Curly Hair makes a Comeback!

There is something special about a woman with curly hair, something about those tousled tresses and the way the curls choose their own way to lay. The curly haired woman is a statement maker, an original, that exudes confidence and personality. She does not reach out for a flat iron and is not afraid to be herself. We talk to Elinor Davies, Founder of Olew: The Welsh Natural Haircare Brand Created by A Curly for Curlies who is all that and more!

Olew is inspired by Elinor’s curly hair journey after years of straightening her hair due to the pressure to conform and not liking the way her curls looked naturally. In 2012, she decided to ditch hair straighteners and begin embracing her natural curls. She set up the brand in 2018 with just £100 from her kitchen table in the creative hub of Leyton, East London after being inspired by “The $100 Start-up” by Chris Guillebeau. She spent hours in her kitchen mixing different oils and treatments and did extensive research into the haircare market, where she learned about the harmful chemicals and preservatives that are a mainstay of many of the products available on the market and that’s when Olew was born. Olew is the Welsh word for oil, paying homage to Elinor’s Welsh roots and to one of the main ingredients in her products. Elinor’s journey of self-discovery has led her to not only fall back in love with her natural hair but also herself.

Elinor is on a mission to encourage other ladies to embrace and love their natural hair and to always wear it with confidence. In 2021 Elinor decided to bring Olew to the UAE/Gulf region as she received so much organic support and loyalty from the community in this region. She tells us more.

Is one’s identity embedded in one’s hair?

Our hair is intrinsically linked to our identity as it can represent our culture, religion, ethnicity as well as our own creativity and self-expression. Throughout history hair has often been associated with wealth, status, and beauty. Growing up in the early 2000’s straight, glossy hair was portrayed by society as the epitome of beauty, and this was the only (at least in mainstream media) representation of hair we were shown.

Curly hair types, if shown, are portrayed as ‘unruly’ ‘unkept’ ‘out of control’ and ‘wild’ making us with curly hair feel like the ‘other’ and not beautiful. From my own experience drawing on the theme of identity, once I began to embrace my natural hair, I realised that it was a true extension of myself. Embracing my hair allowed me to truly be me and gave me confidence to be 100% me.

What is it about curly hair that makes women want to straighten it? I mean why do only 3 or 4 out of 10 feel that their curly hair is lovely?

From my own experience and speaking with lots of curly hair people there are two factors at play here. The first one being societal norms of beauty that have been a mainstay in our lives and showing straight hair to be the most beautiful.

Second, not knowing exactly how to maintain and take care of our curls. For so long society told us that straight hair was beautiful and the beauty industry also followed with what products they made. There were little to no products that truly represented and helped people take care of their natural hair and if they did, the knowledge of how to use these products and maintain our curls were truly little, so it was and, in some cases, still is easier to just straighten our hair as this was one thing we knew would work.

How do we change the perception of straight hair standards among people?

Representation matters. Seeing more individuals with their natural hair in the media, within advertisements will help us feel and understand that natural hair is also beautiful.

What is the biggest problem that you see with curly hair?

I don’t see any problem. The problem is with how we as curly hair individuals are represented; we are often represented as the ‘unruly’ ‘unkept’ ‘wild’ individuals and made to feel like we should straighten our hair to be accepted by society.

Contrary to what many may think, maintaining your curls is super easy once you know how and have the right products. Firstly, ensuring that your curls have plenty of moisture is key to maintaining defined, glossy and fresh curls. My top tip for ensuring your curls have enough moisture is to apply the Olew original hair oil, and Olew curl cream to your hair while it is soaking wet. In fact, I take these both into the shower with me so I can apply them as soon as I have finished washing my hair. The reason why I recommend applying to soaking wet hair, is because when the hair is wet the hair shaft and cuticle are open, allowing for all of the key nutrients to be absorbed. Through my own hair journey, I found that avoiding shampoos and conditioners which contained harsh parabens and sulphates assisted with speeding up the process of moisture absorption by my hair. These harsh chemicals often assist with creating an invisible film over your hair creating a barrier for any moisture to be absorbed resulting in dry, limp curls.

Do you think that being indoors for long spells in the pandemic has forced women to accept their hair as it is, resulting in curly hair making a major comeback?

Definitely, the pandemic has helped us all reevaluate our lives in so many different ways and for the natural hair movement this has been pivotal. Many women who I have spoken to have mentioned how they reflected on the fact that they used to straighten their hair for societal beauty norms, especially in the office setting, claiming that it looked more professional and how they did it to fit in. However, since staying home and embracing their natural hair as they did not have the pressure to conform, they realised that one – it takes a lot less time to just be yourself, giving them more confidence within the workplace and two – that they were hiding their true selves.

Your comments on the Natural Hair movement…accepting hair as it is, curly, straight, grey whatever!

Accepting our hair in its natural state helps us with accepting our true selves and is a sign of our own strength and identity; against societal beauty norms and embracing who we are with confidence and pride!

How to Get Your Natural Curls Back with Olew Hair!

Here are 5 tips from Elinor Davies-Farn, that will help you re-gain your natural curls and make them shine through in style:

If the last couple of years has taught us anything, then it would have to be getting back to basics and dedicating more time towards self-care and self-love – including your hair too!

1-Go T-Total on Heat (At least for 30 days)

The key to starting your natural haircare journey successfully is to let your hair breathe. If you have become accustomed to using heat on your hair, then this needs to stop for at least 30 days (you can diffuse your hair after this). This will allow your hair to repair itself first, before expecting your natural curls to form.

2-Moisture

Your hair may be extremely thirsty from all the heat-use and hair dyeing over the years. Therefore, it’s important to begin to add hydrating products to your haircare routine such as the Olew Original and Olew Curl Cream to your soaking wet hair.

3-Curly Hair Doesn’t Like to be Cleaned!

 Remember, curly hair helps disguise your roots! So, even if you think that your hair is a little greasy, nobody else is going to notice and you don’t need to wash it every day or two. As the days go by your curls/waves will start to form and become more defined. The key is to add some water for moisture and a product such as the Olew Curl Cream.

4-Right from Wrong

Avoid cheap shampoos and conditioners, as these might be packed full of harsh chemicals that won’t allow you to see the desired results. The wrong choice of products will leave a film-like coating which makes it difficult for moisture to be absorbed. Olew work with a top chartered chemist to make sure all their hair products are paraben free, sulphate free, contains to nasty chemicals and is vegan and cruelty free. Olew’s product range contains curated natural ingredients and the brand is created by a curly for curlies!

5-Patience!

Rome wasn’t built in a day! Neither will those glorious natural curls magically spring back to life overnight. With a little patience and consistency with your haircare routine and ditching heat styling tools, you will see the results!

For more information about Olew, visit the website https://olew.cymru/ or keep up to date with their latest news on Instagram @Olewhair