Confessions of a Curly Girl! From Clueless to Curl Conscious

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This week I had the opportunity to sit down with a curlfriend of mine....

And it was the best!

We chatted all things hair care, Pump, Curly Girl Method and natural hair.

She is an Afro-Hispanic, bi-racial woman and a devoted Pump customer! I loved getting to hear her perspective on learning to love her natural hair and the role that Pump played in her journey.

Did growing up bi-racial affect the way you felt about your hair?

"Growing up with a white mom, who’s hair texture was so vastly different to mine meant that while there were many things she passed on to me, how to take care of my hair was not one of them... haha! I never really had issues with my curly hair growing up, so I never really looked into taking care of it myself. I used whichever gel or mousse kept my curls defined, brushed my hair with your average hairbrush, slept on cotton pillowcases and carried on."

What changed for you?

"It wasn’t until early adulthood that I started thinking about really 'caring for' my hair rather than just maintaining it. After living in LA for two years during the 2012-2016 drought, washing my hair every day in heavily treated water, and brushing my hair dry instead of wet (as recommended by a stylist), I came home with bald patches, brittle strands, and a thin shadow of what used to be a beautiful mane of curls. This was when I knew I was doing something wrong."

So where did you go from there? How did you recover from that?

"I reached out to a friend of mine who had a similar hair type, and when she found out what I was doing to my hair she was appalled. She told me to never brush my hair again and told me wide-toothed combs ONLY. She also scolded me for not owning a silk pillowcase and sleeping without wrapping my hair. My sister started sending me videos of “curly girls” and this is when I started looking into my product ingredients etc.

For about a year and a half, I went as organic and vegan as possible, and most of my bald spots filled in! My curls came back slowly, which was so exciting! But any growth progress I had was minimal, and while my hair was no longer balding, it was so short, from all of the breakages. It was so exhausting!"

Who introduced you to the Curly Girl Method?

"Pump did actually! I started on your products highly sceptical. I was mostly excited that they were vegan and plant based products. I had no idea what I was in for! Learning about co-washing, my hair porosity, protective styles for sleeping, oil treatments etc has been life-changing! It was so easy to get all my curly products from one brand. I could just commit to the CGM and not have to worry or check labels."

Before vs After 6 months of using Pump's Curly Girl Method products

(Left photo: Month 1 with Pump, Right Photo: Month 6 with Pump)

What changes have you noticed in your hair since using Pump?

"Oh my gosh! Everything. My dream has always been to have long hair, but no matter what I tried, my hair would not grow as I had an insane amount of breakage and hair fall! Every time I combed my hair I would have clumps fall out. Now, my hair is so strong, full, and is able to grow longer! It was a gradual process, and I still have a ways to go, but when I look at pictures of myself a year ago, I’m so happy with where I’m at now, and I feel optimistic that my hair goals could actually be achieved."

Which Pump products can you not live without?

"Well, two of my two favourite products of all time are Pump products. The Curl and Grow Mask co-wash, and the Soft Curl Gel are two of the best hair products I’ve ever used! I sleep in the mask and I can literally feel it working its magic, tingling on my scalp. Using a mask knowing it’s 100% curly friendly and vegan is such a relief. As a low-porosity curly girl, the gel is a DREAM. It’s aloe-based, which means it hydrates without causing that nasty build up! My dream was always a gel that somehow wasn’t sticky or crunchy...this is it."

Favourite thing about Curly Girl by Pump?

"I think the no-stress aspect is great! For years I would use products that made my hair feel/look good at the moment, knowing or fearing that in the end it would leave my hair worse off. I love that I can use anything from the Pump curly range and know that they contain no harmful chemicals or ingredients! It just makes it fun to experiment."

How would you encourage other girls wanting to embrace their curls?

"The most important thing is just to start! Transitioning can be scary, but my only wish is that I had started the Curly Girl Method earlier and found these products years ago. I also think it’s wild how much potential my curls had that I didn’t even know! I thought my hair looked fine and I look back now and I’m like ... GROSS haha! So just take the leap and start! You and your curls deserve it."

I hope you girls found this encouraging! xx Tash