Relaxer Commercials??

your welcome, mscrystal!

I just think it's funny because even if the hair is real, no breakage though? like really? is that even possible? I always see them on TVOne late at night, but I have used those perms, and the result is not like that at all. And I had BSL hair for a minute, but it never like that without a hairdresser.

tiashauntee wrote:I blame mental conditioning. Many AA women (and men) feel like long flowing hair is the only pretty hair. If you think about it our people are the only ones with kinky hair (please correct me if I am wrong). But white, Hispanics, Asians all have long flowing hair, so something must be wrong with us.....not in my opinion. If our hair/race is so bad then why other ethic groups try to get what we have:
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And let's not forget his era:
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Amen to that!!

Yeah, I found the cosmetic database a few years back. Excellent info! It's sad to view so many of those ads without the consumers really being informed or aware of the effects of use. I think there should be someone reading all of the risks at the end of those commercials like the medicine commercials. LOL! The medicine always sounds so wonderfully helpful until the spokesperson reads the lists of risks or potentially harmful effects to your body at the end of the commercial.

However, the "like white" acceptance dates back to the early beginnings of our combined society or cultures as a whole. "Being like white is right" was a slave mentality. "Light" slaves worked in the master's homes because they were "easier" to look upon and later we viewed a few AA women breaking into the media as they were cast in the movies of the 40's and 50's but only the Light skinned sisters received the main roles. Light skinned AA women were viewed as beautiful because their features or skin were close to white culture which was subconsciously and consciously drilled into our minds as being rightfully accepted. It was wrong for us to embrace our full lips, curvy bodies, and nappy heads. Most of the beauty suppliers of today are predominantly owned by non-whites. That's no secret. Hey, check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2653J_aaE_I It's a billion dollar industry so of course, you are going to continue to see these commercials on the market. However, I believe as society begins to embrace natural beauty, you will see more of such in the media also. It's hard to come out of bondage (old way of thinking) for some especially when that's all that you know.

Every ethnicity has beauty... God's masterpieces.

@naturallydestined...Excellent synopsis!! All of what you stated is currently in my thesis. I also mentioned in class that I would like to see the "side effects" mentioned at the end of the relaxer commercials just as presented in pharmaceutical commericals.

The Asians are certainly taking over the black hair care stores. 9 out of 10 of the stores that I have been in have been owned by the Asian community.

Regulation of cosmetics in the US can be very tricky:

1)Unlike pharmaceuticals, drug devices, etc, FDA does not have premarket approval of cosmetics. Cosmetic companies are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing.

2)A product is generally categorized a drug, cosmetic, etc not because of the ingredients, but because of the intended use.

a relaxer, in my opinion, should have regulation as a drug. According to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a drug is an article (other than food) that is intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals. I believe manufactures have been able to get away with this because of the perceived notion that the relaxers 'just' make hair 'more manageable' by making it soft. But how do relaxers make hair more manageable and soft?? Relaxers make hair soft, and eventually break because they ARE altering the structure of links that make our hair.

Also, do keep in mind that the FDA would not know of the dangers of cosmetics unless there is an outcry from the public.

^^^Makes a lot of sense. They'll always find loopholes, sadly.

@ dajewel, you are so right! FDA does the same with herbs..no regulation and we all know herbs have medicinal properties/effects.

yes, FDA views the use of herbs as a dietary supplement and not a drug.

MsCrystal wrote:@naturallydestined...Excellent synopsis!! All of what you stated is currently in my thesis. I also mentioned in class that I would like to see the "side effects" mentioned at the end of the relaxer commercials just as presented in pharmaceutical commericals.

The Asians are certainly taking over the black hair care stores. 9 out of 10 of the stores that I have been in have been owned by the Asian community.

I've only been to 1 black-owned beauty supply store in my life. And I've been to a LOT of them for sure. I tried to go to some from the Black-Owned Beauty Supply Association Website and the database they had was either outdated or they had the wrong phone numbers/addresses or it wasn't an actual beauty supply store. I was really disappointed - I even wrote them a letter lol. The one beauty supply store that had accurate info was the 1 I had been to - go figure.

I think Asians will soon take over the "relaxer" or straightening market, too. I have been seeing the Japanese permanent straightening systems in beauty supply stores and before then heard about it from a friend. It's crazy.

Ha I just saw a commercial for Yoplait yogurt where the grocery store employee was rockin a cute TWA. I've seen the ads in Target too and the women and girls featured always take my breath away!

As for the ORS relaxer commercial: it gets on my nerves! I find it to be insulting that advertisers believe that just mentioning olive oils and shea butter will make me believe their product is 100% healthy and natural for my hair. The line about "no more breakage" really ticked me off...because I kept thinking hmmm I wonder how it was breaking in the first place? Perhaps from the caustic chemicals masked by the few good ingredients...puhleez

@ naturallydestined, "Every ethnicity has beauty... God's masterpieces."

I couldnt agree with you more!! I just wish that instead of looking at our differences as curses & things that need to be fixed whether that be straighten or lightened!! WE should accept them as beautiful exotic, distinct features that set us apart from the rest of society in a wonderful way. In a way that even those societies desires our features.

Blackbeauty wrote:@ naturallydestined, "Every ethnicity has beauty... God's masterpieces."

I couldnt agree with you more!! I just wish that instead of looking at our differences as curses & things need to be fixed whether that be straighten or lightened. we should accept them as beautiful exotic, distinct features that set us apart from the rest of society in a wonderful way. In a way that even those societies desires our features.

on the real!!!!! the Lord knew what He was doing when He was blessing us with this hair!!