Q&A Time With mainelement: love Founder Tyrika Williams

• What inspired you to create mainelement:love? mainelement: love started almost 5 years ago as a bath and body company. While making and selling my bath and body line, women were continuously asking me to make for them what I was making for my own hair, and for advice on what they could and should be doing to properly care for their own hair. It wasn’t long before I was selling more hair care products than my other products. I realized that there was a need that wasn’t being fully met by enough of the products that were on the market. It was at that point I chose to make my passion my business and focus my knowledge, energy and talents on hair care completely.

•  How does aromatherapy come into play with your product line? Aromatherapy is the basis for the entire product line. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years to alleviate ailments in our bodies, both physical and mental. When you use mainelement: love, not only is your hair benefitting from the healing properties of the oils, but your emotional well-being reaps the benefits as well.

• What is your most popular product? The Herbal Styling Balm has been a huge hit with naturalistas of all hair types. It seems that there’s a growing number of naturalistas looking for alternatives to gels, for a number of reasons: from disliking the crunch and flaking that gels sometimes cause, to wanting a product that provides a bit of sealing without drying out the hair. 

• What is a good summer hair routine with your products? With the summer comes a lot more heat and humidity. Washing with the Herbal Shampoo Bar allows you to cleanse the scalp from excess sweat and dirt without over drying it, followed by continuous nourishment of aloe from the Aloe Conditioner. Whether you are a wash n go kinda girl or a twist out diva, moisturizing with the Shea Smoothie and then sealing with the Herbal Styling Balm with give you the long term moisture you need to keep you from having to do too much more than pineappling at night and a quick fluff and go in the morning. And should you need to refresh, the Herbal Hair Tea can be used in a spray bottle as a rehydrating spray.

(Naturalista's Survival Kit)

• What products do you recommend for twist/braid outs, and Wash and Go’s? For twist and braid outs I recommend the Shea Smoothie and Herbal Styling Balm be used on clean, conditioned hair for extended moisture, and a soft hold and definition. For wash n go, I recommend the Aloe Conditioner and Shea Smoothie. I find that wash n gos come out best on well-conditioned hair.

• Do you remember the very first product you created? How did it turn out? I remember finding a recipe for a whipped shea butter that I couldn’t wait to tweak and make my own. It was a sticky, oily concontion that never quite managed to stay whipped, or even congealed. It separated terribly, and would reform with a gritty consistency. This was my introduction to precise measuring, emulsifiers, and blending at the proper temperature. But it smelled heavenly! It was my introduction into the joy I didn’t know existed for making products, knowing exactly what’s in them, and the benefits of each ingredient. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about the importance of using products with as close to natural ingredients as possible. I never did master the art of whipping shea butter into a soft fluffy consistency. LOL! 

• What is one piece of advice you'd offer to new naturals? Embrace and appreciate your own texture. While it’s perfectly normal to have hair envy, don’t get caught up in wanting another naturalistas curls or coils. The beauty of being natural is the uniqueness each of our heads possess. Learn to love it!

• What is your "go to" style on a bad hair day? A bad hair day for me instantly calls for a high puff! It’s easy to disguise frizzy spots or strange shrinkage when it’s pulled high up there; plus, it’s guaranteed to not rub up against anything so the ends are at least somewhat protected.

• What's next for mainelement:love? I have plans to launch a deep conditioner towards the later part of the year. You’ll see us sponsor a few major events, and we’ll be vending at Nappiology in Dallas in November. Outside of that, most definitely looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. Despite it being summer time, I hear a lot of naturalistas already talking about their shopping plans for the holiday season and we plan to thrill them.

I know I'm super excited to try that deep conditioner and everything else that's to come! You can find the products online at www.mainelementlove.com