Hair Care News

Your Kid’s Need a Good Lice Shampoo?

Posted on October 27, 2009 with No Comments

Whether you’re a salon owner or a concerned parent, you should give So Cozy Boo! Shampoo (lice shampoo for children) a careful consideration.  Not just because it has been shown successful as a natural-based lice repellant, but because it’s FUN!

Boo! Shampoo

Good for Kids

Yepper, that’s what I said…FUN!  Between its creative name, catchy slogan,  purple label and “spooky” font-style, it and its companion, Boo! Conditioner, are fun for everyone – kids, parents, and salon owners (because you’ll probably be selling them and getting rid of nasty critters at the same time!)

Boo! Lice shampoo is paraben-free and is not formulated with either of the Laure(th,l) sulfates, so it is gentle on the scalp and for younger kids hair.  Tea Tree oil keeps away the bugs, and it smells great!  Best of all, kids get excited about it – that’s almost enough to make parents happy.

Good for Parents

Both Boo! products are made by So Cozy and who also have a chain of kids/children hair salons.  Though I can only speculate, I’m sure the saw a problem and addressed it.  Cool label, image, and colors…just what the doctor ordered when trying to keep away bugs – when can be a not-so pleasant discussion.

In addition to the “cool” look and verbiage (We make hair care Fun!), they use a very creative twist to approach the issue of lice – which most folks envision crawling around on their kids pillows at home likening it to infection, the flu or a plague – they refer to it as a “camp and school formula”.

This little marketing trick, whether intentional or not, moves you away from the “not in my house” panic to “oh…ha, ha, ha…he must have gotten them at school or while he was camping…no big deal, we’ll just use this shampoo”.  Its a great technique used by pest exterminators and plumbers.  Take an icky subject and make it fun…somehow!

So, from a parent perspective there are several reasons why you might want this in the shower or next to the bath:

• It repels lice, ticks, and various bugs
• Its got a fun logo, slogan and mission which kids like
• Colors are fun
• It might entice your children to shower or bathe more often
• Its a natural-based, safe shampoo

If you’re a salon owner, there’s several benefits for you as well:

• You add a unique product to your line
• You liven-up what could be an over-serious discussion about bugs in kid’s hair
• It diversifies products into “natural” or “organic-based” category with no sulfates or parabens
• You can help build customer loyalty
• Increase salon revenues

If you’re looking for a funproduct to get for your kids or a new line to add to your salon, take a look at Boo! Lice Shampoo and Boo! Spray-On Lice Conditioner – both are excellent repellants, smell good, and are safe for even the most sensitive scalps.

Moroccan Oil Series – Product Reviews

Posted on July 13, 2009 with No Comments

Innovation has never been the strong suit of the hair care industry. Instead, companies rely mostly on taglines, bylines, smooth talking salesmen, pretty commercials, and emotion-based marketing tactics to promote their wares that, more often than not, use the exact same formulas and chemicals.

Moroccan Oil

Strip away all the hype, cover your eyes, randomly pick a shampoo, and you’d end up with exactly the same product with only slight differences in ingredients more often than not.

Therefore, the introduction of the Moroccan Oil® brand and its “Series” of products is a refreshing change in a market swamped with bland, over-hyped shampoos, oils, treatments, conditioners, 2-in-1 shampoos and conditioners, and many other miscellaneous formulas that offer the same end via the same means. However, could it be that Moroccan Argan Oil® itself is an overrated product as well? We’ll find out in this review.

One of the things that separate Moroccan Oil® from other brands is its manner of dosage and treatment. In order to get a natural, silky softness that whole generations of hair care brands claim to provide, you need only apply a few small drops (Argan Oil) to clean, wet hair from its roots to its tips. Say goodbye to the greasy feel of other serums that weighs down.

Moreover, this truly revolutionary product line works its concentrated magic by nourishing your scalp with valuable antioxidants like Vitamins F and E, penetrating deep into the roots and repairing all its split ends in one fell swoop. Considering that it does all this in just a few drops, it may not be an exaggeration to refer to this product as a super serum of sorts that works well on all types – especially for shine, faster drying and improved smoothness.

One of the things I think is now so great about their line is that in addition to their best selling Argan Oil treatment, they have now introduced the “Moroccan Oil Series” that includes: a Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, an Intense Curl Cream, Gold Glimmer Shine, and a Restorative Hair Mask – all with Argan-based formulations or with the use of unique and pretty effective ingredients.

The true test to Moroccan Oil®’s mettle is, of course with its shampoo, how it handles two extreme types—the coarse, dry ones and the thinning, breakage-prone ones. Considering its potency, it won’t really help in restoring follicles that have begun to shed, especially considering the fact that it contains no DHT blockers in its formula.

Furthermore, it caters more to the latter dry type because untangling knots and curls is its specialty. It can be used on any hair type, but the puffier and more unruly, the better it performs.

As for the drawbacks, its subtle, incense-like smell may not be for everyone, especially those who prefer a tropical aroma over its spicy Caribbean coconut smell. Although its benefits reach panacea-like proportions (it protects against ultraviolet rays and pollutants, leaves no build up or residue, and so on), its results may vary from person to person.

Regardless of its shortcomings, Moroccan Oil® remains styling and hair care products of choice for types ranging from thin, (but not thinning) normal to thick and coarse. As such, until a better product comes along, it gets a nigh-perfect 9.5 out of 10 star rating.

Looking for the Best Anti Dandruff Shampoo?

Posted on June 14, 2009 with No Comments

For several years I had a fairly oily scalp and began to get some flakes.  I began looking for the best anti dandruff shampoo I could find.

I tried mosy of the name brands – Head & Shoulders included.  Nothing really worked for me until I began using a shampoo (Follicleanse) that had Zinc in it.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about Zincadone.  Its also known as Zinc PCA and is a very effective ingredient used in anti dandruff shampoos.  As a note, within a few days my hair scalp wasn’t so oily and in a week or two the few flakes I had were gone too.

I generally don’t plug a product, but Follicleanse is know my favorite.  I use it 2-3 times a week, alternating with an un-named product I like as well.  Here is a snippit I found related to the Zinc and dandruff.

What Causes Dandruff?

Flakes and itching usually caused by oil, toxins, pollutants and harsh hair care products that have been deposited on the scalp over a period of time. Malfunctioning sebaceous glands too sometimes produce an excess of oil which result in dry, flaking, itchy scalp and greasiness.

The Ideal Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

The most effective shampoo has the ability to eliminate pollutants and reduce flaky scalp and white flakes. It should be able to break down the presence of bad oils in the scalp without stripping your hair of its natural oils. The presence of Zinc PCA, which is a naturally derived compound used for the regulation of oil production by the sebaceous glands is highly beneficial and breaks down cholesterol that often leads to flaky scalp.

The Best Anti Dandruff Shampoo for Flakes and Itching

Anyway, I have several friends who have the same flaking problems – I told them my favorite anti dandruff shampoo and am now telling you.  Good luck and let me know what you think.

Shampoo for Dense, Coarse or Thick Hair

Posted on May 26, 2009 with No Comments

Two years ago my wife and I were fortunate (blessed) to adopt a 5-year-old boy from Guatemala.  He always has a smile on his face, is inquisitive, humble, smart and has the thickest, densest hair of anyone I’ve ever met.

No kidding – his hair is jet black, stands straight-up and as thick as a carpet.  Whenever he is in the sun, his head absorbs heat like asphalt on an August day and the sweat starts falling, even when the temperature is rather mild.  It is coarse and stiff, and we have experimented with all sorts of shampoos to keep his scalp moisturized and follicles somewhat soft and manageable – what we needed was a shampoo for dense, coarse and thick hair.

Needless to say, we have several hispanic friends – mainly from Central and South America – and many of the “hispanics” we know have similar challenges, whether they’re from Mexico, Guatemala or Venezuela.  And the issue we hear repeatedly is how to maintain and manage hair that is so coarse and thick.

Here is what we have found.  First, maintaining moisture is paramount and the two best products we found for that are those with emu oil or LusterPlex.  LusterPlex, interestingly, was developed by Croda (a personal products research and ingredient company) to increase flexibility, shine and smoothness of coarse or thick hair.  It has become a top active ingredient for use in African American hair products for its’ properties for increasing sheen and reducing breaking.

Shampoos and conditioners with this ingredient work great for hispanic hair (latino, latina) too - I can attest.  Though density hasn’t changed (and I hope it doesn’t for a long time), his hair is much softer and smoother – and doesn’t have that “velcro” feel.  It still gets hot – as a recent trip to the pool proved, but the feel of brittleness is gone and it doesn’t seem to get as dirty as it once did.

The other ingredient I mentioned was emu oil.  Emu oil is great for moisturizing the scalp and works very well in shampoos and conditioners.  It is a very popular ingredient for African American shampoos and for anyone who deals with breakage or coarseness.  It is a great moisturizer – reducing dryness and poor hydration – and works well for those whose locks are thin…it adds body, softness and life.