Gray hair is leading the way in female hair empowerment.

The entire Cosmetics Herbera team feels fortunate to have a network of unique and wonderful women who, empowered, fight their own personal battles. These are battles that begin within the self and gradually awaken something around them—sometimes a new perspective, and other times an entire revolution.

This week, we had the good fortune to get to know Rosa in depth, a woman liberated from established stereotypes and beauty standards, who through her community @concanasyempoderada, accompanies other women as they embrace their natural hair and feel proud to let their gray hair grow at its own free will.

Taking advantage of having her so close by, we chatted and gossiped about a few questions with her, and this is what she told us😉:

What is your opinion on what appears on Google if we type "I have gray hair"?

• It makes me extremely sad because I believe we are a step backward in acceptance, self-love, and self-compassion. Gray hair is just a hair color that has historically been associated with old age, but it appears due to a multitude of factors: genetics, stress, etc. It does not define us as people, much less as women. There is still a lot of work to be done in this field... It's hard for me to believe that as a society we have advanced in countless things much more important than this and we are not capable of seeing gray hair as a simple hair color.

When, how, and why did you decide to go natural with your hair?

• My last dye was on May 8, 2020, after 16 years of covering up my gray hair every month. The story is long and quite special (it's enough for a podcast), but I would summarize it as a succession of necessary events over the last 5 years alongside my exhaustion, anger, and frustration at having to go to the hairdresser out of obligation every 3-4 weeks. The lockdown allowed me to try it, although I relapsed and bought a box dye at the supermarket the first day I went out to run errands. That was the last time I dyed my hair.

Did you have support? Did you feel any kind of fear?

• My partner, my parents, and my close friends supported me from the very first day. They have been my greatest and best support during the two years my transition lasted. I owe it to them, in part, that I achieved my goal. I didn't feel fear because I knew that if I regretted it, everything could be fixed by dying it again.

Do you remember any of the first comments?

• The truth is that I have hardly received any public hate; what people think and say in their own homes is another matter. Besides, I would say that 100% of the comments made directly to me have been positive, even before I finished the transition. I am very grateful for that because they made the journey more bearable, as it would have been very difficult to deal with the transition and hurtful comments.

What was the reaction of family, friends, and your partner?

• At first, everyone feared that the gray hair would lower my self-esteem, but as months passed and they saw that I remained firm in my decision, their perception changed. They have always really liked how the gray hair looks on me, especially the "unicorn" colored streak I have on my forehead. In fact, my mother and my maternal grandmother also gave up hair dye a couple of months before I did. The three "Rosas" of the family also shared great gray hair.

Why did you create a community around this topic?

• As I mentioned earlier, my decision to accept and love my gray hair was something I only shared with my partner, my parents, and my circle of close friends. We were in lockdown and I felt tremendously lazy about having to give explanations whenever I ran into an acquaintance on the street, so I thought that if I made my decision public, everyone would know, I would save myself from an awkward moment, and I would avoid prying eyes. So, I created the profile @concanasyempoderada on Instagram, where I would recount weekly how my transition was going, how I felt, and if I had experienced any peculiar situations related to gray hair, with the goal of helping, inspiring, or holding the hand of any woman who was or wasn't going through the same thing. Little by little, the community of "pearl mothers" (as I like to call us) kept growing, and I began sharing the transitions of other women to help one another. It was a very beautiful stage. A year and a half ago, I changed jobs and could no longer keep up the pace, but I still post periodically and I would like to create valuable content for all women again, since, sooner or later, gray hair will make its appearance.

What problems do your followers encounter?

• I was very lucky with the support I received from those around me, but thanks to Instagram, I have discovered that there are women who are belittled by their partners, children, and even their mothers for making the decision to abandon hair dye. It is very sad to see how personal relationships break down over such a banal issue as a simple hair color.

Any haters on social media?
Very few, and they don't attack my gray hair, but rather my lack of wrinkles, hahaha. This shows that society continues to associate gray hair with old age.

Do you notice people staring in the street?

• During the first year of the transition, I noticed daily how people would stare at my head every time they crossed paths with me.
  Now they keep staring, but I find it hard to remember it's because of the gray hair. There will always be stares, but I hope a day comes when they disappear.

What is your daily struggle?

• I don't consider this a struggle, but rather a claim for everyone to do whatever they want with their body.
  We are not against hair dye, the industry, or chemicals. What I defend is FREEDOM of expression in the broadest sense of the word. If we don't criticize people who have eyes of a certain color, why is it so sinful to have gray hair?

What do you do to take care of and love yourself daily?

• For years, I have tried to take care of myself daily. I get up very early, around 5:50 am, and do my exercise routine, not so much to look good, but to prevent and prepare my body for aging. I also try to meditate and write in my gratitude journal because it is very important not to get carried away by the daily grind and to be aware of how fortunate we are to be able to shower with hot water or have a cup of coffee. These small moments are for me an ode to the beauty of the everyday. Going to therapy has also become a fundamental part of being able to detect areas for personal growth, and finally, my skincare routine to take care of my skin, which is the body's largest organ.

What is your facial routine and your favorite Herbera product?

• After showering, I wash my face with a gentle foam and then moisturize the eye contour and the rest of my face. Since I haven't worn makeup for years, BB creams have become one of my favorite products in my morning routine. In fact, I am in love with the Herbera BB Cream Hyaluronic because it allows me to even out my skin tone, giving it a healthy appearance. At night, I do a double cleanse with the Golden Dune (another one of my TOP products) and moisturize again or apply some kind of treatment if my skin needs it. I like simple, conscious routines that provide what my skin needs at any given moment.

THANK YOU, ROSA!

It has been amazing to have you on our social media and to share Herbera products through a woman like you.

Because gray hair does not reflect your age, we applaud this movement that reduces the social stigma that women (but not men) endure when they let their hair go gray. We join your fight and claim that gray hair does not add years or take away beauty. We believe that if the lockdown had anything good, it was making many women abandon hair dye, letting their elegant gray hair sprout, and creating this powerful trend.

At COSMETICS HERBERA, we strive every day to represent and work for real people who love themselves as they are, with or without gray hair.

And if you are interested in getting to know and trying @concanasyempoderada's favorite products of ours, you can find them in our store:

From Cosmetics HERBERA, we shout with pride: LONG LIVE GRAY HAIR!