Hello ladies and gentlemen! My name is Saleemah Cartwright. I just wanted to tell you all a little about myself. I am a licensed cosmetologist and registered nurse and I received my cosmetology license from Continental School of Beauty in 1998. I must say, my love for hair goes beyond words could express. Anyone who knows me is well acquainted with the fact that I absolutely love hair (and that includes anything that has to do with hair)...lol. I was a small child when my love affair with hair began and the fire is still burning. I remember, in the 3rd grade, comparing the elasticity of my hair with that of my Arab friend. I remember noticing that her hair was able to stretch without breaking while my hair snapped quickly. I also remember constantly reading the back labels on many hair products getting excited about what was promised and then quickly getting disappointed when I continued to have brittle hair after using these products.
I have always desired to have beautiful and healthy hair. For so many years, I was extremely frustrated with my hair. I have course 4a/b hair and that, in itself, was not the source of my frustration. The problem was associated with suffering through many years of hair loss, breakage, thinning, chemical overprocessing and problems with split ends. I have gone from relaxer to natural hair to texturizer and back to natural hair again. This cycle went on for years and years. Out of my frustration, I went to cosmetology school to learn how to better care for my hair. Beauty school wasn't what I expected. Cosmetology school taught me many terrible hair practices which hampered my healthy hair journey. In beauty school, I was taught to load my hair with alcohol laden products, overprocess my hair with chemicals and I learned how to fry my hair with marcel curling irons and blowdryers! Do you remember the waterfall hairstyle???? Just thinking about it makes me want to cringe!!!! OUCH!!! We weren't taught healthy hair care practices like achieving a smooth rollerset, heat free hair styling and the proper products to use for healthy hair. I had to learn healthy hair practice on my own through (1) trial and error, (2) reading multiple hair care books and (3) online websites / forums. I also took tips from people who had beautiful hair.
I became so disheartened with my hair trials and tribulations. For a while, I was completely "dependent" on hair weaves. My hair was so dry and brittle and I didn't want anyone to see my hair without my extensions! There is nothing wrong with hair extensions but I did not want to be "dependent" on them forever. Later, I cut my hair really short. I wanted to start from scratch after another stint of having dry, brittle and overprocessed hair. The above pictures show my "big cut". I remember this time very well. I must say that it took a lot of courage for me to do this because I've never wore my hair this short. Some people loved it and some hated it. I actually loved my TWA "Teenie Weenie Afro". Prior to the big cut, my hair was relaxed and colored. After coloring my hair, it looked good for a couple of weeks but eventually it started to break off at the scalp so I had no choice but to cut it off. At the time of my 'big cut', I swore off relaxers and said that I would never use one again. As you can see, I did break that promise. I do have a relaxer but I can honestly say that my hair is healthy. Since then, I have realized that the relaxer was not the enemy but the improper use of the relaxer was.
After dealing with my own hair issues and listening to my friends and family members gripe about their hair, I started to experimented with countless hair care products. Some were good, some were decent and some were just terrible. A lot of hair care products that were marketed toward customers with chemically processed hair did not benefit my hair at all. Many of the products out there contained mineral oil and petrolatum. These ingredients should be totally avoided. These products only coat the hair and do not penetrate the hair shaft. I have used these types of products for years and never saw any of the positive results that the manufacturers promised. There was a lack of products out there that delivered the moisture that my hair truly needed.
After several years of combining many of the hair care ingredients that I absolutely loved, I was finally able to formulate a natural based hair care product collection. My natural based hair products made my hair FLOURISH! I was able to convert my pastime and my love for healthy hair care into a successful business. Healthy Hair Journey Enterprises L.L.C. and The Hydratherma Naturals Hair Care Product Collection was born!
My Story In The Beginning....
Saleemah Cartwright, this healthy hair care advocate, has been a licensed cosmetologist since 1998. She has researched healthy hair practices for the past 16 years. Her affection for healthy hair care has driven her to experiment with many hair care products and techniques. Her experiences has enabled her develop a simple hair care regime that really works. She is the founder of Healthy Hair Journey Enterprises L.L.C. and the Hydratherma Healthy Hair Product Collection.
"Hair is my love! Hair is my passion! To see hair flourish, thrive and prosper gives me excitement. I find my passion through helping others reach their healthy hair goals. I thank God for the opportunity to share my love with others!"
-Saleemah Cartwright
Founder of Healthy Hair Journey Enterprises L.L.C. and creator of the Hydratherma Naturals Product Collection.
Infuse your hair with the MOISTURE that it needs... to flourish!
I'M BACK TO MY NATURAL HAIR!!!!
WATCH ME GROW AGAIN!!!
9/2008
3/09
Saleemah Cartwright is a proud member of Cambridge Who’s Who among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs!
9/09
