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| Darlene
Oliver By Monica Z. Utsey
After almost 15 years of
relaxing hair, Oliver was burnt out—literally. Using research skills honed in law
school, Oliver discovered that many of the chemicals used in relaxers and hair care
products aimed at black women were having a disastrous effect on their hair. |
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"It took me years of burning and scorching my scalp to find out I was allergic to
chemical relaxers," Oliver says. She also discovered that like her, many black women
were suffering from burnt out scalps.
And so began the next facet of Oliver’s professional hair
care career—the birth of "Oliver’s Natural Hair Care Salon." In 1993,
Oliver jumped from "bone straight" to "happy to be nappy." And
Oliver’s Natural Hair Care Salon became a place not only for styling natural hair,
but also a place for learning about and healing all hair.
Oliver, who takes tremendous pride in the amount of research she
has done regarding hair care, wanted to give black women something to enhance their
natural hair and natural beauty. So she created her own line of natural hair and body care
products. The line includes bath crystals that combine sea salt and essential oils and
natural soaps made from hand-cut, 100 percent vegetable glycerin.
A by-product of caring for natural hair has been the spiritual
transformation Oliver experienced. "I have seen a change in myself," Oliver
says. "You don’t have to make a commitment to keep your hair straight. You can
go somewhere else for people to keep it straight. But with natural hair, which requires
more time, you have to learn how to style your hair and, you have to deal with the people
around you, including your family and especially your momma. So you become
well-rounded."
And well-rounded is a perfect way to describe Oliver: a former
law student, turned hair stylist, natural hair care specialist/salon owner, hair/body care
product formulator, and soon-to-be holistic health care provider. |
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