One of the main ingredients in many of these solutions is coffee. When her parents began to notice Cordero’s hair damage, it was her mother who suggested that her daughter return to the more natural remedies from their hometown in the Dominican Republic that catered specifically to curly hair. The simple act of caring for curly hair seemed foreign. Though Cordero wears her heritage and curly hair proudly, she felt that the insistent desire for silky, straight hair made her own seem “difficult to care for or ugly” during her childhood. I wore it in tight buns and my hairline paid for it.” According to Cordero, not knowing how to care for - or even appreciate - her curly hair stems from the implications of anti-Blackness in the Dominican Republic. “When I finally decided to wear my hair naturally, I had no idea how to care for it. ![]() The hair loss condition she mentions is caused by repeatedly pulling one's hair and can even be the result of tight hairstyles such as tights buns, braids, and ponytails. “I suffered from traction alopecia,” Cordero recalls to TZR. Amidst all the academic stress that inherently comes with pursuing a notoriously difficult major, Cordero found herself faced with another challenge: caring for her hair. Though the brand officially launched in October of 2019, it’s first product, Dominican Forbidden Hair Oil, was actually conceived almost a decade earlier when Cordero felt that her relationship with hair was at the an all-time low.Īt the time, she was indulging her love for chemistry by pursuing a degree in biomedicine at the University of Chicago. ![]() “When they see my shadow they say ‘there she is’,” Cordero jokes.īut Cordero’s unwavering loyalty to natural remedies stems from a complicated past. ![]() Cordero’s dedication to organic products is at the forefront and her reputation certainly precedes her with her own manufacturers. These ingredients, alongside other harmful chemicals, are now blacklisted from any Bomba Curl formula. Before Bomba Curls, Cordero found it difficult to find haircare products that weren't loaded with chemical-based ingredients such as petrochemicals and sulfates. Being a vegetarian for almost 14 years and a “naturalista,” Cordero’s products are 100% organic and rooted in passed-down Afro-Dominican remedies. "And I wanted to change that.” Despite only being a year old, the brand is doing just that.įor starters, Bomba Curls offers deep conditioning and moisturizing products that achieve maximum length, retention, and curls. “When it came to beauty, beauty never looked like me or any of the women in my family," says Cordero. This erasure caused Cordero to feel that her own hair was "deficient" at a young age. Growing up, it was rare for the hair guru to see women who shared the same skin tone and hair texture celebrated and represented in the Dominican Republic. “Being Black in Latin America oftentimes feels like you’re invisible because we are never in magazines or the telenovelas,” Cordero tells TZR. The Afro-Latinx-owned haircare label specializes in curly hair and was established to fight for inclusivity by broadening the vision of beauty. And, in Lulu Cordero’s case, treasures continue to take form in her curly hair-loving beauty brand, Bomba Curls. ![]() They say those who weather the storm are met with endless treasures.
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