If you read my previous blog about color fading and were left saying "Jes, I follow ALL of your directions, and my hair color is still fading!" then this is the post for you. In that previous post, I mentioned three specific reasons your haircolor may still be fading.
1.) Your "professional" products were bought at Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, Amazon, etc. and not from your stylist.
2.) Your hair is unhealthy, porous, or damaged.
3.) You're going too long between color appointments.
This post is going to address the first problem: you're not buying your products from your stylist.
It's Awkward, I know.
As I mentioned before, most stylists aren't really in this business to sell stuff. In fact, a lot of us really suck at selling stuff (which is a post for another day lol). We got into this industry to make people look and feel amazing, and we get a special kind of high when you totally love your hair. We love seeing your selfies, and we especially love it when you tag us on Instagram or Facebook showing off our handiwork. We live for your conversations and hearing about your lives. We watch you grow and evolve through your life. We're often with you for new relationships, break ups, weddings, divorces, births, and funerals. We are invested in you and we love you.
Which is why we want you to love your hair.
Selling you stuff isn't always a highlight of our day. We want you to love your hair, and we know that the products we recommend will be the best products for you to use.
But.
We don't want to come off pushy, or like we don't care about you, or that we only care about money. We are often times accused of being catty or shallow, and that is the last thing we want you to feel from us. Which, honestly, puts us in kind of an awkward spot. We want to care for you and your hair as best we can, truly. We know that if you're using sub-par products at home, you'll end up unhappy with us because your hair isn't looking and feeling the way it should. But we don't want to seem pushy or "sales-y", so often times, we just gently mention it and move on as quickly as possible and hope for the best.
But let's be real:
A big part of how your hair looks is the products we use. Professional products use higher-quality ingredients, specially designed to promote the health of your hair. At Chris Lane Salon Spa, we use Unite products (and I love them, here's why). These products are amazing. I use them at home and honestly, I expect you to as well.
We carefully select your hair products based on your specific hair needs and desired outcomes. I get told almost every day: "I just love the way my hair looks after you do it" or "Can you just come home with me and style my hair everyday?" The simple fact is that with the right products and a little practice, you can style your hair the same exact way I style it at the salon!
"Well I'm using professional products!"
Did you buy them at Walmart? TJ Maxx? Ross? Amazon? Your local grocery store?
Then sorry, but you might not be.
I know, it seems so convenient to swing by the grocery store for milk and eggs and your special Bumble and Bumble shampoo. But let me let you in on a little industry secret: those products are only supposed to sold in salons.
When a salon decides on a particular product line to offer to its customers, many times that salon enters into a legal contract with that company. Bumble and Bumble specifically will not allow two salons within a certain mile radius to sell their products. As professionals, we are obligated to these contracts.
If you're familiar with Paul Mitchell products, take a look on the back of your bottle. It will say something along the lines of "authorized for salon sale only".
As far as how these unauthorized retailers get the product, well that I'm not sure of. There are several theories floating around, none of which I can officially confirm.
I can tell you, however, that Amazon and Walmart do authorize third-party sales. Which means that anyone with the product can create an account and sell it online. That means your neighbor, or the ice cream man, or that bitch Carole Baskins can purchase product and put it on Amazon or Walmart as a third-party seller and make money off of you.
This is dangerous. You have no idea if the product you're purchasing online is actually the product you want. It could be tampered with. It could be Suave in a Redken bottle. It could be expired. I've had people bring me "Olaplex 3" and after opening it, it smelled rancid. Olaplex has a very pleasant fragrance, and when I smelled this stuff I knew it was not Olaplex 3. She had purchased this product on Amazon from a third-party seller and completely wasted her money.
The only way to know for sure that the product you're spending your hard-earned money on is actually the product you want is to buy it in-person from your stylist or salon.
Let's talk money for a sec.
You work hard for your money. The last thing you want to do is throw it away on a useless product. And if you're like me, you want to support local economy and business as much as possible.
Stylists work hard to keep your hair looking and feeling great. If you love your stylist, and want to support them, why are you giving your money to a big ass company like Amazon or Walmart?
Most stylists earn a small commission on retail sales (like 10%, which isn't much) and let's be real, that money helps put their kids through dance classes, food on their tables, and money in their retirement accounts. Amazon and Walmart are known for paying their workers squat, while their owners are multi-billionaires. (For reference, 1 million seconds is about 11 days. 1 billion seconds is nearly 32 years. Think about that in money and let your mind be blown.)
I'm gonna be real with you for a second. Nothing is more frustrating that putting yourself out there, selling a product, and making the sale just to have the client purchase the product off of Amazon right in front of you. I made that sale, and Amazon and some third-party seller is making the money from it. Yeah, it was maybe a $2 commission for me. But you spent $20ish on a product, plus shipping, and gave all that money to a huge company instead of your local economy. (And honestly, it was probably more expensive anyway.)
I know that everyone is looking to save a dollar. But when you break it down, it isn't all that much cheaper, and an added bonus is you help out your stylist a bit! And if you decide you absolutely must buy it from Amazon, do me a solid:
Don't buy it on Amazon right in front of me. It's kind of rude.
Accept that the product may not be authentic.
Don't blame me or the salon if it doesn't do what you want it to.
"Wow, Jes, way to be kind of a bitch about this. It's just shampoo."
Remember, your hair is my life. It is my livelihood, my career, and it is literally my job to make sure you love your hair. Hair care products are tools to help me do my job.
I tell you these insider secrets because I want you to stop working against yourself and let me help you. Help me help you! I can't do my job properly if you're actively working against me.
To you, it's just shampoo. To me, it is the difference between a loyal, happy client that comes back time and again, refers friends, and absolutely loves their hair, and an unhappy client that experiences color fading, dry and brittle hair, and can't get services they want because their hair is too damaged or dry.
To me, it is the keystone of my career.
So, basically, I'm asking you to trust my judgement.
I know that it may seem awkward, or you may feel like you're getting a deal, or you may feel like shampoo and conditioner just aren't that big of a deal. But I promise you, if I didn't believe in it and see the difference for myself every single day, I wouldn't be recommending it to you.
Investing in your hair is an investment in your higher self.
One of the best investments you can make is in yourself. You're so worth it. I promise.
XoXo,
Jes!