American Board of Certified Haircolorists  Newsletter,
 INOA Haircolor Head to Head Results

      There was much discussion on to how the test on Inoa Haircolor was to be conducted.  It was determined the best way was to compare it with one other haircolor.  We elected to go head to head with WELLA Color Charm, tube haircolor.  We selected this haircolor for two reasons.  We wanted a color that was opposite in both the price and ingredients.  INOA contains no ammonia, and WELLA has the reputation as being loaded with ammonia (even though it is not true).  This was not a comparison such as the 6N comparison, pitting one color aganist all others  It was simply comparing an expensive haircolor against a less expensive one. 
       The test result was based on several areas of haircolor, such as, gray coverage, fading, mixing time, application time, smell, condition of the hair after the applications and consistency.  This is the first of two tests.  The second part of the test which will appear in the next newsletter INOA is included in the same test as the other 6N's both with the brand peroxide and generic peroxide
      There were just 2 applications of color.  After each application the color was left on for 35 minutes, then shampooed twice and left to dry.  The drying time included normal sun exposure and the process was repeated 5 times over a 5 day time period.  The hair was shampooed a total of 10 times.  It was then colored a second time and the entire process repeated
MIXING: This was no contest.  The first time mixing INOA color was slow and cumbersome.  It took 4 minutes and 34 seconds to mix the color.  It took both hands to squeeze the ingredents out of the oil and the peroxide bottles because of the thickness of the product. This also made it difficult to measure, even with the measuring device provided.  The second time the mixing time was cut in half.  Still it was twice as long as the WELLA color, which took 1 minute 15 seconds. The color had to be mixed in a bowl and applied with a brush, unlike the WELLA which can be used with either the brush or bowl.
Winner: WELLA
GRAY COVERAGE:  After comparing the two sides of the mannequin there were mixed reviews as to the coverage of the gray,hair. There appeared to be little or no difference in the gray coverage.  After the second application the coverage was much better.  This is true of both haircolors.  
Winner: TIE
APPLICATION TIME:  Because of the thickness of the INOA haircolor it took longer to apply.  It took 14 minutes to apply the color from scalp to ends on half of the mannequin.  Almost three times longer than  WELLA color, which took only 6 minutes.  The consistency of WELLA tube color makes it easy to mix in an applicator bottle.  I fail to see the advantage of having a product so thick it make the application more difficult.
Winner: WELLA
FADING:  Here again the fading was significant.  We found with both colors the hair faded to the same degree.  It did not appear that one color faded more off tone than the other.  The gray hair had marginal coverage after the first application. After the second application the color was much more through than the first application
Winner:  TIE
HAIR CONDITION:  Without special instruments it is difficult to determine which of the two sides of the mannequin was in better condition.  We made a point not to use any conditioning product after the shampoo.  Both sides became much fuller and both had coarse feel.  It became increasingly difficult to comb the hair the more it was exposed to the sun.  It is difficult to determine what caused the rough cuticle, probably a combination of the color, shampoo and sun.  After the last shampoo we used Oxyfree on the hair which made the combability much better.
Winner: TIE
SMELL:  The smell of INOA color was non descriptive, not perfumey, not medicinal, just a nice gentle smell.  WELLA color smelled like ammonia, that's because there is ammonia in it. 
Winner INOA
PRICE: It was no surprise to anyone that WELLA was going to win this battle. The price of INOA was difficult to determine because of the way it is measured and the manner in which it is priced.  We mixed four ounces of haircolor and priced it per mixed ounce. 
WELLA .36  INOA $2.85.  One application(4 ounces)  WELLA $1.44
INOA $11.42.  The consistency of INOA would make it difficult to complete an application with 4 ounces. 
Winner  WELLA
CONSISTENCY:  The consistency of the INOA haircolor after it was mixed was a beautiful creamy conistency.  It was all you could do to keep from eating it.  The WELLA color on the other hand was WELLA color, a nice golden consistency, but there was no urge to consume it. 
Winner:  INOA

     The purpose of this experiment was to aid haircolorists in determining whether to  switch to another, more costly, haircolor based on the comparisons.  The mannequin will be available for inspection at the next Energizing Summit.
.


INOA ingredients


Wella Ingredients


30% gray
Application


Shampood 20x


Comparing the two colors at the conclusion of the experment appear ro be the same.Wella has a slightly better gray coverage.

A little help from our friend

Malibu Wellness Donates

       No sooner had we put out a plea for donations to manufacturers, then Tom Porter, founder and president, of Malibu Wellness responded with a generous contribution to the American Board of Certified Haircolorist.
     Malibu Wellness is a company dedicated to research, development and education of products for licensed cosmetologists. Their mission is to provide them wellness techniques to solve their client's hair problems associated with chemical services.
       Tom stated, "Congratulations on your continued dedication to raising the standards for education and opportunities for professionals.  We are proud to be a supporter of your program."
            
 
The Wisdom of
Gordon Miller


       There appeared an article written by Gordon Miller for Salon Business Strategies, in 2003, when he was Executive Director of the NCA.  In the article he gave some insights as to the state of the industry and the direction it was heading.
  The article is much to long to include it in its entirety, so I will only include short excerpts in this newsletter.  Gordon shared with me, that as the result of writing the article, he was chastised by many of the special interests he offended.  Namely beauty schools and school owners.  He worked for Milady Publishing before becoming administrator of the NCA and had many school owner friends, until he wrote the article, then they would no longer talk to him.
          I will quote from him directly from the article. 1. Salon professionals have a bad image
Women tell me their hairdressers are creative fashionable, fun people whom they trust.  Women of color talk about self employed entrepreneurs with influence.  So where the problem?  Yes the media loves to toss about the stereotypical gay hairdresser, but I'd label this homophobia above hairdresser-phobia.
           For those looking for a career, the reality is that most jobs in our industry are physically and emotionally demanding: they offer long hours and relatively low pay.  Consider: Salon Today Top 200 salons reported average stylists earned $40,000+ per year: many came in under $30,000 (that's the top 200- in a universe of over 250,000 salons.  A random check will show many of these salons pay under $25,000.
          Most career hunters are looking for a good benefit package in addition to good pay: Yet paid insurance,  sick leave and vacation time are virtually non existent in the average salon.  In chains much of the workforce is part time and transitory, never qualifying for benefits. Even many full time employees never qualify due to long waiting periods.
            So this is the reality that impacts the perception of those making career choices: as many as 80% of stylists leave the industry within two years of beginning their careers. Average annual compensation is under $25,000. No P.R. campaign can. . . or should hide these facts.
Remember this was in 2003, it is much worse now.

By Mary Petello
Keeping it Real


                  Hair reality shows are becoming more and more outlandish. Although, that is what the public demands, should it be delivered? How society relates to hairstylists has changed dramatically over time. Designer...Hairdresser...Cosmetologist... Beautician...Beauty Operator...Barber...Lady's Maid...Servant.

                  In the beginning of society, those individuals that practiced the art of hairdressing were servants. Beauticians sounded clinical but were one-step up from menial labor. The Cosmetologist label was too dispassionately removed from the influential and intimate relationships that develop in salons around the world. Stylists or Designers come closer to adequate titles that describe balancing the emotional with the professional side of the hair industry. Mixed signals are sent-cosmetologists are one of the only licensed professions that accept tips for services. This lends to the difficulty of viewing hairstyling as a profession and not just a job.

                  Entertainment is fine-"Tabitha's Takeover" is an amazing example of reality and entertainment with professionalism as the goal. "Split Ends" showed the variety of salon cultures and entertained with the juxtaposition of switching a tattooed punk stylist with a conservative Christian stylist. Obvious step-ups but still fun and entertaining. The episodes usually ended with mutual respect for different beauty cultures. "Sheer Genius" is a favorite among salons from all demographics. It offers a mix of platform hair, editorial hair and commercial hair. Unfortunately, as amusing as these shows are, the backroom griping, diva-esque behavior, and strategizing (backstabbing) antics do not create a very flattering depiction of hairstylists.

                  We, as a professional community, should encourage the respect we deserve from the public. We must be careful as an industry when reality shows make dramatic color/texture changes to hair into a race with unreal time constraints. This gives the public unrealistic expectations. It could also encourage some stylists to make unwise choices in response to unreal demands, because they saw it on television.  

                  The newest reality show about fantasy hair, "Hair Battle Spectacular", is more about the fantasy than the hair, and I think the public can see that. These stylists rely more on glue guns, foam core, and needles and thread, as well as an ungodly amount of hair extensions. Fun for TV, but not translatable into the average salon services. American Board of Certified Haircolorists strives to promote professionalism and raise the standards of excellence in the hair industry. Stylists-please point out to your clients the fashion frivolity in these shows. Keepin' it real in the salon makes everyone (stylists and clients) look and feel their best!



Fails to break the 50% Passing mark

Washington DC Examination

Largest of The Year

      The Washington, DC examination is the largest of the year.  There were 52 candidates signed up and eager to take the exam.
      One reason for the large number of candidates was the RATNER COMPANY encourages their hairstylists to become American Board Certified. 
      For the past three years they have provided a mentor to assist their staff with series of classes to aid them in passing the examination.  They no doubt are encouraged by the uptake in haircolor service dollars that occur as a result of the group becoming Board Certified.
      More salons should take the lead of the RATNER COMPANY and
Brenda Ficklin received the high score for the Performance Exam.
121 out of a possible 130
train their haircolorists to take the exam and become board certified.  The knowledge and confidence that comes as aresult of becoming certified is immeasurable.  The candidates who do not pass all three portions of the exam are anxious to retake the portions where they fell short.
     Having the written exam questions on the ABCH web site www.haircolorist.com to study, allows the candidates an opportunity to discover the types of questions they willbe asked when taking the exam. 
Cindy Wagner received the high score on the written examination of 223 out of a possible 250

 There was no picture of Kathleen Lauer who scored a 49 out of a possible 50
     The mission statement of the ABCH is to have the best educated professional haircolorist.  This can only raise the bar for everyone and give the consumer confidence in their abilities.


Following are the results of the DC examination:


Candidates examined
54

Number passing the performance
32

Number passing the written
36

Number passing the interactive
28

New Board Certified Haircolorists
19
Next examination is in Atlanta November 7       
By M. Petello.
Battle of The Bubbles

     Sulfate derivatives have long been the primary ingredients in shampoos-in both professional and consumer brands. This sudsing agent reputedly is harsh and leaves hair dried out and frizzy.
Some product manufacturers are not convinced that sulfates actually fade haircolor but many are still introducing their own version to satisfy public demand. Perry Romanowski, a cosmetics chemist who writes, "If the rest of your entire line is based on sulfates, you're essentially undercutting all your other products with this advertising."
    Clients have always equated sudsing with effective cleansing. Fifteen years ago, Consumer Reports had ranked shampoos according to their lather-ability and dry comb-ability and determined little difference between professional and consumer shampoos. Some even stated that professional products were not as effective, based on this criterion. Professional hairstylists know that lathering indicated the presence of detergents and conditioners, not shampoos, influence dry comb-ability.
   Recently, many professional products have used low sudsing formulas and the public is becoming aware of their effectiveness. Oil based products like smoothing serums or silicone inhibit the initial sudsing action in many products. L'Oreal Paris announced cutting-edge technology which produces a shampoo formulation without sulfates but abundant suds. Future use by salons, consumers, and independent lab testing will determine the truth of their claims.
    More consumers are reading product labels. Now, if manufacturers would only create labels with print type and color that can be easily read so that good customer service can occur. Can't read it-won't buy it!
Call Out For Remaining
6N Colors Not Tested

More Tests forthcoming


         If you missed the call for the 6N comparison, now is your chance to participate.  There were several manufacturers an users of other brands who were upset because the color they used was not  were not included.  There were 56 different tests run with 50 colors.  Some of the colors were used with the brand peroxide as well as a generic peroxide.
         The results of the 6N comparison was enjoyed by the participants of the Summit.  I was at the Summit where many wanted their color displayed.
          Everyone appears to be very dedicated to the line of haircolor they use and want to know how their haircolor fared among the rest.


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