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Editor's Pick

OurX TeXture Stories: Camille

OurX

August 22, 2024 - 1 min

Is Your Hair Ready for Color?

Johnny Wright

August 05, 2024 - 2 min

Get Your Hair Vacation-Ready

OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

Hair Education

Scalp SOS: Identifying and Addressing Common Scalp Conditions

OurX

July 15, 2024 - 2 min

Hair Education

Never Go to a Stylist Who Does These 4 Things

OurX

July 15, 2024 - 3 min

Hair Education

5 Tips to Master Your Fall Curl Routine

Jennifer Barthole

August 15, 2024 - 3 min

Culture

On Texturism, and the Deep Roots of Hair Typing

Eartha Hopkins

August 05, 2024 - 3 min

Hair Education

Want Hair Growth? Understand the Hair Growth Cycle

OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

Latest Topix

Culture

7 Natural Hair Creators to Follow for Endless Styling Inspiration
Culture

7 Natural Hair Creators to Follow for Endless Styling Inspiration

It can be a scary world out there for naturalistas, mind boggling multi step tutorials at every turn, conflicting theories about what oils are safe to use and in what order. When it comes to maintaining, protecting and rocking your gorgeous natural hair, finding the perfect style can begin to feel overwhelming. So here’s a fabulous (but not extensive) list of natural girlies that you can follow to get your styling inspo fix. Whether hair is the focus of their content or not, one thing about these folks? The hair is gonna hair™️. 1: Yana C @goldynaps Yana is your traditional DIY girlie, wanna learn how to do boho braids? Still trying to master your 2 strand twist? Always wanted to do your own silk press at home? Yana has got you covered, with over 73 vids in her Hair Tips & Tutorials series on Tiktok, there’s sure to be a style perfect for you no matter how you’re wearing your hair that day. 2: Antoni Bumba @antonibumba The icon, legend and moment herself, Antoni Bumba is that girl™️. Known for setting trends, of the BBL nature or otherwise. If you’re lucky enough to be following her you’ll definitely spot her sporting the hottest protective styles, wigs and headscarves. Start following Antoni for the hair and fashion looks she serves and stick around for the fabulous chaos that is her life. 3: Grey Prince @rugratsinparis Artist, homecook, witchy wife and dog mom, Grey Prnce has many skills and talents, a major one? Their gorgeously voluminous hair. Up until recently, Grey had a fluffy caramel highlighted ‘fro, last month they nearly broke the internet after getting their very first haircut and color. Like many of the folks on this list, Grey’s hair is probably the least interesting thing about them but man is it marvelous 🤩 4: Victoria Styles @thevicstyles Victoria Styles is an influencer in the very best sense of the word. She artfully shares slices of her world from beauty and fashion to her podcast and work in the cannabis industry. A little over a year ago she began her loc journey and has taken her followers with her along the way on her Instagram and her Youtube. 5: Shereen Mohammad @shereenmuhmmad Just about everything Shereen Mohammad shares on her instagram is art. From the picturesque tableaus, romantic vignettes, breathtaking vistas and stunningly chic looks. Her cloud-like hair, worn in all its triangle shaped glory is the cherry on top of her Pinterest worthy daydream of a feed. 6. Manouska @manouska_jay Let’s just say I saw Manouska cut and undo the ends of her braids so I cut and undid the ends of my braids. A bright bright light on the internet, Manouska has a rich career in the fashion and beauty industry and can almost always be seen on her feed donning beautiful braids of varying lengths, colors and sizes. 7: Hannah Mussette @mussette Hannah Mussette is an angel faced model and dj with an absolutely heavenly fro. A casual scroll through her insta will show a host of truly iconic hair looks from slick buns to braids to high pony puffs. Hannah is proof your hair can be as multi hyphenated as you are.
Jacynth Serrano Rodriguez

August 05, 2024 - 2 min

What You Need to Know About the Crown Act.
Culture

What You Need to Know About the Crown Act.

The Crown Act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is a bill that advocates for Black people with textured hair to stop getting discriminated against in work and educational spaces. Hairstyles like braids, twists, locs, Bantu knots, cornrows, and Afros have been discriminated against to the point where people have not been able to go to school, get jobs or get fired from jobs or barred from competing in competitions, and so on. In the words of Toni Morrison, “the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.” Since there have been so many incidents of people being barred from completing tasks or learning, the Crown Act has been the solution to discrimination. The Crown Act is also challenging the notion of what is considered to be professionalism which is often equated to whiteness. Introduced in 2019 by Senator Holly Mitchell, the Crown Act has now been enacted into law in 18 states which include California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, Oregon, Illinois, Maine, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. The hope is that the bill would be passed at a federal level if approved by the Senate, making it a law for all 50 states to protect Black people who wear their hair in natural hairstyles. Originally the Crown Act was passed solely in California and it was the first legislation passed to protect against hair discrimination — so big strides have been made, and it should keep going further. The impact of hair discrimination may have gone unnoticed for some time but what needs to be understood is that it can not only undermine a young person’s self-esteem but also shatter the opportunities and potential that Black people have and have had for centuries. In a study by Dove in 2019, co-founder of the Crown Act coalition, it says that hair discrimination can start as early as five years old and 100% of Black girls in majority white schools experience hair discrimination at 10 years old from detentions, suspensions, being asked to leave; the Crown Act is in place to protect against these exact experiences and ensures that they won’t happen again. Black people with textured hair have believed that to be deemed professional in corporate work spaces they would have to change their hair, whether it be to straighten it, cut it, or wear wigs in order to “fit in the office.” In the same study it was found that Black women’s hair was three times more likely to be seen as unprofessional. The importance of the Crown Act may seem trivial to some but again it’s a waste of many people’s time, Black people, to have to worry about the significance of their hair to other people’s subjection while just trying to learn or earn a living. It is now a vital source of protection and should be in place in all 50 states.
Kerane Marcellus

August 05, 2024 - 2 min

On Texturism, and the Deep Roots of Hair Typing
Culture

On Texturism, and the Deep Roots of Hair Typing

In the 1990s, Emmy Award-winning hairstylist Andre Walker wisely decided to capitalize on his growing fame for his work with Oprah Winfrey by creating innovative ways to promote his own line of hair care products. With clients ranging from Winfrey to Halle Berry (the man behind her signature pixie cut) to Barbara Bush, the Chicago native set out to attract a wide range of customers. So he created what has become known as the Andre Walker Hair Typing System. The system classifies hair into four categories - straight, wavy, curly, and coily - then assigns three sub-categories, labeled A-C, to indicate the amount of texture the hair either has naturally or can hold based on styling and product. By Walker’s model, the straightest hair is a 1A, and the hair with the tightest curls is a 4C. The system was intended to help consumers identify which products would work best on their hair. And it quickly became a helpful guideline even outside of Walker’s products. “Hair types help predict and describe how different chemicals and processes might interact with hair,” explains Star Donaldson, the senior social media editor at Byrdie and host of the site’s Black hair history series Crowned. “This system also helps us set expectations surrounding hair health, but it’s important not to confuse hair type and hair health.” There’s very little to criticize in a vacuum about the Andre Walker Hair Typing System. As natural hairstyles have become more prevalent over the past 10-15 years, it has become an easy standard used by beauty influencers and brands to help their target audiences and consumers learn how to care for and style their hair. But the Walker Hair Typing System does not exist in a vacuum. It is nestled in the history that has seen African American women, especially, often convinced that proximity to whiteness was the most desirable beauty aesthetic. Walker’s chart arrived after years of conks, relaxers, Jheri curls, and presses. It exists in a space where, despite the prevalence of Black hair care products, ads with women rocking natural hairstyles or celebrities taking to red carpets with intricate braids or short afros, appearing in certain settings with natural hair is still considered bold. Hair typing also has its own racist historical predecessors. “One of the earliest hair typing systems was invented in 1908 by Eugen Fischer, a German Nazi scientist, who created the ‘hair gauge,’ to determine Namibians’ proximity to whiteness based on their hair texture,” Donaldson explained in her series. Another similar example is the Apartheid Pencil Test, which stated that no one holding a pencil in their head could be classified as white in South Africa. Many have also drawn comparisons between the Walker Hair Chart and the Brown Paper Bag test, which even people of color infamously used to deny access to darker-skinned Black people in the U.S. The term that has evolved around maintaining certain hair textures as desirable, easier to manage, or better than others has become known as texturism. And while Andre Walker himself has stated that his intent was never to rank hair textures but rather to create a code by which to identify them, there is a ton of evidence in pop culture and in the hair and beauty community that points to the fact that his intent has been subverted. Tutorials directed towards women with 4B and 4C hair tend to center around ways to “stretch” or “define” their hair. And while, according to 99% Invisible, the consumption of hair relaxers is down 30% since 2011, the desire for women of color to loosen or “improve” their hair texture is evidenced by the number of styling products for textured hair promise to do just that. The Walker Hair Typing System has become tainted by the attitudes about Black hair, skin, and beauty that remain just below the surface, ingrained in American culture. And for many who buy into these constructs, texturism has become an unconscious bias. Those who seek to manipulate their 4B or 4C hair to achieve a looser curl pattern likely don’t realize that they are subconsciously buying into the idea that kinky, coily hair is less desirable. The same can be said of those who go to great lengths to “lay their edges down.” The fact that texturism is undeniably a thing doesn’t mean there is no validity or usefulness in the Walker Hair Typing System. It does still remain a great 101-level guide to understanding how to care for your hair. But that should always be the goal of using such systems: learning to properly care for different hair textures and understanding which products are better suited for your hair. However, those who use the hair chart as a guide should be mindful of the end goal when making choices for themselves; what message they might be sending to others, be it consumers, audiences, or even the next generation of people with textured hair. Throughout history, Black people have used hair as another way to express their personality, communicate their heritage, or even praise a higher power. So it’s very possible that some are seeking to stretch or loosen their curls in search of a different look. In that regard, it would be no different than coloring or cutting your hair. The abundance of products available for people with textured hair in today’s market is a blessing. But like all other -isms and unconscious biases, it is important to remember the history that led us here… and continue the dialogue around texturism.
Eartha Hopkins

August 05, 2024 - 3 min

Hair Education

Myth Busting: You Can Reverse Heat Damage
Hair Education

Myth Busting: You Can Reverse Heat Damage

Let’s set the record straight: heat damage is permanent. However, with the right tips and hair hacks, you can temporarily repair and protect your curls from further damage.

October 01, 2024 -

How to (Effectively) Stop Dandruff When You Have Textured Hair
Hair Education

How to (Effectively) Stop Dandruff When You Have Textured Hair

Whether you have textured hair or not, dandruff can be an embarrassing and frustrating thing to deal with. But due to the amount of product we can often use (and our natural proneness to drying), those with textured hair have a specific relationship to finding flakes in our hair that can not only impact your confidence, but ultimately the health of your hair as well. What is dandruff, actually?  Essentially, dandruff is a mild condition that sees the scalp start to itch and flake — a common result of skin cell build-up on the scalp that appears flaky and white. If we want to get really technical? Dandruff is a form of seborrheic dermatitis, which is a type of eczema typically found on the scalp. What causes excessive dandruff? From your environment to how you style your hair, there are seemingly endless causes of dandruff, far more than just assuming your hair is “unkept” or “dirty.” Dry and cold weather (winter months!) Tight hairstyles Infrequent washing Excessive or overproduction of Sebum Hard water (shower water with a high-mineral content) Drying and stripping products (these tend to have alcohols, sulfates, and excess oil) Psoriasis Excessive product build-up How do you avoid dandruff altogether? While many factors — some external! — contribute to dandruff, there are a handful of things you can do to make the condition less likely and/or less noticeable. Incorporate exfoliation into your weekly hair care regimen. Opt for gentle shampoos and/or cleansers that detox the scalp and strands rather than strip them under the guise of a “squeaky clean” finish. Let your hair breathe! Take a break from heavy stylers at least once a week. When taking out a protective style, allow your natural hair (and scalp!) some time to recoup before installing a new one. When you don’t do this, you are blocking air from reaching your roots which can cause the accumulation of natural oils on your scalp that lead to dandruff. Incorporate a nourishing hair mask into your regimen on a consistant basis to help keep your scalp and hair moisturized, This will reduce dandruff — and eventually eliminate it all together. 
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

How Often Should You Really Be Washing Your Hair?
Hair Education

How Often Should You Really Be Washing Your Hair?

It’s long been understood that those with textured hair — especially those with thicker hair types — don’t require the same daily cleansing that someone with looser textures does. However, that doesn’t mean that hair should be left unwashed for weeks at a time as has become a common peer-to-peer regimen suggestion for decades. So where is the balance? While OurX subscribers receive personalized wash instructions and schedules within their personal hair regimens, a best practice across the board for textured hair types is to cleanse the scalp and hair at least once a week. Ultimately, your exact curl pattern and texture — along with lifestyle preferences and habits — will always play the largest role in determining how frequent and thorough cleanses should be for optimal results. For example, if you’re on the tighter end of the spectrum, your hair is more prone to overt dryness, In which case cleansing your hair more than once a week could result in even drier and frizzier hair. In that case, focusing on hydration in-between wash day becomes key. On the finer end of the spectrum? Cleansing 1-2 times a week can be helpful in removing oil from the scalp which can quickly lead to irritation and build-up. Want to finally understand your best wash day schedule? Take the OurX assessment here.
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

How To's

Myth Busting: You Can Reverse Heat Damage
How To's

Myth Busting: You Can Reverse Heat Damage

Let’s set the record straight: heat damage is permanent. However, with the right tips and hair hacks, you can temporarily repair and protect your curls from further damage.

October 01, 2024 -

How to Determine Hair Porosity — And How to Care For It
How To's

How to Determine Hair Porosity — And How to Care For It

Porosity describes the measurement of your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. While like most factors, porosity is largely determined by genetics, it’s important to remember that your hair porosity can change due to external factors within your control, from heat to continual hair dyeing or chemical processing. When measuring your hair porosity, you’ll likely fall into one of three common categories: low porosity, medium (or “normal”) porosity, and high porosity. How do you test hair porosity at home? Thankfully, you don’t need to make any appointments to determine your hair porosity, and doing so at home is fairly simple. While they might not give you an exact result, there are a handful of quick tests that will help you become familiar with how porosity works and where you likely fall on the spectrum — below is our OurX favorite. The Float Test: For this, all you’ll need is a clear glass of water and a strand(s) of hair. (Instead of plucking hair out of your head for this specific purpose, comb your hair to release shed-prone strands.) That said, it’s also recommended to try this specific test after washing any product and build-up from your hair to get the most accurate at-home results possible. Grab a clear glass of water and a strand(s) of hair. Drop strand(s) of hair in water. Hair with low porosity will float at the top of the water. Hair with medium porosity will float, and slowly settle to the middle glass, and hair with high porosity will sink to the bottom immediately. What are the characteristics of low porosity hair? Hair with low porosity is known to be moisture resistant — so while it may be difficult to get moisture into the hair, you’ll have an easier time maintaining that moisture and won’t have to worry as much about your hair getting too dry too fast. When it comes to maintenance, you’ll want to use richer products less frequently, or use in sparring amounts, as low porosity hair can be prone to excess product build-up. Opt for lighter products and serum-based stylers to keep the hair from feeling weighed down. What are the characteristics of medium porosity hair? If you have medium porosity hair, you’ll have the easiest time maintaining your hair health and day-to-day styling, as the type features a looser curl cuticle, which allows for a consistent flow of moisture penetration. With this type, maintenance is really the goal. You’ll want to prioritize using products that will keep moisture continual (think leave-ins!), and avoid frequent coloring, and chemical processes that can alter your hair’s porosity. What are the characteristics of high porosity hair? Those with high porosity hair are more likely to experience severe dryness, frizz, and breakage. This is because this type features a porous cuticle that can easily absorb water but can’t retain it. Naturally, high-porosity hair benefits from excessive nourishment and moisture, so look into prioritizing richer, moisture-boosting products to help lock in hydration. As with all things hair,
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 2 min

4 Reasons to Use a Custom Haircare Regimen
How To's

4 Reasons to Use a Custom Haircare Regimen

From experience, we know that textured hair is not a one-size-fits all. With so many hair care products on the market, it can be challenging to find the right one that works for your hair type, lifestyle, and current needs. This is where a personalized hair care regimen comes in. In this blog post, we’ll explore why you should consider using a personalized hair care regimen and how it can benefit your hair. What is a personalized hair care regimen? A personalized hair care regimen is a customized approach to hair care that takes into account your hair type, texture, and specific needs. It involves using a combination of products that are tailored to your hair’s unique needs and instructions for use on what order to use them in, what days to use them, and how much of each product to use. Why should you use a personalized hair care regimen? 1. Address your hair concerns: A personalized hair care regimen allows you to address your specific hair concerns. Whether you’re struggling with dryness, breakage, growth, or scalp issues, a personalized regimen can help to target these concerns directly. 2. Optimize your hair health: By using products that are tailored to your hair’s unique needs, you can optimize your hair health. This means that you can improve the overall condition of your hair, making it healthier, stronger, and more hydrated. 3. Save time and money: Using a personalized hair care regimen can actually save you time and money in the long run. By using the right products for your hair, you can avoid wasting money on products that don’t work for you or cause damage to your hair. Plus, a personalized regimen can streamline your hair care routine, making it more efficient and effective. 4. Boost confidence: When your hair looks and feels its best, it can give you a confidence boost. Using a personalized hair care regimen can help you achieve your hair goals, whether it’s to have more defined curls or to reduce breakage. When you’re confident in your hair and how to take care of it, you can feel more confident overall. How to create a personalized hair care regimen?  Creating a personalized hair care regimen involves a few steps: Identify your hair type and concerns: Start by identifying your hair type and specific concerns. Do you have curly hair that tends to frizz? Or do you have dry hair that needs extra moisture? The OurX hair assessment will walk you through how to answer these questions. Choose the right products: Look for products that are formulated for your hair type and concerns. This might include a shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, and styling products. While OurX custom regimens are wash day products, your Hair Coach can provide additional tips on what ingredients to look for and avoid in your styling products. Experiment and adjust: Once you’ve selected your products, it’s important to experiment and adjust as needed. Pay attention to how your hair responds to each product and adjust your regimen accordingly. Check in with a dedicated Hair Coach to ensure you stay on track with your goals and your regimen can adjust as your needs change. In conclusion, using a personalized hair care regimen can benefit your hair in many ways. By addressing your specific hair concerns and using products that are tailored to your hair’s unique needs, you can improve the overall health and appearance of your hair. So take the time to create a personalized hair care regimen that works for you and enjoy the benefits of healthy hair.
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 2 min

Ingredients

Ingredient Deep Dive: AHA’s + BHA’s + Hair
Ingredients

Ingredient Deep Dive: AHA’s + BHA’s + Hair

Welcome to Ingredient Deep Dive — an OurX-led look into the skincare-beloved ingredients that have proven to be just as powerful in the world of haircare. In this article, we dive into the world of AHA’s and BHA’s, and why they were formulated as hero ingredients within our treatment assortment. Chances are if you stay in the loop on beauty trends and buzzy ingredients, you’ve come across the acronyms AHA and BHA — and have probably heard they’re good for both your skin and hair. But what do these plant-based exfoliants actually do, and why should you care? Let’s get into the basics. What are AHA’s and BHA’s? AHA is short alpha-hydroxy acid, which is a type of water-soluble acid most commonly obtained from fruits with a high sugar concentration (think citrus fruits and tomatoes). Alpha-hydroxy acids are known to: Exfoliate and remove the outer layer of dead skin cells Help encourage smoother, more pliable skin — a huge plus for those with dryer hair and tighter, easily irritated scalp Promote the rate of cell turnover BHA is short for beta-hydroxy acid, an oil-soluble acid most commonly derived from willow bark and is ideal for oilier skin types. BHAs are known to: Help remove excess dead skin cells from the skin Help remove sebum and unclog pores Reduce inflammation Why are AHA’s and BHA’s so popular within beauty? Aside from being plant-based (and thus viable for those who like to follow clean hair care regimens), both AHA’s and BHA’s are powerful yet gentle when it comes to exfoliation. With that, they’re both known for their ability to help reduce inflammation, exfoliate dead skin cells, and unclog pores. How do AHA’s and BHA’s support hair specifically? The exfoliating nature of AHA’s and BHA’s make them a prime candidate to aid in the overall wellbeing of the scalp, and thus hair care — especially when it comes to tightly textured hair that is frequently prone to build up, oil, and dirt.
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

Ingredient Deep Dive: Niacinamide + Hair
Ingredients

Ingredient Deep Dive: Niacinamide + Hair

Welcome to Ingredient Deep Dive — an OurX-led look into the skincare-beloved ingredients that have proven to be just as powerful in the world of haircare. In this article, we dive into the world of Niacinamide and why its been formulated as a hero ingredient within our treatment assortment. What is Niacinamide? Also known as nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3, and is both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient. Niacinamide is known to: Improve blood circulation Help brighten and refresh skin and hair by helping to retain moisture Help regulate oil on the skin/scalp How does Niacinamide support hair specifically? This versatile vitamin is particularly beloved for growing long and strong hair, due to its ability to help boost circulation, which is ideal for those with hair loss and regrowth concerns or goals respectively. In this process, niacinamide brings oxygen and nutrients to the hair’s follicle — protecting hair and skin from environmental damage as a bonus. Niacinamide also improves the texture of hair that has been physically and/or chemically damaged by helping to build keratin, a protein known for its ability to aid in hair growth. Are there any potential side effects of using a Niacinamide on hair? While niacinamide is generally considered safe for all when applied topically, those who have a sensitivity to allergens — or already have preexisting allergies — may be more likely to experience an allergic reaction using products with the ingredient, as it can cause your body to release histamine. If you fall into this category, always consult a Board Certified Dermatologist or do a patch test before using in full. Where you’ll find Niacinamide within OurX treatments: OurX Scalp Serum
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

Ingredient Deep Dive: Hyaluronic Acid + Hair
Ingredients

Ingredient Deep Dive: Hyaluronic Acid + Hair

Welcome to Ingredient Deep Dive — an OurX-led look into the skincare-beloved ingredients that have proven to be just as powerful in the world of haircare. In this article, we dive into the world of Hyaluronic Acid and why its been formulated as a hero ingredient within our treatment assortment. What is Hyaluronic Acid? Unlike many popular beauty ingredients, Hyaluronic Acid is a substance found naturally in the human body, though it can also be made synthetically. A water-absorbing humectant, its super power lies within its ability to absorb and hold onto water. Its important to note that as a humectant, hyaluronic acid is not a moisturizer. Instead, it benefits the hair and skin by: Hydrating the hair and scalp Reducing frizz Plumping the hair Reinvigorating dry, high porosity hair How does Hyaluronic Acid support hair specifically? The humectant-binding properties of hyaluronic acid get to work on hair fibers similarly as it does on the skin, empowering hair to retain and seal moisture from products to extend the appearance of plump, volumized, and hydrated hair. Additionally, after usage on hair, one may notice frizz is reduced significantly and porosity is more equalized. Even when applied directly to the scalp, you’re likely to notice it’s more hydrated to prevent dry and/or irritated scalp. Are there any potential side effects of using a Hyaluronic Acid on hair? While there are no major side effects attributed to the topical application of hyaluronic acid, the ingredient is best used when hair is wet. For best results, you’ll want to keep the hair wet so that the ingredient can bind together, thus forming a coating to help trap moisture in for the best — and long-lasting — results. Where you’ll find Niacinamide within OurX treatments: OurX Pre-Cleanse Oil | OurX Scalp Serum
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 1 min

Our Voices

OurX TeXture Stories: Jamillah
Our Voices

OurX TeXture Stories: Jamillah

My name is Jamilah and I’m an MBA intern for OurX. I'm from Atlanta, but LA is my chosen home. I grew up with a social studies teacher as my mother, which helped shape my curiosity about the world. I’m both left- and right-brained— a creative ballerina and chemical engineer. This is why beauty is such a perfect fit for me— a culmination of science, art, and anthropology. Q: What’s Your Texture Story? For my texture story, I am used to wearing a silk bonnet or scarf. I definitely grew up using a hot comb and keeping my hair straight. Braids were not a thing in my household, but I’ve embraced them as an adult. I also straighten my hair significantly less now and only opt for a blowout when it’s time for a trim or new braids. Like a lot of people, I used to use products that had sulfates, but now I’m very meticulous about the ingredients I use on my hair and scalp. For the longest time, Fructis Garnier was a go-to in my household. However, with Shea Moisture and many other brands that focus on moisture for textured hair, my products and hairstyles have evolved. Now, I try to keep my hair up for several days at a time and opt for twists, braids, or braid-outs.   Q: What’s Your must-have OurX Product? I’m obsessed with the I Intensive Conditioning Compound! It’s so heavily concentrated that it reminds me of a butter. I love it! It’s thick, full of moisture, and with a bit of water and running my hands through my hair, the slip just gets better and better.   Q: Who are you listening to right now? I am currently listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, which is kind of surprising for me because I’m usually more into very slow R&B.

September 24, 2024 -

OurX TeXture Stories: Camille
Our Voices

OurX TeXture Stories: Camille

Hello! I’m Camille, OurX Marketing and mom of 2 young kiddos. I’m originally from Chicago but currently live on the east coast. In my spare time I love to workout, Netflix & Chill, and hang out with friends and family. I’m obsessed with all things beauty, especially haircare- but it wasn’t always this way! Q: What’s Your Texture Story? Like many other Black girls, I didn’t love my hair growing up. My mom was amazing. Did everything she could to validate how healthy and gorgeous my Type 4 hair was, but I still wanted to straighten it at every chance I got.I grew up in the 90s so we had very few products to choose from (I can still smell the Luster’s pink oil!). I wanted hair like my besties - long straight, and flowy. When I was 13 my mom finally gave in and let me get a relaxer. I felt like a new person! I loved how it bounced and flowed, but I was on the swim team, so over time my hair broke off. Fast forward to my mid 20s , finally went natural and fully embraced my texture! It took a while to get here, but I just love the versatility of my hair now. I can style it in so many ways depending on my mood (and how much time I have!) and today there are so many products to help me achieve different looks while maintaining the health of my hair. OurX has been a game changer for me. I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to hair products, but this line has worked wonders for the health of my hair. It feels and looks stronger and softer. Q: What’s Your must-have OurX Product? The Pre-Cleanse Micro Oil hands down. It’s an instant scalp soother and it makes detangling my hair so much easier and I do it in half the time. I also love the Intensive Conditioning Compound and Treatment Leave-In Treatment. My hair soaks up both products and feels so soft and healthy afterwards! Q: Who are you listening to right now? I listen to a lot of different artists, but I currently have Ari Lennox, Tems, and Kaytranada on repeat! Q: What Would be your dream OurX Product? An edge tamer & twisting butter!
OurX

August 22, 2024 - 1 min

Our Voices: Rebecca Allen
Our Voices

Our Voices: Rebecca Allen

I am so excited to introduce Rebecca Allen, founder of Helix Hair Labs. We have the pleasure of working with Rebecca in a number of ways at OurX, and today, we’re here to learn more about what got her started with her business, a little bit about her entrepreneurial journey, so you guys can see the ins and outs, what it takes, the challenges, and what keeps your drive going, in the hopes of inspiring those in our community who are thinking of starting a business. Thank you so much for being with us Rebecca. Thanks for having me. I’m excited. Rebecca, can you start off by telling us a bit about Helix Hair Labs. Helix Hair Labs is a hair care tools brand for the future of hair wellness. We are bringing everything from soft goods and accessories to hardware and wet product, all around growing your healthiest hair, styling it with minimal damage and protecting it. We just soft launched earlier this year and we are gearing up for the launch of our first hero tool in the next few weeks. “So, we felt like initially it was a conversation just focused on hairstyling, because people were styling at home, but then it really became a much deeper conversation about hair health and this journey that we’re all on, right - even if you have your routine down.” We’re big fans and definitely excited for all the things you have coming down the pipeline. What inspired you to start Helix Hair Labs? So, to actually go back even further, Helix started as an idea about category expansion for my other business, which is a women’s footwear business. In the pandemic, nobody was wearing shoes for a moment there because we weren’t leaving our homes, and we really started to think about our footwear customer: Are there other categories that she’s into? How is she spending her time? What is she doing and how has her day changed? And we started thinking about hair because people were doing their hair at home for the first time. Sometimes people go to the salon all the time or have different ways that they solve for hair, and people were really getting to know their hair or re-getting to know their hair because they were spending so much time at home or focusing on their hair health, maybe for the first time. We did a deep dive interview all over Zoom. We conducted tons of interviews where we were just spending time with folks and asking them about their relationship with their hair, their different routines, how they cycle through product, and what’s in their bathroom. We were asking people to open up their drawers and show us, it was very intimate and personal. We were understanding how their wash day works and all that kind of stuff, with people of all different ages and all different types of hair. The biggest thing that came out was really around hair health, and it was also at the same time that folks were losing their hair, whether that was illness related or stress induced, people were having a lot of hair-health concerns and talking about it in a much more front-facing way than we had seen ever before. So, we felt like initially it was a conversation just focused on hairstyling, because people were styling at home, but then it really became a much deeper conversation about hair health and this journey that we’re all on, right - even if you have your routine down. We spoke to people who were in their twenties and people through their sixties and seventies who were like, “I’m still just figuring it out”. So we felt like there was this opportunity to go on this journey together all around hair health. “…what I thought was a uniquely black experience of … wanting to understand your natural hair - was … a much more universal experience…everybody was trying to get back to basics and focus on health. And I thought that there was something really powerful in the universality of it” “…there was much more opportunity to bring people together and realize that at the end of the day, we’re all trying to solve for the same stuff, and that maybe it looks different, but at the end of the day, it resides much more closely than we realize. I love that. Was there anything, before you started Helix Hair Labs, that also lent to this problem that you were trying to solve, like anything before your entrepreneurial experience? I’ve definitely been on my own hair journey. I think we all have. I’ve gone through periods of chemical relaxer, periods of natural, going back to chemical relaxer, letting it grow out again. And what I thought was a uniquely black experience - of chemically processing hair, but then wanting to understand your natural hair - was, when we started talking to folks, a much more universal experience. Because maybe people are doing keratin treatments, or Brazilian blowouts, or Japanese straightener, or just over-processing their hair with heat or color; everybody was trying to get back to basics and focus on health. I thought that there was something really powerful in the universality of it because I think with hair, specifically, it’s typically so highly segmented. Look at wet products. Looking at your hair, I would say we probably have similar hair, but we probably use different shampoos and conditioners and are still trying different products. We felt like with Helix and with tools, that there was much more opportunity to bring people together and realize that at the end of the day, we’re all trying to solve for the same stuff, and that maybe it looks different, but at the end of the day, it resides much more closely than we realize. And the other thing was really looking at the trajectory that skincare was following and thinking about haircare as being in lockstep with that. Certainly we’ve seen skincare shift from color cosmetics to high performance ingredients with serums and all of these extra steps and different things that we’re doing with our skincare. That skinification, right? That all is playing out with how we care for our scalp and how we care for our hair. What we saw was that in the skincare side, high performance ingredient brands were giving way to tools like at-home devices all around efficacy and supporting your skincare routine with LED face wands and all of this gadgetry, right? I love gear and gadgets. So with Helix, we also feel like we’re in the high performance ingredient phase of haircare and that we have the opportunity to meet this customer where we know they’re going with tools and devices that are really going to supercharge their routine. Awesome. So, something some people might not know about you. What was your job before you became this founder of Helix Hair Labs? Yeah, so I am also the founder of a footwear business that’s called Rebecca Allen. We used my name because it sounded like a brand that already existed. And when we first launched that business, I would say, “Oh, yeah, I have a footwear brand” and people would be like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of it.” And I was like, “No, you haven’t.” But it sounded like a thing that already existed. So that was kind of to our benefit. But before that, I was in finance. I worked at Goldman Sachs for years doing investment management. And I think for me, my father is an entrepreneur. You know, he’s almost 80 and he still has his new thing that he’s working on. So, I always kind of thought of my career as entrepreneurial, but I think it’s probably a little bit in my blood. OK, what gets you out of bed in the morning? I mean, my children, like physically, would get me out of bed in the morning. I have two young kids. My daughter just started kindergarten. Today was our first day, which is very exciting. And then I have a little, 10 month old who is still breastfeeding in the morning. So he’s kind of my first thing in the morning. But I’d say from a philosophical level - I guess it is definitely tied to my kids - I really want to lead by example for them. I want to show them and be an example of what working hard and seeing the fruit of your labor looks like. I think it’s really important for both girls and boys to see that mom’s working, dad’s working - managing that, but balancing that load of home and work. My parents moved recently and they have all these pictures, and they’ll come over and then all of a sudden another stack of photos will appear because they went through all these old pictures. And there was a picture of me that’s actually right on my night table (I’m in my bedroom. I’m working from home today) And there’s a picture of me doing a handspring or something on the lawn of my childhood home and the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful summer day. And I need to frame that right by my computer or something because I want to live up to whoever that little girl thought she was going to be, and that’s something that I find I’m always going back to. Are you being true to yourself at the end of the day? Can you live your truth and who you are in all of the facets of your life? If you can do that, that’s amazing, right? And I’ve certainly been in roles where you did not get to do that, right? But I feel really fortunate that I am doing that at this phase of my life and I’m really trying to live up to that expectation. Wow, I love that so much. It’s so important and definitely easier said than done, and something I also try to aspire to as well. So what does a typical morning routine or work day look like for you? Yeah. So, we have a small office space in Manhattan. I live in Brooklyn where I’m in New York. I’m in the office a couple of days a week, and I’m home some days, it kind of depends on what’s going on. And the day is usually like, breakfast, kids, it’s chaotic, there’s dancing, there’s radio and waking up and getting everybody scrubbed and presentable. I’m a very big breakfast believer. I eat at home, I have a real breakfast before I leave. And then I’m taking the subway to our offices on 38th between 8th and 9th. “I want people to feel great about their hair, but I don’t want them to have to sacrifice other things to feel great about their hair.” What issue are you most passionate about solving? What impact do you want to provide to your community? I am trying to create efficiency and efficacy for people. At Helix, we make products for all types of hair, but I am very excited about, personally, the work that’s been done to make black hair and black hairstyles professionally acceptable, to recognize that there are different ways that different cultures style their hair, and there’s no one person who gets to determine what is presentable, what’s professional. I think at the same time, what we’re really trying to give people, through efficacy and efficiency, is that kind of breath. You don’t have to put so much on it. I want people to feel great about their hair, but I don’t want them to have to sacrifice other things to feel great about their hair. And so, I feel like there’s two pieces coming from both ends. One is, it should be okay for me to just throw my hair in a ponytail on a day when nothing else is gonna happen. And I feel like sometimes, we could be our own worst enemy about what’s presentable and professional too. But at the same time, I think the conversation that is happening, and even legislation that is happening, is really pushing forward an agenda of inclusion. It is meaningful work and progress that I think has been made for hair. I think we want to play a role in that from the standpoint of giving people back time. I grew up outside of the city in a community that was predominantly white and I played a lot of sports. I remember the time my friend next to me was taking a shower, throwing her hair in a ponytail, and I didn’t want to spend more time on my hair than she was, because that’s real. That’s less time you’re spending on homework. That’s less time you’re socializing. That’s less sleep that you get, right? Like it can get really crazy. And so, we really want to help people work through their routines in a way that’s not taking away from the other things that they want to do. What initial steps did you take when you were first getting started with this company? Well, I started mentioning at the beginning that we a deep interview with a ton of different people to really understand what was most important for folks, and health was that big piece, but then also, to understand what they were doing to promote the health of their hair today, what kind of stuff they would be interested in doing, and what kind of things they were looking for. So that was a big initial exercise that we did. And then, like nitty gritty, before we had a name or a brand identity, we put together a fake brand and just called it New Hair Co. We put together a deck that was really just about the opportunity that we saw before us, and we had a couple sketches of some of our first tools. There was a bone, but there wasn’t a ton of boot on the bone. But people were interested. There were some people who were like, “This is exciting”. I understand this kind of timing and where we are in this trajectory and path for hair. It was definitely iterative too; how we were positioning the business and the brand initially has evolved from what it was to how we talk about Helix and what we’re building today, as we continue to have conversations and float around. But then, when we were able to secure a little bit of funding for it, we went out and built the brand. We got going on developing our first products, and then started marching toward getting to this soft launch place where we could test and learn, get feedback and understand how the brand was resonating. __ What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced when you were first starting out?__ I think people are excited that we’re doing something differentiated. I think they understand that there’s a whole new white space opening up in hair, and so I think that we feel like a breath of fresh air for a lot of folks. We’ve had a competitor that makes a similar product to one of the accessories that we soft launched who has a design patent, and we have a pending design patent filed, but this person has one that’s on file. We have been dealing with them from a legal perspective to figure out how we can coexist. They feel very protective over their design, and what we know is that our design is different for starters, but also that there’s a lot of history and a lot of other similar products on the market. That been something that we were super surprised by we’re trying to we’re trying to handle it in an upstanding way. And that’s something we were not anticipating coming out of the cave. What are some of the beliefs and values that guide the way you operate your business? Collaboration, that is definitely one of them. I think accountability and transparency are huge for me and how I personally operate in all of my interpersonal dealings, whether it’s business or personal. And I think also giving ownership and accolades. For accountability and transparency, I think it never helps anybody if you’re holding back, whether it’s good or bad, I think putting things out there and keeping conversations open is so important for team building. And even when you’re dealing, whether it’s service providers or manufacturers, buying partners, every kind of way you cut it. Accountability is owning it and moving on. I think when things go right, people get those props. When things go wrong, let’s have a talk about this and move on. I’m trying to strike the balance of having a really clear vision for our brand, but also delegating and letting other people who have expertise run, and not trying to be overbearing for people who know a lot more than me about something. So those are some of the things that really guide how I try to engage my team. And we work with a lot of outsourced contractors because we’re lean and early. What does success look like to you? For me, you know, we have investors, we want do right by our investors, we want to create value and have a meaningful exit so that our investors can realize the value of the business. And that’s something that we’re working toward. But for me, ultimately, when I step back and think about success, we’re relaxing and big thinking, I think being able to be in charge of your day is a lot of what success looks like for me, like ultimately. And I think that there are seasons to work and seasons for life and personal and cycling that balance. Like nobody is striking that balance perfectly all day, every day. But if I think about how much I have in the tank to really run at something? And then is there a season to rest and reinvigorate after that? And so we’re really trying to go hard and think about that cyclically. What’s the best advice that you’ve gotten on your entrepreneurial journey? Ooh, this is something that I’m trying to be better at myself actually. I think great founders do a really good job of communicating with their shareholders, investors and advisors. I feel like sometimes we will be sitting on good news that’s pending and waiting for something to happen to then share it out instead of just keeping a regular cadence of communication. I feel like really good founders are super on top of their communication and I am working on getting that cadence right. I think that’s really good advice that some of the smartest folks that I see take to heart. “…you just have to be in a little scrap ball. Like digging it out and just scrapping it out. And I think that is what I would tell myself like, you need to get dirtier, you need to roll your sleeves up further and you need to be in the dirt more.” __I want to go back to that image that you saw of your younger self, maybe a little bit older, but the version of you who was just starting out, maybe about to just start her first business. What advice would you have given to that version of yourself? I think I consider myself a pretty scrappy person. Like I think I know how to do things in a scrappy way and it’s something I pride myself on, but like, I think like being even scrappier is like, you just have to be in a little scrap ball. Like digging it out and just scrapping it out. And I think that is what I would tell myself like, you need to get dirtier, you need to roll your sleeves up further and you need to be in the dirt more. Yeah, like you have what you need and work with what you have. Yeah. There’s something that you can be doing right now to drive your business forward, right? Because in the beginning, you are not sitting at 10,000 feet in this vacuum thinking about strategy. You need to be doing tactical man-to-man combat, like how are you driving forward? I would tell myself to get even lower to the ground. Get on the ground. That’s definitely real. I think it definitely paints a picture and sets that expectation for people that might just be starting out. You kind of have to wear all the hats and do all the things in the beginning and just figure it out and not let that part discourage the journey either. Yeah, if you have any last words, feel free to share. This was fun. I gotta go get more scrappy right now. It’s a good reminder. Thank you so much for including me. 
OurX

August 15, 2024 - 13 min