Ask Alan

February 28, 2010

Why we still work in the salon?

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 4:12 am

Each morning, I like to take time just to sit and have a cup of coffee, and let my mind go.   It’s one of my favorite times, and knowing that I have to be in the salon at 9AM, it is likely that I will be up at least 6AM so that I have time for my mind to wander before I have to get into the “getting ready” part of the day.   The time is usually about 45 minutes that it takes.   I don’t really have an agenda for the time, it’s just time available for me to think what I think.  If there is a problem that I am dealing with, I usually use that time to allow some attention to that particular problem, but in no way is it time to figure things out.  It’s just time to let my mind go where it wants to go whith that idea in the background….

Oh, I call it “sitting for….”   So, this morning I was sitting for fashion!   I was fascinated with that Fashion Week has just happened in NYC, and am astounded at the enormous talent that lurks in the fabric of the city.   I was imagining how designers come up with their designs, and especially how they get the notariety that they need to take their designs down the runway.   It’s so much like my business in a peculiar way.   I was thinking about all the new products that I have in my head, and rather than go down the tunnel of “how can I get them produced quickly enough and into the market,” I paused  for a moment to ask myself…..”Who would want them, and why?”  There are sooooo many products on the market!   I mean walk a block over and if you simply bought one of each shampoo, you’d have many years’ supply from just that store!  AND they have something for every hair and skin care need. So, what makes me think that I can do anything that is of any need not already fulfilled by the marketplace?

The obvious answer to eliminate loads of the products on the market is simply a matter of preference, you know like, the smell of thim, the performance, or lack thereof, etc.   Each has a quality that is either the consumer’s solution or desire.   All that to say, it’s obvious that I need to be able to deliver a product that is unique and really satisfies our customer.

I remember when I worked for major manufacturers, it was hard to tell how a product was “created.”  Was it the customers calling up the corporation, or was it the corporation that had an idea of a product they thought would be of value?  And, if it was the corporation, who was the person they called?

Without going into my opinion of how it worked, I realized this morning how it works for us at Belegenza.  We still work in the salon on real people in the cities we live.  We get to hear directly from our people.  Because  we are still doing hair,  we see the results.  We get to feel the hair, the products and the results.  We also hear the problems that people deal with in the real world.  It’s from this interaction in the real salon world that we get our ideas, and develop them from ther!  It’s really the only way, in my opinion, to really develop a company.  I still love the salon, and doing hair.  I love creating producst and all that entails and can’t imagine doing that without working in the salon, keeping my finger on the pulse of the industry….

Til tomorrow’s sitting for……….

Alan

February 26, 2010

Why is Belegenza salt free?

Lot’s of reasons we are salt free.   As I was showering at a home on the beach in San Diego, I noticed the enormous amount of damage to the metal fixtures from the salt air from the ocean.   It clicked for me.   Having lived at the beach for many years, we’ve had to replace things like crazy because of this metallic problem from the sea air.  We say, “the ocean eats things in the home!”  Tv’s, hinges, belt buckles, blowdryers, cars, and foget about the chrome on anything!

Well, what do you think it does to the hair?  Women love it once in a while, because after a day at the beach, their hair has a lot of body, for a couple of days.   Of course, those of us with unruly curl, not so much!  I look like Einstein’s abandoned child, without my RoMANce Deep Conditioning Treatment!

The problem may be a bit deeper, though.   Let’s look at what happens when salt lays on the scalp.  What happens to a garden if you get “driveway salt,” (those in the snowy areas know what happens).  Look at the plants on the beach!   Or lack thereof.  Salt is not a good medium for growing things!

On a deeper level, lets look at salt in the diet.  High sodium= they say leads to Hypertension/high blood pressure.  It seems to constrict the blood vessels, increasing pressure, right?  If your poor little follicles have constricted blood flow, the supply of building materials is decreased…..thinning of the hair.   AND don’t forget, “bless your heart,” it has to pump even harder to get that blood to the VERY TOP of your body against gravity!  It’s no wonder one would have thinning hair.   My health practitioner told me…..”NO MORE SALT.  You only get what is in your food naturally, and that is too much anyway!  DRINK MORE WATER, TOO!” and then he hung up on me.   (He’s very good at what he does, and when he means something, he means it.)

So……… another reason we have no salt is that it pulls the Brazilian Keratin Treatment out of the hair!   It just doesn’t work.  Those with BKT pay good money for perfect hair, and using salt ruins the results!

The other really great reason we DON’T have salt, is that it is a filler in the formulation!   It is what is used to cheapen the cost of producing products.   We don’t even begin with water (as a filler), so why would we use salt?

We have 8-33% active ingredients in our formulations, unlike the conventional products ranging from 3-7% average with beautiful packaging!

There you have it, and that’s the good news!

Oh, salt is called Sodium Chloride in the conventional products!

Alan

PS.   Ask me how to protect yourself from salt when you go to the beach!

What’s the best conditioner for my hair?

This may sound trite.   The BEST conditioner is the food you eat!   I’m not talking about mayonnaise slathered into your hair while you lay in a tub of water with tea extracts.   I’m talking about good nutrition!

Yesterday, whilst creating perfect tresses on Sally G Lyndley, stylist for an extraordinary list of celebs (my latest fave, Victoria Beckham), we were chatting about the CDFA Health Intiative empowered by Anna Whintour, of obvious fame,  and Nian Fish, Creative Director of Media-Relations Company KCD, world-renown show producer who makes it all happen in the finest fashion show offerings.   Their campaign and stand is that the fashion world empower and demand health of the models who are representing beauty.  It has been a problem for years now that models have become alarmingly thin and surely you’ve heard of some of the tragedies that some young models have endured trying to be “thin enough” for the runway.  Rather than talk about that, I want to talk about getting some sensible conversation about health and beauty.

It seems that the attention that we are lead to believe is the most important is the attention on “fixes” for things that should be naturally perfect.   I mean, let’s face it….. our bodies are magnificent.  Get a cold, the body heals itself with a little TLC and good nutrition.  Cut your finger, and it heals.  You don’t have to meditate on the healing…the body just takes over, naturally.  I bet you weren’t even thinking about reminding your heart to beat or your lungs to inhale, right?

So, what’s my point?   I think we have to get serious about what we are using to build our HAIR and skin, so that we don’t have to rely on potions to “fix” the condition of the hair!  To build a healthy head of hair, you have to supply the factory (follicle) with the necessary and in my opinion, high quality building materials!   If you give your follicles diet soda, denatured processed foods, or junk food, and the latest fad diet building materials, what are the follicles going to use?  Those junkie materials!

What is hair made of?   Proteins!  It takes a lot of co-factors to process those proteins from your mouth to the scalp, so get a good array of foods rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, and the wholesome nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals.   My favorites are eggs, salmon, and just about any low glycemic fruits and vegetables( the greener, the better).    Skip the chemical stuffs, fake stuff, diet stuff, packaged stuff and above all soy and cut that sugar back as if it is poison!   And don’t even start about corn syrup!   I have seen changes in peoples hair within weeks of a healthy balanced diet, and certainly when they stopped using soys, sugars, and syrups!

Once you’ve cleaned up your diet, and created my favorite conditioner (good healthy nutritious food), increase your water intake.  There is no FDA requirement set for water, but stop getting water in your body and tell me it’s not a requirement!

From there, it’s a matter of choosing the finest conditioners, and of course, you know my faves!

Sally Lyndley…..I thank you for the conversation and the stand that you are for not only styling the obviously beautiful men and women of the world, but also for being a key player in causing the Health Initiative!  I’m inspired that you are requiring your models on the runway to be healthy and the message that HEALTH IS BEAUTY.

Thank you for your partnership, and, by the way, you are certainly a model of your stand….great nutrition and it shows!!!

Alan

February 25, 2010

What do I do about my dry scalp?

This winter is unbelievable!  Seems as though every climate is getting something extreme.  In NY, we have a particularly bad time because of the HEAT that is blasting in our buildings with absolutely no moisture.  It’s like living in an oven on slow bake, and like bread in a slow oven, we turn to croutons.   This is a problem for most of the country this season, because the winter is bitter, and the heat is ON.

Let’s look deeper at the situation.  Here we are with heat blasting, and we are using synthetic products that are made to shine the hair with silicone and plastic derivatives.  It’s good to keep humidity out of the hair, but what happens when you get that on your delicate scalp?  And then you are slowly baking yourself in your heated home or office?  Dryness!   Static electricity!  You get the picture.

We get compliments and comments all the time about one little product that is the backbone of all our Belegenza formulations, and that is SpotLite Shine S500 Serum.   Most serums (most of them silicone based) come with a pump that squirts silicone into your hand and then you apply to the hair.  SpotLite Shine comes in a squeeze bottle with an applicator/dropper for a particular reason.   The common most favorite use is to drop in your hand much like other serums, but for those who know and understand the power of these precious drops, it is an applicator bottle that allows you to apply it directly to the scalp!   We didn’t include this application method when we introduced the product originally, but when our peeps started calling in, they kept saying that’s what they were doing with it!  So, as we grew that product up, we included it with our instructions, and now we get thank you’s all the time during the winter mostly, about how it saves a “crouton-like” scalp!   Many ethnicities like using oils on the scalp to grow the hair, and this is the perfect choice for this for several reasons. 1) it’s the smallest structure of some of the most nourshing oils used, 2) it absorbs 3) leaves the hair extremely shiny 4) can be used daily, and 5) soothes the dry scalp and when brushed in before bed, controls flaky scalp.   Yes, you can wear black again in the winter, without your own “head-snow” shoulders.

Oh, this formula extract is laced into all our hair care products in varying strengths….one of our secrets!

And, someone remind me next month about using SpotLite Shine S500 when spring rolls around.  HINT: the first time in the sun!  OUCH, but it was only for an hour….how did I get this burned?

SpotLite Shine……..goodbye flakes and dryness! Hello shine !

Alan

February 24, 2010

Phthalate-free fragrances… Phthalate?

Filed under: Celebrity endorsement, Safety and purity — admin @ 6:06 am

I don’t even really know  how to pronounce Phthalate!   Dictionary.com said, (tha late)  without the “f” sound.    So, it’s about like our name Belegenza, said more ways than I can even count!   Oh, so just in case…. Bell uuuh JEN zuh !   It means the Genesis of Beauty!  AND  NOW….on with the real info…..    Our fragrances are derived from natural sources, so as usual, you can rest assured that we’ve done LOTS of homework in this department.  So, listen to this!  We learned about phthalates from our magnificent Renee Loux!  Here’s the  low down on the down low…..

Phthalates in perfumes are known hormone disruptors. In 1989 the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health evaluated 2,983 fragrance chemicals for health effects. They identified 884 of them as toxic substances. The US Environmental Protection Agency found that perfumes can contain toluene (which has since had lots of measures put in place to eliminate) , which can cause liver, kidney and brain damage as well as damage to a developing fetus. That was the big problem years ago in the nail salons, if you remember.  Also, the big news about phthalates now is that it is associated with evidence of hormonal imbalances, especially in boys and men, links to cancers  and tumors, and fetal developmental problems.   And just when you thought it was safe….we find it is used in vinyl, toys and cars, and  is a key ingredient in nail polish.   Is phthalate that new car smell I like?  I wonder!

Eeeewwwwhh…..  need I say more?  Phthalate-free is the way to go!  It’s no wonder I don’t like going down the detergent aisle in the grocery or can’t stay in a department store for more that a few minutes!

Alan

February 23, 2010

What’s the best to use on Men’s Hair for the new Postmodern Pompadour?

Filed under: Celebrity, Hair Growth, Safety and purity, Uncategorized — admin @ 4:57 am

It really depends on the texture of a man’s hair.   The new look is one that is tight on the sides up to about brow level, and then long in the top and pushed back, rather than flopping forward.  You’re seeing it on the likes of Channing Tatum, John Mayer, Zac Efron, Robert Pattison, and the models on the runways of Bottega Veneta, Burberry and DSquared2.
This needs to be soft to the touch, yet have enough body to it to stay back.   Unless the hair is super fine or thinning, the best approach is to use on wet hair, our natural performer PerForm Control Styling Gel. And for that matter, gents, it’s a good idea to use this as a basis for all styles, so that you are protecting the follicles, nourishing them, and keeping other synthetics you may have to use later from laying on the scalp.   I highly recommend using this ON the scalp whether it gives you enough performance or not.  This is the “primer” for the hair, and then you can add anything else with a level of safety for your hairs.
Those of you with too much hair…..  add a bit of Taffy to the hair when it is wet.  This will help coax it up for a powerful look that shows off the strength of your hair.  Then blow it up and control it with a bit more Taffy on ends for that “effortlessly-perfect-but-not-too-metro-look.”
Guys with medium textures can use the PerForm Control Styling Gel before drying, and then just finish it with Taffy on the ends.  This will leave it in control, and you will still be able to have her run her hands in it without breaking her nails.
Fine hair?  PerForm Control Styling Gel on wet hair, dry it, and then use the PerForm again to lift it and create texture without separating the hair too much leaving it looking fuller and thicker.  After you’ve applied the Gel the second time, take the blowdryer to it again and just rock the dryer as fast as you can at the scalp for about a minute all over.  This will increase the volume of the hair, and also increases the scalp circulation for better growth over time!
On all textures of hair, SpotLite Shine S500 Serum is perfect to add that final shine that women love in men’s hair.  2-3 drops in your hands, and run it through as the last step before you conquer the world with your newest look!
Remember, all the products are perfectly compatible for growing hair and nourishment of the scalp.  If you need more stiffness for your look, you can always reach for your old trusted favorite (even if it is plastic, acrylate, or silicone based).  With Belegenza as the base, you can rest more assured that you are treating your hair right, AND getting the performance you demand with your old trusted faves.
Alan

February 20, 2010

Thinning Hair and Soy

Filed under: Hair Growth, Safety and purity, Uncategorized — admin @ 11:09 pm

There is a growing number of people who are finding that taking care of their health is quite a job.   There is so much out there to take into consideration.  It’s a good idea to look at who is giving the expert advice and what is the “bottom line” or angle from which they are advising.   My angle is to tell what I know, and to offer you the opportunity to either purchase our products to assist you in your quest for health and beauty in a responsible way, AND to educate you as best as I can in the process, so that you are aware of things that are conventional cover-ups…..     WHAT?

Well, when it comes to thinning hair, we at Belegenza have learned more than we really bargained for.   We simply started hearing from our customers that their hair seemed to be growing faster, healthier, and “bigger” (as in each hair felt bigger in diameter).  That was simply with our main and original shampoo, IlLustrious. When Cheryl Honc and our Chief Chemist realized this, they got the passion to seek out the ingredients from popular cultures who seemed to be the experts in hair growth.  For the first time ever, Belegenza took the secrets of each culture studied and created a formula that exceeded even our expectations.  That’s how we came up with GrowOut Shampoo & Strengthener.

As this was happening though, we learned lots of things about what STOPPED and slowed hair growth! This was fascinating, but it was not something we could sell.  I mean, wearing tight ball caps that restrict the flow of blood in the scalp to the follicles is not a thing you sell!  High sodium diets that may constrict the flow, kinda like hypertensive situations, is not something we can sell, let alone talk about without the FDA getting up in our business.  So, we learned lots of stuff like this that is VERY important to those who are losing hair!

Dr. Mercola is someone I trust about a lot of things, and he is the only one I know that is talking “outloud” about SOY.   Before he started talking about it on his website, we had already started cautioning our clients from eating, drinking or using soy stuffs.  I’m not saying, but I’m just sayin……

I had a client whose hair was thinning incredibly on ONE side of her head.  I questioned her about this, and we realized that the thinning started after she had started supplementing with the stuff in efforts to lose weight!   She stopped and guess what?  To both our amazement, it’s balanced out….

A young man was bulking up at the gym.  Bigger muscles, thinner hair, and in his early twenties, was panicked!    When I informed him of this theory, he realized that he had switched to a protein mix recently, and was quick to switch back to whey proteins.   Guess what?  He’s big and has hair!

Without going into something that might get the soy people upset with me, you can find out more about it from Dr. Mercola.

Oh, and yes, the soy from the US is different than the soy in Asian countries.  Genetically modified sound familiar?  I’m just sayin’…..

Alan

February 19, 2010

Fragrance & Dyes

Filed under: Celebrity endorsement, Hair Growth, Press, Safety and purity — admin @ 1:53 pm

A great question came up yesterday about our fragrances and dyes.    I like when people ask because it gives us a chance to talk about the maze that we are put through as manufacturers.

As you may have realized, Belegenza is organized by a very high standard of quality that starts with ME.  I originally and to this day, have a selfish and particular reason for making these formulas.  They are for MY safety and the safety of my family first and foremost.   Having been in the industry for 28 years, I’ve seen the evolvement and DEvolvement of things in the chemistry department of the biz, and have dedicated myself to providing safe and effective answers to problems before the public is aware, and in a lot of cases, before the industry is aware (for example, we are the originators of the Silicone-free concept and as you are seeing now, many conventional products following our lead).

When it came to fragrances, we are no less dedicated to making sure that we are in alignment with our beliefs.   You can see by our PR, that we are connected, and in the background of technology, we are connected there too!  So, when we were searching out fragrances, we had the dilemna of 1) smelling great, 2) using natural extracts, 3) allergic reactivity, 4) stability of the formula, 5) expense.   Cheryl, our Chief Formulator, is our “NOSE” as they say in the biz.   She knows my plight with severe eczema and allergic reactivity to the chemistry in our biz as well as food allergies that set me back for weeks at a time, so she went the extra mile to procure the finest fragrances possible.   Then, while we were developing them, it was thanks to Renee Loux, author of The Balanced Plate   and  Easy Green Living that we learned about PHTHALATES and the dangers of this in fragrances.   Well, thinking that we had to start all over, we found that the fragrances that Cheryl had customized were in fact Phthalate-free!  In fact, derived from natural sources, they are the only fragrances that can be applied directly to the skin with no reactivity and are safe especially at the extremely low percentages that we use (lower than conventional synthetics).   Our Chief Chemist figured out how to then “whip” the formula and without all the extra water, it allows the fragrance to release its aroma better.  This is why you smell it so potently even when you open the bottles!   They are so pure, they still fit in our category of food-grade because the are much like flavorings in food.

When it came to putting some coloring in the GrowOut Shampoo, as well as Taffy & Simply Straight we went the same direction….food grade.  So, we have the same type of food coloring that is only allowed in pharmaceutical purity category, and again in very low percentages.  Green is very easy to do with low amounts of coloring, so it’s even lower than typical.

Summing all that up leaves the question of “If you are using so little, why not just use none at all?”   Right?  I know!   We find the funniest thing…..the last “selling point” in product shopping to be the “lemme smell it-test.”   I remember a product that I used that would repair anything from hair to flat tire, but few would buy because it smelled like gym socks soaked in last night’s beer.  Then, it was improved to smell like Elmer’s glue, but again, it just didn’t matter how good it was due to the smell.   None of our  RAW formulas smell that bad, but we chose to have it all.  Great performance, great appeal, and incredible safety.  We are the fusion of performance and wellbeing and are taking the biz to a whole new level.

OH, and the cost?  Of course, I’d like to use cheaper or no fragrances, especially during this economic time.  We maintain our standards…….professional results, naturally.

Alan

February 18, 2010

Psoriasis or Eczema…What should I do?

Filed under: Celebrity Stylist/Colorist, Celebrity endorsement, Press — admin @ 1:45 pm

Psoriasis and eczema are medical issues, and as you may know, I cannot answer it from a diagnosis perspective due to FDA and AMA rules and rulings.   BUT I can tell you how I approach this matter with good results of clients in my 20-something years of experience.

First off, they are different matters, and that is for your doctor to decide.   Once you are settled with that, I like to look at the cause of the issue, and then eliminate the situations that is either causing it or exacerbating the issue.

The most obvious is to stop using conventional products and in many cases we must look at the “natural” products and be sure that they are safe for you to be using in this situation.  Remember, things that are “natural” may not be compatible with the human body.  Aresenic found in apple seeds is natural, but it’s not a good idea to ingest it!  Even water used the wrong way can be fatal!  My point is to not single out a single ingredient and lay the blame there, and then be a nut eliminating “water” from your life because you read on the internet that “someone died of water inhalation” therefore don’t use water anymore.  We have to make sense and use things appropriately.

Back to “natural” products….. In my opinion, silicone derivatives are a no-no in the beauty category even though, they are from a natural source!  Sand is natural, right? But once that sand is processed to very tiny molecular forms (silicone derivatives) it’s a whole different story.  An apple is great, but it’s individual constituents each have different qualities, so you have to know what they are and how to use them appropriately.  So, in our research at Belegenza, we have eliminated this category of questionable ingredients.  Once the scalp able to respire (breathe) again, after the silicone elimination process, the scalp (skin) is able to throw off the toxicity that I believe is the issue of Psoriasis and Eczema conditions.   It has been believed by many holistic practitioners that too much nickel is in the body and it is trying to eliminate this through the skin.   The increased nickel can come from many sources, but may be linked to cookware, dinnerware, etc.  I am no expert on this, but I do think that you may want to investigate further, and get back to a healthier diet.

My point is to do all you can do to eliminate the synthetic situations of shampoos and conditioners, and especially gels and sprays that can seal off the scalps ability to respire at its optimum levels.  And by the way, we are still working on a spray that will be aligned with our principles!  Until then, we encourage you to protect your scalp with our PerForm Control Styling Gel, especially if you continue to use silicone derivative sprays or even stiff gels to accomplish the look you like.  In other words, put a bit of PerForm on, and then add your favorites to the hair afterwards, so that the PerForm acts as a healthy barrier to the silicone and plastics of your conventional favorites!

And for those who like to approach things from what I call a “Woo-woo” perspective…… Many of you are familiar with Body Messaging as made popularly available through teachings of Louis Hay.  If this is interesting to you, I suggest a few questions to ponder in your search for clues of the source of the issue.

What feelings are you putting up with that leave you in a state of resignation and apathy?

Where have you set yourself up with expectations that keep you in a state of never attaining the goal?

Are you trying to get someone’s approval and failing?  What about your own approval?

I’m sure you’ve seen people who are stuck with a problem reach up and scratch their head, as if to give up on getting the answer.  The next time you reach up to scratch, maybe you could ask yourself a similar question as the above…..  What am I giving up on?  Who am I trying to impress, or what am I trying to achieve?  Can I just accept the situations in life as they are and give myself a break?

I’ve heard of some medications lately that have made a huge impact in the reduction of itchiness, scaling and flaking.  You will need to check with your doctor about those.  But I believe that there is enormous value in returning to the source of our issues so that we can use our natural processes to heal.    The good news is that if you choose to approach it naturally, you are doing your hair a favor, your body a favor, and ultimately taking your body closer to its optimum operating potential.

Belegenza is the creator of the silicone-free concept in hair and skin care, and we’ve not only eliminated the most categories of questionable ingredients, but also have done so with products that exceed expectations not only with our customers, but with Celebrity stylists, colorists, salon owners, and Celebrities of the Red Carpet consistently. (more? click here.)

Alan

February 17, 2010

Why does IlLustrious Shampoo make hair grow?

Filed under: Condition and Repair, Hair Growth, Press — admin @ 3:42 pm

Well, we really can’t say that, because of the “powers-that-be!” It is currently illegal to say so. BUT, we do know why we get call after call, and email after email saying that our customers are impressed with the healthy growth of their hair, the response, and how each hair is “bigger” than before.
If you know anything about gardening, it’s the easiest way to explain it. Especially now, if you have covered your plants in the winter to protect it from the extreme cold. If you think of the scalp like the soil of the garden, and the hair like the plants, and the plastic sheets that you cover the garden like the silicone and plastic residue of the products you are using, it is quite simple. When you take off the plastic from the garden, the plants simply grow better! When you remove the silicone and plastic residues of shampoos and conditioners, your hair grows like it should naturally! Over time, you have been smothering your scalp, and slowly but surely, you may have slowed it’s ability to grow hair. When that silicone stuff gets on the edges of the follicles (same kind of stuff that you caulk your shower and toilet with) it just slows the processes. Belegenza’s products are designed to gently, over a 30 day period, remove that barrier, and nourish it with food grade goodness. Result? Healthier scalp, hair, and of course, the environment.

This is why we hear that people are having haircuts and color more often…it’s just growing as it should which is faster than we’ve gotten accustomed to. It’s like your hair is young again!

And remember, that each time you use a “conventional product” you will need to give it a fresh new start again……that’s one of the reasons people say….”with Belegenza, it’s like the first time, every time!”

Alan

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