These brands never even USED the words natural, organic or essential just a few years ago and now they are jumping on the bandwagon and trying to sell all natural products? Tsk Tsk
Of course this is to be expected, after all the natural hair movement has all but revolutionized how big beauty brands have been producing products. Shampoos are now sulfate free, there is bound to be a line dedicated to curly hair that was once non existent for most brands all in an effort of capitalizing on new trends.
Here is the thing I am far from stupid, I get it, the natural hair thing is a gold mine and relaxer sales have seen a huge decline. Some manufactures may be trying to conform in hopes of riding high again in their profits but honestly, are they to be trusted? Clearly they did not have concern for shoving natural or organic products or services to me prior to my enlightenment, I am not so sure things have changed.
We all know that these companies have the resources to produce products much cheaper with huge marketing campaigns in comparison to our smaller healthier brands . One of my main concerns is that the strength of the big brands will somehow drown out the smaller ones and in the end I will be back where I started.
I’m not too fond of seeing these products on the shelves sitting so smugly right next to the smaller yet much loved brands, they just seem out of place. Another thing I think about is the fact that as a veteran I am very aware of the old practices of these companies and while I know the history a newer natural who is much younger might not.
Sad to say but they just don’t know these big brands are just trying to compete and may not have your natural tresses in mind but rather just green dollars. I think the best advice I can give a new natural when trying to make product choices is to focus less on the brand and more on the ingredient list. Ensure that what the product is advertising can be achieved based on the ingredients on the back.
We have to use common sense too, there are product lines that have indicated that they can naturally stretch out our curls and reduce shrinkage. The question is, how? How will your product stop my strand from collecting water and how can you reduce shrinkage and add moisture at the same time?
It is highly unlikely that bigger beauty brands will have my trust to give me what the smaller brands have been giving me the past six years. I am always leery of getting a great product for an amazingly low price so I’m watchful of their ingredients and motives.
It is still early in the game to see if the smaller brands will retain their footing in the natural hair product industry but I will be keeping a close watch with my fingers and toes crossed because bigger is not always better and an old leopard with new spots is sometimes just the same old leopard.
Have you noticed this transformation and are you trusting or as leery as I am*?
Ibi O says
I have totally noticed the transformation. I have been natural pretty much my whole life and had to rely on specialist black hair care shops to supply me with haircare that was not remontely natural. Since the upsurge in demand for moer natural ingredients, there has been some very obvious “greenwashing” by a lot of big brands. Chuck a couple of olives or the word shea on the bottle but when you take a closer look its pretty much the same formulations they always had, and the natural ingredients are not priority as they are furthest down the list. I hope people show their commitment to the smaller business putting out “purer” products, they may seem costly, but that is because you are paying for actual ingredients and not chemical fillers etc. Thanks for this post, i think alot of people are still unnable to tell the difference and the truth of the matter is simple regimens using NATURAL ingredients work infinitely better.
http://www.heynaturalbeauties.com
Sabrina Perkins says
I’ve gotten fooled a few times just believing what some of these products are touting and learned you have to turn that bottle around and check it out! I agree with you 100%.
Clarissa Charlene says
No, they are just jumping on a bandwagon and still pimping on our securities !
Kesha Church Eldridge says
I don’t trust them and refuse to buy their products
Sabrina Perkins says
I’m in the same boat with you.
Sabrina Richmond Perkins says
I so feel you on this.
folamix says
Unfortunately, in the world of business, I have the feeling that these larger companies will overwhelm the smaller companies. They have the resources and we have already seen where some smaller companies have been bought out.
Sabrina Perkins says
Yes, it’s sad.
3d2002 says
I’ve always stood by ” it take a village” and we have to protect our own. I have noticed the transformation but I’m partial to the small business person(s) because those big business do not know our needs or textures, you are absolutely correct, only thing they see is “green” so I will always purchase FUBU.
Shay Ty says
I dont
Keira Bell says
Of course they can’t be trusted. You know it’s all about money when they have their relaxer brand sitting right near their new natural products. Ready to make a dollar any way they can…
Sabrina Richmond Perkins says
Exactly. Don’t put it in a fancy bottle and expect me to overlook the back.
quintasha says
I am very leery of these big brand companies trying to vie (not sure if this is the correct spelling or not) for my dollars given that our hair care needs have been ignored for many many years now. I came to this conclusion after I tried dark and lovely’s natural shampoo and for months it was doing fine until Feb this year. my hair suddenly became super duper dry and i couldn’t figure out why. I pride myself on looking at the ingredients of products that claim to be natural but i missed the mark on this brand as it had some form of sulfates in the ingredient list. granted, it was like 12th on the list but it was still there none-the-less. i will stick with buying reputable Black girl (or guy) owned hair care businesses from now on.
Sabrina Perkins says
Yea, but you are not alone on being duped. As long as we learn we are doing just fine.
Dabney says
Thank you for putting these companies on blast for their blatant pandering! Yeah they are in the business of making money but I am not buying into it any more. I tried all three of Dark in Lovely’s initial “Natural” offerings and I was not impressed. I found that there were so many chemicals in them that were adding any benefit to my hair. Subsequently, they sat on my shelf while I felt robbed!
Sabrina Perkins says
Exactly!
Sydney Shea Jacobs says
It was the same for me with the Pantene Relaxed and Natural line. It worked wonders for me while I was transitioning, but once more and more of my hair was natural, I noticed that it didn’t really do it for me anymore, and I had to look for new products. The only thing I’ve tried from the Au Naturale line from Dark and Lovely is the curl moisturizing souffle, and I like it sometimes for styling. I find that the more natural products work for me, and that making my own products works best for my hair
Serena Chrissette says
I don’t.
monniej says
i think they really don’t spend enough time really testing these products and the general idea is to just separate us from our hard earned cash. i truly believe the goal is to reclaim the share of the market they lost when women stopped perming, texlaxing and chemical processing their hair. i saw a box of perm on a shelf in a local bs for $1.00! really people? *smh*
Sabrina Perkins says
Wow, a dollar? I wouldn’t buy ANY product with chemicals in it for a darn dollar. Lord, hope no one’s hair falls out!
Theresa says
Most of these big brands use the same crap before or use the cheapest version of good ingredients they can find. There is no love for naturals from big brands, its all about the almighty dollar. I prefer and stick to the small business owners. I try out new ones when my stash starts to run low. Honestly if we learn which ingredients work best for our hair its easy to find what works and what doesn’t. Though for some naturals the more well known brand names do work very well for them, I will always prefer the small business natural products.
Andrea MoonPearl Banks says
No.
Jacqueline Martin says
I don’t.
Cheryl McIntosh Smith says
Nope
Uhm No says
Nope
Artra Veal says
Read the ingredients. What are they putting in those products? I think they just trying to make money. They have competition and don’t want to be left out.
Chala M. Brooks says
Not if you want completely natural products. There are very few.
MzansiFro says
Now we cannot trust them because they are in the business of making profits and profits means they will cut corners and cut out natural things in products because its cheaper
Mel Roberts says
One thinks not!
Courtney Gray says
Who cares do what works for you
Sophronia Sang says
Don’t know about trust, but I do like Pantene’s natural line. I’m actually more inclined to trust Pantene than any of these so-called ‘natural’ producers.
Sophronia Sang says
Everybody is in the business of making money. Big name or not.