Let’s cut to the chase. Instant gratification. It’s one of the most striking evolutions in the human condition of the last 30 years. Technology and business have powered this transformation to satisfy our wants and needs at ever greater speeds.
In generations gone by, delayed gratification was a character virtue to be nurtured. It showed stoic self-discipline. Social science tests in the 1960s revealed that two-year olds who were able to leave a chocolate uneaten for ten minutes for the promise of two chocolates at the end, had more success in later life than their less patient test colleagues.
But we’ve been shaped to want and expect things instantly. Want to watch a film? Click Netflix. Missing someone on the other side of the world? Click Facetime. Like that outfit you’ve seen? Click Net-a-Porter. It could arrive in a couple of hours. The record for an Amazon Prime Now delivery is 13 minutes. Want 5000 friends? Click Facebook. Want to lose weight? Take a pill. Want to feel relaxed? Take a pill. Uplifted? Take another.
In haircare this societal shift towards 'instant' is probably best illustrated by the introduction of silicone. Instead of making the effort to genuinely care for the health of your hair you could just keep varnishing over the cracks with silicone. Blissfully unaware that silicone was opening the cracks up further.
Back in the 1970s and early 1980s there was no Photoshop. If I was styling hair for a magazine cover and left lots of frizzy stray hairs, re-touching was very expensive. The image had to be printed, air-brushed by hand, and re-photographed. Sebastian™ had a professional product called Laminates which was mainly silicone and we’d been using this on photo shoots to give hair instant shine and finish.
Frizz Ease took the idea and made silicone mainstream. Moroccan Oil then gave it a new front with an Arabian nights marketing angle and a dash of argan oil. Virtue have now given it a ‘woke’ title. And just about every manufacturer in between adds silicones to serums, shampoos, conditioners and treatments. What started as a professional cosmetic mask to rescue frizzy matt models’ hair on a photoshoot, became a ubiquitous product and the daily regime for the masses.
But just as other instant gratification solutions; diet pills and foods, cocaine, Prozac, too much social media, etc. come with a sting in the tail, so does silicone. They all have you chasing the early high feeling. Remember how elevated you felt for your first social media likes? And now it yanks your chain. How great you felt suddenly losing 5lbs, and then your body gave you 10lbs back. Etc. etc. Too much silicone dehydrates and ultimately helps to destroy the health of the hair. All the while encouraging the user to reach for more to fix that increasingly dull, dry and unresponsive hair.
Blog – Why silicone free?
Blog - Why silicone is bad for your hair
If silicone for hair is an addiction then serums are the gateway drug. The most concentrated silicone products are the small bottle serums. Some are 99% silicone, usually cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone variants. We wanted to create a product that gave the same instant effect but without the long-term damage.
We directed the laboratory to what we wanted to achieve and then It took nearly two years going back and forth between the lab and testing their product submissions in the salon. We were thrilled with the formula we finally signed off and that is Magic Oil.
• Magic Oil is a professional silicone-free serum that helps combat frizz and ease styling while nourishing and protecting the hair.
• Magic Oil Infuses hair with natural oils to calm frizz.
• Just a tiny amount nourishes and protects your hair
• Instantly your hair will feel smoother and softer with healthy movement and shine.
• It will have more natural flexibility and a richer vibrant colour
• Spread 3-4 drops of Magic Oil across palms and apply to wet hair before styling. Reapply to dry hair for finishing.
• Olaplex No.7, Frizz-Ease, Moroccan Oil and other silicone-rich oils.
• Coconut Oil Derivatives - moisturize and soften
• Linseed Oil – Omega-3 fatty acids help nourish
• Grape Seed Oil – Gives strength and shine
• Wheat germ Oil – Helps hydrate and repair
• Sunflower Seed Oil –antioxidant moisturiser
• Carrot Seed Oil – Antibacterial and healing
FREE FROM: silicone, parabens, sulfates, xenoestrogens, phthalates, colours.
Michael Van Clarke
How many Bobs have you got?
These quick clunky haircuts are becoming prolific as hairdressers become less and less able to layer hair properly. Emily had the very common 3-step Bob. The baseline, a step four inches off the bottom, and a sort of torn irregular piece suggestive of a long
