Why buying products from us is good for you...
It’s no secret that there are a lot of hair care products on the market. The long rows of shelves at your local store can make for a dizzying experience when looking for the best product at the best price. The question is, how do you know what’s best for you and your specific hair type, texture and condition? And, why would you opt for more expensive pro products when you can find plenty of “soap in a bottle” for less?
First of all, let’s address the whole consumer versus professional product difference right off the bat. You may think that because we sell professional products in our salon that we’re biased, but the truth is that there really is a difference between most professional brands and those only found on your supermarket or drugstore shelves.
The Difference
Professional products typically use a higher grade of ingredients in their formulations. That includes everything from cleansing and conditioning agents to fragrance and any active ingredients. One example, many of the cheaper direct-to-consumer shampoos use sulfates, which are technically a less expensive cleansing agent. A slight step above an industrial degreaser, sulfates can make these products be very drying and harsh on your tresses. Their high pH will react with your hair’s natural balance and can cause color fading and even severely dry out your hair. As sad as it is to think, you could actually be doing more harm than good by simply trying to care for your hair. So, the lesson here? Go for quality ingredients formulated with your hair health in mind.
Pro Products Found Elsewhere
Professional products are supposed to only be available at salons, and it’s set up this way for good reason. They are meant to be prescribed by a salon professional. After all, we know your hair best and can save you the time researching what to buy.
Finding professional hair care brands online or at the supermarket or drugstore may seem like you scored a great deal or convenient way of shopping, but the truth is that these products may not be authentic. In some cases, they could even be out of date, which may lead to foul-smelling concoctions that could easily make you sick. If you have an issue with a product, there’s also no one to talk with about it. The store will point the finger at the manufacturer and the manufacturer will likely not back products that are being sold by what they call unauthorized retailers. Now you are out the cost of the product and do not have anything to show for it.
These products also don’t come with the advice of your salon professional. As hairdressers, we really do know your hair best and can make recommendations based on your hair type, condition and desired result. So, why wouldn’t you want to take our advice to help keep your hair looking its best? You are a walking advertisement for our services and we truly want you to look good, so we are willing to help find the right solution for your needs.
As far as taking our advice and then buying at the supermarket, drugstore or online – well, our heart actually breaks a little each time it’s done. It’s important to understand that selling retail products helps us offset the cost of operating a salon. Besides, buying products from us means that the profits, and a chunk of any sales tax, goes back into YOUR local economy and helps YOUR community. Now, THAT just makes good sense!
Article courtesy of Rosy Salon Software.
Box color is not your friend!
So, we hear that you’re looking to save a little cash by doing your own color at home. Naturally we’re a little surprised, maybe even a little hurt, but want to ask you this: do you honestly believe that using box color is the same as what we can do for you in the salon? If so, then we seriously need to talk!
Let’s think this through, shall we?
With box color, it’s not always super clear which shade you should be using. It comes in every color imaginable, which makes choosing a hue for the desired result a little difficult. Besides, most people misinterpret their natural color anyway. They end up choosing a shade that’s not necessarily right for them or doesn’t give them the results they were expecting. And, because the color representation on the box has been through the printing process, it’s not likely to be very accurate anyway. Most people don’t think about that part.
Box color is not all that easy to apply to yourself. It tends to drip and can make a mess, even stain your clothes, towels, bathroom walls, counters, flooring, and shower. And those baggy gloves they give you…forget about it!
In some cases, box color can cause bands of uneven color while with darker shades, the ends can grab the color and turn out darker than the rest of your hair. And with the latest balayage or ombré trends, it’s hard to know where exactly to place the color. It really does take an expert to customize the color and the application based on your features, face and head shape, and even your body structure. It truly is an art!
If you’re not careful, box color can actually harm your hair. Badly damaged hair can become so brittle that it literally breaks off with the slightest amount of tension, and produces what we in the industry call a chemical haircut. This can happen for several reasons including user error or because the formula may have been too harsh for your specific hair. There’s no way a box of color can take your hair texture, type or condition into consideration, so the manufacturer opts to formulate for a “most-likely” scenario. For some people, it’s fine but for others the results can be devastating.
Also, there’s not a pro monitoring everything to be sure that the integrity of your hair stays intact during the process. Only we can do that, altering the formulation, adding a pre or post color treatment or modifying the processing to ensure the best possible results.
The main downside with box color is that you don’t get an expert’s advice like you would in the salon. We have spent a fair amount of time earning our license, becoming certified with various hair color companies, doing advanced training, and gaining years of experience with color correction, color matching, and applying the latest techniques to all hair types and conditions. Do you really think the one-size-fits-all instructions on box color really compare to our years of expertise?
So, when you come crying to us because of how your box color turned out, please don’t be surprised how long it may take to do your correction, or that you may get that chemical haircut after all. And the price? Brace yourself, as it will likely be two or three times more than if we had simply done your color to begin with. So, our advice to you? Step away from the box color…..It can be more expensive than you’d think!