Look, cocoa butter creams and leave-in conditioners might not be much of a thrill to Black women who can access them at their local beauty supply store. But when you have to brave a 16 hour flight, be ‘randomly selected’ at every turn in each airport and time travel to get there; a tub of SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie feels like the keys to Wakanda. Welcome to the Natural Hair care disaster that was, formerly, Australia. Never you mind that I’d only have a bikini, a t-shirt and a toothbrush in my suitcase in order to leave room for the hoards of hair products coming back with me.
Fast forward to 2018. We still love the feeling of landing at LAX, but now we show up with our edges already laid and our first stop is the Mondrian Sky Bar or the poolside bar at the Standard Hotel. Australia’s curly girls (and boys”> have grown in numbers and the Natural Hair Movement is alive and well on our white sand shores. In case you missed the memo – SheaMoisture finally launched down under. So, in honour of this monumental moment, here are a few locations to cop hair care products for natural curly girls. Drop a pin on the map, bookmark this page, get a girl gang and go get yours sis.
Melbourne
If you’re a Melbournite like me, SM Cosmetics is officially your new local.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil isn’t on every street corner here, but you will find it in Footscray.
Located in the inner-west, SM Cosmetics is amongst the local black barber shops, restaurants and hairdressers in Footscray. Lisa from Coloured Bold took me on an adventure to stock up my hairdrobe and I found myself in natural hair care heaven.
Sydney
Sydney is a business hub in Australia. It’s all suits and slicked back buns, so this one took a little research. Nature’s Hair is super accessible for the locals with three locations across Sydney, and they stock the most sought-after natural hair care products like Cantu, ORS, Aunt Jackie’s, Sunny Isle and SheaMoisture. Upgrade that slick-back with edges to match.
Perth
Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world. So, natural hair care products are as hard to come by as cheap flights to this sun-drenched city. It’s coastal, it’s gorgeous, and wedged between white sand/blue water beaches, and wine country. Perth looks like it’s right out of a travel magazine. When you visit, because you surely should, the suburb of Cannington is where you’ll find natural hair care products. Sub-Saharan Traders and Safari African Shop are two spots where you’ll find all of our favourite curly girl brands, and also some snacks. Win-win if you ask me.
Brisbane
The Sunshine Coast is local for our Brisbane based curly girls. The weather is ideal all year round (almost”>, and they have some of the best beaches in Australia at their fingertips. The constant sun, however, can leave your hair in a bit of a state. Dry, brittle and frizzy. I’m a Melbourne girl, I stick to where I can find good coffee and an underground arts scene. So I put the call out to some girlfriends, they all came back with the same thing – Moorooka. If you’re looking to get some moisture back in your hair after a long day in the sun, head to the suburb of Moorooka. That’s where you’ll find a medley of beauty supply stores that stock our faves. Happy hair care hunting to the sun loving folks of Brisbane!
Nationally
Priceline is a major stockist for SheaMoisture now that it’s moved down this way. There are over 330 Priceline stores in Australia, so you’re never hard-pressed to get your hands on some. We’ve come a long way from buying flights to L.A. to cop new product.
Amazon.com.au is live now too, so you can order the goods straight to your door. Yes sis, right to your door.
With the right products on hand, my favourite way to style my hair is with a little sun, sand, and sea. Beach induced curls are classic, painless, and 100% free, too.
Where do you buy your natural hair products in Australia? Share your finds below for the rest of us!
