In the previous blog post, we talked about the external pressures of perception clinging to natural, textured hair. So what’s left when the social stigma, judgements and commentary are stripped away? This post dives a little deeper into the relationship between the lenses through which textured hair is perceived, and the hair itself. Our aim? To separate the two…
There’s no perfect science aligning lenses (i.e. ways of seeing) with hair itself, but the idea is, more or less, as follows: each lens carries a specific bias which in turn influences how the hair is cared for and styled. For example, the white-dominant Western lens influences textured hair (community, products, industry etc.) to privilege glossy, clearly defined curls. According to this lens, volume is good but frizz is bad. Lenses such as these are rooted in the cultural history of a region and its community: glossy, defined curls call to mind classic Hollywood beauty standards.
The Western lens acting on curly/coily hair is in fact one specific example of three types of lenses influencing how we see, style and present our hair. The above is an example of an external world lens, but lenses (influential biases) also arise in our close circles (the perspectives and biases of friends, family & co-workers), and even in our own inner world (the perspectives and biases we internalise and identify as our own).
Now, you might be thinking, it’s just hair! Do we really need to analyse it so deeply? Categorise every single aspect? Well, no. There’s really no need. Wash your hair, style and be done with it if you like. But, we’re hair nerds. And we’ve found that having a thorough understanding of the opinions, perceptions and standards clinging to textured hair is the most sure way to free ourselves from them.
Opting for glossy, defined curls/coils is a hairstyle choice as valid as any other, it’s just that Crolles wants this to be a choice, rather than an unconscious reaction to the perceptions and biases that happen to be acting on us in this life. Crolles is about textured hair freedom – from there, it’s all yours.
So, what does freedom from the biases of all the different possible lenses translate to when it comes to the hair itself?
Crolles was not necessarily designed against the considerations that go into most textured hair products; rather, it was designed without them. There was no counter narrative, no counter ‘lens’ informing what ingredients went into our bars; simply ingredients that ensure nothing other than moisture and nourishment.
Which was why it was so exciting for us to see what these intentions – the absence of cultural, social and historical bias reflected in the ingredients – produced when it came to the finished, washed hair result. Strip away the dirt, strip away the lenses, and what do you have left?
The perfectly defined volume/curl ratio. Perfect, for you; different from everyone else. Because if Crolles can promise one thing, it’s to return your curls or coils to their naturally intended equilibrium. Frizz, gloss, tight, loose: it will boost the essence of what you already are, before you learnt anything about what you *should* be.
Crolles is shampoo, and it’s philosophy. It’s the rebirth of subjective power happening in a realm where we so easily, so unconsciously give away our perspective to objective constructs: the realm of textured hair care.