My first attempt to rock my natural hair was in the early 90's.  Unfortunately, this did turn out well nor last very long because in those days there were very limited products or solutions for black natural hair.  There were the standards (i.e., TCB, Dudley, and Care-Free Curl) that were accessible, but those products did not give me the results that I was looking for.  My natural hair appeared unkept, dry, and unhealthy. That was not a good look for corporate America as most black women did not wear their natural hair without straightening it in those days.  

Honestly, I really wasn't paying attention to the natural hair wave prior to my recent journey.  I went to the hairdresser regularly, I got my touch-ups every 6 weeks, and my hair grew to about shoulder length, if I wanted.  My hair routine worked for me for years, it was easy, and I was addicted to the convenience of the relaxer. I was like a junkie when it came close to 6 weeks and my touch-up was due, I saw those edges curling up and I was ready to reload.  

My current natural hair journey began in October of 2016 and it wasn't planned, it happened organically.  I started questioning if my relaxer was damaging my hair and maybe even causing harm to my body. I started wondering exactly what those chemicals were behind the mask of those big words on the labels that I didn't understand.  I started looking up some of those words and what I read was, quite frankly, scary! During this time, I was taking a more natural and wholistic look at what I was putting into my body and my overall health and wellness. I have always been “woke” with regards to foods that were not good for me but started considering some of the chemicals that were entering into my body via other means (i.e., my hair and my skin).

My hair problems began with excessive shedding and thinning.  I blamed everything except the relaxer, “I'm getting older”, “I must need a trim”, “I must need a deep conditioner”, anything but looking hard at what those relaxers were doing to my hair.  I tried milder relaxers, no lye relaxers, kiddie perms, and even limited my relaxers to 10 to 12 weeks for touch-ups but no luck, my hair continued to break and shed. I started cutting my hair to solve the problems, but it never looked thick and healthy anymore.

I started researching products that would straighten my hair without harsh chemicals and I couldn’t find any that met my needs.  I spoke to several

hairdressers and they told me that I wasn't going to find anything that permanently straightened my hair without chemicals.  I didn’t want to believe that there wasn't anything on the market, so I continued to search and as time passed the new growth became evident.  My hairdresser was able to manage straightening my hair with heat and it wasn't really that bad. I decided around this point that maybe it’s time to give up the relaxer!  If I was going to go on this journey I needed to (1). slow down on the heat straightening and (2). start paying attention to the products that I was using and (3). lastly, start living my truth and embrace my natural hair and enjoy the journey!                                                   

As my hair grew, I started researching products that would thicken my thinning hair and stimulate my scalp.  My Mom, a retired hairdresser, always said that hair grows if you take care of it. Your hair and scalp needs moisture and if you are not seeing length you are losing your growth.  It's just math, if you lose as much as you gain there is no surplus. My Mom stressed haircare, scalp stimulation, and using good products to encourage your hair to grow and then you need to moisturize to prevent the breakage.  I started moving through my journey keeping these points in mind. When I was not able to find products without chemicals or questionable ingredients, like alcohol that dries your hair strands, I made my own.  I started researching different herbs and essential oils that could meet my needs.  I started experimenting with making my own hair concoctions and tonics in my kitchen and that is how Herbs & Oils Haircare Essentials was born.

I worked on developing “The Tonic” during this time not really thinking that this product would someday turn into a full business.  I am not exactly sure when I realized that it could but after about a year, I started writing my business plan and I pulled together my amazing team to lead this idea into reality.  This team has skills, knowledge in all different areas, and has the desire to help make this dream a reality and are truly the brand behind this company. We worked another year to make it happen.  My team continues to believe in this venture and that amazes me. I am so grateful! I have the most loyal supporters, some of them have always been with me and others are new to the party. I know that this mission has been blessed and it is part of my purpose and my truth.  My team and I have worked tirelessly to ensure that we bring to you the best product on the market, that we stand behind, that we trust, and that we know you are going to love as much as we do. Welcome to the Herbs and Oils Family. CHEERS!!!

- EVA WHITELY : Founder & CEO