My personal hair story
I've been living in Germany for 14 years now and I feel very comfortable in many areas - Germany has become my home.
There is however one area where I am confronted with the feeling of being foreign. This happens when I go shopping for toiletries, specifically when I look for products for my Afro Hair.
The questions I've been asking myself are:
- Why isn't there enough selection of hair care products for 4C Afro Hair in German drugstores?
- Why is there only one US brand available in my city? Are the ingredients just as controlled as in Germany?
- Why are the ingredients (according to Code Check) in some hair care products so questionable?
- Could that be the reason why I have such problems with my scalp when using other products?
- Why do I see other hair types instead of mine on websites selling products designated for curls and "Afro Hair"?
These questions have let me to decide take my own fate in my own hands. I have to find a solution for me and others with 4C Afro Hair. There are however a lot of hair products for curls but 4C Afro Hair is not being catered for and depicted enough.
What exactly is 4C Afro Hair?
Type 4C in Afro Hair refers to the hair texture that has a very tight zig-zag pattern. This type of hair is prone to dryness and breakage, which is why it needs special care that provides extra moisture.
Caring for this type of hair can be very tedious, which is why the hair is often chemically straightened to make it easier to comb.
Having straight hair is also still seen as a beauty standard :–
My hair was straightened since High School. Straightening my hair was associated with physical and emotional pain. The physical pain came from the scalp burns and the emotional pain was a deep feeling of not being myself. I felt like someone else with straight hair. Many black women and men have had and still have this pain.
Hair straightening has been revealed to potentially be harmful to health. See The Guardian Article and Boston University study .
I shaved my hair in rebellion at university. I spent my university days with very short hair and it was very liberating.
Why special products for 4C Afro Hair?
Since I've been in Germany, I've straightened my hair a few times. It was no longer because of the societal beauty standards, rather, I wanted to get my frizzy hair texture under control. My hair lacked the right care products and straightening was an easy step.
I've been wearing my hair natural for many years now, but I still lack the right hair care products that meet my needs. That's why I founded Zamata Cosmetics. I want to give myself an answer to my own questions.
What Zamata Cosmetics stands for
My hair story is not unique. Many black people have similar experiences with their hair.
We are looking for products;
- that are suitable for our hair structures and their needs
- that do not harm our health,
- that do not hurt the scalp,
- that have high quality and natural ingredients,
- which we can also use for our children.
With Zamata Cosmetics I offer people products that put the needs of people with 4C Afro Hair first. My brand stands for joy, natural elegance and self-love. The products are clean, gentle on the scalp and of high quality.
