Don't Believe Everything They Tell You...

So I went to a new hair salon yesterday, hoping to find someone who could perform miracles so that I might actually LIKE my hair.  I was recommended to this salon by a friend who has gorgeous hair (and probably better genetics).  I’m always leery about working with a new hair stylist, but she and the salon came highly recommended, and I’m desperate. 

I’m thinking about doing color.  I’ve never done color, but at my age some gray strands are starting to pop through and I’m not dealing too well with it.  My friend’s color is beautiful; very soft and natural.  If I could muster up the courage to actually DO color, I was hoping for the same results. I made the salon appointment, and was very impressed when the stylist called me to come in for a consultation two days before the visit. 

I went to the salon last night, and while I was waiting for my stylist, I noticed the salon carried a very common brand of “salon” hair care products.  I’ve seen this brand a million times, and I’ve always thought they were pricey.  Other than that, I don’t particularly have anything against the brand – they do what they do, and I do what I do.  Two different worlds.  Until…

I was chatting with my stylist about hair and products.  She recommended this brand, adding that it was “certified organic”.  My muscles stiffened.  I politely said, “oh I’m afraid that brand isn’t certified organic.”  She said, “sure it is…they told us it is.”  “They” must be referring to the folks who stock the salon with the product.  I grabbed a bottle of shampoo from her station.  No where did it say on the product that it was certified organic, which I pointed out to my stylist. 

“But they said it IS”, she insisted.  That’s when another stylist in the next station chimed in.  “I’m CERTIFIED in (insert brand name)”.  It IS certified organic” she demanded.  Very calmly, I said, “But look here at the ingredients…none of them are organic…in fact most of them are chemical in nature like dimenthicone, DMDM, polyquaternium…you can’t certify chemicals organic”.  They looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about.  And it only got worse from there.  Perhaps looking to redeem their claims, I suggested that the water content (which was the first listed ingredient) could be as high as 90% which might help them with that organic claim.  So here’s the kicker.  The certified expert stylist said, “no that’s not true…their products only contain 20% water.”  Trying not to laugh out loud, I explained it was not possible to make a shampoo that was only 20% water.  Most shampoos are around 80% in water content.  These women absolutely did not believe me.  Finally I said, “Look, I own a natural cosmetics company.  I’ve been in the industry for 16 years.  I know what it takes to have a product be certified organic.  And I know product formulas.”  They still insisted I was clearly wrong because I did not take the product course.  I finally just dropped the subject.

Being the obstinant person I am, I decided to email the company this morning.  I explained what the salon folks said, and asked the company to confirm or deny these claims.  I have not yet heard back from them, but will update this blog when I do.  Should be interesting.  I hope I hear something before my hair appointment on Thursday.

I guess my point in all this is, don’t believe what you hear.  Read ingredients.  Ask questions from RELIABLE sources.  And if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are…