The Price of Sulfate-Free Shampoo

What Should You Pay For a Properly Formulated SLS-Free Shampoo?

This topic has surfaced more than a half dozen times lately – which brings me to flag it AND to write a POST. After just passing 1000 members in our little HAIR CARE FORUM/GROUP, I guess I will never again run out of subjects to write about. “Sulfate-Free Shampoo” continues to be the number 1 subject queried about on the KillerStrands site, which continues to puzzle me, as soon as I feel like I have written about every single angle there is on the subject, I can now see what writers must battle with who write for newspapers/magazines when they have one subject people want to keep hearing about…..no matter how much is written (and they are talented writers).

Many of you have been on the trail of the “PERFECT” Sulfate- Free Shampoo and although I am

not one that juggles shampoos around any longer ( I find a great one, buy the king size version– which knocks the cost wwwwway down & I’m set for the year) I can understand how many of you do…. I used to. It wasn’t until I learned cosmetic chemistry that I learned to settle down with 1 great shampoo. Maybe you will one day as well.

What seems to be a constant sentiment is the disappointment in L’Oreals newest entry into the SLS-Free world, EVERPURE. I have heard disappointing comments across the board, sometimes I wonder if there are happy consumers of it and they just don’t write in. I mean it truly amazes me that I never hear any compliments about L’Oreal Hair products of any kind. They are a HUGE conglomerate……..Huge….they have to be huge for some reason. But I will be perfectly honest here as I always am. . . . L’Oreal is on the bottom rung as long as I can remember as far as the quality of their products, so I would stay away from them, until they do some re-formulating . . . which can very easily be done.

Continually the disappointing news comes from Sulfate-Free Shampoo’s purchased in Drug Stores, Grocery stores and Discount stores I’m sorry to say. I would say about 50% of you are OK with the ORGANIX line http://www.organixhair.com/. So if you absolutely insist you can only spend $6.00 on your shampoo, to date, I would say that is your brand.

Here is my issue . . . for years I would battle my clients in “my chair”. . . yes, even a portion of Malibu clients had this thing for not wanting to spend much on a shampoo (not all – ‘some’- I need to be careful to say)… It “was” and “IS” a puzzle to me, so the fact that I continue to hear this from Killer Strand readers, reminds me of back-in-the-day. My hesitation at believing people can’t afford a shampoo that costs anymore than $6.00 is based on my experiences with all of my clients throughout the years, many of whom were wealthy beyond all of us.

There is some sort of weird stigma – though -- at least 50% of Americans think that shampoo should be the cost of a bar of soap, because basically that is all it does, is clean the hair. Soap is cheap, why not shampoo . . . was the sentiment I would hear most often. Shampoo is completely different than soap, although to be perfectly honest I feel the SLS-based soaps should not be used on the body - IN ANY WAY - and I use SLS-FREE Soaps that I find on ETSY.com. All hand made - Cold process Soaps - which means I think it takes 4-6 weeks for the soap to be fully processed. They are wonderful and so gentle on the skin.

I would always end up asking how much they spend on their face, both in skin and face products, in make-up and make-up supplies. The numbers were always – very VERY high… I would ask why they weren’t willing to take care of their hair nearly as well as their face . . .which would always reveal a puzzled look on faces of all types and ages, with most claiming to never have thought about it that way. Because when asked which was more important their hair or their skin – people have a very hard time choosing one over the other. Both are JUST as Important, which leads me to believe that spending the same amount on both should be the norm, well, it wasn’t.

What I can share with you is the fact that I get

almost - ZERO complaints on any of the Sulfate-free shampoos that sell for $15.00 and up. When a Shampoo is formulated correctly, which means using multiple surfactants ( the cleansing agent), not one – the product then requires you to use ‘HALF” as much of the amount of shampoo PER Wash….what does that mean? 1 bottle will last twice as long. So if you are getting twice the use out of 1 bottle of shampoo – the price therefore is definitely going down – way – way down. Maybe that’s not the best marketing strategy, but with a little research and a little experimentation you can find this out for yourself --- OR……trust me & believe in my facts. Its very hard to –re-train consumers…. once you have been used to using a certain amount of shampoo . . . you keep reaching for that same amount.

BUT…..BUT, I am hoping many of you will listen and learn this time out.

Try it, put a tiny cup ( glad to enclose with purchase of shampoo from http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/collections/sulfate-free-shampoos - just ask) in your Shower – pour the shampoo in the cup to assure yourself you are only using the tiniest of amounts. I am fairly certain the reason for the dislike of the inexpensive Sulfate-free shampoos stems from not using multiple surfactants and not using better ones. I fully understand keeping ‘costs’ down, but what good is any product if people don’t like it and won’t buy it ?

I will bet as soon as P&G steps into the sulfate-free shampoo arena you will find your first “best of ‘ALL’ worlds” product. They are pretty smart with their hair empire….and won’t want it tarnished with the release of a premature sulfate-free shampoo dud….I just cannot see that happening. The requirements as I understand them from all of you are this:

You want a Sulfate-Free Shampoo that:

• has Lots of bubbles
• cleans hair sufficiently
• is a reasonable price
• you can find easy enough

Is there anything I am missing? From emails I have received, and I promise you I receive a ca-zillion, these are your requirements.

While you wait for that perfect inexpensive SLS-Free Shampoo, please give one of ours a shot. What I am going to offer you my readers a shot at this weekend only – July 30 thru August 2 – which you will only be given if you are reading this is: FREE SHIPPING charges for the shampoo AND 20% OFF ALL KillerStrands SHAMPOOS, place the order- put the code word “WomanInTheMirror” in the box at the end of the checkout process http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/collections/sulfate-free-shampoos . [This Discount pertains to the smaller sizes of all of our shampoos - not King size versions.]When I receive the order I will refund the shipping and the 20 % –> PROMISE ! This can be a huge savings to you available this weekend only July 30 thru August 2, 2009 – so here is your chance to try any of the more expensive shampoos with excellent properties I am fairly certain you will find are exactly the same as the shampoos WITH sulfates. Only without the terrible traits of causing: hair loss, hair thinning, and scalp conditions. A shampoo does not need to create such horrible problems and I have proven over and over that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is the stem of those problems in people of all ages,races and sex’s. If you haven’t quit yet . . . please quit today.

There are people’s hair dying all over the world and we need to make it a better place. Make a change. Please, I’m giving you a great deal on getting started

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look in the mirror

Killer Chemist

Killer Strands Top 10 Tips For Choosing the Proper Shampoo For Color-Treated Hair

Here's hoping this Guide will help you with the over 700 different shampoo's on shelves in the USA.

Here are Killer Strands Top 10 Tips for finding an awesome shampoo for those of you who color your hair...............

10.) The color of the bottle matters.....( checking to make sure you are paying attention - j/k)

9.) Take into account the texture of your hair...fine, coarse & normal are words used for texture plus: straight, wavy, curlie. Those words will be listed on a great bottle of shampoo . Each one of those factors affects how well the hair will hold hair color in the hair strands. Therefore should coincide with hair color retention.

8.) On the Ingredient list on the back of the bottle, be sure the surfactants (cleaning agent in shampoo's) are one of the following (copy-paste-slip in your wallet), these will take it easy on your color and leave your strands vivid:

• Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside ...........(super natural)
• Disodium Soyamphodiacetate
• Sodium Coco-Sulfate
• Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
• Sodium Coco-Sulfate
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate ..........one of my fav's
• Ammonium Cocoyl Isethionate
• Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
• Lauryl Glucoside
• Decyl glucoside
• Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Of course you are not expected to remember these, but become accustomed to the words of the good ones, so you are not only told the "bad" ones....I wanted to show you a partial list of surfactants that could replace SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE or ALS....very healthily. There are plenty to choose from . . . .

7.) Start with a company that cares about its customers and doesn't seem to be only about sales, marketing and selling, I realize that is hard to distinguish between. . . but a little bit of research will usually reveal what you need to know about this topic, remember how important your hair is to you. If all else fails. . . go by my recommendations, I do a lot of research, test lots of brands and listen to a LOT of people.

6.) Read the labels of ALL shampoo purchases, I know many of you have learned to read the labels of food you eat . . . most of you care about your hair just as much as your body . . . give it the same respect, by learning the ingredients that are safe and sane for it.

5.) These ingredients should NOT be in the ingredient list:

• sodium lauryl sulfate - sls
• ammonium lauryl sulfate - als
• sodium laureth sulfate - sles

(or anything close to these - I've noticed some companies spelling them incorrectly - to sneak through online searches I imagine).

4.) Pay attention to whether your hair is dry, oily or normal - - - probably the most common label you'll find on the bottle. Pick out the shampoo that matches your hairs moisture level - which should help retain your hair color using the appropriate shampoo for the hair type.

3.) If you wouldn't buy your apples, oranges and bananas at your Beauty Supply, then don't buy your shampoo at your grocery store - please. You will be purchasing a higher grade more appropriate for color treated hair purchased from Killer Strands, a high end Beauty Supply or a Salon.

2.) Seeing the words "For Color Treated Hair" mean nothing - I'm afraid. After combing the aisles of the local drug store, I've discovered with the popularity of wanting shampoos for "Color TREATED" Hair, ever other shampoo has those words printed on the bottle - Anyone can put them on any bottle with anything inside it.

1.) Do not believe the words "NATURAL" or "ORGANIC" printed on the bottle , remember we have absolutely no restrictions, of "words" printed on products. They literally could put the words "battery acid" in the bottle and say it was "natural". I truly don't think you should believe anything printed on any bottle of shampoo. The only thing you should look at from a bottle of shampoo in the drug store is the ingredient list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There actually are a set of laws on what manufacturers of hair products are supposed to follow, but the laws address the "INGREDIENTS " label on the back, not what they print on the front. Therefore I highly recommend to all of you to only look on the Ingredients list. Let's review one bottle as if you were in a Salon OR Beauty supply

Below is a close-up of a couple bottles from the line that my clients like the most, John Masters Organics or JMO. The reason they claim to like it? How gentle it is, how Blondes remain the proper tone all the way to their next appointment, how vivid the reds remained, I got pretty much all the compliments on the shampoo a Colorist is looking for..

Look at the front of both bottles ! !

What do you notice about this shampoo?

( this shampoo is usually put in the "higher-mid" range class of shampoos - $15.95/bottle > which is inexpensive here in LA).

The front of the bottles mention absolutely nothing about being "Color-safe" or "Sulfate-Free " . . or any of it. . . they are just quiet stated- simple -classy . not words and false claims plastered everywhere.

The information you need is in the "INGREDIENT LIST ", so you would flip the bottle

I want to teach you a little bit about LABELING . . . .

labeling on shampoos, hair conditioners, & styling products. I am by no means an expert, so this will be a "little bit"...but I think will be enough to help you with upcoming purchases, if you are so inclined.

Luckily for all of us . . . the FDA is receiving a lot of heat from consumer groups as far as " SAFETY IN LABELING". . . they have already completed a giant overhaul in Europe . . .hopefully we will do something similar here in the USA.

Here are the ingredients in the JMO - Evening -Primrose Shampoo and remember the manner in which they are listed....is the strength in which it is in the bottle. Meaning, see the Aloe Vera Juice??? It is listed first. . .(if you are following the rules of Labeling correctly) that means there is more Aloe Vera Juice than water in this formula. Which is a wonderful and amazing feat, I actually used this combo on my Carbon Beach Creme, so I happen to know that this IS possible and works into a wonderful -"end" result.

On most SHOWER-based hair products you will find "water" as the number 1 ingredient, especially Shampoos. Aloe Vera juice, is exactly as it sounds...aloe vera itself. Which is a very jelly-like-thick substance that is truly nature's "healer". As a former Stunt woman one of my specialties was "fire"....after a few mishaps with burns, I discovered Pure Aloe VERA the first time I got my skin burned ....it was not horrific, but if you've ever had a small burn, think of that magnified 50 times ! Its not a pretty situation and after going to one of the top "burn" centers in the country...I was introduced to the ALOE VERA plant ... they had aloe vera plants growing all along the window sill on one of the floors, where the nurses were.

After I had recovered from a small burn, the nurses had me pick a few leaves ( yes, at a medical center) I applied the juice from the leaves. . .with cool compresses (after 14 days of more radical treatments) - they were miracles workers. Since then I have ALWAYS had an Aloe plant on my window sill, used them to raise 2 kids - - NOTHING HEALS the way pure ALOE VERA does.

I just can't imagine the wonderful tricks it performs on hair and scalp, come to think of it . . .maybe that's why people say their hair-fall completely stops ? ! ? ? ???

It does help cells rejuvenate which is what you look for in hair loss formula's......?? I think I just hit on something new I need to start testing for 10,000 HEADS - Yeehaw !

• aloe vera leaf juice
• water
• decyl glucoside
• disodium cocoamphodiacetate
• sodium cocoyl sulfoacetate
• babassuamidopropyl betaine
• panthenol (vitamin B5)
• sorbitol
• comfrey leaf extract
• lavender flower/leaf/ stem extract
• nettle root extract
• horsetail leaf/stem extract
• chamomile flower extract
• yarrow extract
• white tea leaf extract
• willow bark extract,
• honeysuckle flower extract
• hydrolyzed soy protein
• ylang ylang flower oil
• patchouli oil
• grapefruit peel oil
• cedarwood oil
• lemon peel oil
• geranium flower oil
• sandalwood) oil
• guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
• wheat amino acids
• sodium pca
• arginine
• serine
• amino acids
• potassium sorbate
• sodium benzoate
• hyaluronic acid
• glycerin
• evening primrose oil
• sunflower seed oil,
• flaxseed seed oil,
• borage seed oil,
• jojoba seed oil,
• tocopherol,
• sulfur

* NOP Certified Organic................It is also CERTIFIED Organic, not an easy certification to obtain, especially when you consider how many real/natural Fruit Oils and extracts this shampoo contains.

I did not use the "INCI" names on the ingredient names for you, the REAL English names were used for you so you would KNOW what most of them are... the big corporate manufacturers want to be able to use the technical or Latin names for the ingredient names, so the consumer cannot figure out what anything is. What do you think of the list, in plain English? ? ?

I would imagine it would make you want to read them more often....wouldn't it? Look at the ingredients in this shampoo? This is andre shampoo { I never really sat down and looked at this list, now that I have...I'm impressed! ! Really impressed!}

You Should Be Too

Killer Chemist

Number 1 Shampoo in the Land of Bubbles & Sulfate-Free

I would imagine most consumers think there are constant changes going on in shampoos, from all the wacky commercials on the tube. Frankly, within the chemistry make-up and formulation ends they have not changed that much in the last 30 years...in my eyes, that is not a good thing. About a month ago I made a few calls to some of the major shampoo manufacturers in the USA to see what they had to say about the biggest changes  within their up coming shampoo releases.

This was the best news I have heard in a very very long time. They all said the same thing: "Sulfate-Free" is their number 1 Red Flag. Which has been a knife in my side now for at least 4 years . . . .

So rejoice . . they have finally heard the complaints and bitching I and many of my stylist compadres have unleashed on the world! I'm not going to complain about the time it took . . . at least "it took". That is a very good thing.

I cannot completely prove that SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a 100% cause of all the hair loss and hair thinning in women of late....because I still feel from all my research that it is because of the synergistic effect of any one of, or combination of ... of the 10 steps of 10,000 HEADS. 

But when you open the top of a simple small jar of SLS and the inside of your nose,eyes and lungs BURN  from 1 tiny inhale.....SOMETHING IS DRASTICALLY WRONG ... who in their right mind would put that on the hair and hair follicles...??? wow that subject infuriates me...and always will. Stay away from SLS, become accustom to reading labels please....just like you do for your food. You have to learn to protect yourself...there are so many millions of products on the market now that it is not even realistic to think that our government could keep control over that entire industry. We can't even keep Terrorists out of the country that are trying to kill us with guns and 747 Airplanes !

When I finally came upon a Stylist named John Masters out of New York and read his history I was relieved. For the past 5 years my specialty within the world of cosmetic Chemistry was Hair "conditioners"...you want to choose one category and hone in on it, which makes you very good at your specialty. It reminds me of both my history in the Stunt business & in Hair: having specialties in both worlds. My specialties were Cars, Fire, Flying and anything on the water...falling off of 100 foot buildings was something I just did not like!). 

Anyway when I figured out that Masters had aced shampoos I began using his and my conditioners...for the absolute perfect combination. His Shampoos rock. They are not all pretty pink and foo-foo la bamba....they are the color they should be and scented with the correct essential oils that have been proven to help hair growth and various hair issues. HE DID HIS HOMEWORK, what a relief. He also started the same way I did... in a lab in his kitchen...ever had a home made cake or pie? Versus a cake or pie bought at the grocery store or market? That is the same difference in his shampoos and my conditioners from the others on the market.

I have made it possible for those of you that would like to try the products that I use and swear by to purchase them....its an unusual array - but am confidant that once you try them you will agree.
The button will take you through the secure process of purchasing the products through PAYPAL, who after much research, I discovered have incredible encryption and security.
 
Lets give it a whirl.


Evening Primrose SHAMPOO
FOR NORMAL HAIR

Evening primrose oil combined with 7 proteins & amino acids, 10 certified-organic extracts, and 11 certified-organic plant oils work to hydrate and soften dry hair. Gently cleans with decyl glucoside, a mild sudsing agent certified for its eco-clean production. Does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Safe for color-treated hair. 8 fl oz.

$16.00 
+
  8.95 shipping 

Suds Inauguration or Sulfate-Free Shampoo & You

Great Hair Starts in the Shower

Clean hair equals shiny hair, right? How do we get properly cleaned tresses??? seems like it should be so easy... yet, so much of the time I will listen to more people that do it all wrong, I mean after how many years . . so many of you are hearing for the first time that there are some hard and fast rules to cleaning those strands that can help keep them on your head, and help them grow and flourish to their best. I want to review this once and for all so there is one central post I can send people to when I hear once again what they are doing to their hair.

Most of you have more interest in your hair looking remarkable than you do your skin, yet the care you take for your skin blows away the care you take for your hair?? Come on, hair is as fragile and as delicate as skin and it needs to be taken care of properly and I promise you it will flourish and grow and become that hair you always wanted, I watch the change happen daily ... weekly... and yearly with clients all over the world, now. It's skipping those extra few minutes that can mean the difference between so - so and super-shiny hair.

Dirty hair carries a lot of debris, from product build-up to exhaust fumes which can have a really dulling effect. Quite simply, clean hair reflects more light than dirty hair, so lathering up with a good quality shampoo and rinsing well is the quickest and most effective way to achieve glossy hair.

When it comes to products, choose shampoos that work with your hair type and are ALS and SLS free which I speak over over about. You may not hear it anywhere else but I will go to my death bed saying I think SLS & ALS contribute to hair loss for both sexes. Look for moisturizing ingredients such as Panthenol, which pumps up and conditions the hair and low pHs ( like citric acid) that tighten the cuticles for a flatter and more light reflective surface.

As your hair grows from the scalp, its at the mercy of a daily bombardment of weather, heat-styling and pollution. While the skin is able to constantly repair and replace its cells, your hair can't

WAYS OF WASHING HAIR

dry run . .. use a wide tooth comb through dry hair before wetting ...tangles breed tangles... Remove knots from the ends first, then gradually work your way up the hair shaft -- combing from roots to ends will cause untold damage. Combing not only removes tangles, it helps shift dust and dirt too -- the first step to clean hair.

Get Wet . . .without water, there's no lather, so thoroughly soak your hair from roots to ends with water from a shower Filtered Shower head - there are so many good ones out there (both skin & hair will thank you). Treated water also means you need less shampoo to get a good deep cleansing lather.

be gentle....don't scrub or use super hot water . . . tepid/warm water and gently smooth fingers over and through the hair, massage pressure as you lather up will clean the hair and scalp without damaging or tangling the hair.

lather up.....Pour the shampoo into your palm and rub your hands together before smoothing the shampoo over your hair. Read the instructions on the bottle so you know how much to use - EVERYONE uses too much shampoo- everyone. There just is no need of a handful of it, which I know most of you do. For a long time I gave out these tiny plastic cups for people to put in their shower...with the instructions - fill this half full and make it work for your shampoo. It was very revealing to hear all the comments come back, "....wow, my shampoo lasts so much longer" , ......." cool, I used to waste so much shampoo"....etc.. If this is most likely you, for your hairs sake - right now go put a teaspoon in your shower, or a tiny plastic cup that measures 1/2 - 1/4 ounce out. Gently rub the palms over your hair, before massaging the scalp with your fingertips for about 30 seconds. run fingers through your hair from front to back every now and then to avoid tangles and distribute lather down the hair shaft towards the ends. Not all shampoos create lots of lather - the best ones >don't...so don't be looking for oodles of suds . . . be happy with the less foam the better. Loads of bubbles many times means a cheap surfactant ( the ingredient in the formula that 'cleans').

twice is nice...use a small amount of sulfate-free shampoo, and concentrate on the scalp and roots, as the lengths don't need too much lather. Repeat the wash to make sure your hair is scrupulously clean.

rinse and rinse again ... you can never rinse your hair too much, many make the mistake of not rinsing the shampoo cleanly out of the hair, which makes for dull - drab hair - something I see daily in lines and in public everywhere. Such an easy problem to solve, once you get your shower filter on your shower head ( a must, unless you have your water treated) - always rinse in a shower head even when taking a bath....bath water is not clean water - your hair needs a crystal clean rinse. Lots and lots of rinsing

condition or de-tangle . . . I'm not in favor of a (daily) conditioner. The point of a conditioner is to solve bad condition in the hair, if you must constantly use one then it obviously is not doing its job, so it's pointless - and even worse, its gunking up your hair - making it necessary to use a clarifying shampoo. Silly isn't it? Its an endless cycle that shampoo manufacturers have the majority of you shampoo buying public caught up in. So you are buying 2 bottles when you truly only need one. That way it bumps your shampoo price up to what both bottles cost you. My suggestion... is to use that amount to purchase a better shampoo.... shampoo that is SLS-Free. If you are that particular person with that certain type of hair that needs "de-tangling" after your shampoo then my suggestion is a spray de-tangler - NOT a daily conditioner. A spray de-tangler is lighter, more problem specific, and works better, to conquer the problem at hand. There are many of them out there, I have a list of a couple I like. Even a shine serum works better than a daily conditioner, if you have one try it. . . we used to used that solely at Sassoon on show days.

blot - don't rub don't rough up your hair with a towel or you'll ruffle the hair cuticles that need to lie flat for a shiny finish. Remember, wet hair is weak hair so fold the towel over it when you're finished. never twist it up turban style . . .gentle - gentle. Most of you do not have tangle-y hair, so break that habit of reaching for conditioner . . . its simply NOT necessary 85% of the time. If you do...need it grab your de-tangler and once your hair has the bulk amount of moisture out of it , spray the de-tangler on and comb or brush through. Different hair needs different tools, some need a wide comb some need a paddle brush whichever pulls on the hair the least. Wet hair = Weak hair.

The process is complete - bet you had no idea the shampoo could entail so much, once you re-arrange your habits a little, they will become second nature and it won't seem like a headache. . .I promise. Its just learning the correct way with a few tweaks here and there, I promise, when you see the difference it makes it a lot easier to do.

Daily hair care regimens were once simple, now that the word has spread out there about Sulfate-Free shampoo - I finally can feel secure in the fact that people are listening and making the move to my theory about the drawbacks of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate as surfactants in shampoos. They are beginning to take a little more time in the care of their hair. All of my thousands of clients in LA, Malibu and southern California immediately switched and began living the 10,000HEADS Regimen the first day they sat in my chair. I have taught my clients how to have better hair as a part of their experience with me, I am sure it is why my clientele skyrocketed from the day I set foot in the Salon world. People WANT their hair to be better, I am sure of it.... and for the life of me I don't know why no one has done this before me...but who cares at this point. I am just glad you are reading this and hopefully you will jump on the 10,000HEADS Hair Strength System Band wagon . . . . and flourish like the other thousands.

Now, I would like to throw some Statistics at you so you can see how big the world of hair and shampoo is. . . the statistics for 2008 aren't quite ready yet... so I am going to use the 2007 numbers. According to Information Resources the shampoo segment enjoyed a growth of more than 3% to $1.4 BILLION ( that's with a "B" !!) for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 7 2007.While its not a huge improvement, the rise is notable for such a mature segment. Some of the gains are due to recent launches in shampoos that are considered "premium" products targeting consumers looking for a more customized solution to their hair care needs (shampoos purchased in Salons, Internet - such as SLS-Free).

Unilever who owns Suave has the top spot you see. . .and the name of the line (they have many) that did the best, was the one they threw "Naturals" on the back end of the name. Now, I just reviewed the ingredients in this line to see what their big claim to fame was that was "natural", it has the extract of Freesia, which is a flower and used for fragrance solely - there are no benefits to using it but the fragrance, and then the only other ingredient is Aloe Vera Gel . . . which I guess is all they felt they needed to put naturals in the title of the shampoo. That is what I mean about the labeling and the mis-leading of the entire hair manufacturer industry does to you the consumer. It just simply is not fair to you, I mean it still has ALS in the formula which is the addition of the cheapest surfactant on the market and the most harsh - one more time.... through all of my research and studies.... I believe these ingredients contribute to hair thinning and loss in women of all ages. When people switch to the 10,000 Heads Regimen . . their hair loss and hair thinning begins to halt. Now I cannot say that everyone's trigger point is the Shampoo - - - I just know when they change - their hair gets better and the shedding stops. Originally I was shooting for just getting the loss to stop, the shedding to HALT . . . . that was all I thought I had the capacity to learn and cure. Who knew my little self made protocol would start working wonders on people from California to Thailand . . . but I used common sense and I had lots and lots of eager clients who were willing to run the experiments and tests with me, I guess that was a very lucky advantage, that at the time, I should have been more grateful for.

I can't wait for all of you to jump on board - start with revamping your shampoo, its simple and start the change to have better hair.

It gives me a chill every time I get one more on board. So hop on everyone.

Killer Chemist

Understanding Shampoo - through the pH scale

pH of shampoo - magical-simple-solution to ongoing problem

Shampoo is the number 1 Searched for hair product on Google's big board of HAIR search "tags" and lately "sulfate-free shampoo" has been bumped up to number 2 if you can believe that - - - makes me proud. Which means it comes from you, I like knowing what you want to know more about so I am going to stick with the Big G for reference. This will be a gentle description of the term pH, which is so important when "shine" "health" and "color-lasting" are your goals with your hair. Shampoo is that product that is on your hair more than any single other product, some of you use it every single day. With that being the case I feel I need to teach you all I can about it, which is a new concept for me. When I discovered how important it was on Google's scale of what 'you' look for under hair, I started to re-think my former stance on it. See, I can change - I love technology ever since I started this Blog it has become a new passion of mine. What a lot I have to learn though.
I am going to start on the pH scale as I feel it is so very important to understand in relation to shampoo and hair care products in general . I never know where to start  on this - -  again its the whole "chicken and egg" predicament, lets see how I do.

Potential Hydrogen (pH)


Understanding what pH is and how is affects the skin and hair is essential to understanding most of the services that you get in a Salon or that you perform on your own noggin. This will be a brief overview of pH and how it works so then I will go right into pH and shampoos. I'm using a couple textbooks to help me with this, as much as I understand it, I tried writing my own post on the subject and ended up trashing it, my version was so confusing, I gave it to my neighbor to read and he had the most confused look on his face. So we will go with this and see how it works. Its not necessary to fully understand pH, but I would like you to at least have an idea what it is for future reference. Having the proper pH shampoo makes ALL the difference in the world, as far as tangling and hairs condition at the end of the shampoo.

Many of you have complained about a particular shampoo that is Sulfate-free - thinking the sulfate-free is the cause, which couldn't be farther from the truth. The cause of very tangle-y hair post-shampooing is: improper pH of the shampoo, which is such a simple thing to fix. Certain manufacturers totally understand it, like Kera Care, he has all of his shampoos at the exact proper pH, BUT... the owner is Old School and is just now starting to understand that sulfates are bad, so until he gets rid of SLS I simply do not and cannot in good mind, recommend it. I've written him numerous notes and others have has well, I'm very hopeful he has a SLS-FREE shampoo coming out very soon -- which would be the answer to everyone's question: what's the very best shampoo to use. Again, tossing to the fact that I feel the 2 most important factors are the surfactant used and the pH when the formula is complete. They are also reasonably priced, so - -  cross your fingers and write the owner a note,  http://www.avlon.com/contact%20us.html  if you're as gun-ho as some of my followers !

Water and pH
First we need to understand a bit about ions. An ion is an atom or molecule that carries an electrical charge. Ionization is the separating of a substance into ions. These ions have opposite electrical charges... An ion with a negative electrical charge is an anion and an ion with a positive electrical charge is a cation. Now Ions are at the base of that T3 Dryer that is such a big hit now which I will go into at a later date and subject.
In pure water, some of the water molecules naturally ionize into hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions. The pH scale measures those ions. The hydrogen ion (H+) is acidic..the hydroxide ion (OH) is alkaline, pH is only possible because of this ionization of water. Only aqueous solutions have pH, Non-aqueous solutions (oil and alcohol) do not have pH . . . without water there is no pH.
In pure water, every water molecule that ionizes produces one hydrogen ion and one hydroxide ion. Pure water is neutral because it contains the same number of hydrogen ions as hydroxide ions, meaning it is neither acidic nor alkaline. Pure water is 50 percent acidic and 50 % alkaline.

The pH Scale
The terms "parts hydrogen" or "potential hydrogen" are used to describe pH.  In fact, the term pH originates from the French term pouvoir hydrogene , or hydrogen power" and means the relative degree of acidity and alkalinity of a substance. Notice that pH is written with a small p and a capital H ( which represents the hydrogen ion, H+) the symbol pH represents the quantity of hydrogen ions.
The pH values are arranged on a scale ranging from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 indicates a neutral solution, a pH below 7 indicates an acidic solution and a pH above 7 indicates an alkaline solution.
The pH scale is a logarithmic scale, this means that in a pH scale, a change of one whole number represents a tenfold change in pH. A pH of 8 is 10 times more alkaline than a pH of 7...a change of 2 whole numbers indicates a change of 10 times 10 or a one hundred-fold change. A pH of 9  is 100 times more alkaline than a pH of 7.
Pure water, with a pH of 7, is 100 times more alkaline than a pH of 5. Since the average pH of hair and skin is 5, pure water is 100 times more alkaline than your hair and skin, even though it has a neutral pH.
Pure water can cause the hair to swell by as much as 20 percent.

pH and Shampoo
Understanding pH levels will help you select the proper shampoo for yourself . Remember, the amount of hydrogen in a solution, determines whether it is more alkaline or acid, is measured on a pH scale that has a range from 0 to 14.

• a shampoo that is more acid can have a pH rating from 0 to 6.9 
• a shampoo that is more alkaline can have a pH rating from 7.1 to 14.
• The higher the pH rating ( more alkaline), the stronger and harsher the shampoo is to the hair. A high pH shampoo can leave the hair dry and brittle.
• Now why shampoo's don't have pH ratings printed on them instead of all the other words and BS I will never know, this is one of the key measures  of knowing if the shampoo is going to work correctly (of course there are others).
• Ultimate pH for a shampoo you purchase?  5.0 - 6.0

The Chemistry of Shampoos
To determine which shampoo will leave your hair in the best condition, I must explain some of the chemical ingredients regularly found in shampoos. Most shampoo's share many ingredients in common. It is often the small differences in formulation that make one shampoo better than another for a particular hair texture or condition.
Water is the main ingredient in all shampoos and commonly is added at the rate of 30-40% of the formula. Generally it is not just plain water, but purified or de-ionized ( ions removed) water. Water is usually the first ingredient listed, which indicates that the shampoo contains more water than anything else. From there on, ingredients are listed in descending order, according to the percentage of each ingredient in the shampoo or formula. This is how it is 'supposed' to be done but I would guess 8 times out of 10 it is not. Regulating hundreds of thousands of beauty products would require every single agency of the government shutting down and helping the FDA, it is virtually impossible, so it basically self-governed and you can imagine how successful and correct that maneuver is.

Surfactants
The second ingredient that most shampoos have in common is the primary surfactant or base detergent. These 2 terms, surfactant and detergent mean the same thing: cleansing or "surface active" agent.
A surfactant molecule has two ends" a hydrophilic or water-attracting "head" and a lipophilic or oil-attracting "tail". During the shampoo process, the hydrophilic head attracts water, and the lipophilic tail attracts OIL, this creates a push-pull process that causes the oils, dirt, and deposits to roll up into little balls that can be lifted off in the water and rinsed from the hair ( see the photos).

Other ingredients are added to the base surfactants to create a wide variety of shampoo formulas. Moisturizers, oils, proteins, preservatives, foam enhancer's and perfumes are all standard components of shampoos. On a previous post I listed 12 or surfactants that are considered safe, I have worked with each one and to be perfectly honest, shampoo's are not my forte...but wanted to just see - feel - smell and observe the materials with hair under the scope - for my own security - in  recommending them.  I know that probably sounds super UN-scientific, but I feel that is what these super cosmetic chemists - miss. Just plain common sense issues, like the scent of a particular ingredient being so caustic, how could it possibly be gentle enough for hair. Or the texture of this is so rough and the scent so strong, there just has to be a better choice. That is what began my suspicions with Sodium Lauryl Sulfates 7 years ago.  When I opened the jar and seriously, could not take a breath of air it was honestly that burning to the skin in my nostrils, . . . that alone was a huge red 'common sense' - flag. Why no one but me - started talking about it, I will never know .
Yes, later there have come many "Safe Cosmetics" organizations ... but they don't do it right either - They go the complete opposite direction and think everything is bad, and that's not at all how it works, either.  Not everything is bad or unsafe. . .that is as bad of a generalization as the other groups missing the dangers of SLS - it truly is. You can't 'ban' everything, that is the way politicians work...we have no room for that in cosmetics.  I just want to begin explaining this to you, its a big concept but many of you seem eager to learn it, I thought it would bore you all so earlier I decided not to open the bag, besides its bad for business . . . all the big companies won't advertise on my site because I say Boxed hair color kits are horrific - but look at me will ya ? ?  I can't keep my mouth shut!  It would make my life a whole lot easier, if I just conformed and didn't talk about them - I would be making a lot better income off of advertising on this site. This has now become a very well known hair web site, I get lots and lots of traffic everyday without the big boys advertising on my site - but I am trying to break into the next level and get some big advertisers on my site, it won't happen as long as I leave the info up about how bad boxed hair color kits are. But If I don't tell you the truth, you will never get it, and that really is pointless to me.  So . . .  there is the truth. I need your support and I need to know you all want to know the truth in this info - so I know I am doing it for you and you care.
There are many "natural" ingredients that are very harsh as well, that just should not be what you look for.  "Natural" and "organic" are the most fought about topics / the most argued over words in the cosmetics business right now. Every single month in my trade magazines will be another view on what one more group thinks the word "natural" and "organic" means - - please take that into consideration. Those words will never be the answer to the problem, so drop that theory.
Technically as I've said before . . . water is not really 'technically' natural - as funny as that sounds ... it does not come from nature - - it comes from the heavens. With scientists you should hear them fight over the word, it will simply - - - NEVER BE SOLVED  - - ever. I feel both sides have valid points, so its simply time to move on from it.
Remember that there are also harsh and incompatible ingredients in nature for your hair, its needs to be a very simple study and honest reviewed by a competent cosmetic chemist that is not funded by any of the big corporate manufacturers, that is hard to find.
Begin and never stop reading the ingredients on the label, you must -  you must - you must. I fully realize they seem intimidating, BUT that is how I started and a very famous cosmetic chemist told me when I began, just start reading and saying them - over & over & over, they begin to sink in eventually. . .
. I never took chemistry in school I was terrified of the "word'', but you know what? He was 100% correct. I couldn't pronounce Sodium Lauryl Sulfates,  and now I now the names of about 15 by memory... remember I was raised a jock not an academic - so there is no one this is more foreign to, than me. It will make you feel proud of yourself the first time you pipe off the name of one of these scientific names with confidence - and YOU WILL! Talk to your girlfriends about them, people want to know about this subject, you become the new expert in your group of friends . . . that's how we all get smarter and all start helping each other have better hair. Wouldn't you rather be "looking' at nice hair when standing in lines at the Grocery store?

I sure would - - it comes from proper education - that's the compliments I receive from 'you' - the readers - - all the time.

Summer Hair Care for Olympian Locks: Beijing's & the USA's

How Water & Its minerals can affect your Hair + the 1st Step To Perfect Hair Color

As a former professional athlete the Olympics are the most incredible Television they could plant in front of me, I'm in heaven. What about Olympic hair that must go through so much...watching the swimmers & divers hit me, its time I give my southern California advice on water logged hair solutions. Spending time with the Malibu water polo team and helping their hair routine 8 years ago - gives me a bit of history with the subject. Water Polo is huge in all the local schools its such great exercise for kids. But the hair must be taken care of, healthy happy shiny hair is still a goal of most every kid once they hit about 13. This way the kids can still color their hair, I never think a sport should curtail your regular life and vice versa. Hair color is possible but the condition of the hair when you are in and out of chlorinated pools, diving - swimming - Jacuzzi's - water parks must be watched. Your hair takes a beating and in particular your hair color. My protocol works perfectly, if you follow it exactly. Sitting watching the Games I made a list of every water activity I could think of to see if this was warranted...

That's a lot of people doing a whole lot of water related activities all hell on hair, so here we go ... then we'll get back to "Highlights are History"- promise

Most of the people in the United States are using well water or hard water and that is only in your house, can you imagine what the water is like that is used in public places. It gives me the shivers.

All public water locations should have a water treatment service taking care of the water and running pH and other tests to keep the water at the right levels. I am told that blond hair should not even turn green if the levels are correct, if hair is turning green it means the levels of copper in the pool are too high. It may be that the water is too acidic (low pH) and that this is coming from the corroding fittings of the heater, so the solution is simple. Alternatively you may be over-using algaecide's that are copper-based, so never knowing this before, I've always reverted to Malibu 2000 and other tricks. Lets look at our water and what it can cause and create.

Over 85% of the population in the U.S., according to the Water Quality Association, are bathing with hard water. While hard water is fine for drinking, it can cause many problems for your hair, scalp and skin.

These problems include:

• Hair feels dry
• Hair is resistant to color
• Dandruff or eczema of the scalp
• Dry, flaky skin
• Thinning hair
• Colors fading too quickly
• Discoloration or darkening of hair
• Hair lacks body and shine

HOW YOUR WATER AFFECTS YOUR HAIR

The water you use to wash your hair, scalp, and skin comes from one of two sources:

• Ground Water
• Surface Water

Ground Water

If your water comes from the ground, it is either from your own well or from the local treatment plant that derives the water from wells pumping water from the ground. The source of ground water is from rain passing through aquifers, which are layers of minerals. The acidity (pH below 7) of the rain increases the dissolving effect of minerals. These dissolved solids are found in the water when pumped above the ground and used to bathe.

Surface Water

If your water comes from the treatment plant which derives the water from a surface source, the water is coming from either a river or a lake. Surface water usually contains less minerals because the water has not filtered down through the mineral layers. However, increasing populations are polluting the water causing additional bacteria growth. As a result, the treatment plants must add more chlorine to kill bacteria and then add lime (a calcium compound) to help control the chlorine levels.

Water hardness is determined by the level of calcium that is in the water either found naturally from the ground or put into the water by the treatment plant.

While calcium is the element that determines hardness of water, there are many other elements in the water that effect the texture, volume, shine, control and health of hair.

What are the minerals that effect hair?

• Calcium
• Iron
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Silica
• Lead

What other elements effect hair?

• Chlorine -a harsh oxidizer added to the water to kill bacteria also adversely effects hair.

How do minerals and chlorine attach to the hair?

Our hair, scalp and skin have an electrical charge and that charge is negative. Minerals and oxidizers are charged positive. When a positively charged mineral comes in contact with our hair, scalp, or skin, it attaches on like a magnet.

How do hard water minerals and chlorine effect hair?

Calcium - If your source for water is a well, then more than likely you have calcium in your water. If your source for water is coming from a treatment plant, calcium may have been added to your water. Calcium is the mineral that determines hardness of water.

How calcium effects hair:

• Calcium leaves the hair feeling dry and weighted down. It can even cause a perm to appear relaxed.
• Calcium builds up on the scalp causing flaking of the scalp, giving the appearance of dandruff.
• Calcium can choke the hair at the mouth of the follicle causing the hair to break off, then coating the scalp, blocking further new hair growth.

Iron - Iron is found in ground water from domestic wells and wells used by treatment plants as the source for local water.

How iron effects hair:

• Iron leaves the hair feeling dry, brittle and weighted down.
• Iron can cause dark hair to tint darker and blonde hair to turn orange, sometimes I think this is many readers problem.
• Iron can color from properly processing.

Copper - Copper originates in water in three ways:

1. It comes from the ground and is pumped into the water from a well.
2. Particles of copper can come from copper piping. The corrosion caused by hard water lifts the copper particles off the pipes and deposits them into the water.
3. Copper sulfates are added to swimming pools to control the growth of algae. Copper is often added to lakes (that are a source of drinking water) in the summer to kill algae.

How copper effects hair:

• Copper discolors hair causing blonde hair to turn green and dark hair to tint darker - the reason for that Green!
• Copper can weigh hair down and cause dryness.
• Copper can inhibit the proper processing of color and relaxers.

Magnesium - Usually found wherever calcium comes naturally from the ground, magnesium is abundant in the soil and is very much a part of the mineral complex associated with hard water.

How magnesium effects hair:

• Magnesium causes hair to feel dry.
• Magnesium causes hair to appear weighted down.
• Magnesium can inhibit the proper processing of color and relaxers.
• Magnesium causes hair to lack shine.

Silica - Silica is a sand-like substance found in desert or volcanic areas. It is usually bound to calcium or magnesium and forms very hard, virtually insoluble deposits.

How silica effects hair:

Silica causes many of the same effects on the hair as calcium.

• Silica causes hair to feel dry.
• Silica weighs hair down.
• Silica can cause dandruff-like symptoms of flaking.
• Build up of silica can choke the hair follicle causing hair to fall out.

Lead - Lead acetate is used in certain home remedy gray hair cover-ups - like Grecian Formula or JUST FOR MEN. They used lead to make the color work which screws up your hair for everything else. I believe they got sued and are in the process of changing those boxed kits.

How lead effects hair:

• Lead can cause the hair to feel dry.
• Lead can prevent the proper processing of perms, color, and relaxers.

Chlorine - unlike the other elements listed above, chlorine is not a mineral but an oxidizer. Chlorine is put into drinking water and swimming pools to kill bacteria. In addition to the following effects chlorine has on hair, due to it's oxidizing effects, chlorine also oxidizes minerals onto the hair causing worse effects of those minerals.

How chlorine effects hair:

• Active chlorine in the hair can cause hair to feel gummy when wet and straw-like when dry.
• Chlorine can damage the cuticle and proteins of the hair.
• As an oxidizer, chlorine can cause the air and sun to oxidize hair and worsen the conditions listed above.
• Chlorine can cause hair to feel dry.
• Chlorine can cause hair to become brittle.
• Chlorine can cause hair to lack shine.

Chlorine will be on of the highest ingredients in public water as they are trying to prevent bacteria and infection. So getting that off of your hair immediately is very important.

2008 OLYMPIAN Water Repair YO Hair Trick

What I had my water polo players do for Hair

<> works at the Gold Medal Level ! :

• while dry, wet hair with bottled water(or similar-not pool)
• apply a handful of hair conditioner, we used KeraCare's Humecto daily conditioner -- a 5 lb. tub is available and it works Xcellent- have the coach buy one for the team to use
• apply rubber swim cap - tuck in hair
• when finished, have large bottle of "SODA WATER" available(carbonated) pour & rinse thru hair - stops chlorine from doing any damage
• take Shower immediately, shampoo with Malibu 2000 Well Water or Swimmers Shampoo - Sulfate-free all of them
• Use THRIVEN 1-2 times per week

With this Solution, you will have NO hair damage

Water Polo Players are treacherous on their hair, they are in the pool all the time so its a great gage for anyone below their level of chlorinated water time.

Now this works for general hair protection in water sports.

++ TREATMENT FOR WATER ALTERED HAIR

If you feel the water in your home has built up on your hair, something we do before coloring Celeb's hair is apply different water treatment packs. Which I am happy to make available to you. The problem with having them done in a Salon for you and me? The cost and the time, it adds at least another hour to your time in the Salon and anywhere from $30 to $80.

Making these available to you at home, I will sell the individual treatments to you for $3.50 plus they can be put in a regular mailing envelope so the shipping can be $1.50 for 1 treatment. That is pretty incredible. I will list the various treatments and tell you they are super SIMPLE to apply... just time consuming - perfect for at home application. If you are applying your hair color ( which I hope ) apply the treatment the night before, then get up and color your hair > Perfect Plan! Wait till you see how much better your hair color comes out if you pre-treat your hair - its a treat and yes its worth the time and effort. Try it once, its a small investment.

COLOR PREPARE -1st STEP TO PERFECT HAIR COLOR

What It Is:

A patented, fresh-dried vitamin complex that dissolves into a gel in the palms of the hands forming a rich lathering treatment specifically formulated for hair prior to every color service in the salon, at home or when traveling to assure predictable and successful color results.

What It Does:

• Prepares hair for superior color
• Gently yet effectively removes minerals from hair that inhibit proper processing of color
• Extends life of vibrant color to prevent fading
• Helps prevent brassiness or discoloration
• Accelerates processing time of color
• Protects scalp from itching or burning caused by oxidizing chemicals

Blondes Weekly Brightener

A patented, fresh-dried vitamin complex that dissolves into a gel in the palms of the hands forming a rich lathering treatment specifically formulated for blonde and highlighted hair to be used in the salon, at home or when traveling to brighten and increase shine/ vibrancy while helping to prevent damage from environmental elements in the air and water.

What It Does:

• Immediately brightens blonde and highlighted hair
• Removes & prevents hard water mineral build-up that can dull blonde & highlighted hair
• Immediately restores vibrant color and radiant shine
• Improves flow and movement of hair
• Prevents dry-feeling hair

SWIMMERS SOLUTION - AFTER SWIM TREATMENT

A patented, fresh-dried vitamin complex that dissolves into a gel in the palms of the hand forming a rich lathering treatment specifically formulated for swimmers to be used in the salon, at home or at the pool after swimming to remove and prevent all the elements from pool, spa or ocean water that can otherwise damage and discolor hair.

What It Does:

• Immediately removes chlorine and mineral build-up from swimmers’ hair to help restore health and wellness to hair and scalp
• Removes chlorine and bromine that can otherwise oxidize and dry hair
• Helps prevent brittle, damaged hair
• Removes copper build-up to lift green discoloration
• Restores vibrancy to hair color
• Dramatically improves look and feel of hair
• Helps reduce itching and scalp irritation

HARD WATER DE-MINERALIZER

What It Is:

A patented, fresh-dried vitamin complex that dissolves into a gel in the palms of the hands forming a rich lathering treatment specifically formulated for hair shampooed in hard water or exposed to water softeners that use salt and/or phosphates. May be used in the salon, at home or when traveling to lift surface minerals and oxidizers, remove discoloration, brighten and increase shine/vibrancy while helping to prevent damage from environmental elements in the air and water.

What It Does:

• Removes all hard water minerals that can discolor or damage hair
• Eliminates brassiness
• Normalizes hair texture
• Revitalizes shine and manageability
• Restores flow and movement of hair
• Prevents dry-feeling hair

Features & Benefits:

• Safely restores natural color
• Makes hair feel lighter after removing hard water minerals
• Formulated with a patented, nature-identical Vitamin C Complex
• Food-grade, wellness ingredients
• Preservative-Free, Fragrance-Free, Sulfate-Free

Please State when you are taken to PAY PAL which of the treatments you would Like, Thank You