I have a friend who has always championed Lakshmi’s Cupboard and always requests that I bring some of my product line to our personal get together plans (meeting up for lunch, dinner, etc) – and I mean with true consistency. I always attributed this to her being a supportive sister (which she is). But recently while spending some time with her I learned of a deeper reason: her background is bi-racial and the messages she received around her beautiful, curly, textured hair when she was a young child were not affirming at all. So knowing me on a personal level, she assumed, correctly, that all of my conditioners, hair oils, and shampoos were made with a loving appreciation for Black/Afro-textured hair. And she is so right – when I am making a product run – New Agey as this sounds – I send love and light to the product batch, I envision the people using it feeling a sense of beauty and self-esteem, I see them really loving the way their hair looks.
I am happy whenever my lovingly crafted product line gets to be the bridge that leads an individual towards “hair appreciation and pride”. It’s so much better when we are friends with our hair and our hair feels nurtured and cared for – when we have met the specific needs that Black/Afro-textured hair has. In the US and elsewhere in the world we have had a long tradition of disregarding what was best or optimal for our hair type, using products more suited for non ethnic hair. All the more reason that I take a special satisfaction in playing a small part in the “self affirming” textured hair movement that is currently underway. And in the experience with my friend….. how nice it is to move from the universal to the deeply personal.
Some of my friend T’s faves