Bomba Curls founder Lulu Cordero is one proud mama. After bursting onto the scene with her inaugural product “Dominican Forbidden Oil” this year, the entrepreneur is ready to share her latest with curly-haired consumers across the African diaspora. The Afro-Dominicana has launched “Forbidden Hair Mask,” a product rich in tradition that will transform any natural curls into a fortified healthy crown.
Speaking exclusively to StyleCaster, the entrepreneur and beauty mogul in the making wants consumers to walk confidently in their hair journeys while unlearning harmful practices around curly hair that have plagued the Afro-Latinx community for far too long.
Cordero and I have more in common than our love of mangu. As a kid, I watched my sisters’ 4C hair absorbed by relaxers and my frizzy curls burned by high power blow dryers. The idea of sleek and straight was the go-to look, especially in the mainstream. From telenovelas to music videos to the silver screen, women with shiny blowouts were front and center with the curly ladies left in the shadows.
Source: Instagram
As someone who was slightly raised on TV, I held on to a lot of misinformation about my curls and refused to wear my hair in its natural state until college. Instead of enjoying my curls, I wanted to change them by any means necessary. This means endless hair dye jobs and a refusal to enjoy the messages of India. Aire’s “I Am Not My Hair.”
After years of abandonment, it was time to put love and healthy traditions into my hair. This meant trying the infamous mayo-egg deep conditioner, coconut oil treatments and backing away from rolos and hair dryers. Cordero’s mission statement for Bomba Curls are these practices done in real-time. Despite the oppression against natural hair in our communities, there are also rituals that can save our hair and change the legacy of black hair.
“Back home, it’s a little odd to wear your natural hair,” she says about the inspiration behind the Bomba Curls brand. “You learn relaxed hair is king, straightened hair is king and I wanted to go against the grain. Most people back home don’t have naturally straight hair. We’re black and black beauty is not celebrated. Creating Bomba Curls is my way of celebrating that type of beauty that is not often celebrated, which to me is extremely important. We have to celebrate that melanin, we have to celebrate the hair and we have to celebrate the curls.”
When analyzing Cordero’s ingredients label for her Forbidden Oil, there are strictly natural oils like Black Cumin Seed Oil, Glycine soja (Organic Soybean Oil) and coffee seeds. With no presence synthesized ingredients, Cordeo sets herself apart by actually sticking to a presumed definition of “all-natural products.” The United States Food and Drug Administration has no regulations for “natural” or “all-natural” labels, leaving companies to parlay in the grey area. With Bomba Curls keeping things real, consumers are educated and healed at the same time.
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Between Afro-Latinx families, the term pelo malo tragically reigns supreme. Translating to “bad hair” in English, the phrase is often associated with big curly hair that often needs a little more love and effort to thrive. Cordero’s thoughtful blend of natural products and secrets from her birthplace of Villa Mella, Dominican Republic produces this while shattering outdated beauty standards.
Her background in biochemistry helped take her deep conditioner to a new level. Silicone free, “Forbidden Hair Mask” includes bananas, pistachio oil, and coffee seed to help with hair growth. One ingredient not aligned with her Latinidad? Cupuacu Butter. The product works wonders for locking in moisture and extending the lifeline of the hair mask.
“It holds 200 times more moisture than Shea Butter,” Cordero explains. “I’ve been using Cupuacu Butter and the curls love it because curls are so delicate.” The presence of the pistachio oil is an honest ode to her ancestors who’ve used it for homemade conditioners for generations. “We use a lot of pistachio oil back home,” she adds. “We would use it to make our own conditioners with eggs. Throw some mashed banana in there and then just apply it to your hair.”
Many factors tie into Cordeo’s loyalty to natural products. For one, the Miami-based creative is dedicated to promoting black health. A study published last week from the International Journal of Cancer revealed permanent hair dyes and chemical straighteners can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer for black women. “Some of these chemicals are disruptors to your endocrine system which affects your metabolism,” she says of harmful chemicals in hair products. “I’m such a big believer in clean, green healthy products. We deserve worry-free beauty and that’s exactly what you get with Bomba Curls.”
Second, Cordero’s battle with traction alopecia sparked her interest in making her own products. Nearly ten years ago, Cordero began mixing oils and conditioners in an effort to stimulate hair growth. But it was her mother who dropped the suggestion to use coffee that jump-started her idea for we now know as “Dominican Forbidden Oil.” Instead of a tradicional ground coffee rinse, Cordero used antihistamines found in black seed oil alongside coffee and Castor oil to create her first product.
“People saw the change in my hair and wanted to buy it from me,” she said of the early days of Bomba Curls. “My family started to know me for being this curly magician, making all these things in the kitchen and researching. I just kept asking myself, ‘How can I make this cleaner? How can I make this healthier? How can I make it more effective?’”
With her Bomba Curls family growing by the day, Cordero is happy with the brand’s–no pun intended–growth. The “Forbidden Hair Mask” will sell at the retail price of $25, but members of her loyal Bomba Squad will receive a special link that allows them to purchase the “Dynamic Duo” bundle at a discounted price. “I can’t wait for folks to try it. It’s like nothing else that’s out there, I’m so proud of this formula” she says. By refusing to dim her heritage, Cordero has created a new lineage in the hair industry for Afro-Latinx curls, allowing them to bounce, wiggle and shine. You know, the way they’re born to be.
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