Founder Says Iris Botanicals Restores Natural Hair

Iris Patterson
Iris Patterson

Founder Says Iris Botanicals EDUCATION Restores Natural Hair

By Christopher Shuttlesworth

Iris Patterson, founder and creator of “Iris Botanicals,” an all-natural hair and skincare product line in Chicago, recently shared with the Citizen on how losing her natural hair helped her develop a hair product that not only grew her natural hair back but now helps

women and men of all backgrounds do the same.

During the Citizen’s interview, Patterson explained that a few months before her 2014 wedding, she was taking workout sessions that always resulted in her natural hair turning into an afro.

As she grew tired of her hair turning into an afro, Patterson

decided to research an online hair stylist to buy a quick weave.

“I received this beautiful quick weave but after three weeks, I felt

it was time for me to get a fresh new look,” said Patterson.

She continued to explain that she made an appointment with

the hair stylist and says that’s where her hair disaster all began.

Patterson explained that quick weaves, like the one she originally had, are generally removed by being soaked off by a shampoo

girl because the weave is so tightly bonded to the head.

She said although women wear stocking caps to protect their natural hair, the glue still wets through the stocking cap and bonds to the hair.

“The shampoo girl impatiently decided to not let the quick weave

soak off properly,” Patterson said.

“Irresponsibly, she sped up the process by pulling the trax attached to the stocking cap, which was attached to my natural hair and I then began hearing tears.”

She continued “I’m thinking it was just the bond tearing but a few weeks later, I discovered that I had no hair under my glue-in. So, I pulled back the trax and soaked the stocking cap off and found out that I had a receding hairline, similar to Late Actor Sherman Hemsley who played George Jefferson.”

Patterson said after she cried, she texted the hair stylist but said there was no apology or admission given to her, which resulted in Patterson wearing wigs to bed so her fiancé wouldn’t see her hair

disaster.

“I was like, man should I go after her,’” Patterson said. “I had no idea where to go or what to do. A lot of times, women don’t have the answers so we just cover up the [bald spots] with more trax or wigs. The hair stylists who mess our hair up don’t have the education to reverse the mess so the women continue wearing weaves or wigs for life.”

But Patterson said she was determined to grow her natural hair

back and as a massage therapist she furthered her knowledge on essential oils and how they benefit hair skins.

“I decided to take essential oils and make it more concentrated because I wanted to see quick natural hair results,” she said. “I did months of research on all of the benefits of essential oils and I sparked enough growth where I was able to walk down my wedding aisle and feel beautiful.”

Patterson said when she got back from her honeymoon, she continued with her essential oil regimen and after gaining enough of her natural hair back, she posted on social media a before photo of when her hair was damaged and the after photo of her natural hair

that had grown back.

“My inbox lit up with comments and people was like ‘that is nice but what did you do and what is the formulation,’” Patterson said. “I started getting people saying ‘I’m crying because I have no hair.’”

She explained that this prompted her to begin selling Iris Botanicals via social media and in her house during 2014.

“White women in Lincoln Park were writing me in my emails asking me was my product for straight, thin hair,” Patterson

said.

“So, White women; Black women; Mexican women; White

men, and lupus and cancer survivors began using my product.”

Patterson, a tomboy who grew up in Englewood and lost friends to gun violence, said she didn’t even like doing her daughter’s hair.

But she says she is amazed at how her pain created a hair product that now brings back women’s self-esteem.

“Do you understand that a women’s hair is her glory,” she said.

“Our self-esteem is tied to it and to be able to put a smile on someone’s face who lost their hair or don’t feel attractive because of

their hair damage, then that’s awesome. It’s like I’m celebrating and clapping with them.”

Iris Botanicals is currently sold in four (4) Whole Foods Locations in Chicago’s South Loop, Lincoln Park, Hyde Park and Englewood. Patterson recently received the “Entrepreneurial Award” from Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“My business just happened to me,” Patterson said. “I didn’t wake up and say ‘oh, I want a product line, but I woke up and said I want my hair back.’”

For more information about Iris Botanicals, visit www.irisbotanicals.

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