Hair Care is Self-Care

24 Sep Hair Care is Self-Care

This post is sponsored by Target. 

Like most little girls, my very first idea of self-care came from my mother, specifically her relationship with her hair.

She was a stay-at-home mom when my brother and I were really young. I remember her telling me that she told my dad when they got married, she was to have her hair done every two weeks—whether she worked or not.

And so, my brother and I would go to the hair salon with her every two weeks. I loved watching all of these beautiful brown women interact, dolling out sage advice, acting as comedic relief or at times, unsolicited opinions. Keep getting pimples in the same spot? Someone would tell you to put Vitamin E and Apple Cider Vinegar on it. Can’t keep the squirrels from digging up your plants? A different woman would tell you that she puts mothballs in her flowerpots. ‘90s jams were pumping through the speakers and I was reading Essence or Ebony sitting at the dryer, probably swinging my feet, yet still feeling like I was grown, soaking it all in.

I’m really excited to share that I’m partnering with Target to share these sorts of beauty stories. Through January, each month we will work together to explore new products, routines or rituals.

I find myself homesick for those times with my mom. And slightly ashamed that I took them for granted, annoyed by long wait times and sweating under the dyer.  A trip to the salon where three shampoos are the norm, women are actually chatting, instead of staring blankly down at their phones, deadlines will always loom but at the hair shop? That was me time. That’s where I learned hair care is self-care.

I try to recreate that feeling at home. I’ve gotten pretty good at doing my own blowouts myself—which is nice, now that the weather is cooling off. I can finally stretch wearing my hair straight for two weeks, slicking unruly edges down with SheaMoisture Style & Smooth Edge. Or those annoying flyaways I have on the top of my head. It’s so lightweight, it won’t weigh down my hair or cause product build-up if I use it every day (and I do!). I swear it helps keep my hair from reverting back to its spring-y state in the humidity. Added bonus, it smells like peppermint

Now that’s my version of self-care. What are you first memories surrounding your hair? Do yours come from the women in your family as well?

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