Bull Semen hits Salon Treatments to Tune of $170. a POP!

After a little more thought....it occurred to me . . . who was that person that was sitting around and said, .........
"Hey, if we jerk a bull off, maybe it will help the health of hair", then I looked up who this "Hari Salem" cat was and sure enough...it was a dude! No offense - just funny and logical, I always wonder 'where' things come from it is a habit ingrained in me.

Being a woman, being a cosmetic chemist and a woman, my speciality is HAIR CONDITIONERS, that is where all my research was -- is -- and will be in the future. In the 4 years I have been formulating hair conditioners, I study every new ingredient that comes out that can be added to the formula's each and every month & trust me there are way too many. So to come up with Bull Semen is hilarious to me, I thought > 'hey, I never saw that listed in the Cosmetics & Technology Magazine ("New Hair Formula ingredients" ) I read cover to cover every month' - what on earth would possess someone to reach for that jar on the shelf when formulating a hair conditioner?! Of course, a horny guy !

Many people do not understand this... but a Cosmetic Chemist is the one that designs every hair care and every Cosmetic product you have ever touched...not a Dermatologist....not a Celebrity.....and not even a big shot Hair Stylist.

I guess I have offended some of you - which I greatly apologize for....sincerely.
Truly - madly - deeply I hope you will accept, this is why I am not supposed to work, I do not have the temperament to help others....I knew I was short with people but did not know it affected all of you so much........I will try hard to not speak up much anymore and to really watch what I say.
 
NONE OF THE ABOVE creates that product that eventually goes on your body and/or hair, plus they would have absolutely NO idea how to begin, what to use, or where to start, ....none - zip- zero.
A Cosmetic Chemist does it for them.
Be very very glad they do, to be one you need to learn light years more than what you pick up in acting or Cosmetology schools...and the Dermatologists have a whole profession to cover their butt so they don't have to know what goes "in" products ( they are called a Pharmacist) - so medical doctors are not what you want to look for as afar as their expertise in skin or hair products - I promise you I know more than that damn Dr. Perricone. He uses something that is so wrong in his face lotions/creams and I know its only because he has no idea what each ingredient is...otherwise he would not have 2 of the ingredients he has in them. 


Until I took 2 years out of my life and studied Cosmetic chemistry , I had absolutely NO IDEA the art even existed and believe me... it is an Art ! Not only a beautiful art but also a scientific one, something completely new to me at the time.
Not only do we chose the ingredients to put in the product ( which sounds all fun and games) but more importantly we are making sure the product is sufficiently preserved as well as adequately balanced so the pH level is perfect and protecting the effectiveness of the "active" ingredients - - all of this under the umbrella of 'formulating personal care products". When i started and listened to the words everyone was using...I was positive I would never be able to understand what they were all talking about...the terms- the technology- it all sounded like Japanese to me, this was all way over my head back in School and I would never be able to learn it now.

I pushed on though... I started to read a lot about the chemistry of hair products, and that became my passion... making one hair conditioner after another, those and body cremes, {they are similar products in their make-up and chemistry}....I began making custom hair conditioners & cremes for my regular clients.

I knew their hair so well I would make a batch of hair conditioner up for a year at a time, yes it was a bit pricey - but they all claim it was worth every last penny! I never lacked for people to make them for, it was all I could do - to formulate and cut & color hair.
Ever had a homemade Cake or Pie...from scratch....?
How yummy and flavorful they are compared to the Markets

I just do not agree that everyone needs a daily 'conditioner, shampoos have so much in them anymore they are sufficient..
a problem we see in the Salon a lot is "build-up"

• product build-up
• mineral build-up (chlorine,rust etc. from water)
• conditioner build-up

To elminate that problem I feel the hair care protocol for the average client is this:
Shampoo: Sulfate-free..... and then ONLY IF your hair is dry and tangly -
Detangler: a spray detangler for easy comb thru
Conditioner : Once a week an overnight conditioner - shampoo-rinse - apply deep conditioner - comb thru (mine is called:Thriven) let it dry for 1 hour prior to going to bed - lay towel on pillow to protect. Sleep 8 hours letting yummy ingredients soak in hair and scalp.. Rinse in morning. Depending on condition of hair this can be done once/twice a week....or once - twice a month....even.
"More" is not always better !
 

Haircuts Can HURT -- Hair Thieves on Cutting Edge

Just had to reprint this story. . . found the perfect hair style for the ladies of Burma > > > >

Next time you think about purchasing Extensions. . .

this may be where they are coming from . . . .By The Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar — Women in Myanmar not only have to watch out for pickpockets but also hair thieves, a weekly journal reported Sunday.
Long-haired women in crowded areas have fallen victim to surreptitious hair snippers who steal their hair to sell, the Burmese-language 24/7 news journal reported.
"My long hair was cut while I was on my way back from the office. I found out only when I got back home," an unidentified female bus commuter was quoted as saying.
Another woman's hair was cut while she was shopping at a roadside store, the journal said.
Many women in Myanmar — also know as Burma — have waist- or knee-length hair, which they wear in a ponytail, making it easy for thieves to snip off the hair and sell it as extensions.

The report said the price of hair has increased as demand for hair as an export or raw material rises. A viss (3.5 pounds) of hair is worth 400,000 kyats ($420) to 500,000 kyats ($500), it said.

True Words Come From The Trenches

 I love when I receive enthusiastic - educational emails from my Readers, especially ones that do their homework

Thanks,  Lizzy

Hi I would like to order colorissmo 100A, white genie and rencolor toner - moonlight. 

You offer the best highlift color!!!!! Thank you!!!!

When I had a consultation with you in the fall this is what you reccommended for me to use. I had a little scare and was hesitant to try again. Since then I have used redken 10 (at the salon - did not lift at all) with highlights, schwatzkoph 12-1 with color charm white lady toner ( kinda brassy) ( Is what I had at home and appplied to roots only), and matrix high lift with highlights as well(at salon- this was the best of the three). None of these base colors could compare to the great icey tone I achieved from this mixture. You know your stuff.

With Regards,
Lizzy C. 

                                                    

Root of The Problem <> Words of Killer Strands, Artfully

I found the greatest little site that allowed me to develop this little piece of artwork - completely free -
I guess the most simple things can keep me entertained for the longest time!
Mr jonathan Feinberg over at http://wordle.net/ has developed this little program to make what he has called WORD CLOUDS . . .

LOVE IT
Killer Chemist

There Is A 'Hair' God As Well

                                                                                      

October 14, 2008

Sabrina Said:

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put in for this blog. I just colored my hair for the first time using the information you taught me, and it turned out so great that I actually ended up referring about 15 people at work who complimented me to your blog. I will be definitely paying for your consultation!! The products you offer too are just fabulous, you just can't find them anywhere else... and the 15% off is like shipping and tax free on top of your already low prices. I mean they're so competitive to what's at Sally's... and the quality just doesn't compare. I don't know how to express it enough in words, but thank you for all that you have invested here... you are an angel. ~Sabrina

 

thank you sabrina, boy did i need that today, Killer Chemist

the GUEST WRITER Experiment

SOMETHING TO ADD A LITTLE JUICE TO THE SITE

I  ASKED NIK, ONE OF THE MANAGERS OF OUR GROUP, TO DO SOME GUEST

WRITING ON KILLER STRANDS  -  -  ONCE A WEEK SHE WILL BE WRITING A POST

ON HAIR FROM A DIFFERENT POV THAN MINE -  -  -  -  -  - HERS !

SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY GOOD FOR EVERYONE - EVEN ME !

I'M STILL GOING TO BE WRITING MY ODD / BIZARRLY  WRITTEN POSTS 1 - 2 TIMES

  PER WEEK  - - -  SO DON'T  THINK YOU ARE GETTING RID OF ME

YOU'RE   NOT

I HAVE ALWAYS FELT AN ADDED POINT OF VIEW IS NEVER A BAD THING.

WITH THAT. . . . WELCOME NIK FOR HER VERY FIRST POST...........

You CAN color your own hair !

You know you want to color your hair. You know this blog is filled with great information on HOW to color your hair. So why haven’t you?

Maybe you are afraid of making a mistake, like I was… Today I want you to know you can color, dye, touch up your locks yourself.

Why are you still living with ugly roots, BAD color, or gray? You want to look better… and you can. Knowledge is power… this blog will help teach you the secrets

Step one: Get your hair in shape! You need to make sure your hair is ready and able to take color. Would you expect a damaged or dirty wall to hold paint flawlessly? No… so don’t color your hair without preparation and expect great results. (check out the links to the right for Hair color 101 lessons).

Step two: Do your research. Don’t let your panic drive you into being a “color cowboy…” Rushing into it, putting on the wrong thing for the wrong length of time… will only reinforce the idea that you can’t “do it yourself.” And, possibly, mean that you spend more time and more money, “undoing” the mess you just made!

Next time, we’ll talk about ways to “tread water” and buy a little time while you get ready… think about that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see that bozo orange hair… or zebra stripes…. and take a deep breath. You CAN do this – but you need to do it right.

Step three: Make your list, and check it twice! After you decide what look you want, figure out what you need to buy. Disclaimer: I recommend getting the color consult and products from our own Killer Chemist, so you have truly professional products and your necessary supplies; but at LEAST read the “Parting and Sectioning,” patch test info plus the “Molly Tint-back” one & two, so that you understand how to prepare for, apply, and treat after the color.

Step four: Buy the professional product. This is NOT the place to skimp. Why spend hours preparing, and applying, product that you will be seeing for weeks – and try to save a few dollars… and get a substandard result? And check out the extra tips to help you get the maximum shine with your color, including using Gleam…


Step five: When you are ready… just do it. Don’t let fear keep you from making a wonderful change for the better.


I look forward to hearing your experiences…


Nik, guest blogger

Best Hair Care Book Around ( save for book)

down my fav.Philip Kingsley is an Englishman who has spent a lifetime analyzing and fixing heads of hair throughout the world. I would love to have his job. He's been around for a very long time and to tap that brain of his, divine.
Whether you consider your hair to be your crowning glory, a problem that just won't go away, or something that is going away all too fast, this book will provide you with help, reassurance and practical advice that can be put to immediate, beneficial use. I would say his main focus centers on hair loss as a result of various maladies, and how to combat that. In England they have a category of hair experts we don't acknowledge here in the States, Trichology. I considered becoming licensed and holding the certificate, but decided I would spend more time - EXPLAINING what in the world - Trichology - 'was'! I hope someday soon it crosses the pond.
Kingsley is credited with developing the statement, " Bad Hair Day" ! Which I consider ex

If you wanted to buy one book on hair care and hair advice this would be it, in my humble opinion. I own every hair book ever printed and some that weren't printed, this is hands cellent marketing for a man that repairs bad hair ! He is a man with the right goals and vision in life, so the facts behind his studies are on the money. Worth every penny.
Maybe someday I will have my own. The outline is made.

P & G acquires Frederic Fekkai?

Another one bites the dust . . .

I just got off the phone with a PR rep for Procter's hair care division who told me that the company is going to buy Frederic Fekkai & Co., which makes hair products under the Frederic Fekkai brand name.

The company won't say how much the acquisition will cost, but a deal could close as soon as 45 days from now.I find it fascinating that many of you are tuned into news like this. It is very relative to all in a distant way, as it does affect the entire hair industry.

My problem with it, is this . . . I feel that within the beauty industry segment, monopolies happen and they happen everywhere and all the time. For some reason the big boys - our government - does not pay attention to them, they just don't seem to care. But I don't know why. Is it because they are too busy with the Microsoft monopoly, the Elliot Spitzer and NY government hooker scandal # 201, or what?

P & G owns so much of the hair industry I'm not sure, but I bet you all might be surprised. When it purchased my hair color sweetheart - WELLA this past year, I literally spent a week in depression. We still don't know the extent of that takeover as its much too new. I do not understand why, again but to get a full list of P & G companies is not an easy task...I'm sure if I went into "detective mode" I could uncover it, but it is NOT easy!
Just for some reference I want to list a small portion of the companies that P & G own...they try to cover it up - ?? I don't get it?? if you are a loud and proud company doing nothing wrong - stand up - be proud. Here is a small list:

• Aussie
• Head & Shoulders
• Graham Webb
• Infusium
• Pantene
• Balsam Color
• Sebastian
• Touch of Sun
• Ultress
• La Coste
• Boss
• Loving Care
• Valentino
• Wella
• Natural Instincts
• Max Factor
• Gillette
• Cover Girl
• Puma
• Nice N Easy
• OLAY ( number 1 brand in USA)
• Pantene
• Old Spice
• Herbal Essences
• Clairol

can you believe that is a small sampling in one category of many they have??
Owning a huge percentage of companies in one segment ( like hair) can be a disadvantage because it controls the competition. Competition is good for the consumer, it creates better products in my mind and many experts humble opinions. but if you own company A and company B who are in direct competition with each other - then there is no way to inspire and produce a better product... because you control BOTH SIDES.
This is probably not a popular subject and God help me if P & G gets wind of my statements, I might not be here next week! No one ever speaks poorly about P & G...I dare you to find any negative reporting about the company. Baffles the mind.
A few interesting points about this acquisition:

1) The big news out of P&G this year has been that the company is getting rid of one of its biggest brands (Folgers), and executives have said they want to get rid of more. Clearly Procter is on the path toward being a leaner company, but now we see that that doesn't necessarily mean they won't still make some acquisitions

2) That said, the question is why does buying a brand like Fekkai, which is relatively small compared to some of its existing mass-market brands like Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Herbal Essences, make sense to a company that is trying to get rid of brands?

The answer is Fekkai opens up a new sales channel for P&G, the so-called prestige market for hair care products. Fekkai is sold in high-end stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom, where Procter has little, if any, penetration for its hair care products.

Procter also thinks it can grow sales of the Fekkai brand.

WSJ notes that "Hair-care products are the fastest-growing segment of the high-end beauty market" which is why I got into this industry 17 years ago, I could see where it was going. Remember my little hobby of being able to pick-out hot topics...
The deal is part of P&G's focus on building its high-margin, fast-growing beauty business.
"Fekkai is a strategic fit for our hair care portfolio and a demonstration of our desire to win with key brands in the prestige channel," said Randall Chinchilla, a spokesman for P&G's beauty business. The success of PUREOLOGY, has done nothing but spur these brands to try to follow in its path, don't they know that never works.
The purchase would add to P&G's line of upscale beauty products that includes SK-II skin care and Hugo Boss fragrances. The French-born Fekkai will have an ongoing role, P&G said."He will continue to drive creative efforts, brand image and product developments," Chinchilla said. Besides hair care products for women and men, Fekkai has salons in New York City, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Dallas and Palm Beach, Fla., with more planned, including one opening this spring in Greenwich, Conn. the Beverly Hills Fekkai Salon approached me to become their head Colorist just before I was diagnosed, even thought the drive would have been 1.5 hours I did consider the idea. I have always liked his style and theories - he is a class act.
But.....BUT . . . This is a subject i wanted to entertain in another manner, but might as well get it out of the way...then I will be done with the negative crap...once and for all. I just need to get it off my back and feel you all need to know it.
Here is Fekkai's story:

Fekkai opened his first salon. He quickly became known for his innovative cutting technique, which required clients to stand for a portion of the cut to make sure their new style fit with their overall appearance. Fekkai's flair for creating super-flattering styles had socialites and beauty editors flocking to his chair. Word of his transforming talents spread quickly and before long, Fekkai became one of the hottest names in the hair biz—with a roster of A-list clients that would make any Hollywood agent green with envy.




There are 4 reasons in my opinion he shot up to the level he did. He is: 1) Handsome 2) French 3) Straight & Sexy 4) Talented hair cutter. He fits that "dream hair stylist" as far as appearance . . . Look at the man! He's gorgeous and has an incredibly warm and sexy accent as well as being straight, many like sitting in his chair for those reasons alone. Do not get me wrong, he is an extremely talented hair cutter. Extremely talented - he has a wonderful warming presence and has been nothing but beneficial for the hair industry. He and Sally are 2 I admire -- neither do color, nor know anything about it, they only cut. That should be no reason to take away anything from them, cutting is a brilliant art and difficult to master.




Within the hi-end Salon system in the USA we are attempting to make the switch and follow the brilliance and efficiency of the European Salon system, where there are Cutters and Colorists - separately. No one does both in those countries. The USA needs to make this move, if you want to master either you need to focus on one. That being said, when the worlds are divided like that they are defined very clearly.




Colorists handle:

• color
• perms
• relaxers
• extensions
• shampoos
• conditioners
• anything "chemical"

Cutters handle:

• haircuts
• hair styling (pin curls, finger waves, etc.)
• blow drying
• thermal styling
• all hot tools
• up do's

its clearly precisely defined.
So when Fekkai comes out with a line hair care products or even Hershberger ( i truly am trying to teach you how the system works) my skin crawls . Look at their list. What do they specialize in? They know zero about chemicals / products/ ingredients. They don't even work within that world on a daily basis. The company comes to them and says, 'can we put your name on our products'? . . . Yes, Of course they try them . . . yes, of course - they listen to the chemists and yahoo's at the company tell them how wonderful the products are...but come on don't you think the big Colorists should be whose name on that bottle??
Whew, its now off my chest. Whatever you think of the take over, the last thing I want to see is my readers using lousy products...I am working on discovering a whole new slew of properly formulated products to choose from in all categories -- so stay tuned for that. When I was in the salon I kept up on this and have slacked off. . . I promise you I am back on the train again...just give me a little bit of time to get the testing completed

The Real McCoy or Fake-y : Hair Products Up For Review

The dark side of the beauty industry : DIVERSION of hair products

How many times have wondered about those high end hair products that have sprung up in very weird sources like Target....CVS.....Longs Drug..... Rite Aid and so on? I do all the time and I know what the rules, laws and codes are.
The topic of DIVERSION has long been talked about to industry professionals, and have never understood why they don't talk to the public about it, I sure the hell would want to know - I bet you would too.
Diversion: the act or an instance of diverting from a source
Diversion is the unauthorized distribution, buying and selling of professional products to unauthorized outlets outside of the professional industry. Perhaps you've seen professional hair care products sold in your neighborhood grocery store, drugstore, pharmacy or on the Internet. Most likely, these products were acquired through a "collector" who, by operating in a "gray market", acquired these products from various sources and, once they collected enough product, sold them to a mass distributor who specializes in selling "gray market" product to unauthorized retail establishments.
It baffles me that the stores buy them, if more people reported them or didn't buy the products the problem would be eliminated. Not trying to blame the wrong people, just trying to make it clear how to get rid of it.
Professional companies like Joico, Redken, ISO, Wella, Matrix, etc., and so on DO NOT sell their products to drug, discount, stores - they just don't. Part of their agreement & policy with hair stylists is that they will only sell their product to Salons so that the customer has to get the product at 'the' Salon. Its a kind of a Gentlemens agreement they have had for many years and they do stick to it. The manufacturers will only guarantee their product if its bought at a Salon. If you buy those products at those stores you are taking a giant risk in my opinion.
The products in those stores are not supposed to be there, Period. They have gotten there by one of two ways - both wrong.

#1)There are companies in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, etc. that have gone to the trouble of duplicating the bottle and packaging of your favorite products. Stuffing it with some random concoction of ingredients, and selling it for the 'real' thing. Yep - they are completely bogus.
Today while I was waiting on a prescription , because I was contemplating writing this post, I meandered over to the aisle, found a bottle of Biosilk, opened it, sampled a little and was horrified. I used Biosilk for years (before I learned about ingredients & cosmetic chemistry), I know exactly how it should feel, and smell. This formula was full of some liquid laced with over 50% alcohol,it was no where even close to what it should be. So there it was....my sign for today on what to write! Not only was there none or very little of the cyclomethicone or dimethicone necessary to protect your hair (the most expensive ingredient) I checked the list of ingredients and they did not have a preservative listed. That can be a very dangerous avenue, products can become contaminated without the proper preservative as I have spoken about before. Its not the Preservative that is dangerous its the amount of it , that is crucial. But having none, is not what you want to see.
These companies fill the bottles with the wrong ingredients...in bottles that look exactly like the original - then sell them to you for as much as 15% higher than they should be. Please don't buy them in those stores, for your own good.
#2) The second method? Companies that have the real product, that are old -- way past their shelf life and should have been thrown away - decide to re-sell them to another outlet. So there are some that are in fact, real, but past their shelf life. Again, they charge too much for them and the safety is compromised with an out-of-date preservative.
There is virtually no way to tell which one of these problems is which. But the point is neither are any good, and both should be avoided.
I would guess over 60% are counterfeit, so please don't waste your money or ruin your hair with these bogus replicas!
DIVERSION : help to prevent it, only buy your high end hair products in appropriate Salons or the Beauty Supply.

GOOD HAIR = Life / Death /even worse:...your Job !?

The Pitfalls of

Crappy Hair Has Even Seeped Its Way

Into The Work

Place

KC