DEFINE NATURAL

My husband and I got into a little heated disagreement the other night. It was about naturals calling themselves naturals but they really are not because they still use conditioners, gels, etc to make the hair behave something other than it would be if left alone. I tried to argue that natural means chemical free, embracing your natural coils, etc. I explained we have to apply these other products because that is just part of taking care of your hair, like lotioning your body. His arguement is that lotioning is changing your skin. It is not natural. The way our hair grows out of our heads after cleaning it with shampoo, should be left alone to do what it wants and that is natural. I explained in a perfect environment (air, water, food, diet, etc) that would probably work. But because of those factors and the fact that the hair once out of the scalp is dead, we must take care of it. He continues to argue that with all that into consideration, we are still using products to alter the curl once it grows out of our heads. He is saying that the haircare industry came up with that term to sell the "natural" products. But we should really say "permless or chemical-less." But then I think of the curlies that use curl activator and texturizers and call themselves natural.

SO I ASK YOU:
How would you define natural??? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

LOL!! have you been in my house??? ITA with you, natural in my eyes is working with your hair minus the chemicals that are meant to tame our curls. I love the lotion analogy!!!! We do live in a capitalist society so everything is created with profit in mind, right? Those chics with activators or texturizers just don't have faith!!

Lol tell hubby leeb us alone!!

LOL, That is what I told him too. Leave us alone!!!!lol

no chemicals=natural!!!

sigh, I've gotten into this debate with others as well, and now I don't even bother with it

"Natural" products don't refer to being made exclusively for folks with naturals, but rather products that are made from natural ingredients.

These companies will often state that this product or that is perfect for natural, loced, or relaxed. Believe that they want to sell to everyone as well! The idea is that natural products are better for hair, period, regardless of whether the texture has been altered or not.

To many in the black community, natural has traditionally meant unaltered texture. With weaves becoming more and more popular, to some it now means hair coming from your scalp!

What it comes down to is that the meaning of "natural" varies from person to person and really is just what it means to you.

Also, naturals that use curl activator (but don't have texturizers) often use it for the moisture it provides. Like all other products, curl activators themselves don't create or alter curls, they provide moisture and/or act as a liquid gel or serum.

blondie wrote:Also, naturals that use curl activator (but don't have texturizers) often use it for the moisture it provides. Like all other products, curl activators themselves don't create or alter curls, they provide moisture and/or act as a liquid gel or serum.

OH THANKS BLONDIE. I didn't know that.

I agree with you Intelligent. lol I don't think I have anything left to add. On Nappturality there was a debate about whether you were still considered natural if you dye your hair. I think you are simply because changing the color of your hair doesn't change the texture/curl pattern of your hair. Just my 2 cents

I tend to look at natural as not changing the texture/curl pattern via chemicals. Many people that have naturally textured hair dont necessarily used natural products on it.

i agree with everyone here. i've always defined being "natural" as not chemically altering your hair's original composition.

as far as the products are concerned, they're all styling agents. i don't know a SINGLE person that wakes up and doesn't touch his/her head/hair. even men i know with bald heads use some kind of balm or suncreen protection to keep their scalps moisturized. my honey puts a little oil on his tapered cut before he brushes it. *shrug*

with that logic, should we also not comb/brush our hair since doing those things changes how our hair would look after it's been washed...makes our 'dos a little more neat and presentable?

how about using natural oils on our skin and natural deodorants? is that cool?

it's the same with make-up. if you're already attractive, make-up is just going to enhance your natural beauty. if you're not attractive without make-up, with it, you're Wesley Snipes in To Wong Foo.

girl i could go on and on here. i'm a Leo engaged to a Taurus and with two bull-headed people in this house i have mastered the art of arguing/debate. LOL

to me natural means "as is" and "without manipulation".

curlyj wrote:to me natural means "as is" and "without manipulation".

Ok, yes!!! I was waiting for a curly to step forward and say that. What does that mean exactly? No condish, gel, etc.

blondie wrote:"Natural" products don't refer to being made exclusively for folks without naturals, but rather products that are made from natural ingredients.

These companies will often state that this product or that is perfect for natural, loced, or relaxed. Believe that they want to sell to everyone as well! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] The idea is that natural products are better for hair, period, regardless of whether the texture has been altered or not.

To many the black community, natural has traditionally meant unaltered texture. With weaves becoming more and more popular, to some it now means hair coming from your scalp!

What it comes down to is that the meaning of "natural" varies from person to person and really is just what it means to you.

This is true, i.e. Tyra Banks revealing her "natural" relaxed hair.

For me hair that is not straightened by chemicals is hair that is in it's natural texture and hair that is dyed is hair that isn't in it's natural color (even if it's in it's natural texture). I think it's that simple.

People make too much of an issue out of black hair. People of other ethnicities can dye their hair till kingdom come and people may say that they're hair isn't it's natural color, it doesn't go beyond that.

I consider dying my hair on occasion and it I did I would still consider my hair it's natural texture and that's good enough for me. I haven't had a relaxer since I was 16 and I don't even remember what it's like to be relaxed, so whatever I decide to do with my hair within it's natural texture is definitely not be trying to conform or be white or any bull like that.

Technically he's right. Agree or not. Natural is natural: existing or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.
Now, what the term natural means in the hair community is a little different, so in that case I'd have to agree with you. But, you both have a valid point. :-)
I've heard this argument before, and wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole... A lot of the time it's so much more deep than most people are willing to admit.

@likethemoon "it's the same with make-up. if you're already attractive, make-up is just going to enhance your natural beauty. if you're not attractive without make-up, with it, you're Wesley Snipes in To Wong Foo."

* iDIED OMG! crying laughing right now! HILARIOUS

This is the reason I don't use the term "chemical-free" to define natural hair. By saying that it opens the floodgates to the conditioner/gel/moisturizer/etc debate, since they are all made of chemicals.

Natural hair: hair whose texture is not permanently altered. That means no relaxer, no curly perm, no thermal reconditioning, no permanently heat straightened hair.

CarlsM wrote:Technically he's right. Agree or not. Natural is natural: existing or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.
Now, what the term natural means in the hair community is a little different, so in that case I'd have to agree with you. But, you both have a valid point. :-)
I've heard this argument before, and wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole... A lot of the time it's so much more deep than most people are willing to admit.

I feel you on everything you said!!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I agree we are both right but there is "more than meets the eye" when we talk about black women's natural hair.

maysay wrote:This is the reason I don't use the term "chemical-free" to define natural hair. By saying that it opens the floodgates to the conditioner/gel/moisturizer/etc debate, since they are all made of chemicals.

Natural hair: hair whose texture is not permanently altered. That means no relaxer, no curly perm, no thermal reconditioning, no permanently heat straightened hair.

OOOO, no thermal reconditioning (heating cap??), no permantely heat straightened hair (press and curl???). Please explain. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Intelligentbeauty wrote:

maysay wrote:This is the reason I don't use the term "chemical-free" to define natural hair. By saying that it opens the floodgates to the conditioner/gel/moisturizer/etc debate, since they are all made of chemicals.

Natural hair: hair whose texture is not permanently altered. That means no relaxer, no curly perm, no thermal reconditioning, no permanently heat straightened hair.

OOOO, no thermal reconditioning (heating cap??), no permantely heat straightened hair (press and curl???). Please explain. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thermal reconditioning is a process that was popular a couple years ago (and still is with white women) to make the hair straight. Heat caps are just fine lol.

Heat straightening is murky territory. On the one hand, heat straightening is just like a twistout, it's a temporary change in the way the hair looks. On the other hand, there are many people with natural hair whose texture has been permanently loosened by heat straightening and I do not consider their hair natural anymore (since it can't revert back to its original texture).

to me:

natural = no relaxer/texturizer

maysay wrote:
On the other hand, there are many people with natural hair whose texture has been permanently loosened by heat straightening and I do not consider their hair natural anymore (since it can't revert back to its original texture).

Actually, in this situation, the hair is still natural (referring to chemically altering texture). It doesn't revert back because of damage, so it is referred to as natural hair that is heat damaged.Many times you'll see bits and pieces (esp. ends) like that.

blondie wrote:Also, naturals that use curl activator (but don't have texturizers) often use it for the moisture it provides. Like all other products, curl activators themselves don't create or alter curls, they provide moisture and/or act as a liquid gel or serum.

I had a question about this statement you made. What ingredients are providing the moisture? Is it a chemical? I always thought a curl activator was to loosen curls. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Intelligentbeauty wrote:

blondie wrote:Also, naturals that use curl activator (but don't have texturizers) often use it for the moisture it provides. Like all other products, curl activators themselves don't create or alter curls, they provide moisture and/or act as a liquid gel or serum.

I had a question about this statement you made. What ingredients are providing the moisture? Is it a chemical? I always thought a curl activator was to loosen curls. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The only thing that will loosen curls is a chemical. And by chemical I mean a chemical process. Curl activator is what is traditionally used by folks with curls and such because of the chemical process, the hair needs constant moisture. Without it, you would get a dry, frizzy mess, so the moisture "activates" the curls.

Not all activators should be used. Some have lots of bad stuff (mineral oil for example). But glycerin is a biggie that is used in them.

But no, curl activators don't loosen curls and are not a chemical process. They are no different from KCCC or a gel or spritz in terms of what they do to curls. It's all about the moisture.