Understanding the role of a stylist and chemist allowed Jane Carter the opportunity to create a line of products that truly deliver healthy hair. After years of formulating products, the brand has grown as a major influencer in the hair community. Read on to learn about how it all started.
You started Jane Carter Solution after a personal experience you had after using traditional hair care products, tell us about the moment you decided to create your own company?
As a hair colorist, my client base was very diverse and consisted of many different hair types and textures. Between the chemical sensitivity and the inability to find a product line that would address the needs of all of my clients. When I started Jane Carter Solution, I sought out a chemist to develop a more diverse line with cleaner ingredients. Probably the most amusing thing about the whole process that I learned was that all of the chemists were men; they had never spent any time in a salon environment and none of them had hair. I took an essential oil course and made my first product. We still sell it today. It’s called Hair Nourishing Serum. It’s 100% natural and can be used on all hair types and textures. As I traveled with Clairol’s national team, I met many stylists that fell in love with the product and wanted to purchase it. I also had several clients that wanted to purchase the product. I never really anticipated creating an entire product line; I just needed a few styling products with clean ingredients. Shortly after that, I studied formulation chemistry and later became a member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. I stayed in the salon until the day-to-day demand of running and growing a company became too time-consuming.
Your latest creation is Curls To GO!, tell us about this collection and what hair types it is for?
Curls to Go! was created for super curly and coiled textures. The formulas contain high performance natural ingredients essential to nourish and hydrate curly hair…butters, essential oils, vitamins, plant and herbal extracts that deliver instant and long-term benefits. They are free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, paraffin, mineral oil, phthalates and DEA/MEA/TEA. They are easy to use, multi-benefit products that work together to “wake up” natural curls and deliver healthy, gorgeous, long-lasting frizz free curls every time!
When you first started Jane Carter Solution, did you know there was such an under serviced market for natural hair products?
Necessity is the mother of invention. Jane Carter Solution is a brand that addressed the needs of the entire range of hair types and textures as well as had clean ingredients. Both of these attributes were missing in the market.
Which collection would you suggest for them?
It totally depends on what they are trying to accomplish. We make styling products like Incredible Curls for medium textured curly hair. This product is great for reducing frizz and defining your curls. Curl Defining Cream is great for curly or coily hair to reduce frizz, define your curls and reduce shrinkage. Coiling All Curls is great for super coily hair to create shine and reduce shrinkage. Creamy Leave In Styling Smoother is the lightest variation of our creamy leave in styling products as well as Untangle Me. Shine On and Complex-4 are two of my favorite products. They can be used on your hair to seal in moisture as well as your skin to reduce dryness. Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner, Quench and Mist Me Over are both great water based daily hydrators to prevent dryness. Condition & Sculpt is still one of my favorites to be used as a curl prep to smooth your cuticle and increase shine. The most important thing to remember when trying to control frizz, define curl and reduce shrinkage is to apply products to your hair when its super wet.
What do you enjoy the most about training professionals hairstylist or creating new products?
They go hand in hand. I think what makes Jane Carter Solution different is the fact that I am a stylist first, so I understand product performance. Second, as a product formulator, I understand the importance of using clean ingredients. They are kind to your body and the planet. Third, because my family is very diverse, I understand that a line should be developed with the entire range of hair textures in mind. I feel that is my professional responsibility as a stylist and manufacturer to create products that are not necessarily segmented towards one specific hair type. I understand the market positioning, however to be a global brand, I think it is important to not make the assumption that one ethnicity has the same hair care needs. I don't believe in segmenting or limiting your consumer based on an ethnic bias. In America for instance, the 2010 census confirmed that the US is a melting pot that keeps evolving and will continue be that.
What is the future of natural hair care products?
Hair has no race. I understand the term 'multicultural', however, culture has little to do with hair type. I traveled the world and have seen many women that would not understand that term. Hair is hair. It’s straight, wavy, curly or coily. It’s fine, medium or coarse in texture. If we market to consumers with that in mind, I think it would make their buying choices easier.
What’s next for Jane Carter Solution?
I have always been passionate about marrying the professional salon industry. I think that salons are still segregated in services, which can limit their customer base as well as their potential revenue stream. I think that all stylists should have the opportunity and the knowledge to service any customer that walks through the door. I have done training in many beauty schools and I know that stylists are passionate people. They do what they do because they love it. Certainly our customer base is women with hair that they perceive to be problematic. Our job is to provide the solution. Our job as a brand is to make their hair care and styling needs simple, no matter what their hair texture may be. I also feel that the DNA of a brand is consistent with the DNA of the founder and should be consistently translated through the DNA of your companies’ core values. We are here to serve. That may be doing a great job by creating great products for our customers or donating products to shelters around the world. Beauty is not about being pretty. Beauty is about feeling great from the inside out. That is our goal and responsibility as a brand.
Each of our monthly subscribers will be receiving a deluxe travel size of something from the Curls to Go! line in their box, what is the one take-away that you’d like to leave them with?
The thing that I would like to leave our consumer with is to not over complicate their styling process. Get great advice from your stylist on what to use and what works best for your hair. And lastly, Love Your Hair!