Hair salons are a safe place. They’re a place where consumer and professional come together in complete harmony to create something on trend but at the same time street-friendly. Luckily, professional brands are making said harmony easier than ever to achieve, introducing some amazing innovations to the salon that consumers can take home with them.
COLOUR
If Jennifer Lawrence is the darling of the 2013 awards season, then colour is the hair industry’s equivalent. And not just any colour – this year is all about multi-dimensional, luminous colour as called for by the consumer. It began last month, with the relaunch of Goldwell Professional’s Elumen colour. What began with a formula for the perfect fashion shades such as pink, purple and green has now evolved to cater for blondes, brunettes and redheads. Featuring 28 shades, Elumen allows greater creativity for the colourist, while also achieving hair colour that has 76 per cent more intensity compared to oxidative permanent hair colours.
The next big thing to come across beauty media’s radar was Wella Professionals Illumina, described as the brand’s biggest innovation in 20 years. Illumina is based on the idea of virgin” hair – that is, hair that’s never been coloured. At its media launch, Wella’s Asia Pacific regional manager Andrew Tetley explained that 57 per cent of salon customers want more natural, sheer results, which is how Illumina was born. Using Microlight technology, Illumina encapsulates copper on the hair shaft, rather than mixing with it in the way traditional hair colour does, resulting in untainted, sheer colour.
is also preparing to introduce its Intense Natural Shades range to salons in April. Formulated with Vitaflection Microsphere technology, the range helps provide even and full coverage while also leaving hair intensely smooth and vibrant. There has been a real return to understated, natural hues that are still luxuriously vibrant and rich,” says Clairol Professional’s national educator Tammy Augostin. The launch of the new Intense Natural shades line aims to provide consumers with a colour collection that does exactly that.” In-salon colour treatments are being complemented by at-home solutions for consumers between salon visits.
New salon brand Spilt Milk offers a range of coloured mineral hair powder that helps disguise regrowth, as well as dirty hair between shampoos. Much more than a coloured dry shampoo, Spilt Milk is a luxurious alternative only to be found in salons. Spilt Milk is not about extreme high volume or quick sales,” says the brand’s creative director Bridgette Kirk. Spilt Milk is a boutique hair brand that specialises in natural and high-quality ingredients.”
SCALP TREATMENTS
According to research conducted by best-selling brand which is now available in Australia, the scalp ages six times faster than the skin on our face, and 12 times faster than that on our body. It’s no wonder then, that so many brands are investing in scalp-focused hair treatments. Suigo recommends an in-salon scalp analysis for its clients, so that the right products can be prescribed to nourish the hair follicle and improve hair scalp function.
Heralding from the US, boasts an innovative in-salon Scalp Dermabrasion, which deeply cleanses the hair follicles and regenerates the scalp’s surface, creating the optimum environment for healthy hair.
Similarly, US brand has also recently landed on our shores. Offering 100 per cent vegan hair treatments, Malibu C is formulated with innovative crystalised vitamin technology. The brand offers a two-step in-salon treatment known as Malibu C MakeOver, which treats the scalp and the hair itself.
KERATIN
Far from fading into the limelight, keratin has been consistently reinvented to provide new benefits to the hair. Salon brand unveiled its Rescue Treatment at Hair Expo 2012, which boasts revolutionary keratin technology that is a long way from traditional keratin straightening treatments. This year, the brand launched its at-home equivalent – Rescue Intense Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, which uses the same Replicine Functional Keratin technology used in the in-salon treatment. The technology contains naturally derived keratin proteins, which are able to bind to damaged hair, rebuilding its internal structure and restoring strength and elasticity.
As the name suggests, utilises keratin in all its formulas. The brand’s newest collection is called Blondeshell, which includes a shampoo, conditioner, hair oil and masque so users can gain benefits of keratin technology at home.
SHINE
It’s not enough to have healthy-looking hair these days – it has to have red carpet-worthy shine, too. Just last week, Australian brand launched its new reparative spa range to beauty media. The natural-based range contains high concentrations of Moroccan Argan Oil to repair and moisturise the hair. The complete range offers consumers salon-quality results at home using this liquid gold” formula.
The launch comes hot on the heels of Sebastian Professional’s own at-home shine enhancing range. Formulated with rock crystal extract, the range works to restore hair, while at the same time depositing shimmering micro-particles onto the hair, thereby reflecting light from every strand. Made up of Trilliance Shampoo, Trilliance Conditioner and Shine Crafter wax, the range gives the consumer the ability to control the amount of shine seen in the hair.
TOOLS
Last year, it was the new ghd hairdryer, Air. This year, the brand stepped it up again with a remake of the tool that made it a household name – the ghd styler. The most important innovation from ghd since it was first launched 12 years ago,” according the Lino Sinni, managing director of ghd Australia and New Zealand, the ghd eclipse offers tri-zone technology. That means it uses six sensors in the tool’s plates that provide a consistent temperature of 185 degrees C, so consumers and salon professionals can get faster results with minimal hair damage.
Consumers will also begin to see the muk style stick 230-IR in hairdressing salons around the country. The newer, hotter version (literally) of muk’s original Style Stick, the 230-IR uses infrared red lights embedded in the iron’s ceramic plates to infuse heat deep inside the hair shaft, protecting the outer surface structure of the hair.
With so many exciting innovations hitting salons this year, it’s a great time to encourage consumers to head back to their hair professional to get in on the action, and stay at the forefront of hair trends and innovative products.