Eli Cruz on Mane Addicts: To help continue the natural hair conversation, Mane Addicts invited six women on their natural hair journey to give us a glimpse inside of their natural hair stories – from their favorite products to the most isolating questions they’ve been asked to what they find empowering about their journey.
When did you start to embrace your natural hair texture?:
Since a very tender age, my mother and my sisters “imposed” rules such as to take care of my hair in a splendid manner, and obviously I couldn’t perform it all by myself and they used to perfect the rest of the technique. With all of this interaction to which I am truly grateful, and in the earliest stages of my life, I began to realize how to take care of my hair in full alongside all of it’s features.
What are your favorite products?:
Seasonally (often on a monthly basis), I use different brands in order to obtain the best of results so that the hair does not get used to the same product and starts engaging in neglect about it. You know that the most brilliant hair, it is like a genius person, always possesses strong personality on its own. Lol!! But I can share that among my favorites you can include Hair Rules products by my beloved friend Anthony Dicky and Windle & Moodie products by Neil Moodie.
The best/most empowering part of your journey so far?:
To prove to myself that despite having different hair that I am intrinsically beautiful and attractive, which is something I have not experienced before entering this glamourous world of fashion & entertainment. Works wonders like a therapy. If Martin Luther King, Jr. stated “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Then, I have to transform my weaknesses into strengths and the threats on my path into opportunities to shine comprehensively and by doing so, enabling abundant light for the moments where other people have plugged their own, due to adversities or insecurities, I share my confidence and greater core commodities with a treasured language called love, so that it sparkles among them some inspiring hope, smiling and giggle.
The most challenging?:
Like a beautiful son/daughter, like an inspiring lovely autist offspring, like a gorgeous adopted child, like an alluring LGBTQ human being, I have to intrinsically understand the needs of my hair in every moment under such illustrious and amusing relationship we share. Undoubtedly, my hair has its own strong and transcendent personality (lol). Sometimes it requires more hydration or not, other times the question asked is – Does it require the need of being washed or not? If so, when? Now or Then? “Drama queen.”
While we know that natural hair is not a trend, why do you think now more than ever more and more women are ditching the perms and embracing their hair?:
I find it super ultra-empowering and inspiring to have women accepting more and more often what we really are and perfecting it day after day, night after night. Beyond feeling free, it is enabling the natural ability of being free without “statute of limitations” redefining freedom and unlock all limits so that we can focus on the positive things life has to offer. In reality, I am sure that women are becoming more and more emancipated and taking matters into their own hands consolidating their position in this world, getting positions of higher hierarchy and consequently power in the world of business, politics and society ditching the “stay-at-home” woman or simply being the “shadow of their partner”. They feel the urge and responsibility like Taraji P. Henson to reign empires. Women have forever written history and developed continuously new chapters acting daily, wisely, wittily & insightfully like Cookie Lyon. As empowering as this is, so it is the natural hair which plays a categorical role. Can you go against nature? Men tried it and look where it has taken them. To embrace your hair is embracing yourself. Be proud of your heritage and charge forward.
Most isolating question you’ve ever received about your hair?:
‘OMG is your hair real?’ And depending on the mood, the response comes outlined differently: ‘No darling, this is a Tesla sent to the space and landed back on my head.’ Or ‘Yes, 100%. Why so much negativity about it? (Lol!)’. [And] ‘It is awful to take care of it?‘ My hair is super easy to take care of. It takes ten minutes a day, sometimes not even that. All because I do not pressure it to be perfect, but instead I rather want it to be as it is, natural, beautiful, and extraordinary, like all women are. Sometimes it comes under the shape of curly, some other days more frizzy. I love imperfections. The more natural, the better.
How would you respond to that person now or what do you want people who say unwarranted things about another woman’s hair to know?:
Why don’t you take your ass(et) and say/do something productive with it. If you don’t have beautiful one, invest in some squats & fitness. Investing in solutions rather than procrastinations, finding ways to move forward instead of making up excuses for being backwards. Or I can simply encapsulate Dave Chappelle and when certain moments shows us how life is invaluably precious more than the treasured negativity of some people, you can always humorously and politely deflect the question, because you are so happy, resolute and busy relishing the greatness that life has to nurture in your soul, which ultimately cannot have you devoting your time to negativity.
We’d like to use this story as a platform for women of all different hair types to share their stories so is there is anything additional you want people to know about the natural hair journey?:
Be happy, Be free, feel happy, feel free. The same way I embody it, I stand for all women that believe, dream, think, symbolize and portray unique queens, because your hair is your crown unquestionably. Do whatever you wanna do, be whoever you wanna be, you’re in charge of your life, merging core with hair values, shake it, shake it, shake your hair…From departure to arrival, write the next chapter, Being better than before and greater even further after…
