Getting strange looks & resistance because I use "white products"

[HoneyA]

I get politely bewildered looks when I go into Indian stores to buy oils and I call for the amla, shikakai and vatika oils. It's a surprised look like, "how do you know about these?". Then that's when I go extra...you got any brahmi, neem, jasmine oils ...? hmmm I wonder if I should get the powders too this time....do you have any shikaiki powder? Let me see what kind of henna you have, no artificial stuff either....It is sooo amusing, they look more and more bewildered. Then in the end I just buy what I really went in for. I'm going to go in one day with my hair all loose and looking fly and see what the response is then

 

[Miss AJ]

Nobody questions hispanic/asian/indian women when they use products targeted for white people so why some of us catch flack for it is mind boggling to me.

 

[mahogany_horizons]

I get strange looks b/c I use "food" on my hair

Your puff is beautiful!

 

[JMH1908]

Ok, the tables just turned..I was just in Walmart today and I just saw an older white lady just leaned over me to pick up a can of ORS Olive Oil Sheen Spray and kept movin..so apparently they are getting schooled somehow just like we are about their products

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

i get strange looks but not from the people i buy from or the white girls in the aisle with me... i get the looks from friends and family when they come over and are all up in my bathroom lol they're always walking out with a bottle of something asking "WTH?" i just say "put it back, you dunno nothing about the roo"

 

[Truth]

Ok, the tables just turned..I was just in Walmart today and I just saw an older white lady just leaned over me to pick up a can of ORS Olive Oil Sheen Spray and kept movin..so apparently they are getting schooled somehow just like we are about their products

....

 

[thehairmaverick]

i get strange looks but not from the people i buy from or the white girls in the aisle with me... i get the looks from friends and family when they come over and are all up in my bathroom lol they're always walking out with a bottle of something asking "WTH?" i just say "put it back, you dunno nothing about the roo"

LOLOLOLOL!!! THE ROO!.. whoo that cracked me up

 

[Ms Kain]

I get politely bewildered looks when I go into Indian stores to buy oils and I call for the amla, shikakai and vatika oils. It's a surprised look like, "how do you know about these?". Then that's when I go extra...you got any brahmi, neem, jasmine oils ...? hmmm I wonder if I should get the powders too this time....do you have any shikaiki powder? Let me see what kind of henna you have, no artificial stuff either....It is sooo amusing, they look more and more bewildered. Then in the end I just buy what I really went in for. I'm going to go in one day with my hair all loose and looking fly and see what the response is then

Now that's what I'm talkin'bout!

 

[nymane]

I get politely bewildered looks when I go into Indian stores to buy oils and I call for the amla, shikakai and vatika oils. It's a surprised look like, "how do you know about these?". Then that's when I go extra...you got any brahmi, neem, jasmine oils ...? hmmm I wonder if I should get the powders too this time....do you have any shikaiki powder? Let me see what kind of henna you have, no artificial stuff either....It is sooo amusing, they look more and more bewildered. Then in the end I just buy what I really went in for. I'm going to go in one day with my hair all loose and looking fly and see what the response is then

 

[tmhuggiebear]

Call me crazy but I didn't even know that many of the products listed here were considered "caucasian products". I never thought that products such as Paul Mitchell, Joica, Pantene, etc. were not "meant for us."

Am I alone in this obliviousness?

 

[poookie]

Nobody questions hispanic/asian/indian women when they use products targeted for white people so why some of us catch flack for it is mind boggling to me.

i'd venture to say it's probably because of hair type

 

[melodies815]

I have never even thought that someone might be looking at me when I shop for hair products. I shop for what works for my hair and have never considered what someone else might think of my purchases.

Interesting...

cj

 

[doriannc]

i've always used "white hair" products. In fact I do have some white friends that use the Pink Oil hair spray, but I have turned them on to the ORS spray

 

[JMH1908]

my hair doesn't like "so called aa hair products" they are all made by the same people anyways, but it's just that for our hair products they put the worst ingredients, I have never used products for "us" because everytime I would try my hair would start falling out.

but i've never been looked at weird, but i'm sure some closed minded fools would think were crazy for using products that are supposedly for whites. the so called white products get the best ingredients vs ours that are mineral oiled down and other poor ingredients.

As I said in my previous post..ITA! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this

 

[Bene]

i'd venture to say it's probably because of hair type

I'd take this a bit further and say because there is an "ethnic aisle". I mean, if you walk into a store and see an entire aisle dedicated to AA hair, you have to wonder, "maybe there's an ingredient in 'regular' products they can't use? maybe there's a special ingredient that they need?" If all hair is the same, then why would there be a need for all the special stuff? Anyone who spends any time in Rite-aid, or Duane Reade's, or CVS, but has no real hair knowledge would probably assume that there is a fundamental difference in the sorts of products hair needs.

 

[nymane]

I'd take this a bit further and say because there is an "ethnic aisle". I mean, if you walk into a store and see an entire aisle dedicated to AA hair, you have to wonder, "maybe there's an ingredient in 'regular' products they can't use? maybe there's a special ingredient that they need?" If all hair is the same, then why would there be a need for all the special stuff? Anyone who spends any time in Rite-aid, or Duane Reade's, or CVS, but has no real hair knowledge would probably assume that there is a fundamental difference in the sorts of products hair needs.

I've never walked into a Rite-aid, Duane Reade, or CVS that has a whole aisle dedicated to AA hair...

When I think of the "special ingredients" in AA products, ideally, they are there to make the products more moisturizing because most AA hair crave moisture, but in reality some/many "white products" are just as moisturizing (and some/many AA products can be drying).

Also there are many different "white products" to chose from compared to AA products...

 

[halee_J]

Does Indian and Middle Eastern products this is what I use and I don't think those products are considered white. It is usually the ones with no hair at all itis telling me how I should do my hair. If it works for you fine. Again it is always the people that have NO hair trying to tell someone with hair how to do theirs.

No thanks this is why I have hair because I don't do what you do. This is what I had to tell someone after they did a weave check on me several years back.

Exactly. Keep your opinion to yourself. You don't see me preaching about what you should do with your 6 1/2 strands.

Yeah when i go to the BSS and start parusing the 'yt' section looking @ nexxus, redken and salerm I get the look. One chick even had the balls to tell me "um these brands aren't for your hair though" with her traction alopeica self...

I told her "As soon as your opinion becomes relevant I'll let you know, k babes?" **points at her bald spots**

 

[bravenewgirl87]

Other than my mother, no. I do have white people follow me around when I go into their stores. Personally, I stopped doing that an order online or from the Indians. Thet know me, they trust me and they are super helpful. But, I try my hardest not to go into a white beauty supply store. Most of the brands I use are black-owned and have to be ordered online anyway.
Someone mentioned that they never had problems with Latinas. Me neither. Many of my mom's latin friends call me all day about how to take care of their hair or buy me latin products.

ETA: This is not to say that it has not happened in my lifetime. If it did, I was probably too young to even remember it, like 12 or 13 years old?

 

[wild curls raquelle]

I'd take this a bit further and say because there is an "ethnic aisle". I mean, if you walk into a store and see an entire aisle dedicated to AA hair, you have to wonder, "maybe there's an ingredient in 'regular' products they can't use? maybe there's a special ingredient that they need?" If all hair is the same, then why would there be a need for all the special stuff? Anyone who spends any time in Rite-aid, or Duane Reade's, or CVS, but has no real hair knowledge would probably assume that there is a fundamental difference in the sorts of products hair needs.

I hate this isle with a passion. What this tells ignorant people is that ww/ asians have no ethnicity which is so dumb. Like I always say people confuse ethnicity and race all the friggin time When I go into the ethnic isle or section my face for whatever reason turns up. I guess it's because some of the same people who make products for ww make them for bw. But the ethnic products tend to be bottom of the barrel quality. On another note big chain stores have begun carrying Dominican/Latino products but they are never grouped with the ethnic section, interesting.

I recall after moving to a majority white city in ga a visit to the local pharmacy. I asked where is the poo I received sorry ma'am we don't carry ethnic products. Really we still on that? Seemed a little bit discriminatory to me. I mean from a business stand point I would think you want my money why do you care if I *** up my hair with some white products. Which of course doesn't happen. My mom always has something to say about my hair.

 

[Diva_Esq]

I hate this isle with a passion. What this tells ignorant people is that ww/ asians have no ethnicity which is so dumb. Like I always say people confuse ethnicity and race all the friggin time When I go into the ethnic isle or section my face for whatever reason turns up. I guess it's because some of the same people who make products for ww make them for bw. But the ethnic products tend to be bottom of the barrel quality. On another note big chain stores have begun carrying Dominican/Latino products but they are never grouped with the ethnic section, interesting.

I recall after moving to a majority white city in ga a visit to the local pharmacy. I asked where is the poo I received sorry ma'am we don't carry ethnic products. Really we still on that? Seemed a little bit discriminatory to me. I mean from a business stand point I would think you want my money why do you care if I *** up my hair with some white products. Which of course doesn't happen. My mom always has something to say about my hair.

To be honest, I believe it's all just MARKETING! People trying to get some of that multi-billion dollar black hair fortune that's being spent. Also, there are products marketed toward women, men, children....Froot loops work for me just like kids, but you don't see a ton of adults sitting around in their commercials. They know who to market things to. And there ARE other cultures who have course, kinky hair types and use relaxers and relaxing products.

 

[Solitude]

Nobody except my family even knows what products I use....I never get any strange looks when buying non-ethnic products.

My family knows whatever I'm doing is working because they see the progress in my hair, so they basically follow my lead .

 

[destine2grow]

Personally I don't care what peoole think. I am going to put whatever product in my hair that makes my hair healthy and help it grow. With that said I do know people like that but once I say what I have to say they leave me alone. lol

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

Today I was in Boots I put some Herbal Essences and Aussie in my basket there was a black girl in the hair aisle and she looked at my basket then picked up exactly the same thing. I had to laugh becuase she tried to look on the sly.

 

[AsianAfricanPrincess]

Anyone else share their regimen with non-board members when asked & get strange looks when you reveal that you use some "non-black products?" I use some Keracare, Mizani and Motions (products traditionally carried in Black salons, used by Black stylists, sold in Black BSSs & found in the itty, bitty ethnic section of your friendly neighborhood stores).

But some of my FAVE STAPLES are "white products": Garnier Fructis, Yes to Carrots, Curly products, Pantene (non-relaxed & natural), etc.

Has anyone else been met with strange looks and questions about those products not being "for us?"

YEAARRRRSSS AGO, I was protective styling for a couple of years and by the end of my journey, my hair was MBL. I was washing and conditioning every week with Wella Balsam shampoo/conditioner (the squeaky clean stuff). No one questioned me about it and people were surprised that I used those two products...however, there was no "resistance" (what exactly are they resisting?...it's not like I'm trying to make them use it and it's not like I'm asking them to put it in my hair for me. What is there for then to "resist"? I don't understand that part...)

However, the girls who were stuck on "Black products" were usually the same girls with a busted relaxer and a choppy 3 inches of hair on their head.

So obviously I couldn't have cared less and I was definitely trying not to look like these ladies. I don't really care about what others think, I guess. It's not in my nature and I'm secure in myself and my hair choices...

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

I get it most often from other black women. I guess I get some kind of unfortunate "pass" because of my complexion as though I'm some form of "other". It's sad either way.

 

[4mia]

now that i think about it i dont even like most of the commercial aa products on the market. the only 3 i use is motions marula, eco styler gel and proclaim 7 olive oil.

I really think there shouldnt be an ethnic and caucasion section for hair.
they should just have a commercial hair product section and a natural or organic hair product section.

 

[pringe]

yes my friends say that all the time.

 

[that_1_grrrl]

No, this is never happened to me. I don't think anyone ever pays attention to what I buy. My family has always experimented with different hair products, so I could not see any of them saying I was using a White product.

I hate Ulta's because the one closest to me is pretty racist. I got followed around the store once. The other times, either no one could come to help me or I got stared at like WTF was I there.

I did get some unsolicited advice in a hair salon (Arab owned) about how often I should wash my hair. I was telling my aunt that I don't flat iron my hair anymore because I tend to miss my natural and just wash it back out. The woman felt the need to interject, "Oh, you can dry your hair out that way." I told her it's not like I flat iron often. Then, she says, "Yes, but washing your hair often can dry it out."

I never mentioned how often I wash my hair, so I am not sure why she felt the need to comment on that.

 

[Zawaj]

Never happened to me. I don't believe in "white" or "black" products just what works for my hair. I check the ingredients and if it fits my requirements I'll buy it. I really like Aveda products and once a hairdresser told me they could be drying for my hair after a while and I just gave the and kept it moving lol. I guess that's the closest thing to resistance I've encountered.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I get weirder looks when I'm in the store looking in the "black" section .