more manageable and if i wanted it straight then it was straight with out the daily use of heat and less frizz and so on. I would not recommend this for a young child only because i do not believe in putting any type of chemical process in a childs hair. I would defnitely recommend this to women who are trying to go natural or are natural but still use some chemicals here and there. When i used this texturizer i would use this once in the spring and once in the winter and that was fine for me.
Something out of nothing.
Okay if you are tired of this page discouraging chemical relaxers stay off it! Create a LOVING RELAXERS PAGE! This page encourages natural hair that’s it…no one is saying your the pawn of satan because you chemically straighten your hair! Ugh
I love this product. Black hair is definitely hard to manage and this product made things much simpler. The chemicals aren’t as strong as those of adult relaxers. I’ve used them for years. However, Ive learned to properly care for my now almost tailbone length hair. I embraced what worked for me. I like the versatility my hair has. I don’t care to wear my hair in its natural state. I don’t like the shrinkage, the frizziness, the style options or the time required to deal with it. I do believe that everyone’s choice in the matter should be respected as this issue has torn women of color apart. My choices and opinions are just that… mine. As far as children, I think hot oil treatments and deep conditioning would help make their hair more manageable to avoid the chemicals but if one does decide to relax, they should learn as much as possible about caring for black hair. I henna to maintain strength and thickness. I use non sulfate shampoo throughout the month and I moisturize and seal. I mildly relax once a year and I’m all good on this end. Happy hair growing all