Remember my review of the TLC Naturals products a couple of months ago? Well, here’s the HairStory of Paige, the “natural-preneur” (yes, I made that up!) behind the line!! She’s not only the president, she’s a client too ;)!!

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Who are you and from where do you hail?
My name is Paige-Ellean. I’m from London, UK, and I am passionate about kinky, coily and curly hair! I am also a formulator and owner of TLC Naturals, a luxurious hair and body product line, hand-crafted from the finest natural and organic ingredients.

What is the hair norm for Black/Brown women where you live? If natural hair is not the norm, is it becoming more prevalent?
Although the general norm for Black women in the UK is to wear their hair in a relaxed, permed or weaved state, there are a growing number of women embracing their natural hair texture.

What prompted your decision to go natural?
I got fed up of the use of chemicals on my hair and body and I also wanted to embrace my own natural hair texture. Coming from a background of the use of alternative therapies and the use of natural plants for cosmetic, medicinal and therapeutic uses, it only made sense to apply my herbal knowledge and expertise in caring for my hair.

Did you transition or big chop or are you currently transitioning?
I DID try to transition … very unsuccessfully for 3 years! I just didn’t have a clue at the time on the right techniques for caring for my transitioning hair. In addition, although I wore bantu knot-out styles to hide the two textures, I still suffered an immense amount of breakage. Finally, I had enough and went for the Big Chop in December 2009.

What has your natural hair journey been like?
My natural hair journey has been a wonderful experience of learning and self-discovery.

How has your decision been received by family, friends and people in general?
My family and friends were initially shocked, but after seeing the overall health and progress of my natural hair, I am pleased to say that I have converted a few of them over to the natural side :D.

What do you see as the challenges of being natural?
Acceptance is a major challenge for the natural hair community – from other people accepting our natural hair texture to we ourselves accepting what constitutes as being natural for us.

It’s bad enough that outside communities do not accept our hair and still have negative opinions of natural hair, curly hair and dreadlocks. It is particularly saddening when we ourselves bicker over what we think is natural … whether it is to do with the issue of curl definition or not, the use of chemical colours or not, the use of heat (e.g. hot combs, flat irons ) or not and so on.

Not everyone who embraces their natural hair will embrace a natural lifestyle – using natural products, using natural colorants, abstaining from chemical or mechanical processes that cause damage to the hair. This does not make them more or less natural. There should be no “I am more natural than you” vibe among us.

What is your regimen?
My current regimen includes wash day every fortnight: I prepoo with coconut oil, then I wash my hair, and deep condition afterwards with eggs, honey and olive oil. Once every 2 months, I henna-indigo my hair. I always follow my henna-indigo sessions with a deep condition and then a hot oil treatment, using TLC Naturals Shea Baobab Nourishing Hair Oil.

In between wash sessions, I rinse my hair weekly with ACV. Sometimes I brew some rosemary and add it to the ACV. I follow up with TLC Naturals Hibiscus Rose Moisturising Leave In Conditioner & seal with TLC Naturals Shea Baobab Nourishing Hair Oil. My hair style post-wash is normally a bun. If I am wearing twists or braids, I use the TLC Naturals Choco Shea Decadent Hair Butter.

I find that my haircare regimen is much more simplified than before and I have the TLC Naturals products to thank for that. My hair stays moisturised and retains natural curl definition for much longer than before and is also progressing at a better rate.
I have very fine and delicate hair along my edges and slow growing edges are the bane of my life. This is why I never do protective styles longer than a week and I never do small braids, twists etc. Once a week I apply TLC Naturals Grow It Hair Cream to my edges. It is made with MSM, Indian ayurveda plants, growth enhancing herbs and stimulating essential oils. The downside to this product is that I have new growth literally within 5-7 days. This would normally be a great thing, but my gray hairs ALWAYS pop up around my edges leading to extra henna-indigo sessions, which as we all know is not a 15 minute job.

Do you use/prefer commercial or natural products?
I prefer to use natural products – purely because I know that, a) they work and b) they are more healthier for me. I am not dying to be beautiful and I refuse to put my health at risk by using chemical-ridden products. Natural products don’t just make your hair look great, they improve the overall condition of your hair.

Are the products that you like and want to try readily accessible and affordable? Where do you purchase them?
I use my own products, naturally, which evolved from recipes that I have worked with consistently. I launched my product line and made my products available to the general public on the insistence of my readers from my natural hair blog, Care4Curls. They saw my hair bloom as I started making and using my own concoctions, so they naturally wanted a piece. I was only too happy to share. The products can be found at TLC Naturals (http://www.tlcnaturalsonline.com).

Are there any things that you think are unique to where you live? If so, what and why? How do you think they can be overcome?
I do not think there is any one particular thing that is unique to us here in the UK. The only problem I see here is access to quality products for natural hair care. Unlike the US, where there are dozens natural hair care brands to choose from, we only have a handful here. However, I can see this changing in the near future.

Anything else that you’d like to share?
I firmly believe in the efficacy of natural products and natural ingredients. Just like the body thrives when fed a healthy, natural and organic diet, so too does the hair bloom when “fed” natural and organic products. Like I said at the beginning, I am passionate about natural hair. However, natural or not, coloured or not, straightened or not, you can never go wrong when you use natural and organic products on your hair.

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Were your PJ senses tingling? Super-intrigued by Paige’s natural haircare line and itching to try it? Then have I got a giveaway for you!! Stay tuned for the announcement later today!!