If you’re looking to transform your hair in the new year, look no further than the wonderful products from WEN!
Created by celebrity hairstylist and colorist Chaz Dean, WEN offers holistic hair and skincare products that nourish the body with natural oils and extracts. Born from the belief that the products we put onto our bodies are just as important as the ones we put into them, WEN’s holistic approach to beauty delivers healthy, gorgeous hair for everyone.
I was lucky enough to spend time with Chaz to learn more about how he’s developed an array of hair and body products for WEN. My favorite (so far!) is the Cleansing Conditioner, which was created when Chaz gave up cleansing hair by lathering shampoo to focus on conditioning. WEN’s Cleansing Conditioner formula is the first-ever of it’s kind, universal 5-in-1 product that acts as a shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, detangler and leave-in conditioner without damaging the hair. The luscious conditioners come in many seasonal scents and range in price from $32 to $256, depending on the size.
I’ve always shampooed and conditioned my hair in the shower, but no longer! Chaz’s approach directs to not use shampoo because it strips your hair of natural oils and dries out your scalp, and instead use his amazing conditioner. First, apply it all over your hair, rinse it out, and then put more in as a leave-in conditioner. Follow up this regime with a styling mouse (ideally while you’re still dripping wet in the show), and finish with one of WEN’s styling creams.
Since WEN products provide your hair with what it naturally needs, your hair will absorb the proper amount of moisture and treatment it needs, no matter your hair type. When using this regime from WEN, your hair will stay soft, healthy, shiny and hydrated!
Since embarking on revolutionizing hair care, WEN’s line has grown to includes a whopping 700+ products! And if you look at more numbers, the brand has sold well over 200 million bottles in the last ten years, making it one of the largest brands on QVC. Clearly Chaz has been at work expanding WEN; they now offer a full range of styling products, skincare, body care, lip care, fragrance, home, men’s, kids and pet care.
Another way WEN is changing the haircare game is their through the new Brush Dryer Styling Tool ($275)! It’s very easy to use and features innovative technology to help maintain the integrity of your hair. The tool is incredibly lightweight with a dense combination of cruelty-free nylon bristles for superior smoothing, even vertical airflow vents for quick drying, and multiple attachments to help you achieve a salon quality blowout at home!
Where are Chaz Dean’s Salons?
If you’re looking to transform your hair, definitely visit Chaz at his salon in either New York City’s Greenwich Village or Los Angeles on Fountain Avenue. Both locations offer the following services: haircuts, glossing, re-moist, blowouts, color collection, base colors, toner and highlights & balayage. The high-end boutique atmosphere is the perfect place to unwind and relax while treating yourself to the pampering you deserve!
I had the privilege to connect with Chaz to ask him about many things, including the inspiration behind WEN and future plans for the brand.
RMN: Can you describe the inspiration for starting WEN by Chaz Dean? Did you see an unfulfilled need in the market for clean hair and body care products?
The reason I created WEN and innovated the no-lather concept was purely because I was tired of using harsh surfactants on my hair and skin. I had to wash my hair two times a day because I was stripping my natural scalp oils and when you think about that, your scalp works overtime to reproduce those oils, which then makes your hair look more oily, quicker. I also knew that shampoos foaming and lathering on my clients hair was fading out their color that they paid good money for. I knew there had to be a better solution!
RMN: What were the hardest barriers to get through while creating WEN?
The hardest part in getting WEN off the ground was getting a chemist to understand my concept. I had created my own elixir from my garden at home that I tested on myself and I knew I was on to something when my hair felt and looked clean without using surfactants. Another thing was making sure I created a product that would work on all hair types and textures for all ethnic backgrounds.
RMN: Did you learn any important, or unexpected, lessons while overcoming these challenges?
I learned that being persistent with your ideas and passions truly pays off. I wasn’t going to stop until I brought my Cleansing Conditioner to life
RMN: How do you hope your customers benefit from using your products?
My customers now have a more simplified shower routine and I’m giving them the hair and skin they’ve always dreamed of. When created the Cleansing Conditioner I did it with a multi-purpose use in mind so that they could use it as a Shampoo, Conditioner, Deep Conditioner, Body Wash, and Leave-In Conditioner.
RMN: Do you have plans to expand WEN or other business ventures in the works?
Currently, I’m enjoying the extension of the WEN business which are my salons. After many years in the making, we opened the doors to my NYC salon in the West Village in December of 2022, I’m focusing on growing that. I also continue making new product creations for WEN and just recently launched my new Brush Dryer Styling Tool in December 2023 that I’m beyond excited about.
RMN: Lastly, what is your favorite part of running WEN?
There are too many things to count, however, one thing I genuinely love the most is hearing about my customers’ hair journey when they make the switch to WEN. The bonus is when they reach out with before and after pictures and you can truly see the results. That’s what keeps me inspired to do what I’m doing, and why I coined the phrase ‘Friends don’t let Friends use Shampoo’, because I believe your best hair is when you give up the lather.
The post Q&A: Meet Chaz Dean, Founder of WEN and Celebrity Hairstylist & Colorist appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.