Catching up with Nikki Igbo

I had the amazing opportunity to meet with and listen to Nikki Igbo, a guest lecturer at my university. She is a freelance writer and widely known her for popular blog (check it out for all your writing and branding needs!). Needless to say, she truly is a "writing goddess", with a ton of experience in the industry. What fascinated me most about her inspirational talk, was her ventures in writing for a natural haircare website, CurlyNikki. I am truly thankful for being able to interview her for this blog!

A: How did you get interested in blogging about natural hair care?

N: 1. As a freelance writer, I am always drawn to those topics and assignments that allow me to use my personal knowledge and experience to provide the best possible prose I can. Truth and relatabilty matter in connecting with any audience, and I’m always shooting for a connection with everything I write. I was referred to Taliah Waajid by another long time client about a year ago. I felt it was a great fit because I wear natural hair, use Taliah Waajid products, and understand the brand’s mission and vision.

A: Why do you believe natural skincare/haircare is important?

N: Haircare and skincare are a big deal to everyone because hair and skin are natural accessories. It sounds funny saying that about skin, but you're skin's health and appearance potentially says as much about who you are as your shoes or your jewelry.

For people of color, obviously the differences in our skin tone and hair texture have had political, social and cultural implications since the concept of race (and racial attributes) was first introduced in the late 17th century and institutionalized in the 18th century.

Our hair and skin became synonymous with everything undesirable in the social hierarchy. But times are changing. Natural hair care and skin care reflects a shift in thought on what constitutes beauty. It reflects the growth of a sense of pride and a desire to celebrate curls, kinks, and darker skin tones. And finally, it reflects a feeling of being sick and tired of being--and--feeling sick and tired as it draws our community to the practice of healthy living from head to tone.

A: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about natural skincare/haircare?

N: While working with Taliah Waajid, I've learned so much about natural hair care because Taliah Waajid is a natural hair expert and licensed Master Cosmetologist who has been in the business for more than 25 years.

I've learned there is a lot of false information on the web about natural hair care because much of it is being written by people who have not necessarily had formal training in how to care for naturally curly hair and ethnic skin. For example, hair type and texture does not perfectly fit into the hair type chart that classifies straight to curly hair as four distinct types. The vast majority of people have a combination of hair textures. Just think, does the hair on one side of your head act a little differently than the hair on the other side? Do certain sections of your hair seem to revolt against each other? You likely have a few different hair textures and types going on.

Also for those ladies who wear protective styles such as braids, weaves, or wigs, the hair must be cared for with regular shampooing, conditioning and moisturizing all while wearing the style. A lot of people don't understand how to properly care for their natural hair beneath these styles, so they often experience hair loss or other scalp ailments as a result.

Finally, many people believe that darker-toned individuals don't need to use sun screen and don't experience the same kind of skin issues as people with lighter-toned skin. I remember a white lady once asking me if black people get stretch marks. Yes, we get stretch marks.

A: What do beauty brands you recommend, other than your own?

N: I love the Huetiful Hair Steamer. It works beautifully to boost the moisture retention in my hair and help my hair absorb the nutrients in the products I use. I also swear by the Laila Ali Soft Bonnet Dryer. I really love using this dryer on my locs because it offers a very nice low setting that gets the job done without heat damage; it's also very light and easy to travel with. One last item I love is the Satin-Lined Cap or SLAP. It really stays put all night long and protects my hair very well.

A: How important do you think “self-love” and “body positivity” is?

N: Self-love and body positivity is so very important to personal outlook, self-empowerment and upward mobility. Shame, lack of confidence and feelings of worthlessness shatter dreams and fool people into believing that they somehow don't have the right to fulfill their potential. When a person feels good about themselves inside and out, they come to understand the importance and necessity of the powers, talents and capabilities they uniquely offer. They understand their true worth. They are no longer enslaved mentally.

I hope you guys enjoyed this interview! What are your thoughts on natural haircare?

Love,

Anya