TBB MAGAZINE
What is your culture?
Sarah Chase
My Natural Hair Journey & the Importance of Natural Black Hair My natural hair journey began my freshman year of high school and it was not an easy transition at all. I had always gotten a perm to straighten my hair and it was not for any reason that Black women have had to get perms. Most of the time Black women have experienced hair discrimination against their kinks and curls. Other times it has been because our natural hair was not seen as beautiful or normal. My story does not start that way, but it is important that we discuss natural Black hair and the stigma behind it. I could give a whole history lesson on Black hair starting from African culture to enslavement to the Civil Rights and Black Power movement, but since I am going to share my natural hair journey, I will keep it short. From slavery until now natural Black hair has been seen as inferior. So much to the point that there are laws that have to be passed to protect hair discrimination against Black hair. Some states have been able to pass the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act). Black women were fired for their hair being too kinky or unprofessional, their braids too long, their style not appropriate. So much of the discrimination encouraged Black women to not only perm their hair so much it damaged it, but it also caused them to feel that their hair and who they are as Black women is not acceptable in society. Black women could not embrace their roots in order to assimilate and to sadly, feel beautiful. Black women were not taught to love their curls, but instead to hate their beautiful texture and dehumanize themselves.
For myself however, I was born wearing protective styles filled with history, but not my 3C/4A hair simply because my mother was not experienced in natural hair herself. The generation of women in our family were affected by the european standards that women were held to and no one was taught how to take care and protect their natural hair. They were only taught to press, flatiron, and perm. That is until the summer going into my freshman year I discovered natural hair channels filled with beautiful Black women and their equally beautiful curls. Going into Freshman year I was finally able to break the generational curse and begin my own natural hair journey(I know my African ancestors would be proud). These past four years have been filled with enlightenment and a journey to self love. To love who I am as not only a Black woman, but to love my heritable that makes me a Black woman. I have been able to try different styles and products, learn how to care for my curls, and most importantly what works for my hair. I cut off my dead ends towards the end of my freshman year because I was happy with the length of my curls. Honestly going natural is one of the best decisions I have made. My hair is the healthiest it has ever been and the amount of growth it has achieved is phenomenal. I would joke with my friends often about how the length it was curly was how long it was straight. Now my hair is longer curly than it was when I was perming it.
I can not wait to teach my future daughters that same love for their kinky, curly hair and to enrich their minds with Black history while box braiding their hair or putting a curl cream in to make their texture pop. Most importantly, I can not wait to be one of the first Black women in my family to pass down such an important part of being a Black woman.
01
My Wash Day Products
SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
Love, Beauty, and Planet has been the best at not only cleansing my scalp, but also their conditioner is amazing and has helped tremendously in keeping my curls moisturized! I am currently using the Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower set, but I also loved their limited edition clean ocean set. Not only are you getting great products, but you are also saving the earth while doing so. Photo Credits : House of Beauty
02
DETANGLER
Do not freak out, but for a minute I was using a brush to detangle my hair, which in some cases is a BIG natural hair no no. I did not mind using a brush though as it was and will always be the best at detangling my hair. I would use a wet-brush from Walmart, but I do not recommend using a brush to detangle especially if you have a tighter curl pattern. Now I use a wide tooth comb from Cantu, but I recommend finger detangling. It is the safest way to detangle and prevents breakage. Finger detangling is personally my favorite way to detangle.
Photo Credits : Target
03
DEEP CONDITIONER
I use two different ones depending on my mood that day. I have Cantu’s deep treatment masque and my personal favorite Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System. It is the best at deep conditioning my hair and it feels so moisturized even after I wash it out. As we all know if you really want long lasting moisture, do not skip deep conditioning! That is why I recommend investing in a deep conditioning cap. It is the best purchase I have made in my life! All you have to do is put it in the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds and boom! You can walk around your house, clean, or whatever you need to get done for the next thirty to forty-five minutes. I recently just picked up Pattern Beauty’s heavy conditioner for coilies. I am super excited to try it this sunday!
04
Photo Credits : Amazon
STYLE
I have been wearing wigs a lot lately because graduation is coming up, so I am keeping protective styles for maximum growth (I also got lazy, but anyway) Sauve released their natural hair line that included a leave-in conditioner along with a curl creme and I am obsessed with both products! I am always trying new leave ins and creams, so I rarely stick with products, but those two I stuck with for so long and now I have new products I am dying to try! Right now I am using Aunt Jackie’s curl la la defining curl custard and it is good. I have had better, but it gets the job done. One product that I am never getting rid of like never going to stop using is Bella’s Curls hair butter! I am so happy that I found this product. It has changed my life! I am not exaggerating. I use it every sunday no matter if I am leaving my hair up or doing a wash and go. It is the BEST moisturizing product that I have ever had and I will not ever switch it with a different product or leave it out at all! It is a forever relationship between me and that hair butter. I also use normal liquid coconut oil as a sealant. Sometimes I get a bottle from the Vitamin shop or Walmart. One oil I love to use as a sealant is Africa’s Best Ultimate Herbal Oil! Most use it as a hot oil treatment, but it is a moisturizing sealant for me.
Nicole Bejaran
Akunna O
How I Learned To Embrace My Culture Culture is one of the things that contribute to who we are as people, how we look at things and what we appreciate. Our cultures are unique to us and our families and the sense of pride comes organically when you think about where you come from. Yet what happens when you feel all these emotions internally but don’t want to express your culture because of what others say and think of your culture? A couple of years ago, I was that girl who was so proud to be Nigerian but when I moved to my new school I was almost embarrassed of where I came from. I thought my culture was not cool enough or I was just plain scared of being bullied if I spoke out about the things that involve my culture. My family always told me to be proud of where I came from but it's different when you're being influenced by outsiders. One thing that I did was practice incorporating my culture into conversations and projects that seemed fit, through that I was able to feel comfortable speaking about the specific traditions I did and how my family did things. So try to incorporate your culture’s traditions into conversations with your friends, teachers or maybe strangers or incorporate into class discussions or projects.
Another important point to think about is that your culture is unique in it’s own way, and you should be proud that you are not similar to another culture. I feel like ever since I found that being unique is AMAZING, I felt so comforted by that idea. Different perspectives bring unique solutions so know that you feeling a sense of pride in your culture is never a bad thing and it’s a great and beautiful thing. Through these main two points, I was able to feel free from the trap I put on myself of people being judgemental of my culture & knowing that the world is not a perfect and people will be rude and disrespectful to my culture but I will have to raise above. Ways to combat people that you may encounter that are like that is either educating them or just know it might come from a place of ignorance and it has nothing to do with you. Embracing your culture is a long process and it is honestly rewarding to be openly comfortable with who you are and where you come from. Your culture is one of the things that makes you unique so don’t cover that because of other people.
Sarah Garcia
Ellexus Glockner
Lippin Cosmetics I sell skin care and cosmetics. My current product line includes lip scrubs, under eye masks, lash serums, lip glosses, chapsticks and I am hoping to add more in the future! My business is cruelty free, vegan, made with all natural ingredients and it is super affordable! I am a home based business from Canada.
IG: @lippin.cosmetics TikTok: @lippin.cosmetics lippincosmetics.com
Lucia Perez
RECENT EVENTS APRIL
April 2, 2021, Teen Boss Babes Anniversary TBB x GLU Nail Po lish Collaboration Every MONDAY a New Blog Post
JUNE
Teen Boss Babes Summer Camp da te TBD June’s Magazine Is sue Release Every MONDAY a New Blog Post
MAY
May’s Magazine Is sue Release Every MONDAY a New Blog Post
JULY
Teen Boss Babes Summer Camp da te TBD July’s Magazine Iss ue Release Every MONDAY a New Blog Post
connect with us SHARE WITH US YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
We are always looking for new content ideas for the TBB Magazine and new boss babes to be apart of the magazine! Feel free to email us magazine@teenbossbabes.com
WE CAN'T WAIT TO CHAT
TBB MAGAZINE Editors
Paola Ochoa
Paula Nicole
Ellexus Glockner