Courtesy of Surface Hair

Surface Hair Health Art

In response to the growing contingent of consumers seeking gluten-free products, hair brand Surface has formulated their entire line of cleansing, conditioning and styling products to be gluten-free

Here at Sogno the health of our clients and their hair is  very important. Surface fits our beliefs. Our recent trip to The American Beauty Show gave us a chance to reconnect with Wayne Grund, creator of Surface. His passion is infectious and we are excited to show you what these products can do to enhance your hair

My team and I recently traveled to Massachusetts to hear a lecture with Dr. Hayel M. Said, Ph.D., a world-renowned color chemist. Dr. Said received his PhD in Molecular biology. He specializes in hair.  I have taken classes with him in LA a few times before. He has given me permission to quote him. This is what he says about well water. “Well water, used by many communities around the country and around the world, is enriched with a large number of minerals. Hard water is just one example. Although hard water (enriched with calcium and magnesium) is usually harmless, yet it casts on the hair a dull appearance and leaves it with a weighted feel. Calcium and magnesium, bind to the negative sites on the hair and cause the hair to cling together and lose its “body”. Well water also contains iron, copper, zinc, chromium and other metals that affect negatively all salon services and result in unsatisfactory results both in the salon and at home.”

We find well water to be a challenge at Sogno as we find many of our new clients have not been educated on the effect it has on their hair and hair color. Brassiness is a big problem. Sometimes there is also a green cast to the hair from the copper. If you see rusty  or green stains on your fixtures than you can be sure your hair has the same problem.  Water filters help but does not always solve the problem with hair. You must use a purifying shampoo at home frequently. One that is designed with chelators to remove the minerals. Not vinegar, not shampoo!! Ask the experts what to use.

Yes, fussy and obsessive  but do you love your hair?

Nancy

Thanks to all our brave and loyal guests who made it to Sogno in the storm yesterday January 12. I wish we could have helped those who called looking for a cancellation! We were open until 8 pm it was a quiet Main street…plows…bars…Sogno Salon

The myth of organic natural hair color

This is taken from Dr Said ,a very well known Cosmetic Chemist website. He along with myself and many other professionally educated cosmetologists will fully agree with the following:

First I cannot recommend a product because THERE ISN’T ANY. Unfortunately, some small manufacture’s try to play the fear factor in their advertisements to achieve a quick sale. Be aware of those. The only dye that you can find in hair color with truly organic nature is natural henna, but we all know the drawbacks of this colorant. There are many claims cleverly designed to confuse you into believing that a product is “natural” or “organic” or simply “good for you”. For example, many products on the market contain natural botanical extracts or other ingredients derived from botanicals. But as long as the active ingredients (in this case hair dyes) are chemicals synthesized in the lab, the product should in no way be described as a natural or organic product in the sense we understand “organics” to be..

On the other hand, there are hair products which do not contain PPD (para-phenylenediamine) free but again they are not organic or natural. A replacement for PPD is a dye called PTD (para-toluenediamine, or 2,5-Toluenediamine) which is very similar to PPD. The only difference is the presence of an extra chemical (methyl) group on the benzene ring. PTD delivers similar color combination to PPD when combined with various dye couplers, and is used as a replacement for PPD. PPD has been in use in hair color for several decades and has been subjected to intensive research along the way. Considering the billions of color applications involving PPD on humans and the number of reported toxic cases of the dye, the risks appear to be quite minimal. PTD, on the other hand has been in use for only a much shorter period and not enough studies have been conducted in relation to its safety. Long-term effects, if any, are yet to be seen. Remember that people can develop sensitivity to a number of things including food, flowers, and other things that are harmless to the greatest majority of people. Dye allergies should be viewed from this perspective.

At Sogno Salon we always research our products, read ingredients and study with the best in our field in order to best care for you.

Wishing you the best in healthy hair,

Nancy

I want to thank all our clients for your loyalty and support this past year.  Perhaps all of you know Sogno Salon means Dream Salon.  There is another part of my dream that I would like to share with you. I structured Sogno with a stylist level system. This allows us to bring in a young stylist and train her/him to do  great cuts and colors while being supportive and making great educational experiences available.  A big part of my dream is that if any of our clients feel a need to leave one particular Sogno Stylist that client would feel comfortable trying anyone else on staff. We work together as a team. That is so important to my dream.  We are happy to have you to work with  anyone of us. That’s our mission and philosophy.

Clients leave salons because of many reasons: beauty budget, time, or just need a change.  I know that. I hope we have created a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere where you will all wish to stay at Sogno and perhaps try us all out! I invite any of my personal clients to try Laura or  Lindsey. As busy as we have become there will undoubtedly be other new stylists to try also. All clients hopefully feel free to ask for any of us. First and foremost  you are Sogno Clients here because:  We Listen, We Teach, We Care.

May the  year 2012 be full of success, happiness and GREAT hair,

Nancy

It’s  Ambush makeover time again for a deserving person  It’s a day of beauty at Sogno Salon and Rheal Day Spa The candidate will receive a relaxing spa time at Rheal. Then on to Sogno Salon for a new look, cut ,color and conditioning treatment and make-up at Sogno Their laundry will be done by Clean Bee Laundry of Camden and lunch will be provided  Send you stories about the wonderful person who wants a new look and day of beauty to sognosalon@gmail.com. They must know you are doing this and approve!  Best story wins our hearts. Deadline is January 7^th

More to come about special days in January for men and women!

Want a blow out to last for days before needing a wash? Add Aquage Defining Gel or Curl Define Crème to the hair. Never rough dry the hair with a hair dryer. Start your blow out with the hair very damp. Removing the water out of the hair with a dryer before the blowout will add static, frizz and the finished look will not last.
Always over-direct the hair section by section with a round, ceramic brush to give it lift. Move the hair right to left, then left to right, always over-directing. Make sure the hair at the scalp is 100 percent dry and smooth. Always use a finishing product to prevent frizziness At Sogno we love Finishing Spray by Aquage

Let’s think about spring before we say good-bye to summer…
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week took New York City last week with thousands of lucky9 I think) fashion insiders gathering to see the newest collections of over 99 designers.
Hair had very fresh and pretty cowgirl looks with pigtails in ringlets but the twist was the ‘50s style, ultra high glamorous bouffant wave on the top of the head. And lots of ponytails. Sleek and textured,
Clothes showed sparks of color such as royal blue and bright purple play against a neutral palette of black, white, gray and silver. Dark silks and laces could be seen alongside light, airy, printed linens. Lots of floral prints mixed with a washed charmeuse and perforated leather.
See what we have to look forward to!
Nancy