Salon Allergy Specialist

Salon Allergy Specialist

Thursday, September 5, 2013

What is Really Organic, and What is NOT in a Salon

This week, I had a question about organics. Specifics such as, "Is your shampoo organic?" or, perms, color, put anything in place of the shampoo. It can be a tricky slope for a client. Since a truly organic product must be refrigerated, and will last only a few days, you really want something that is mostly organic.  I look for quality ingredients, natural and organic, along with some other products. I would be lying if I said there were no chemicals. No salon is chemical free, no matter what they say, just by the very definition of the word.

Chemical -  A substance having a specific molecular composition, obtained by or used in a chemical process. 
Obviously, your color is processing, RIGHT?

There are others,

 Chemical - A substance with a distinct molecular composition that is produced by or used in a chemical process.

I worked with Aveda products for 18 years, and I thought they were an amazing company. I would take a short class when each new product came out, and was taught all the lovely things about it. I was told to drink the Koolaid, so to speak. After I stopped selling it, I began to look at the ingredients, and I realized since the Lauder Companies had purchased them they were not quite what they once were. A product touting organic lavender had 25 other ingredients, and lavender was close to last. They even had the Aveda signature scent added, so I had been selling a product, and saying how lovely the organic lavender in it was, but you could not even smell it. Ask anyone who has used Aveda, and they will tell you it is a natural or organic product. However, it's not. In fact, the company actually states, "When possible." When they say that something is 97% naturally derived, that does not mean that it is organic, or that it is good for you. You always need to read the fine print, because chemicals exist.

 The hair products I now carry were developed by a man from Rochester, a city about an hour from where I live, who worked with Aveda for about the same amount of time I did. He decided he could do what Aveda was doing, but much better, so he set out to do just that. All of the scents ALONE  in his products are real, from passion flower, to yuzu nectar.

  www.alcame.com

Most people don't know that in chemistry, there is the study of organic chemistry, and in-organic chemistry. Organic chemistry, is the study of all carbon based things. In-organic based chemistry is the study of basically what's left. So, when I make my all natural lip saver, I use organic apricot oil, organic coconut oil, organic orange oil, and NATURAL BEE'S WAX. You can't control where the bee's go, so they may flit onto a flower with a pesticide. There is no organic bee's wax. Water has no carbon. Therefore, if a product has WATER added, technically, it is NO LONGER ORGANIC. I choose to answer questions CORRECTLY,  and to educate my clients. Is water bad for you? That can be your decision, but it should be very easy!

There are many companies that take advantage of the U.S. laws where you can have just one organic ingredient and call your product "Organic", including "Organic Salon Systems". You can go to any salon that carries this brand of products and they will tell you that their entire salon is organic. Does this mean that the color is chemical free? Absolutely not. Does it mean that the shampoo is food grade products? Absolutely not. Does it mean that the hair color is PPD free? At the time of this posting, absolutely not. It does not mean that the company has a terrible product. It means that they prey on naive people to sell the product, and to purchase the product. They also are no different from many other companies that use the current laws to miss-represent  what the product they have actually is.

You want products that are plant based, high quality, no sodium laurel sulfates, no added fragrance, no added dyes, doesn't test on animals, uses post consumer plastics, and I am sure I am forgetting about 25 other things. Actually, trust your hairdresser, or read the back of the bottle. A good product will have a money back guarantee. That way, if you buy it, and you don't like it, you can bring it back. The most important thing about hair products? That they WORK. Cheap shampoos have detergents that strip hair and strip color. Cheap conditioners use wax and lanolin to make the hair feel soft, but it will also look dirty faster, and feel weighed down. Gels flake, sprays build up and turn white.

 Chemicals exist, but less is always better. In the long run, don't pay extra for something that says it's organic if it isn't organic. False advertising is still false advertising, even if there is a loophole in the law.