Natural hair may be more than just a trend, it appears to be a style that is — pardon the pun — permanent. Black women are coming to terms with the damage caused by years of chemical processing, tension and heat on their hair, and they’re just not putting their tresses through the punishment anymore. Mixed Chicks got in on the cutting edge of that movement nearly 10 years ago and the results have been astounding, as evidenced by the floods of excited women making their way to the Mixed Chicks booth at the winter Bronner Brothers Hairshow. I tried the product and loved it, so I was delighted to talk with owner Kim Etheridge at the 2011 Bronner Brothers show. –roz edward
What prompted you to create Mixed Chicks?
When you go in the beauty industry there is an urban aisle and normal aisle. One product ahs too much oil and another has too much alcohol and you can’t find the right mix. At Mixed Chicks we consider ourselves the middle aisle. We represent for the unrepresented.
What products does the Mixed Chicks line include?
We created a product line that features a clarifying shampoo which is a nice cleansing shampoo which removes buildup from other products and elements. We follow up with a thick, luxurious conditioner that also detangles the hair. Once you comb that though and rinse, you apply the leave-in conditioner. Then you let your hair air dry. The trick to eliminating frizz is not touching your hair. The beauty of this product is the longer the day goes the better you look. So you are ready to go out at 5:00
Does your hair have to already be natural for the products to work?
No a lot of people with curly hair have a perm. A lot of women with like looser curl patterns or they feel their hair is a bit unmanageable. The product is for your natural curl pattern. It doesn’t have any active ingredient that’s going to curl your hair. Whether you have a nice wave or a tight curl, it’s just going to enhance what you already have.
