As a child, my curly hair was characterized as “Shirley Temple-esque.”  This name was aptly given to me at a time  when my curly hair withstood that ‘round-the-clock frizz and maintained both its shape and moisture. Thanks to my grandmother’s self-concocted banana curls ‘do and the help of Johnson & Johnson’s No More Tears Spray Detangler, I was able to happily cope with the unruly mane biologically given to me by my Mexican-American mother.

With age, my desire for the banana curls became a distant memory, not unlike Ms. Temple’s youthful stardom.Nonetheless, I have found my efforts to achieve glossy and weather-resistant tresses to be a never-ending battle. Not to mention, that it appears that in the said beauty world, it’s either the straight way or the high way (á la Maxim and Vogue magazine). Thus, I have subjected my hair to the tortures of the straightening iron.

Admittedly, I have preferred the faux straight look over my naturally curly hair. Maybe, it’s due to the fact that compliments are more frequent and my hair does not look “messy” (?). But, what is it about straight hair that is simply so great? Furthermore, why do many women, especially those women of color, struggle with the notion of letting their natural locks go astray?

It seems that the media generally portrays straight hair as the grooming standard, which often leaves the rest of us mop tops with much to be desired from our own natural hair. Few curly-hued celebs have actually embraced their natural locks. Instead, they have opted for a straight look, reserving the curly hair appearance for a rare occasion.  Other Hollywood personalities, however, may beg to differ (Thank you Leyla Milani and Nyee Moses!), while some stylists are conjuring up salon recipes in  the form of shampoo and conditioner exclusive to curly  hair. 

Enter Cibu International Haircare. Although an  innovative, mid-tier priced product line that is “intentionally broad,” as Jennifer Mapp (Cibu brand manager) comments, Cibu has several hair care godsends that speak directly to ethnic hair.

Blended with such Far East-inspired ingredients as soy proteins and green and white tea extracts, Miso Knotty ® Leave-In Detangler and Oso Shimmer ® Smoothing Solution (note the clever Asian-infused puns) are just two Cibu products that aim to sculpt your curls. Mapp describes Cibu as a hair treatment that is “exclusive to the salon environment and neither diluted nor diverted.” Rather than influence us curly-headed folks to play hide not seek with our hair, Cibu aims to inspire us to embrace the often overlooked hairstyle of naturally curly.

As stylists continue to create hair care lines for women who wish to embrace their authentic curly hair, us “mop tops” (Hollywood A-listers not excluded) may start to tuck away that straightening-iron vixen and more often than not, leave the house nappily happy.

 ~ Mellori V.

Product Image: Courtesy of Cibu International Haircare