Natural hair is often frowned upon as  being unmanageable and problematic to maintain. There are so many stereotypes and myths out there about natural hair which can easily be dispelled by loving your hair, nourishing it and appreciating it. I have dedicated this blog post to a product I found that I feel helps me do just that. I asked the innovative minds behind Afrorage to give me a little information on what makes the product so good for your hair.

Afrorage works to debunk the myths about natural hair by offering natural hair products, tips and advice to the Southern African market

By Sharon Kasanda

14^th July 2013

Natural hair continues to be a controversy in today’s society. The political, cultural and social implications of having a natural head free from chemical processing is still very much alive in workplaces, social circles and in what our concept of beauty is. I have been natural for three years, and from day one the questions and queries that I got were at times downright incredulous to downright insulting. I was asked why I wanted to stick with my ‘untidy look,’ or that I could not go around town ‘natural’ for fear of embarrassing my counterparts. On the upside, I also had a lot of support from the people around me, and going back to my roots was a great cause for celebration in my immediate circles.

One of the many reasons that women today do not want to grow their natural hair is due to the very popular myths that black hair does not grow, is very hard to take of and is just not the accepted form of beauty in society. Armed with a plethora of negative comments and societal connotations, it is a brave soul who challenges the status quo and decides to grow the curly kinkiness from his or her head, for better or for worse. Although these issues still exists in society today, over the years the natural hair movement has grown. As transitioning to natural becomes the first challenge, the second challenge becomes what products to use; and this is the niche that Afrorage has moved into in the Southern African market.

Finding the right product for your natural hair that does not contain an arm long list of preservatives or other moisture stripping substances can be a very daunting process, and we wanted to eliminate this problem by not only making products that contain only natural ingredients, but that also catered to the specific needs of African women’s hair and that would add the necessary moisture and softness to the hair without resulting in breakage and dryness. This is why we came up with the moisture rich butter and oil blend made of Avocado and Shea Butter, Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil and Essential Oil Blends to replenish natural oils and moisturize the hair.

Created by three nappy haired sisters…and one dreadlocked mother, Afrorage boosts products that contain no preservatives and contain essential oil blends and natural butters to help enhance beautiful, healthy and natural hair. At Afrorage, we aim to debunk the myths that African hair is nothing but a tight angry nest of kink that needs to be straightened into submission, our products allows women to not only take care of their beautiful natural hair, but we also assist them with tips, advice and consultations on how to take care of their hair. Whether your hair is natural, whether you are transitioning, or whether your hair is relaxed, we LOVE your hair at Afrorage.

Although several companies make hair care products, the team at Afrorage noticed that these products not only contain an arm list of preservatives but hardly contain enough of the natural ingredients they claim to have. Not only are all the products of Afrorage made solely by hand, but our products are made from the ‘good stuff.’ We do not make use of base foundations, our products are actually made up of the ingredients. We chose the most beneficial natural ingredients to include in our recipes. The smile on people’s faces when they read the ingredients on the labels says it all.

What goodies Afrorage puts in your hair:

Afrorage’s moisturiser and oil blend are free of sodium lauryl sulphates, polyethylene, glycol, parabens, petroleum, artificial fragrances, dyes, mineral oils and preservatives. The product range includes:

• Afrorage Tropical Hair Butter: this moisture rich butter contains Avocado and Shea Butter, Coconut Oil Blend and Essential Oil blend; it is a great moisturiser, a great hair softener and seals in moisture.
• Afrorage Pure Oil Blend: this pure oil blend contains a Sweet Almond oil Blend and Essential Oil Blend, and is a mixture of pure oils for sealing the hair and ends, adding instant pure moisture to the scalp and hair.

Be part of the Afrorage Community!

To learn more about Afrorage and join the natural hair community;

Visit: www.facebook.com/afrorage and LIKE our page!

Or Email: afroragebeautyessentials@gmail.com for more information, tips and advice from other naturals