I have finally found a curl product that I am absolutely in love with. It is perfect for scrunching and allowing your hair to air dry, or to diffuse your curls with. It is the Moroccan Oil "Intense Curl Cream".
The Intense Curl Cream gives great definition to your curls without a crunchy feel once the hair is dry. I am thrilled with the results I've gotten on my clients' hair!
We do sell this at the salon, and you can also access their website if you're not a client of mine at http://www.moroccanoil.com/
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
To Tourmaline, or not to Tourmaline...That is the question
A friend of mine emailed me today, and asked which I felt was better, a tourmaline or ceramic flat iron? As an industry professional, we are constantly being bombarded with marketing gimmicks on what is the latest and greatest, and sometimes it leaves us scratching our heads, because we have TOO much to choose from.
I decided to do a little research, and found another great blog called www.thebeautybrains.com. Cosmetic chemists run the blog, and they answer questions people have about what is really in products. What I basically gathered from what I read, is that a lot of what we are told is exactly what is sounds like....MARKETING GIMMICKS. Tourmaline irons are also made of ceramic, with tourmaline bits in it. And there is a lot of question on whether the tourmaline's "negative ions" actually do a darn thing for hair.
With that being said, it is more important that you invest in an iron that is either solid ceramic or is coated with a FEW coats of ceramic vs just one or two coats, and that the iron heats evenly and is dependable. Personally, I love the CHI, and I also have the Solano Saffire iron and I recently started using a Wet to Dry T-3. All are great. I have yet to be thrilled with any irons that do not come from professional hair care brands. (and that includes what you find at places like Sally's) Make sure if you're investing in a good iron, that you don't buy it in a place that sometimes gets diverted product, like a grocery store or store like Target. Truly professional irons are not distributed by manufacturers to stores like that, so they are often counterfeit, old, etc. Your stylist can recommend a good place to find one. (or he/she can get it ordered for you!)
Happy flatironing!
I decided to do a little research, and found another great blog called www.thebeautybrains.com. Cosmetic chemists run the blog, and they answer questions people have about what is really in products. What I basically gathered from what I read, is that a lot of what we are told is exactly what is sounds like....MARKETING GIMMICKS. Tourmaline irons are also made of ceramic, with tourmaline bits in it. And there is a lot of question on whether the tourmaline's "negative ions" actually do a darn thing for hair.
With that being said, it is more important that you invest in an iron that is either solid ceramic or is coated with a FEW coats of ceramic vs just one or two coats, and that the iron heats evenly and is dependable. Personally, I love the CHI, and I also have the Solano Saffire iron and I recently started using a Wet to Dry T-3. All are great. I have yet to be thrilled with any irons that do not come from professional hair care brands. (and that includes what you find at places like Sally's) Make sure if you're investing in a good iron, that you don't buy it in a place that sometimes gets diverted product, like a grocery store or store like Target. Truly professional irons are not distributed by manufacturers to stores like that, so they are often counterfeit, old, etc. Your stylist can recommend a good place to find one. (or he/she can get it ordered for you!)
Happy flatironing!
Backlash on Brazillian and Keratin Smoothing systems
There has been a lot of negative publicity lately about some of the Keratin and/or Brazillian straightening systems that are out there. All of the companies that manufacture smoothing systems have come under the gun, both nationally and internationally, and some are being found to have UNSAFE levels of formaldehyde that is emitted in gas form when the treatment is flat ironed into the hair. Specifically, Brazillian Blowout is at the heart of a lot of these allegations, since an Oregon stylist sent samples to OSHA and they deemed it unsafe.
As a stylist, I am EXTREMELY concerned about the safety of any products the salon or I endorse. Alison and I have gone through extensive research (and to be honest, downright nagging in some cases on my part :) ) to be sure that we are getting the full details on what we are using on our clients. Not only for the safety of our clients, but for us as well....I would not want my career shortened because a product made me permanently too ill to work in this industry. Chemicals such as these are actually more harmful for the stylists performing the services, because we are exposed to them on a much more intense level.
Coppola has provided us with a press release that was released in October of this past year. The details that are important (to us anyway) is that there is no formaldehyde in the product itself at all, and the aldehyde that is used as a preservative is a very small amount (.009% - legal maximum amount is .2%) and the special silicones that are used to lock the keratin into the hair also encapsulate any aldehyde and prevent any gases from being formed. This is wonderful news, and it was followed by a loud "whew!" from me! We are still fully endorsing this product, and are happy to not only provide the full system, but also an express "blowout" that lasts 4-6 weeks at a more affordable price.
I have had the blowout done on my hair, and for those of you who know me...I have thick, wavy hair that takes approximately 30 minutes to blow out nicely. My blowdry time has been cut down to 15 minutes, and my hair looks much healthier!
If you are not currently a client of mine, but found this post through a google search looking for information on these service types, CONSUMER BEWARE. Do your research. There are a bunch of lawsuits right now involving different companies. Some companies are not using an aldehyde as a preservative, but are using actual formaldehyde to break down the bonds of your hair. You will get the smoothest effect out of any of the systems out there with a treatment like that, but at what cost? Some of these treatments are emitting formaldehyde levels of between 5-20%!!!! The legal limit is .2%!!! Formaldehyde is a recognized carcinogen...high exposure is linked to brain cancer, in addition to other illnesses. Take care of your body...it's the only one you've got!
As a stylist, I am EXTREMELY concerned about the safety of any products the salon or I endorse. Alison and I have gone through extensive research (and to be honest, downright nagging in some cases on my part :) ) to be sure that we are getting the full details on what we are using on our clients. Not only for the safety of our clients, but for us as well....I would not want my career shortened because a product made me permanently too ill to work in this industry. Chemicals such as these are actually more harmful for the stylists performing the services, because we are exposed to them on a much more intense level.
Coppola has provided us with a press release that was released in October of this past year. The details that are important (to us anyway) is that there is no formaldehyde in the product itself at all, and the aldehyde that is used as a preservative is a very small amount (.009% - legal maximum amount is .2%) and the special silicones that are used to lock the keratin into the hair also encapsulate any aldehyde and prevent any gases from being formed. This is wonderful news, and it was followed by a loud "whew!" from me! We are still fully endorsing this product, and are happy to not only provide the full system, but also an express "blowout" that lasts 4-6 weeks at a more affordable price.
I have had the blowout done on my hair, and for those of you who know me...I have thick, wavy hair that takes approximately 30 minutes to blow out nicely. My blowdry time has been cut down to 15 minutes, and my hair looks much healthier!
If you are not currently a client of mine, but found this post through a google search looking for information on these service types, CONSUMER BEWARE. Do your research. There are a bunch of lawsuits right now involving different companies. Some companies are not using an aldehyde as a preservative, but are using actual formaldehyde to break down the bonds of your hair. You will get the smoothest effect out of any of the systems out there with a treatment like that, but at what cost? Some of these treatments are emitting formaldehyde levels of between 5-20%!!!! The legal limit is .2%!!! Formaldehyde is a recognized carcinogen...high exposure is linked to brain cancer, in addition to other illnesses. Take care of your body...it's the only one you've got!
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