by Nikki B. ~ Product Education Director

Super clean is absolutely critical today when it comes to washing our hands thoroughly and following all of the cleanliness safety guidelines.  We have all taken cleanliness to a whole new level and rightfully so.  And clean is also important for good skin care and hygiene, meaning cleansing your face morning and night and showering after exercise, etc.

But the shampooing routine of “wash, rinse and repeat” for the hair has become passé.  For sure, cleanse every day to several times a week as need and most definitely if you have an extra oily scalp or dandruff issues.  But for most, cleansing the hair everyday isn’t all that necessary and for some it can cause more harm than good when it comes to controlling texture, guarding condition and color retention.

Coarse, curly, wiry, dry, thick textures, extra-long hair (a big trend now) and color treated hair (especially more complex or rainbow hued color services) can benefit greatly from skipping daily cleansing as appropriate.  Philip Pelusi shampoos are the gentlest shampoos on the market, do not strip color or moisture and are of course sulfate free.  But gentle cleansing is still cleansing.  Instead do a thorough hair and scalp rinse followed by an unsung product hero, P2 by Philip Pelusi Clenz Crème.  Let’s clear up any confusing and run through the ways this product can help preserve color, condition and texture. 

First to clarify, water is one of the great culprits when it comes to color fade but getting the hair wet to reboot your style or spring up curls or waves can be absolutely necessary a day or two after a thorough shampooing.  Rinsing does remove some the surface debris on the hair, especially if you are using water and shampoo soluble Philip Pelusi styling products but leaves behind most of the natural oils produced by the scalp. 

How to?  Rinse hair and scalp thoroughly, a least for a minute or two, gently moving the hair to let the water flow in between all of your tresses.  Next, depending on the length and density of your hair, apply a dime to quarter size amount of P2 by Philip Pelusi Clenz Crème and work through hair.  Leave on the entire time you are in the shower for maximum results.  Rinse thoroughly and style as usual.

Some find this routine works well after every other routine “shampoo day” and some find this is even more effective if done twice in between.  The longer, drier and coarse the hair will be the barometer for that.  And long hair guests can benefit by first applying P2 Clenz Crème from the ponytail point to the ends then shampooing the scalp with their favorite Philip Pelusi Shampoo.  This puts an extra buffer of protection on those much older and drier hair ends.

Philip’s Proprietary Sugar Cane Clenz gives the most subtle cleansing effect, purposely barely removing surface debris.  While USDA Organic Baobab Protein strengthens the hair and USDA Organic Baobab Oil hydrates adding slip and detangling.  P2 Clenz Crème works great on any texture with the exception of fine, sparse hair.  And don’t forget to spritz on our P2 RefresHair to freshen hair’s scent.  Think of it as a hair fragrance and style refresher all in one!

by Nikki B. ~ Product Education Director

If you know who Captain Kirk is and remember The Starship Enterprise, then you also most likely remember this expression, “Shields Up Mr. Sulu!”  Or in Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon’s Deflector Shield.  If so, this is exactly how Philip’s Tela Fiber Restore Pelusi Plex works in our beloved Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi Color Lock+!  Let me explain.

Healthy, non-chemically or non-color treated hair has a natural shield around it.  This natural “force field” helps shield the hair from fadage, moisture loss and to some degree heat damage.  But once hair has been chemically or color treated, this shield breaks down.  This is true even if the chemical or color service has been responsibly.  This weakened hair means its internal structure has been compromised.  Meaning its bonds or links are broken or damaged.  This can also happen due to aging, heat and even the environment i.e. the sun.

And not to make too many analogies, but this is akin to C-3PO telling Han Solo, “Sir, we just lost the main deflector shield.”  We do not want this happening to the hair.  In other words, hair’s natural shield is now vulnerable to other attackers (heat, water, chemicals, color) that will further breakdown the hair fiber.  This also means hair looks and performs like compromised or damaged hair.  It loses luster, feels rough and dry, and does not style well.

Fiber Restore Pelusi Plex, the cornerstone ingredient in Philip’s Tela Color Lock+, helps restore this shield as it strengthens hair’s internal structure up to 3x’s more than that of untreated hair.  How?  Its small molecule structure is designed to penetrate deep into the cortex creating new hydrogen and ionic bonds that help strengthen hair fiber similar to the levels in virgin hair a.k.a. it helps rebuild this shield.  Not permanently, nothing can do that, but with repeated use Tela Color Lock+ creates an environment for the hair to act, look and perform like healthy hair.

Fiber Restore Pelusi Plex acts like an oxidation shield to help protect color treated hair from surfactant or water stripping, so important especially since water is the #1 color fader.  Fiber Restore Pelusi Plex significantly reduces leakage of color molecules during and after shampooing by helping restore this shield naturally found in healthy hair.  This helps create long lasting color retention and conditioning effects as well as incredible vibrancy and shine.

One last note is how Fiber Restore Pelusi Plex’s benefits also improve the condition of the hair.  This oxidative shield also works to buffer the oxidative footprint of the hair color during application.  Less damage is done so the hair looks better afterwards.  Also because of its action in creating new hydrogen and ionic bonds this by default helps renew the condition of the hair improving strength, shine, and performance!  Who needs Mr. Sulu!?  Warp speed ahead Mr. Pelusi!

by Nikki B. ~ Product Education Director

A clean scalp is essential to maintain a healthy scalp environment and proper exfoliation plays a key role.  So, in addition to the USDA Sugar Cane Granules (written about in the Chic Geek Lift Off Part I) in the Tela Beauty Organics Probiotic Scalp Scrub, Philip has another totally unique way to exfoliate the scalp.

P2 by Philip Pelusi Roots Shampoo also contains Zinc Pyrithione.  This is a sloughing agent that naturally exfoliates and removes dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.  Plus, it has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties helpful when combating dandruff.  It is a long-standing ingredient used in dandruff shampoos for decades and enhances the abilities of this shampoo treatment.  It is totally unique to have both Zinc Pyrithione and Salicylic Acid in the same shampoo.

This dynamic duo for skin exfoliation is key to those who suffer from dandruff, where the body exfoliates as a much slower rate than normal, seasonal dandruff common in winter and in an aging scalp where the body’s natural exfoliation rate slows over time.

The more flakes and buildup, the more frequently you can use the P2 Roots Shampoo and the longer you leave it on the scalp, the deeper the results.  Meaning the product has more time to work.  This can be done as part of a Philip Pelusi Spa Hair Therapy Treatment in the salon and in the shower at home by simply leaving the shampoo on the scalp longer before doing a gentle scrubbing motion and rinsing it off.

Both P2 Roots Shampoo and Tela Beauty Organics Probiotic Scalp Scrub are balanced with hydrating ingredients.  Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Tela Hair Immunity Complex, Organic Peppermint, Aloe and Lavender (and much more!) in the Tela Probiotic Scalp Scrub.  And Marshmallow Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Silk Protein, Geranium, Oatmeal, Vitamin E (and more!) in the P2 Roots Shampoo!

And this is the perfect time of the year to start educating guests about these amazing products.  Even if one of these is something they just use seasonally or perhaps could help them all year round!

by Nikki B. ~ Product Education Director

A clean scalp is key to having healthy hair.  But this can be tough to achieve if someone suffers from dandruff and something not often thought of, the natural aging process of the scalp.  Dry or oily dandruff is obvious, you can see it and feel it.  But natural aging of the skin creeps up on us slowly over time.  We can see it on our faces via lines, wrinkles and dry skin. 

Face vs scalp?  But we don’t often think of this when it comes to the scalp.  But the scalp is merely an extension of the skin on our face, so it is simultaneously aging too.  Just like on the face, the skin cell turnover (known as exfoliation) slows on the scalp leaving a buildup.  The result when left unchecked is shrinking hair follicles producing thinner, lack luster hair, loosing the body and bounce of its younger days.  The follicles suffocate and sometimes can shrink to the point of nonexistence and once the follicle is left dormant long enough, the hair will no longer continue to sprout from that follicle.  Of course, this is not the only thing that stifles hair growth but needs to be addressed as one of the possible culprits.

Lift Off!  Yes, exfoliation is one of the keys to rejuvenating the scalp similar to how antiaging products work on the face, revealing new fresh dewy skin.  Also, a fresh clean scalp allows for better penetration of Philip’s scalp enhancing ingredients including proteins, moisture, antioxidants, pre and probiotics and more.  We have a couple ways to approach exfoliation at Philip Pelusi.

Hey Sugar!  USDA Certified Organic Sugar Cane Granules are one of the star ingredients in Philip’s Tela Probiotic Scalp Scrub.  The sugar put the “scrub” in this amazing scalp enhancing product.  Organic Sugar Cane Granules help to lift dead skin cells, dirt, debris from scalp and hair.  They help create a cleaner, healthier scalp environment and help create a better deposit of nutritional scalp ingredients in the product such as the Tela Hair Immunity Complex containing Pre and Probiotics. 

This product can be used as part of the entire Tela Life Force care routine, as it is part of in-salon The Tela Root to End Recovery Hair and Scalp Treatment and also as part of anyone’s Philip Pelusi product system.   Stay tuned for Lift Off Part II!

We very rarely have to say goodbye to a product at Philip Pelusi.  Over Philip’s many product making decades we have lost few and far between.  But alas we are bidding farewell to P2 Exfoliating but with the good knowledge that we have its’ Philip Pelusi doppelganger on hand!  Think of P2 Roots Deep Cleansing Shampoo as its’ hair and scalp loving sibling!

P2 Roots Deep Cleansing Shampoo has all the exfoliating goodness we all love about the P2 Exfoliating plus much, much more!  The same dynamic skin sloughing duo of Salicylic Acid USP and Zinc Pyrithione that naturally exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, is in P2 Roots Deep Cleansing Shampoo too.  It is incredibly unique to have both Zinc Pyrithione and Salicylic Acid in a shampoo and Philip was the first to create this mixture!

P2 Roots also contains Oatmeal and Geranium which act as skin antiseptics, calm irritations, moisturize and soothe.  Biotin (Vitamin H) and Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate USP) both help absorb and eliminate free radicals that pollute and break down the hair and scalp.

The high-end skin care complex of Calcium Protein, Zinc Yeast Derivative, Tissue Respiratory Live Yeast Cell Derivative, a mix of proteins and minerals, help promote healthy hair growth, shine, bind weightless moisture and strengthen.  Philip was the first to use this unique blend in haircare products!

Sodium PCA, a highly advanced and expensive humectant similar to Hyaluronic Acid, along with Panthenol USP (Vitamin B5) bind moisture in the hair and scalp and help protect from heat damage.  Silk Protein helps strengthen, smooth, create shine and protect.  Plus, P2 Roots has an amazing fresh, clean scent!

So, no worries my friend, every scalp and hair problem you want to tackle, meaning dandruff, dry scalp, removing color stains, oily scalp and creating a healthy scalp environment are all here in the P2 Roots Deep Cleansing Shampoo!

PS…if you are wondering what the “USP” stands for in the ingredients above, it means that ingredient is a pharmaceutical ingredient and that it is the finest grade of that ingredient.  USP means the quality is certified by the United States Pharmacopeia as the highest strength, quality, purity, and safety.  Every ingredient Philip selects, is the best in the world!

Let’s continue with our 2-part series on Philip Pelusi Rx Clarifying Shampoo Treatment.  Let’s take a deeper dive (pun intended!) into fact vs fiction when it comes to this phenomenal shampoo.

In Part I we reviewed everything about Rx Clarifying’s miraculous chlorine neutralizing abilities.  Next let talk about its incredible ability to remove minerals from the hair.  Why is this so important?  Hard city water, country well water and even salt from swimming in the ocean can all be absorbed or adhere to the hair.  Crazy, right?!  These minerals make hair hard to work with, not style well, making it rigid, causing tangles and fading hair color.

Philip’s Rx Clarifying contains what is called a Chelating Agent that attaches itself to minerals and carries them off the hair removing buildup leaving behind a clean state.  Most importantly, this Chelating Agent does NOT have the ability to remove color molecules.  Just like the chlorine neutralizers in Rx Clarifying, it doesn’t “speak” to color molecules either and can only remove minerals, that’s the science behind it!  All of these “removing” ingredients is also why Rx Clarifying makes it a perfect pre-perm shampoo, to remove all product buildup to allow for the best receptivity for the perm process.

Whether it’s tackling chlorine or minerals, Rx Clarifying should be used in the same manner we reviewed in Part I of this series.  Also, for tough cases where there is a lot of buildup, Rx Clarifying can be used as an in-salon treatment.  Apply to damp hair, massage through, plastic cap and popped under a medium-heat dryer for 5 – 10 minutes.  This helps the product penetrate faster by speeding up and deepening the penetration of the ingredients.  Afterwards, re-lather and rinse thoroughly and follow with an application of Rx DailyRx Xtreme Repair Treatment to add strength and a Philip Pelusi deep or instant conditioner to tackle texture.

Last, let’s list the other “good for hair” ingredients in the Rx Clarifying that help balance this formula.  Meaning these ingredients help make sure hair is left feeling soft, manageable and silky.  Proteins such as Wheat, Silk and Yeast as well as Calcium and Zinc help to strengthen and fortify hair.  While Sodium PCA, a humectant much like Hyaluronic Acid, helps bind moisture into dry hair.

by Nikki B. Philip Pelusi Product Education Director

One of most long-standing shampoos at Philip Pelusi also happens to be one that can cause the most confusion, the Philip Pelusi Rx Clarifying Shampoo Treatment.  Let’s take a look at fact vs fiction when it comes to this phenomenal shampoo.

There is nothing like Philip’s Rx Clarifying Shampoo Treatment.  It is totally unique.  The main purpose of this shampoo is to neutralize chlorine on contact.  But how?  Philip tasked his scientists to whip up a specialized ingredient blend to instantly neutralize chlorine while protecting hair color and condition.  These two ingredients are Ammonium and Sodium Thiosulfate USP.  These have nothing to do with ammonia and nothing to do with traditional sulfates.  These just happen to be the official FDA nomenclatures for these lab-created ingredients.  They sound scary but they are far from it!  In fact, they are completely hair and scalp friendly.

Chlorine coats the hair and skin, leaving behind a film or buildup of chlorine while drying out hair and skin in the process.  Chlorine also erodes the hair leaving behind potholes from which valuable color molecules escape making color looked faded and dull.  Chlorine also leaves behind copper deposits that often take on a green tint on blonde hair and a brassy hue on brunettes.  Once the Rx Clarifying is applied to the hair, scalp, face, body and even bathing suit, these ingredients go to work stopping chlorine’s negative effects.  Most importantly, these chlorine neutralizers do not have the ability to remove color molecules, they don’t “speak” to them.  They can only work on chlorine molecules, that’s the science behind it!

This means Rx Clarifying stops oxidation that normally fades hair color!  This is great because after hair color is done processing in the salon, we want to preserve that guest’s hair color as long as possible.  So, you can see how Rx Clarifying is a totally color safe or color preserving product.  But this is also why Rx Clarifying cannot be used by a guest 24 hours before a color service.  This magic ingredient mix stays active in the hair up to 24 hours and will stop hair color from processing if applied 24 hours or less before a color service.  That is just how color safe Rx Clarifying is!

Chic Geek by Nikki B.

“Tea for Two?  For Tela, It’s Tea for Three!”

Today, consumers view drinking tea to enhance their health.  Fighting free radicals, aiding digestion, calming anxiety, boosting energy and helping provide a good night sleep are just a few of the benefits.  But did you know that tea can also be extremely beneficial to the hair and scalp?

Most product formulas on the market contain about 80% water and only 20% ingredient concentration.  While Philip Pelusi products contain 80 – 100% active ingredient concentration and only 10 – 20% base blend ingredients!  Yep, that’s right, there is zero water in just about every Philip Pelusi formulation and instead an active ingredient base blend takes its place.  This means this base blend not only serves as the formula’s mixing base but also benefits and enhances the hair and scalp.  In addition, this gives Philip Pelusi products the great reputation as having the highest concentration levels in the industry.

One of these incredible base blends is in the Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi products.  This zero-water product line is instead based in the three most powerful antioxidants teas, White, Green, and Oolong.  This highly concentrated tea infusion takes the place of water in the Tela formulas.

So how does this amazing base blend benefit the hair and scalp?  Well, first the consumer is not wasting money on water.  Philip’s formulas are not watered down like most products on the market.  This means more beneficial ingredients in each bottle and this means better results on the hair. 

Also, Philip’s proprietary Tela White, Green and Oolong Tea blend has supercharged antioxidant power helping protect both hair color and the strength and moisture retention of the hair and scalp against environmental toxins, known as free radical pollutants, as well as helping prevent oxidation caused by the color and chemical service exposure.

And lastly, as with every Philip Pelusi ingredient, this superhero antioxidant White, Green and Oolong Tea blend is also enhanced by Micro Emulsion Technology.  Meaning these tea molecules are perfected to be small enough to penetrate hair fiber to get real results.  Other products on the market, can claim their products contain a certain ingredient but if it is not manufactured with Micro Emulsion Technology it can never penetrate the hair meaning it’s just a fancy marketing claim with zero results.  That’s not how we do things at Philip Pelusi!

Chic Geek by Nikki B.
“Incredible Ingredient: Jamaican Black Castor Oil”

Palm trees, sunshine, ocean waves and white sands are not the only wonderful things in Jamaica! In fact, one of the hero ingredients in a couple of Philip’s Tela Beauty Organic products is born there too. USDA Organic Jamaican Black Castor Oil is that incredible ingredient.

Present in the Tela Guardian Angel Solar Hair Serum and Tela Frizz Buster Anti-Frizz Dry Texture Spray, USDA Organic Jamaican Black Castor Oil provides brilliant shine, moisture, heat protection, strength and anti-frizz action to dry dull hair. Philip uniquely uses a USDA Certified Organic Jamaican Black Castor Oil meaning it has met the strict standards of growing and manufacturing of the United State Department of Agriculture. Standards that also increase the cost (just like in the grocery store) and level of quality of the ingredient.

But what gives this hydrating oil its unique name? First, the plant is grown organically in Jamaica, then its seeds are roasted creating a dark black ash that helps give it its potent emollience. Please note that through its meticulous manufacturing process the color of the ash is never present in the finished product only the hydrating benefits.

The seeds are then cold-pressed, a process not required but insisted upon by Philip as it increases the potency and effectiveness of this hydrating marvel. Why? Cold-pressed is a manufacturing process that allows the ingredient to retain all its nutrition value during manufacturing. This is true of any cold pressed oil even oils we cook with such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Just check the label to see if it’s a cold pressed version.

USDA Certified Organic Jamaican Black Castor Oil contains nutrients of Vitamin E and Omega 9 Fatty Acids which are extremely beneficial to the hair and scalp by helping trap much needed moisture, strength, luminous shine and frizz control. And it makes a great heat protectant for blow-dryer and flat and curling iron styling. This multi-task wonder works well on any texture and density of hair especially on thick coarser strands as well as on fine to medium textures as evidenced by both the Tela Guardian Angel Solar Hair Serum and Tela Frizz Buster Anti-Frizz Dry Texture Spray. It especially gives a totally rejuvenated look to dry parched strands!

Chic Geek by Nikki B.

“Is Philip Pelusi Gluten Free?”

The question “Is this Gluten Free?” is common these days with some people avoiding gluten because they don’t want to feel bloated ranging all the way to folks who have a full-on gluten allergy.  No matter the reason, consumers are asking about this when it comes to food they order in a restaurant, buy at the grocery store and on products they use on their hair and bodies.

This consumer demand is something Philip Pelusi has been aware of, being ahead of the curve by starting the gluten free process in his products years ago.  So, the question remains, are we gluten free?  The answer, we are in the process of becoming gluten free.  Any new P2 or Tela Philip Pelusi formulation is created as a gluten free formula right from the start.  While existing formulas are also being re-formulated as gluten free as we sell through the current bottles.  Philip Pelusi have such a huge inventory it takes time to turn over that inventory for the new gluten free versions to be created.

But how do we know which products are gluten free and which are not?  Easy!  Simply check the back label of any Philip Pelusi product to see if that formula, in that actual bottle, is gluten free like the label here for the P2 Clenz Crème.  The label will clearly read gluten free.  But please note, during this transition it is entirely possible for one bottle of P2 Age de Phy Shampoo, for example, to be labeled gluten free and another not labeled as such.  So please check the back label if need.

But do the gluten free proteins in our products work the same as the non-gluten free versions?  Yes!  For example, the gluten free Corn, Soy and Wheat in the Philip Pelusi Rx Xtreme Liquid Hair Repair Spray are just as strengthening as the non-gluten free versions.  They are Corn, Soy and Wheat Protein but with the gluten removed which has no benefit to the hair anyways.  So yes, our gluten free proteins meet today’s consumer demands yet retain all the strengthening benefits to the hair and scalp!

These gluten free proteins are also subjected to the same Micro Emulsion Technology that helps perfect all of Philip’s ingredients making them the correct molecular size to penetrate the hair even into the most damaged cortex sites.  This helps improve the strength, health, shine and style ability of any head of hair!