by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

Sachi Inchi and Plukenetia Volubilis?!?!  Sounds like tongue twister, right?!?!  These two names are a one in the same incredible ingredient sourced by Philip Pelusi himself for his Tela Beauty Organics product, Guardian Angel Solar Hair Serum.

Philip choose USDA Certified Organic Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil (pronounced pluck-an-ay-sha vol-u-bill-is and well known as Sachi Inchi, pronounced saw-cha in-chee) for its strength, moisture, smoothness and shine.  USDA, standing for United States Department of Agriculture.  Organic, meaning this ingredient meets the strict standards of organic growing, harvesting and manufacturing of the USDA.

Philip choose the very best quality, meaning cold-pressed, Sachi Inchi Oil expressed from Plukenetia Volubilis Seeds which are native to tropical South America.  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.

The Sachi Inchi seeds and oil high are rich in protein and fatty acids Omega 3, 6 and 9 to strengthen, hydrate and help with heat protection.  This incredible ingredient also is rich in hair protective antioxidants Vitamins A and E to help protect from environmental pollutants while helping slow the oxidative process that fades hair color.

Through the high-tech process Philip uses called Micro Emulsion Technology, to prefect the molecular size of his ingredients, Sachi Inchi is a quick penetrating emollient that hydrates hair and helps smooths during styling and creates lots of lustrous shine and manageability. 

And all of this with zero build-up!  Every ingredient, including oils, Philip chooses are cleansed away with the next shampoo while never stripping or drying the hair or scalp.

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

Have you noticed Philip created an entire category of products known as Rx?  They are easy to spot because they all have a purple square label on the front of each bottle with the name of the product…

Daily HaiRx Xtreme Repair Spray

Deep Hydrating Hair and Scalp Treatment

RepairHair Leave-In Heat Styling Treatment

Clarify Shampoo Treatment

Detox Shampoo Treatment

But why Rx?  Philip specifically formulated these revolutionary, tech smart products to help stylists and guests tackle niche’ hair and scalp problems such as breakage, loss of moisture, excess oil, DHT removal, chlorine or mineral removal and damaged hair.  Each formula is made with the very best ingredients and technology while being color safe, strengthening, hydrating, shine creating and so much more. 

They are also non-texture-specific, meaning they can be used universally on any guest suffering from any of these problems no matter their hair texture.  This makes them easy to prescribe for the stylist too!  We can treat the Rx problem, while separately addressing texture with the rest of their recommended Philip Pelusi products.

But who is the “hair doctor” writing the Rx prescription?  You are!  The stylist should analyze the hair and scalp and make product recommendations to help solve these problems.  We are not talking about diagnosing medical conditions, please leave those to their physician.  But cosmetic or cosmeceutical problems, such as those listed above, can be helped or managed by one or several products in Philip’s Rx collection.

After the stylist analyzes the hair and scalp and has a thorough verbal consultation with the guest, they can select the Philip Pelusi Rx product or products and recommend them to the guest.  Show and tell the guest everything they need to know for successful use of the product at home.  Which product to use, how to apply it, how much to apply, how frequently to use it, how long it should stay on the hair and scalp before being rinsed thoroughly, are all things that need to be part of the stylist’s prescription.  Just think of the Image Profile as your prescription for each guest.

And be sure to follow up on the Rx product they purchased when you see the guest at their next visit too.  How has the product been working for them?  What positive changes have they noticed with their hair and or scalp?  And make sure they are still using the product correctly.  Proper use of each product makes a big difference in the results they will experience!  Just tweak their application plan as needed!

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

It makes a colorist cringe when they hear their guest say they shampoo their hair more than once a day, such as in the morning and then again later in the day.  Ouch!  But then after hearing the reasoning behind their actions, we realize a lot of these guests are doing this over-washing to combat one of the most frustrating and sometimes emotionally difficult things for a guest to deal with, an overly oily scalp.

Nothing can be more frustrating for someone then cleansing, conditioning and styling their hair perfectly in the morning only to have it start to go limp, and look dirty and oily throughout the day.  No wonder they want to cleanse again!  But what is really happening here?

Some people are just “hard wired” to have an overly oily scalp, meaning their scalp is not in Ph balance.  Their scalp is naturally too “positively” charged.  So, their body’s natural reaction is to get their scalp in Ph balance.  How?  By creating excess oil and sending it to the surface of the scalp to put it in Ph balance.  This is why over-cleansing or harsh detergents can actually make the body want to create more oil, faster.  And although natural scalp oil can be an excellent hair lubricant especially for those with drier hair textures, it can wreak havoc with someone’s style.  Especially someone with a finer hair type even if it is a medium density.

Enter the Philip Pelusi Rocket Ivy Blend to save the day!  This totally unique, Pelusi-proprietary Microemulsion contains natural ingredients Rocket Leaf, Ivy, Whortleberry and Watercress that naturally puts the scalp in Ph balance.  The scalp is in balance, so the body doesn’t feel the need to secrete excess oil. 

This revolutionary blend plays this scientific trick on the scalp and body resulting in the scalp staying cleaner longer and the hairstyle lasting longer throughout the day, and sometimes days, meaning the guest can find they might even be able to skip a day of shampooing!  And since water is the #1 hair color fader, this helps preserve the color and the condition of the hair better in that more of the natural lubricants are left on the hair.  Hair and hair color are not stripped away by over-cleansing.

This masterful blend is in Philip’s P2 by Philip Pelusi DeTox Treatment Shampoo.  This makes it a perfect shampoo to recommend to any guest with overly oily scalps, even teenagers.  It is also the perfect recommendation for any guest with fine, limp, spare hair whose hair reacts negatively to too much oil at the base of the follicle by immediately going limp.  Hair stays cleaner longer so styles last longer too!

Also, the P2 DeTox gives a gentle cleanse with no harsh detergents, thus helping preserve a healthy scalp environment and hair color too.  It makes the perfect companion shampoo to the P2 Roots Exfoliating Shampoo for anyone dealing with an oily dandruff problem.  P2 DeTox helps control the oil while the P2 Roots Exfoliate help slough off the dead skin cells.  The scalp is left feeling healthy and fresh.  And these shampoos can be used every day or alternated as need.

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

When it comes to creating the best haircare products in the world, Philip Pelusi is like a master chef.  Not only selecting the very best ingredients but also his use of Micro Emulsion Technology to perfect the size of these ingredients for the best penetration but also to create incredibly unique proprietary blends that make his products one of a kind.

One of these blends is The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend consisting of 6 natural plants; Matricaria, Asafetida, Sage, Horseradish, Grapeseed and Blackberry.  These natural wonders arm the hair and scalp with a quadruple threat against harmful conditions serving as Antioxidants, Ultra-Violet Ray Filters, Strengthening Proteins and Weightless Moisturizers.  The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend is found in P2 Potion, the first product created to contain this totally unique ingredient blend, but it is also peppered throughout the P2 product line.  Here’s why this revolutionary blend benefits the hair and scalp.

The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend serves as Antioxidants to help protect hair color from fading and to help protect the hair from hair-degrading free-radical pollutants.  How does this work?  Once hair has been touched by ammonia (present in hair color) it leaves a small oxidative footprint, even after being properly cleanses away, that will cause oxidation (fading).  The antioxidants in The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend will dramatically help slow this process.  Free radical pollutants (pollutants present in the air) also land on the hair and skin degrading or weakening the hair fabric.  Again, The Pelusi Matrix Blend helps guard against this.

The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend serves as UV Filters to help protect hair and scalp from the degrading rays of the sun.  Did you know the sun can give hair a sunburn similar to skin?  It’s true!  The Ultra-Violet Rays of the sun degrade the collagen and elastin in the skin, but it also erodes the protein in the hair.  Day to day and most definitely prolonged exposure to the sun means weak, porous, tangled, dry, dull and faded color.

This is because UV Rays erode the cuticle and eventually the cortex of the hair leaving hair porous and vulnerable to even more damage from color, chemicals and heat styling.  We know that once enough protein is chipped away, hair strands thin and eventually break off.  Nothing can permanently block sunlight, but with consistent application of The Pelusi P2 Matrix blend through various products such as P2 Potion, we can help prevent and reduce sun damage, helping to protect beautiful hair and color investments alike.

The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend serves as Strengthening Proteins that not only help make hair more resilient to damage (color, chemical, heat, styling) but also help create slip to the surface of the hair helping with detangling.  They also help fill in broken cuticle sights making hair feel smooth and look shinier.

The Pelusi P2 Matrix Blend serves as Weightless Moisturizers that help hydrate hair and scalp.  This means better protection while heat styling, better detangling and a smoother hair surface.  Great for before and after sun exposure too but with a light natural feel.  Nothing heavy or sticky.

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

Another incredible ingredient Philip has put in his Tela Beauty Organics products is a curious one, Milk Thistle Oil.  Its recent starring role is as an important ingredient in the Tela Beauty Organics Life Force Scalp Scrub as the lush oil the organic sugar granules swim in and in the Tela Modern Hair Wear Collection to help hydrate, protect and groom the hair.

On its face Milk Thistle looks like a pretty purple flower.  But it is much more than its external beauty!  It’s what’s on the inside that counts.  Milk Thistle is a robust plant with purple flowerheads that grows wild in the South of France, Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa.  The oil derived from the Milk Thistle plant contains hydrating triglycerides (moisturizing fatty acids) that provide a soft and silky feel to the hair.  Light, never weighing the hair down, this smooth lubrication helps to detangle the hair while also helping provide heat protection.

Milk Thistle also has antioxidant properties, and this is good news for the hair and scalp.  An antioxidant helps ward off free radical pollutants that can degrade the hair and scalp making them weaker.  Plant derived antioxidants such as Milk Thistle help protect hair’s strength and therefore it’s ability to hold onto color, moisture and protein.

Through the high-tech process Philip uses called Micro Emulsion Technology, to prefect the molecular size of his ingredients for the fastest and deepest penetration, Milk Thistle Oil quickly penetrates the hair fiber and scalp surface.  Helping to hydrate, smooth during styling and create lots of lustrous shine and manageability.  And all of this with zero build-up!

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

You’ve probably seen the skincare commercial with a famous actress pronouncing phonetically “hi-ah-lur-on-ic acid“ as if it is a brand new ingredient that no one have ever heard of.  Well, Hyaluronic Acid is not a stranger to us here at Philip Pelusi!

Almost 50 years ago Philip put this still-revolutionary moisture binding powerhouse in his P2 Deep Hydrating Treatment and P2 Lite Leave In Conditioner, making him the first to use skincare ingredients in haircare products!  Let’s explore why this ingredient is so incredibly effective, how it works and its many benefits to the hair and scalp.

How It Works:  Have you ever wondered why when a leaf falls off a tree in the fall it doesn’t turn brown and crispy instantly?  Or have you ever walked past rose bushes a day or two after it rained to notice there is still water resting on those rose petals?  This is Hyaluronic Acid in action!  This moisture binding powerhouse is found in all of nature, in plant life, in our own bodies and even in a chicken’s comb! 

Hyaluronic Acid is an incredible lubricant to our knees, elbows, eyes and skin.  When we are born, our bodies are at their highest production level of Hyaluronic Acid that’s why a baby’s skin is so plump and smooth.  As we age, our body’s ability to produce Hyaluronic Acid naturally declines and that’s why aging skin is generally much drier than younger skin.  Hyaluronic Acid, which can hold up to 1,000 times its molecular weight in water, naturally draws and bind moisture to whatever surface it is on, thus the moist rose petals and soft and flexibly leaves.

At Philip Pelusi, we only use plant derived sources to obtain the Hyaluronic Acid we use, and absolutely do not use any animals as a course for any of our ingredients.

Hyaluronic Acid is one big moisture binding molecule so if you are worried about the weight on the hair, don’t be!  The amount of Hyaluronic Acid put into any product makes a big difference and also the composition of the rest of the product as well.  Plus, if you want the lighter moisture binding equivalent, you can turn to Cassia Angustifolia Seed, found in our P2 Moisturesheen Shampoo and P2 Moisturesheen Conditioner.

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

The question “Is this Gluten Free?” is common these days.  Some folks wanting to avoiding gluten because they don’t want to feel bloated after eating certain foods.  While others who have a full-on gluten allergy.  But 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, and 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.  And while existing formulas are also being re-formulated as gluten free as we sell through the rest of 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!

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

Philip Pelusi is the mix master of the best hair care products in the world.  One of the tricks to his amazing trade as a Product Artist is his use of Micro Emulsion Technology to not only perfect his ingredients, but to create incredibly unique proprietary blends that make his products one of a kind.

One of these blends is his Pelusi Bio Polymer Complex which includes 2 revolutionary ingredients, USDA Certified Organic Baobab Seed Oil and USDA Certified Organic Baobab Protein.  Together they are a hair conditioning powerhouse!  You will find the Pelusi Bio Polymer Complex in so many Pelusi products from Tela Frizz Buster, to P2 Clenz Crème, to P2 Polish and more. 

Philip insists on using an organic Baobab (pronounced Ba-oh-bab) Seed.  USDA Certified Organic, means it is planted, grown, harvested, stored and manufactured under the strict, and expensive, regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture.  But nothing less than this will do for Philip.  100% commitment to quality at all cost is his product ethos.

These seeds are hand-picked from sustainably sourced, small community farms where the Baobab Tree grows most often in Africa and Brazil.  The Baobab Tree, also known as the upside-down tree or “Tree of Life” most often found in Madagascar and throughout the continent of Africa, is duly named because of its many uses from bark being woven into rope, its fruits and leaves being eaten as salad, as medicine to alleviate digestive issues and even the hull of a dead Baobab Tree being used as shelter.  The sustainably harvested Baobab fruits has also helped support the livelihood of local communities where these trees grow.

Philip chooses only the very finest version of USDA Certified Organic Baobab Seed Oil, meaning it is cold-pressed.  This means it retains its nutritional value during processing, when the seeds are pressed and the oil is extracted from them, and that is not always the case with most oils.  Baobab Seed Oil is rich with Vitamin D3 and Fatty Acids Palmitic, Linoleic, Oleic, Alpha Linolenic and Stearic Acids which help deeply nourish and moisturize hair and scalp without weighing down hair’s volume.  And Baobab Seed Oil also helps reduce frizz and creates shine.

Baobab Seed Protein helps build substantive, meaning long lasting, tensile strength and therefore volume and better style longevity.  Baobab Seed Protein helps create thicker feeling, stronger, more voluminous hair with great manageability and style memory that also has been proven to help resist both UV and thermal damage.

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek by Nikki ~ 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.

Don’t flake out!  Salicylic Acid is one of the revolutionary ingredients in Philip’s P2 Roots Shampoo.  Just like this fruit acid works in antiaging skin care products on the face, Philip put this to work in this scalp rejuvenating shampoo treatment.  Salicylic Acid gently lifts dead skin cells off the surface of 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!

(2^nd image scratching head) The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek by Nikki ~ 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, losing 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.

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!

The Philip Pelusi Chic Geek is a treasure trove of in-depth Philip Pelusi ingredient knowledge.  To see all Chic Geeks, go to…  Chic Geek (busystylist.com)