Is anybody else SICK of the "ethnic hair care" section in stores??

[Jhunt-smith]

u know what? i understand that there are some products that are not as useful for other hair types than "our" hair type, but c'mon! why does it need to be labeled "ethnic"? why cant it just be in the same section with everything else?? are those with "ethnicity" not smart enouh to find it?? this just gets me. its even like that on drugstore.com......
feel free to speak freely, whether or not u agree

 

[vnaps]

i think you are lucky to even get recognised......lol

i'm in australia and the only place you can but "black hair products" is at african hairdressers/suppliers.....and they are hard to find/travel to....

although there's a hair place that sells relaxer....dark and lovely......at a ridiculous price lol

so from my point of view it wouldnt bother me if they did it this side.......as long as i could find the stuff......

 

[supermodelsonya]

I was thinking that when I stumbled into Walmart today...but in other places in the world, it seems like our products are hard to find. Even in Hammond, IN, the Walgreens up the street just started to carry our products in higher numbers than they did when I first moved here eight years ago.

 

[Jhunt-smith]

i think you are lucky to even get recognised......lol

i'm in australia and the only place you can but "black hair products" is at african hairdressers/suppliers.....and they are hard to find/travel to....

although there's a hair place that sells relaxer....dark and lovely......at a ridiculous price lol

so from my point of view it wouldnt bother me if they did it this side.......as long as i could find the stuff......

thats messed up!! u know i didnt think about other countries! thats interesting to know what yall gotta go thru. but its also jacked up. at the beauty supply stores they have our products pretty much all over. but at walmart or large retails, they throw a small selection of "our" products in a little corner away from the big aisles. i do understand u with as long as u can find it. but i like dove's moisturizing conditioner, and i dont like having to go to one aisle for that then another aisle for my ORS olive oil replenishing pak. i think i am getting over it by ordering offline instead. do u do that??

 

[ShaniKeys]

I get what you mean OP, I went to Sally's site today and was like when I saw 'ethnic hair care', I think it's like that too on Walgreens site. But like some ladies have said, at least they're aknowledging we exist. Honestly, people are getting more and more educated about hair types, when I went to this beauty salon that carries the Aveda line, the girl that worked there who had curly hair gave me such great advice I was stunned, she talked about 'our hair type' (including herself) and how curly, tight curly girls need to take care of their hair.

 

[Lebiya]

I dont mind the 'ethnic' hair care that much, it's the products i don't like!

 

[Tarae]

It doesn't bother me. Probably because I usually don't buy anything from that aisle anyway.

 

[MyHeavenlyFatherKnows]

I understand what you mean OP, and I sympathize with VNaps. I can only imagine what it must be like, I thought I had it rough when I moved from a "black city" to an, ahem, "mixed" town.
Speaking on the US though, I do find that the "ethnic" section pigeonholes black women because for the most part, unless you are an LHCFer you grew up thinking that that section WAS your section and never even really looked at the "white" section. I am still in shock when I read some of the "staples" listed in the siggies that are "white" products to me...and I still have to catch myself when I'm thinking "Oh, isn't that nice, so-and-so brand makes a product for black people"...

JAM, IC Gloss, ORS Mayo, Pink everything, Dark and Lovely (emphasis on the DARK, because that is the DARK people section (lol)) Ambi skin discoloration fade cream, Sulfur 8 and kiddie perms...um... what if we still thought those were the ONLY products we could use...no wonder so many little girls in my "black city" had to rely on weaves...the only thing they knew about hair care was greasin' the scalp with sulfur 8 before the press and curl and then slapping on the JAM!!

side note: Dark and Lovely shampoo does not contain SLS

 

[Jhunt-smith]

I understand what you mean OP, and I sympathize with VNaps. I can only imagine what it must be like, I thought I had it rough when I moved from a "black city" to an, ahem, "mixed" town.
Speaking on the US though, I do find that the "ethnic" section pigeonholes black women because for the most part, unless you are an LHCFer you grew up thinking that that section WAS your section and never even really looked at the "white" section. I am still in shock when I read some of the "staples" listed in the siggies that are "white" products to me...and I still have to catch myself when I'm thinking "Oh, isn't that nice, so-and-so brand makes a product for black people"...

JAM, IC Gloss, ORS Mayo, Pink everything, Dark and Lovely (emphasis on the DARK, because that is the DARK people section (lol)) Ambi skin discoloration fade cream, Sulfur 8 and kiddie perms...um... what if we still thought those were the ONLY products we could use...no wonder so many little girls in my "black city" had to rely on weaves...the only thing they knew about hair care was greasin' the scalp with sulfur 8 before the press and curl and then slapping on the JAM!!

side note: Dark and Lovely shampoo does not contain SLS

RIGHT! I think about that all the time! "dark" and lovely?? yes were lovely but we come in multiple shades thank u!!! half the products in the ethnic section i dont even use. i SUPPOSE i appreciate them acknowledging us. but i dont want to be separated or should i say segregated from the "others." u know? its like they classify us according to hair...... but.... ummm there is a redhead in my class who has 3C hair...... so where does she go??? u know?

 

[Zay-neey]

I know what you mean i get tired of it too, I hate when i go to Walmart and I see like Cocoa Butter in the ethnic section. Its like cant other races use that too?? why is it only in the ethnic part. But vnaps has a good point about other countries, makes me think that I should get over it and just be happy that we actually have a section..

 

[Jhunt-smith]

does dark & lovely contain ALS?? ammonium lauryl sulfate??

 

[Jhunt-smith]

yeah i agree with being grateful. but i also think as far as our marketing goes, they need to reconsider the race ideas they got. ALSO, are black folks the only ethnicity?? no! what about east indian ladies?? they wouldnt use sulfur-8!

 

[envybeauty]

Ummmmmmm..........

I'm sure some group out there fought to get that section to begin with because there was a time when Black people had no hair products marketed to them much less a section of a smallllllllllllllllll shelf to put them on.

Yes, we can use other "products" but I won't act like there are not items that cater to us and mostly us (like relaxers whether you use them or not).

I too have lived in places where you sometimes had to leave the entire country or travel far to other cities to get decent hair products that you could use or to find someone who could deal with my hair (my hair being 4b) so I guess I have a different affinity for this topic.

 

[alopeciagrl]

I would like to also mention the "ethnic section" in the bookstore...why are the ethnic books seperated??? I get the same cringe...it such a shame

 

[*Muffin*]

I've been over that for a minute now. Most of the time I don't even show my face in that section until it's time for my relaxer touch-up, lol. My hair doesn't like most of the ingredients in products found in drugstores for so-called "ethnic hair".

 

[GoldenBreeze]

It doesn't bother me. Probably because I usually don't buy anything from that aisle anyway.

ITA, but I certainly do get some odd looks sometimes when I'm buying products from "their hair care" section. I just want to scream "curly hair is curly hair people get over it," but I just get my products and keep it moving.

 

[MizzBrown]

I would like to also mention the "ethnic section" in the bookstore...why are the ethnic books seperated??? I get the same cringe...it such a shame

This thread cracks me up. Like Envy said, we fought so hard just to get that section back in the day and now we wanna complain about it?

Damned if you do and damned if you dont.

I'm thankful it is there...cause there was a time when it wasn't there AT ALL..

And i actually STOPPED shopping at Barnes & Nobles and BAM because i got sick of not being able to find my black authors....I actually PREFER to be seperated rather than spend an hour trying to find a black author amongst 20 aisles of white ones.

Everytime i go in the bookstore.."excuse me, where is the African-American section"...You dont have one? That means i have to sit and figure out the title AND author of the book & track it.

 

[Tarae]

ITA, but I certainly do get some odd looks sometimes when I'm buying products from "their hair care" section. I just want to scream "curly hair is curly hair people get over it," but I just get my products and keep it moving.

lol, I have gotten looks buying my HE at Target. I didn't care; it was on sale and I had a coupon

You can see them looking at the conditioner than pan up to my hair, looking all confused.

 

[Jhunt-smith]

first: LOL @ looks because yall are buying their products. that shows the pure ignorance around

second: i LOVE the disagreeing. thank yall for posting.

lastly: i do agree that we fought hard and long for our own stuff. however, i feel that with our section being separate (sometimes in the wee corners of the store) from the other products, shampoo is shampoo and conditioner is conditioner. it reminds me of the white water fountain and the black water fountain. as far as relaxers go. white girls use "perms" yet those are in their own section as well. im just not diggin it.

ETA: i can understand as far as books go...

 

[vnaps]

thats messed up!! u know i didnt think about other countries! thats interesting to know what yall gotta go thru. but its also jacked up. at the beauty supply stores they have our products pretty much all over. but at walmart or large retails, they throw a small selection of "our" products in a little corner away from the big aisles. i do understand u with as long as u can find it. but i like dove's moisturizing conditioner, and i dont like having to go to one aisle for that then another aisle for my ORS olive oil replenishing pak. i think i am getting over it by ordering offline instead. do u do that??

i've bought stuff online but the shipping is SO expensive that i end up paying double the price.........not to mention the stronger $US.....

I would like to also mention the "ethnic section" in the bookstore...why are the ethnic books seperated??? I get the same cringe...it such a shame

WOW...i haven't heard of this.......

i think the argument is double edged......yes i agree its the 21st century and there really shouldnt be so much segregation.....

but......its also us as "africans/african bacgrounds/whatever" that put that on ourselves by wanting to be recognised (some of us i should say.....)

so what does the rest of the world do?????? mix up all the products/books......no race differentiation........

or differentiate products/books for "us" and by "us" so we feel we are being heard/included......

I DONT KNOW.....i would personally prefer a mixed world with no segregation....

 

[vnaps]

i should add that with the wealth of knowledge i have acquired from this forum i have started to go to "other" hair suppliers and choose products based on lhcf reviews but mainly on the ingredients in them......

i do get looks....lol......but most assistants are more than happy to help me out......

 

[Jhunt-smith]

i should add that with the wealth of knowledge i have acquired from this forum i have started to go to "other" hair suppliers and choose products based on lhcf reviews but mainly on the ingredients in them......

i do get looks....lol......but most assistants are more than happy to help me out......

i agree with everything u have said. ingredients are hat make the product. regardless if its in the ethnic section or not. . shooooo, some of my product i gotta go to special shops for.

 

[envybeauty]

So what do y'all think about Black history month? Should we get rid of that too??

LMBAO at getting rid of the black authors section at bookstores.

 

[Jhunt-smith]

So what do y'all think about Black history month? Should we get rid of that too??

LMBAO at getting rid of the black authors section at bookstores.

i think ur taking me the wrong way. im all pro-black everything, but i dont believe we should be isolated to "our own." i believe we should be seen as equal. it seems as if this thread is going elsewhere. black history is wonderful, but they have given us the shortest month of the year to tell 28 random facts about the most popular black people. instead i would rather them incorporate black history into the history they teach in classes everyday. its like its a pity thing. im glad we have what we have, but it doesnt feel equal to me.

nonetheless, my point is, i would rather all the hair products be where they belong, whether they be "ethnic" or not
same with BHM, teach history, whether it be black or white

 

[Solitude]

I don't think I really mind it that much. In some places in Houston, they have a Hispanic hair care section, too. I guess it doesn't really bother me because it actually makes it easier to find what I'm looking for.

I know that the hair wraps, doo rags, pics, hot six oil, relaxers (when I used to use box perms), etc. are in the ethnic hair care section.

 

[Solitude]

So what do y'all think about Black history month? Should we get rid of that too??

LMBAO at getting rid of the black authors section at bookstores.

Okay, this is an interesting way to put it!

I am an avid reader and I get aggravated when I can't find the authors I want in the "black" section. Some are so mainstream that they have been mixed in. I wish Barnes & Noble would separate the Black Christian books!

 

[Solitude]

i think ur taking me the wrong way. im all pro-black everything, but i dont believe we should be isolated to "our own." i believe we should be seen as equal. it seems as if this thread is going elsewhere. black history is wonderful, but they have given us the shortest month of the year to tell 28 random facts about the most popular black people. instead i would rather them incorporate black history into the history they teach in classes everyday. its like its a pity thing. im glad we have what we have, but it doesnt feel equal to me.

nonetheless, my point is, i would rather all the hair products be where they belong, whether they be "ethnic" or not
same with BHM, teach history, whether it be black or white

Not to go too far off topic, but how are "they" in control of black history month? Can't we celebrate it however we choose? We don't have have to stick to talking about 28 random facts, etc. about the most popular people.... My church celebrates BHM from a spiritual standpoint. We put on programs about everything from political figures to great AA Christian leaders, to the history of our church and community.

When I was in high school, we had a program about the history of black music, stepping, and gospel. Other races participated as well.

I understand your point, but I think the good thing is that it's not the 1950's - we're not limited to shopping on the ethnic aisle or at the BSS. We can shop on the other aisles and at Ulta and Sephora, too .

 

[*Happily Me*]

YES!!
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[stormy07]

YES!!
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this says it all!!! ^^^^

 

[Neith]

I'm not offended by it...

Most white people don't use "black" products and most black people don't use "black" products.

In the real world, not here.

The companies in the "ethnic" section market products SPECIFICALLY to black people 99% of the time.

There are sections in some BSS that separate Dominican Products from other products.

Is separating natural/organic products from regular products wrong?

Is separating the salon products from the regular products class separation?

This is just shampoo and conditioner... not the racial segregation of our people.

I know we have to be aware of how we are treated and AT TIMES fight to be treated fairly... but every little thing is not about race or has to be about race/racism in my opinion.