This Cult Favourite WOC-Owned Hair Brand Is Now At Mecca — Here’s What You Should Try

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In case you haven't heard the news, Ceremonia — our favourite Latina-owned clean hair-care brand — has made it to Mecca's aisles, both IRL and online. Ceremonia, which translates to "ceremony" in English, is a brand that embraces the richness of Latinx culture.

Babba Rivera, the daughter of a Chilean hairdresser, founded Ceremonia with a vision to increase representation in the beauty industry, inspired by her culture and the rituals she grew up with. "As a Latina woman who never saw myself represented in the beauty category, I wasn’t always proud of my natural beauty. Ceremonia was born out of the desire to increase representation while bringing a wellness approach to hair," Rivera says in a press release.

If you've been holding off on treating your locks to some Ceremonia goodies, this might be your sign to take the plunge. But where to start? While not every single product is at Mecca (yet), there's enough that you may not be sure where to start. I got you. I've replaced every single item in my hair routine with Ceremonia ones for four months now, and I've come back to tell you my findings. I only stopped using some of the products when I was traveling — and it was very immediately apparent. My hair became more difficult to style and didn't have the same bounce that it usually had. It's safe to say my hair could tell the difference.

There was no Ceremonia product that I hated; it was simply a matter of what my hair needed. I don't use styling tools, so I had no need for the top-rated and much-beloved Guava Rescue Spray. It's the same thing with the Guava Leave-In Conditioner. They're good, but they just didn't make it into my essential hair-care routine. Everyone's hair is different, and if yours is like mine — short, wavy hair with itchy, dry scalp and oily hair — then keep on reading to see which products are the ones definitely worth the buy.

The Papaya Scalp Scrub is the pièce de résistance, my personal favourite, and the one thing from Ceremonia you should definitely get. This whipped-textured exfoliant shampoo treatment is absolutely fantastic. It leaves your scalp looking and feeling clean, all the while not being too drying. Trust me, you need this.

I've loved the Pequi Curl Activator since before I started working at Refinery29 and began covering Ceremonia — it's my ride-or-die curl product. I've tried a million and one curl/wavy creams in the hopes that one wouldn't weight down my wavy hair, and none have worked as consistently and as flawlessly as the Pequi. It'll last you forever too!

I use the scalp scrub about three times a week, but it's definitely not designed for daily use. I keep the shampoo in reserve for the moments when not enough has passed between washes but I'm all sweaty and need my hair clean now. Don't let it fool you, though, this shampoo is really really good. During my time testing the line, I would leave behind the shampoo and conditioner when I went on vacation, and as soon as I tried any other shampoo, I could immediately tell the difference. It's so understated, you would think that's just how your hair is like and the product is doing very little of the work. You're wrong.

The hardest thing to find in a conditioner is balance: It has to leave your hair hydrated — but not too hydrated — and it can't be too heavy. My hair is thick, but it's also on the oily side, so balance is very important for me. The Cupuaçu & Castor Conditioner does all of that perfectly. Like with the shampoo, as soon as you use another brand of conditioner, you notice how much the Ceremonia one was working.

The latest Ceremonia launch very quickly became one of my favourites. Beach wave sprays are always more misses than hits for me since they often make my hair impossibly stiff and look like hay. So, of course, I was hesitant to try Ceremonia's rendition when so many others have let me down. Imagine my surprise when the Guava Beach Waves decorated my hair with amazing ultra-soft beach waves! It also couldn't be easier to use: Spritz it on damp hair and style as desired with your fingers.

This little oil is a literal game-changer. I don't use it as much as I want to — because I tend to forget about pre-shampoo treatments that are pre-shower too — but when I do, it feels so so heavenly on my itchy scalp.