Europe’s first CBD hair care brand for type 4 afro hair is encouraging women to embrace their natural look.
Baked Kurls was founded by natural hair coach and content creator, Jessica Bukenya, who specialises in sharing tips for those with type 4 hair with her 35,000+ followers on TikTok.
After years of damaging her hair with heat and processed products, in 2018 Jessica began experiencing hair loss and decided it was time to embrace her natural look.
But the lack of information out there for those with her hair type left her feeling “excluded” from the conversation.
According to a 2018 report, 75 percent of products on the black hair market contain toxins, exposing black women to dozens of hazardous chemicals through the hair care they use.
Hair re-growth oil contains a blend of pure CBD
With Baked Kurls, Jessica is hoping to transform the industry for the better.
Based on research that suggests CBD could promote hair growth, all the products are designed to repair damaged strands and lock in moisture.
Its herbal hair growth oil, Boost, contains a blend of pure CBD with Ayurvedic herbs and oils such as Hibiscus, Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Fenugreek, and coconut oil.
But it’s about more than just selling products, Baked Kurls wants to educate women by providing them with the secrets and tools to achieve healthy, natural hair.
Through its podcast, events and growing community of supporters, it is providing a safe space for women with naturally kinky, coily, afro hair to have candid conversations about their natural hair.
Jessica told Cannabis Health how the brand is revolutionising black hair care.
CH: What are some of the benefits of adding CBD to your hair care routine?
Jessica Bukeny: Baked Kurls’ CBD haircare does not contain any THC, so there are no psychoactive effects when using the products. All of our products are based on independent research that links CBD to promoting hair growth, through CBD’s makeup of nutrients and fatty acids such as Omega-3,6 and 9. As well as soothing a dry itchy, and flaky scalp, through its anti-inflammatory properties, and barrier protection against environmental damage.
CH: Can you tell us about your own journey to embrace your natural hair?
JB: In 2018 I was suffering from hair loss, and heat damage from over-processing my hair. I really wanted to grow out my natural hair but I wasn’t sure where to begin. I felt excluded from the natural hair conversation since there weren’t many products aimed at typ
Source: Instagram @bakedkurls
e 4 hair and content online was very minimal, due to texturism that arose in the natural hair movement.
CH: Why is there a need for something different in the natural hair space?
JB: Seventy five percent of the products on the black hair market contain toxic ingredients. With this in mind, I realised that there was a need in the natural hair space for products that have an equal focus on high-quality, vegan, clean, and non-toxic ingredients, accessibility as well as genuine claims about the effectiveness of the products (backed up by independent scientific evidence), that simply do what they say on the bottle without jeopardising health. Baked Kurls was born out of a gap in the natural hair space.
Kinky, type 4 natural hair tends to be more prone to breakage because of the shape of the hair. Usually caused by dryness and/or poor hair nourishment, breakage gets in the way of length retention, softness, and strong hair strands. Baked Kurls’ products help to combat issues that black women typically face with type 4 hair typically face in their everyday maintenance.
CH: Why do you think more women are feeling empowered to embrace their natural hair now?
JB: Thanks to the rise of social media, more women are realising that type 4 hair isn’t hard to manage or undesirable. The recent laws and initiatives tackling hair discrimination in the workplace, has allowed for women to feel more confident in themselves to wear their hair to the workplace however they desire.
Baked Kurls steps in at the intersection of women who have just begun growing out their natural hair, or women who already wear their natural hair out, and are looking for non-toxic, clean, vegan and effective products. We provide the products, tools and knowledge to better understand how to look after their hair. We take the stress out of the everyday maintenance of natural hair.
