Been hearing a lot about NYC (and national) salons no longer offering the Brazilian Blowout – among them Frederic Fekkai, John Barrett and rumor has it, Butterfly Studio Salon at the end of the month.
According to WWD - Pierre Michel, NOT among my favorites due to obscene attitude and horrific client servicing on the managerial level (but that’s a whooooole other show as Oprah would say), now only offers the treatment on limited days of the week and uses a fan during the service. Which is a very unusual stance in my opinion – you either believe that the product is harmful to your clients and stylists or you trust it is safe as per its claims.
At any rate, we are all savvy beauty consumers and we know very often chemicals are included in products we purchase (even those that may say organic, mineral, botanical, natural and so forth). We continue to consume knowing the amounts included have been vigorously tested in labs and are safe in very small percentages.
This issue here is that Brazilian Blowout, which I’ve blogged about from the very start, markets itself as a safe formaldehyde-free product that miraculously smooths and straightens hair making it fuss-and-frizz-free for months. Talk about innovation in the hair category and ease and convenience for consumers! Women who dreaded a little drizzle or getting splashed in the pool were instantly liberated. The backlash, though, is coming from tests in which the levels of formaldehyde found in the product were well above its claims and unsafe for both women and salon stylists. Originally, it was a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent (in essence free of formaldehyde). Now, testing is showing higher levels. And in some cases, dangerous levels.
The Brazilian Blowout company and its manufacturer Cadiveu Brasil are, of course, pointing fingers at each other.
Read the full WWD article for more on that.
Of course, on this site we don’t care as much about who is in the wrong or who tampered with the formula, but more about what you should do as the investigation continues.
I read all your comments and know so many of you do not want to return to a time before Brazilian Blowout.
There are some new products on the mass market like Garnier Sleek and Shine Blow Out Perfector which lasts for 7 days and I’ve tested and loved. There’s also Avon Advance Techniques Lotus Root which is more part of your daily styling routine but also works wonderfully (and is a key ingredient in my new straight-hair regimen).
Having said that, both are much more temporary and not necessarily as mind-blowing as the salon treatment.
I also know some of you have said you will continue to get the treatment until it gets pulled entirely. While I believe one’s health should come before her appearance, I understand and don’t judge because I know how this product has changed lives and that the testing done to date has been questioned and isn’t conclusive. As a woman, I also know that you can’t measure the value of high self-esteem and self-confidence – and this product has given a TON of both. On the other hand, you can’t measure the value of good health until you’ve lost it. And in those times, looking good rarely is a top priority. So ideally, there will be an alternative introduced to offer the same result at no risk.
What will you do in the meantime??
Any stylist friends want to offer their expert opinions?
All comments and questions are welcome.
The feedback on the previous posts was so informative and thoughtful and helpful and insightful – that it makes me very proud of the company I keep here.
So let’s keep the dialogue going… xoxx