MEET RACHEL
I love yoga, barre and exercise generally. I played Division I basketball in college and love being active. I am also passionate about diversity and inclusion, specifically increasing diversity in legal education.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEXTURE OF YOUR HAIR?
I am African American and have fine 3c hair – a lot of it.
HOW DID YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE INNATE LIFE PRODUCTS?
Before The Innate Life, before I transitioned, I was using products with silicones, sulfates, parabens, etc. I wasn’t really reading labels. As I began my transition in 2015, I started using safer products. I found safe products to cleanse, condition and style my hair. But I hadn’t found my holy grail products yet until I found The Innate Life.
In April 2015, I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair. I got my first relaxer as a teenager and continued to relax my hair for 15+ years. Whenever I opened magazines or turned on the tv, there were so many pictures of beautiful black women with straight hair. I did not see women with my hair texture being featured in the media. I played sports in high school and college and I believed that having a relaxer made my hair more manageable. When I was in my earlier late 20s, I went to a hair salon in Ohio that was a natural hair salon. I would often ask my stylist in disbelief if the individual clients I observed getting their hair done had relaxers and she told me that every single one was natural. I was dumbfounded. Their hair looked shinier, healthier, and more voluminous than mine. While I never experienced major breakage (my hair was always long and strong thankfully), my hair did not the volume and bounce that I was yearning for and thus I decided, that I was going to stop relaxing my hair.
In April 2015, I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair. I got my first relaxer as a teenager and continued to relax my hair for 15+ years. Whenever I opened magazines or turned on the tv, there were so many pictures of beautiful black women with straight hair. I did not see women with my hair texture being featured in the media. I played sports in high school and college and I believed that having a relaxer made my hair more manageable. When I was in my earlier late 20s, I went to a hair salon in Ohio that was a natural hair salon. I would often ask my stylist in disbelief if the individual clients I observed getting their hair done had relaxers and she told me that every single one was natural. I was dumbfounded. Their hair looked shinier, healthier, and more voluminous than mine. While I never experienced major breakage (my hair was always long and strong thankfully), my hair did not the volume and bounce that I was yearning for and thus I decided, that I was going to stop relaxing my hair.
I stopped because I could not bear the thought of feeling the burning sensation on my scalp during a relaxer. I stopped because I wanted to see my natural hair texture. I stopped because I knew that relaxers were unsafe and I wanted to have a healthier lifestyle. While I have always been mindful of exercise and nutrition before transitioning to natural hair, I was much less mindful of the products I was putting in my hair and on my skin. I began switching out my current makeup, skincare, hair and body products to safer ones that are free of silicones, sulfates, parabens, mineral oils, and synthetic fragrances. I downloaded the EWG Skin Deep App to check to see if the ingredients in the products I was using were safe and I switched out many of our household cleaning products as well.
I transitioned for two years almost exclusively by doing braid-outs with perm rods on the ends. The perm rods are helpful because they helped to create a more uniform-looking curl. I got trims/cuts every 3 months or so to remove the straight pieces. I learned a lot about myself during this process. Washing my hair myself was an adjustment! I was accustomed to going to the salon every 1-2 weeks. I went from struggling to detangle my hair to now being able to finger-detangle easily. I buried my head in materials, websites, YouTube videos about natural hair and transitioning. I joined HiF3licia’s Our Health Hair Journey which is a great space to learn about how to take care of your hair, learn about products, etc.
WHAT MADE YOU SEEK OUT THE INNATE LIFE PRODUCTS? HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE COMPANY?
I heard about the company through HiF3licia’s Instagram page! She posted about the Herbal Hair Mask, Rose Hair Elixir and the Scalp Treatment. I often like her product recommendations so I figured I had to try this line. I got my hair trimmed/cut every 3 months and my hair was shorter than I would have liked. So I thought that using these products could expedite my hair growth!
WHAT SETS THE INNATE LIFE APART FROM OTHER COMPANIES IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?
The Innate Life is very transparent about the ingredients that are used in their products. Every single ingredient is listed by name and there is no mysterious 'fragrance' category. This high level of transparency creates trust between The Innate Life brand and consumers. This brand cares not just about producing great products, but also about educating people about the importance of ingredient selection. In addition, I love that these products work! My hair is longer and stronger after using these products weekly for the past couple of months.
WHAT IS YOUR HAIRCARE ROUTINE NOW?
I’ve learned so much about my healthy hair journey through HiF3licia and observed that she used the Scalp Treatment, Herbal Hair Mask, and Rose Hair Elixir. I ordered the Large Complete Hair Care Bundle and began using the Scalp Treatment and Herbal Hair Mask weekly. It has become my Friday night ritual to use the treatment and mask overnight and to do a face mask as well. I love how amazing my hair feels after I use these products. My scalp feels clean and my hair feels moisturized and strong. I use the Rose Hair Elixir to add shine to my hair. I often do braid-outs, twist-outs, finger coils, or perm rod sets, and I use the Rose Hair Elixir to scrunch out the crunch, and to reduce frizz as I style my hair. These products are STAPLES for me. I even brought them on my honeymoon to Bali.
HOW DID YOU SEE YOUR HAIR CHANGE AFTER USING THE INNATE LIFE PRODUCTS?
My hair is growing faster and is stronger than it was before. My scalp feels better and my hair has more shine.
WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE PRODUCT AND WHY?
My favorite product has to be the Scalp Treatment. I love the tingling sensation!
WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THESE PRODUCTS TO?
I would recommend these products to women of all hair types. As a black woman with 3c hair, these products have been immensely helpful to me!
HOW DOES THE INNATE LIFE FIT INTO A LIFESTYLE COMMITTED TO HEALTH + WELLNESS?
The Innate Life fits well into a lifestyle committed to health and wellness. While our workouts and nutrition matter, it is equally important that we are mindful of the products we are putting on our skin, on our scalp and in our hair. I’m so glad I switched to safer products with The Innate Life!