Rethabile Moruti (23) is a proud plus-size Queen, natural hair activist, and entrepreneur who is breaking beauty stereotypes. Raised in Selosesha, Thaba Nchu, and currently based in Bloemfontein, Rethabile is a Top 3 finalist in the prestigious Miss Plus Size Free State pageant.
Growing up big-boned and brown, she noticed that beauty in young girls was defined as being yellow and skinny, while natural hair was frowned upon.
“My mother would take me to the salon like most parents would, to get my hair ‘relaxed”. The process meant putting in a cream relaxer in my hair to straighten it. I would always get burnt because they had to leave the relaxer in longer in order to straighten it properly,” said Rethabile.
Unfortunately, the effects of the relaxer would leave burn patches all over her head. This is when the young woman chose to keep her hair short.
Rethabile has now mastered the art of plaiting natural hair and caring for it.
“I started looking for ways to grow my hair without using relaxers and found that it grew better and healthier through natural ingredients like coconut oils,” she explained.
Now a fully fledged hairdresser who focuses on natural hair, Rethabile has ambitions of creating her own natural hair products and opening her own chain of natural hair salons across the Free State and ultimately, the country.
The fuller-figured young woman stated that she believes being big does not have to mean being unhealthy. She participates in fun runs occasionally, exercises at home, and even attends aerobics classes as much as possible to keep fit.
Rethabile would like to be one of the women who teach young girls that the standard of beauty is not found in one mold.
“We are all designed perfectly, and we all have to take care of our bodies and natural hair. It is important to move away from beauty standards that disregard who we are,” she said.
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