The Values that drive Product Choices-

Over your career, product choices will be made according to your values. So, when you look to educate yourself on a potential brand or product, you are looking to check your "Values" boxes before you spend time and money. When it comes to smoothing treatments, it is incredibly easy to sidestep all of the advertising tools and conduct research based on what's inside the bottle. Because how can a stylist really know if their values are being supported if they don't know what's really in the bottle, or what chemicals they are being exposed to during the process? Also, it's hard to know if a product checks the desired boxes if thought has not been given to what values a stylist prioritizes in the first place.

Consider spending a little time reflecting on the following list of values and get a sense of which ones might resonate with you. Would you not use a product if any if these values weren't supported?

-Sustainability

-Profitability

-Non-Toxic

-Eco- Friendly

-Results

-Access

-Brand Familiarity

-Product Support & Education

-Company's philanthropy

-Exclusivity

-Research and Data backing claims

Without exception, every smoothing treatment's certification class, new product seminar or in-house private education attended by the stylists at UnSprung, has been taught by an educator employed to promote the superiority of their product. Not a single SDS was handed out during class, nor were the active ingredients explained.(The only exception to this were the classes taught by Shinbi for Milbon's Liscio gel formula, in the early 2000's. But, this was short lived) The education usually focuses on the "Values" the company chooses to present which are typically over exaggerations of the benefits and understatements of the health risks and environmental impacts. And convincing a stylist to buy their brand is the singular goal of a brand specific educator.
And while in reality, there maybe products that are "better" than others, that designation relates directly to whose values are prioritized.

So what's an SDS and how does a stylist know for sure what's inside the bottle? I'm glad you asked....