Our Commitment to Cruelty-Free Sustainability

In 2020 sustainable and cruelty-free are no longer trendy buzzwords, but the standards that we all expect of the beauty industry.

When it comes to saving the planet, every last bit counts and you have the power to be the driver of change. The domino effect of taking your empty jars and bottles to the recycling bin instead of letting them end up in a landfill, or signing an online petition to end animal testing, could together lead to significant changes.

When searching for products that align with Reds’ commitment to cruelty-free sustainability, we looked for hair care, styling, and colour lines that offered products of the very highest quality, while remaining kind to animals and the environment.

The exclusive, salon-only products we use at Reds provide our clients with the ultimate indulgence with the added benefit of naturally beautiful, beneficial ingredients.

Read on to learn more about the carefully selected, luxury product lines we offer at Reds Hairdressing.

 

ELEVEN AUSTRALIA

ELEVEN’s haircare philosophy is simple: Haircare doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to work. ELEVEN’s product names tell you what they do, making it easy to pick the right product for your hair needs.

ELEVEN’s effective products use naturally luxurious ingredients. Ingredients like Avocado Oil, Organic Cucumber, Papaya Extract, Australian Macadamia Nut Oil, Silk Amino Acids and Organic Argan Oil work to penetrate the hair fibre and nourish your hair from the inside out.

With PETA approval, 100% recyclable packaging and paraben free formulas, what’s not to love?!

KEVIN.MURPHY

Developed by superstar stylist Kevin Murphy, our KEVIN.MURPHY luxury hair care and styling range is proudly sulphate and paraben free, made from sustainable resources, using pure essential oils, plant extracts and natural antioxidants. They are also certified by PETA as cruelty free, with all packaging made from recycled ocean waste plastics.

In 2018, KEVIN.MURPHY made the decision to manufacture their bottles with 100% Ocean Waste Plastic (OWP). “China used to accept waste from all over the world, but now they no longer accept it, so the waste goes to developing countries who can’t afford not to take it, and have no solutions to deal with it. As a result, eight million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year, which equates to 150 million tons of plastic littering our oceans” Kevin says.

Because of this devastating truth, they made the decision to move to a more responsible manufacturing platform. Beginning with the cult product Angel Wash, KEVIN.MURPHY is aiming for all bottles to be made from 100% OWP by 2020. Every time you choose a package that is made from OWP versus virgin plastic, it’s the equivalent of removing 3-4 plastic bags from the ocean.

We can vouch that Kevin’s quest to be green hasn’t come at the expense of quality. His range of salon-only hair care products was created by Kevin to meet his needs as an editorial hairstylist. Inspired by the philosophy of skin care, the luxurious KEVIN.MURPHY range of shampoos, conditioners, treatments and styling aids, caters for every hair type.

 

COLOR.ME

What goes in the tube of your hair colour is just as important to the health of your hair as it is to the environment. The Reds team and our clients are becoming more and more conscious about the products that come in contact with our skin and hair. Aligning with our commitment to environmental responsibility, all colours in the COLOR.ME range are PPD free, Ammonia Free and use natural ingredients like aloe vera, honey, shea butter and pomegranate.

COLOR.ME offers a moisturising and rejuvenating experience with natural, gentle ingredients that are suitable for all hair types. This compact colour line stays committed to the integrity of the hair while imparting superior colour performance and natural-looking results.

 

Blonde? Why you should be using a purple shampoo

If blondes have more fun, how come brunettes don’t have to spend their days trying to combat the effects of brassiness? Whether you’re a natural or have highlights, overly warm, yellow-tinged undertones can affect both equally.

But with the right haircare routine, you can ensure your colour stays fresh and beautifully toned at all times. Switching out your regular shampoo for one with a purple tones works magic. Since it’s on the opposite end of the colour wheel, purple works to neutralise yellow, effectively erasing it from our strands. And, if you pick one with plenty of moisturising properties, you’ll notice a huge difference in the longevity of your colour and softness of your hair.

Here at Reds we love KEVIN.MURPHY’s Blonde Angel wash and treatment. This lavender-infused, colour enhancing shampoo takes on all tones – from creamy to platinum, and with the help of added optical brighteners rescues dull colour. Combined with Blonde Angel treatment, this regime conditions and moisturises bleached, highlighted and grey hair, putting the bounce back into your blonde, while repairing any brassy or yellow tones.

Do Hair Loss Supplements Really Work?

With all the  extra stress caused by Covid 19 we have a number of clients who are currently experiencing  higher than normal hair loss. We thought  with so many people currently experiencing this new and disturbing phenomenon we would dig a little deeper into the causes and remedies.

Hair loss and thinning is an issue half of all women will face, so we thought we’d examine exactly why hair loss happens and the steps we can take to hold on to our strands. Specifically, we want to know whether supplements can really help, or whether they make promises they simply can’t keep.

Hair Loss Causes

Hair loss can be caused by a wide range of  factors – from stress and short-term illnesses (such as the flu) to genetics, long-term illnesses (such as a thyroid disorder), hormonal imbalances (particularly post-pregnancy), auto-immune disorders, mechanical trauma, and of course general ageing too. Seasonal shedding is also real – in Europe for example, hair loss has been shown to peak around August and September when the fewest follicles are in the Anagen (growth) stage of the hair cycle.

Diet is another very common cause. This is because hair is, physiologically, a non-essential tissue making it the last part to receive the nutrients we ingest and the first to suffer when our diet is lacking.

 

Can a supplement really boost hair growth?

A supplement can most definitely boost hair growth if you are losing hair due to nutritional factors and supplements containing protein and biotin can also bolster the strength of newly growing strands. However, if your hair loss is completely unrelated to diet, supplements are not going to fix it.

What ingredients should you look for in a hair supplement?

Hair is made of protein and because many people don’t eat enough, a protein supplement is a safe and easy way to support hair growth. In terms of other ingredients, it depends on your individual requirements. You definitely don’t want to be popping loads of supplements if you don’t need them! If you’re concerned, a yearly blood test will give you an accurate indication of any nutrients you’re lacking, allowing you to base your supplement intake on those results.

Can you get the same effect from changing your diet?

Hair cells are the second fastest growing cells the body produces, it means strands need a consistent supply of energy in order to grow which means it can be difficult to give it all the nutrients it needs through diet alone. Supplements can therefore be incredibly handy as they provide an extra boost of readily available vitamins and minerals but it should always be a combination of the two.

While incorporating meat, eggs and oily fish will provide you with the key ingredients for healthy hair, those following vegetarian or vegan diets, or their lifestyle is too busy to incorporate these food groups into the diet daily, may benefit most from a supplement.

Other ways to boost hair growth

1. Try to manage your stress levels as stress can affect the hair growth cycle. Yoga, meditation and Pilates are all good options.

2. If your hair is breaking at the ends, it won’t be able to grow past a certain length so use a weekly pre-shampoo conditioning treatment to strengthen strands.

3. Scalp health is key to healthy hair growth. Try to shampoo regularly to keep your scalp clean and flake-free as a flaky scalp can cause hair loss. Once weekly use an exfoliating scalp mask to gently lift away dead skin cells as like the skin on your face, your scalp benefits from gentle weekly exfoliation.

4. Never skip breakfast – it’s the most important meal of the day for your hair as it’s when energy to form hair cells is at its lowest. A ‘hair-healthy’ breakfast will include a portion of protein and a complex carbohydrate.

5. Snack between meals. Energy to form hair cells drops four hours after eating. To keep energy levels sustained, snack on a nutrient-dense food to keep your follicles happy between meals.

Shellac vs. Gel Manicures: What’s the difference?

Image via Instagram/journal_nails

Choosing a manicure you’ll still love to see on your fingertips two weeks post-appointment comes with a laundry list of choices: funky design or solid colour? Round or oval nail shape? And the most fraught manicure choice of them all: shellac vs. a gel manicure?

Shellac nails and gel nails are crowd favourites for semi-permanent manicures. They’re both used by top nail artists and they’re both known for low-chip, long-lasting quality. But there’s a few minute differences that make shellac nails a better fit for some manicure lovers out there. Allow us to clear up the differences between shellac nails and gel nails—so you have one less thing to decide ahead of your next manicure.

THE POLISH

The shellac vs. gel nails debate first comes down to the formula used for their similarly shiny, durable looks. Shellac nails are a patented form of polish, with over 100 shades available. Shellac polishes mix two types of nail coating: gel (for durability and nail protection) and traditional nail polish (for colour and shine).

On the other hand, gel nails are made with—you guessed it—liquid gel. It’s not exclusive to one polish distributor. Gel polishes are made with a mix of acrylic monomers and oligomers that harden under UV light to create a hard, glossy coat.

THE TIMESTAMP

If you’re looking for a long-lasting manicure, you can’t go wrong with either shellac or gel nails. Both manicure variations last between 10 and 14 days. But shellac nails are partially made with standard polish, so they’re more vulnerable to chipping than gel nails.

THE REMOVAL

Where shellac nails lost a half-point for chipping, they earn extra points back for a breezy removal process. Shellac nails can be removed with by a manicurist within five to fifteen minutes—without scraping, thanks to a special acetone-based remover made specifically for shellac polishes.

Gel nails aren’t known for stress-free removal. Peeling off a gel manicure can do serious damage to the surface of your nails—so it’s more common to have gel nails removed at the salon via a good, long acetone soak and scrupulous filing.

THE TAKEAWAY

Shellac nails and gel manicures have earned their shared reputation for long-lasting nail colour. Choosing between the two comes down to precisely how often you’d like to switch up your nail design. We’ll let you be the judge on the option that’s best for you.

Blonde? Why you should be using a purple shampoo

If blondes have more fun, how come brunettes don’t have to spend their days trying to combat the effects of brassiness? Whether you’re a natural or have highlights, overly warm, yellow-tinged undertones can affect both equally.

But with the right haircare routine, you can ensure your colour stays fresh and beautifully toned at all times. Switching out your regular shampoo for one with a purple tones works magic. Since it’s on the opposite end of the colour wheel, purple works to neutralise yellow, effectively erasing it from our strands. And, if you pick one with plenty of moisturising properties, you’ll notice a huge difference in the longevity of your colour and softness of your hair.

Here at Reds we love KEVIN.MURPHY’s Blonde Angel wash and treatment. This lavender-infused, colour enhancing shampoo takes on all tones – from creamy to platinum, and with the help of added optical brighteners rescues dull colour. Combined with Blonde Angel treatment, this regime conditions and moisturises bleached, highlighted and grey hair, putting the bounce back into your blonde, while repairing any brassy or yellow tones.

Need a Post-Holiday Hair Rescue?

Summer sun, salt water, and partying can play havoc on our hair. With the summer break coming to an end for many, now is the perfect time to start repairing the damage done by all that holiday fun.

If you’re hair is in need of some serious nourishment, the KEVIN.MURPHY Repair regimen is your best bet to bring your dry and damaged hair back to life.

Step 1. REPAIR.ME Wash

Nourish overtaxed hair back to life, and make dry, damaged, frizzy over-processed hair a thing of the past with a little help from REPAIR-ME.WASH. Enriched with powerful proteins and amino acids this wash will help to strengthen the hair from root to tip, while gently removing impurities and soothing damage.

Step 2. REPAIR.ME Rinse

Repair, renew and restore dry, damaged, frizzy over-processed hair with REPAIR.ME.RINSE, a deeply nourishing and strengthening conditioner that helps reconstruct and repair the hair. Packed with a powerhouse of ‘soft-state proteins’ and enzymes, REPAIR-ME.RINSE delivers gentle lubrication to the hair, while helping to restore and protect against future damage.

Step 3. LEAVE-IN.REPAIR

This leave-in treatment delivers intense repair and nourishment for shiny, glossy, weightless hair with the added bonus of heat protection. As the name implies, you just wash, condition and leave to allow the repairing treatment to get to work repairing and restoring damage where it is needed most.

Step 4. RE.STORE

This potent, cleansing and repairing treatment is bursting with the goodness of powerful superfood proteins and fruit enzymes that work to naturally bind moisture to help reconstruct damaged hair. With the help of amino acids, the building blocks of repair, RE.STORE helps to rebuild and restore hair’s elasticity strength and moisture levels. For optimal repairing results, use 1-2 times per week as a substitute for shampoo and conditioner and as part of the REPAIR regimen.

 

Do Hair Loss Supplements Really Work?

With all the  extra stress caused by Covid 19 we have a number of clients who are currently experiencing  higher than normal hair loss. We thought  with so many people currently experiencing this new and disturbing phenomenon we would dig a little deeper into the causes and remedies.

Hair loss and thinning is an issue half of all women will face, so we thought we’d examine exactly why hair loss happens and the steps we can take to hold on to our strands. Specifically, we want to know whether supplements can really help, or whether they make promises they simply can’t keep.

Hair Loss Causes

Hair loss can be caused by a wide range of  factors – from stress and short-term illnesses (such as the flu) to genetics, long-term illnesses (such as a thyroid disorder), hormonal imbalances (particularly post-pregnancy), auto-immune disorders, mechanical trauma, and of course general ageing too. Seasonal shedding is also real – in Europe for example, hair loss has been shown to peak around August and September when the fewest follicles are in the Anagen (growth) stage of the hair cycle.

Diet is another very common cause. This is because hair is, physiologically, a non-essential tissue making it the last part to receive the nutrients we ingest and the first to suffer when our diet is lacking.

 

Can a supplement really boost hair growth?

A supplement can most definitely boost hair growth if you are losing hair due to nutritional factors and supplements containing protein and biotin can also bolster the strength of newly growing strands. However, if your hair loss is completely unrelated to diet, supplements are not going to fix it.

What ingredients should you look for in a hair supplement?

Hair is made of protein and because many people don’t eat enough, a protein supplement is a safe and easy way to support hair growth. In terms of other ingredients, it depends on your individual requirements. You definitely don’t want to be popping loads of supplements if you don’t need them! If you’re concerned, a yearly blood test will give you an accurate indication of any nutrients you’re lacking, allowing you to base your supplement intake on those results.

Can you get the same effect from changing your diet?

Hair cells are the second fastest growing cells the body produces, it means strands need a consistent supply of energy in order to grow which means it can be difficult to give it all the nutrients it needs through diet alone. Supplements can therefore be incredibly handy as they provide an extra boost of readily available vitamins and minerals but it should always be a combination of the two.

While incorporating meat, eggs and oily fish will provide you with the key ingredients for healthy hair, those following vegetarian or vegan diets, or their lifestyle is too busy to incorporate these food groups into the diet daily, may benefit most from a supplement.

Other ways to boost hair growth

1. Try to manage your stress levels as stress can affect the hair growth cycle. Yoga, meditation and Pilates are all good options.

2. If your hair is breaking at the ends, it won’t be able to grow past a certain length so use a weekly pre-shampoo conditioning treatment to strengthen strands.

3. Scalp health is key to healthy hair growth. Try to shampoo regularly to keep your scalp clean and flake-free as a flaky scalp can cause hair loss. Once weekly use an exfoliating scalp mask to gently lift away dead skin cells as like the skin on your face, your scalp benefits from gentle weekly exfoliation.

4. Never skip breakfast – it’s the most important meal of the day for your hair as it’s when energy to form hair cells is at its lowest. A ‘hair-healthy’ breakfast will include a portion of protein and a complex carbohydrate.

5. Snack between meals. Energy to form hair cells drops four hours after eating. To keep energy levels sustained, snack on a nutrient-dense food to keep your follicles happy between meals.

Introducing our Ammonia-Free and 100% Vegan CREAM.LIGHTENER

image via Instagram/love_kevin_murphy

We are excited to announce CREAM.LIGHTENER AMMONIA-FREE as the newest addition to the COLOR.ME line. Crafted with naturally-derived ingredients like Murumuru Butter and Inca Inchi Oil, this gentle formulation leaves the hair feeling healthy and moisturised. The Bees Wax used in CREAM.LIGHTENER’s original formulation has also been replaced with plant-based Candelilla Wax, making this new option 100% vegan!

The innovative creamy consistency allows for up to six levels of lift providing a beautiful, natural, and even result while preserving the integrity of the hair – all without the use of ammonia – for a kinder, gentler solution for going blonde.

Interested? Talk to your Reds stylist about CREAM.LIGHTENER during your next COLOR.ME service.

Why it’s OK to Never Change Your Hair Style

Many of our clients tell us that they’re “boring” because they get the same style every time they visit the salon. While changing up your style can be exciting and refreshing,  it’s perfectly OK to never change your hair, especially if you have a style that you love.

Hair Rules Of Past Generations

In the past there were a lot of very rigid rules about hair. A good example was that you had to cut your hair shorter when you reached a certain age. Other so called rules included regularly changing your hairstyle to stay ‘on-trend’. While most of these rules have faded, many people still believe they need to change their hairstyle on a regular basis to keep it fresh.

It’s Your Hair To Wear As You Wish

Regardless of the so-called rules, it’s your hair. You have the final say in how you want to wear it. Many people see their signature hairstyle as a key part of what makes them who they are.

Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Anna Wintour have basically worn the same hairstyle for decades and still look amazing. In our book it’s always a fabulous thing when someone wears their hair exactly the way they want to wear it.

In today’s world there are no rules, no right, or wrongs, or shoulds. There’s only the rule:  you should wear your hair the way you love to wear it.

And if you love the style you’ve always had, perfect! If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

What Makes Hair Go Curly When it Rains?

image via Instagram/love_kevin_murphy

If you have long hair, you probably don’t need to look up a weather report to get an idea of how much humidity’s in the air: You can simply grab a fistful of hair. Straight hair goes wavy and if you have curly hair, humidity turns it curlier or even frizzy. Why? Because human hair is extremely sensitive to humidity, specifically the chemical element Hydrogen.

The majority of your hair is made up of long keratin proteins. These keratin proteins are chemically bonded together in two different ways.

The first, a disulfide bond, is permanent—it’s responsible for the hair’s strength—and isn’t affected by the level of humidity in the air.

The second is a hydrogen bond, which is much weaker and temporary, with hydrogen bonds breaking and new ones forming each time your hair gets wet and dries again. (This is the reason why, if your hair dries in one shape, it tends to hold that shape until it’s wet again).

On a humid day the air has a much higher number of water molecules (and therefore Hydrogen – the H in H2O) than dry air. When hair is exposed to this humid air it forms many more hydrogen bonds. When these bonds are formed between the keratin proteins in a strand of hair, it causes the hair to fold back on itself at the molecular level. When more hydrogen bonds are formed than usual, it causes naturally wavy or curly hair to become curlier or frizzier – Now you know!

Tired of frizz? We love KEVIN.MURPHY’s Smooth again wash, rinse, and treatment to eliminate frizz, leaving you with smoother, silkier more touchable hair.