It’s the avant-garde of hair products; revolutionary in composition and design. In an effort to take the beauty business back to a fundamental understanding of hair, Elan Sassoon teamed up with leaders in the industry to introduce Sojourn, a professional line committed to the protection of hair and the re-education of the industry.
Florida was the first market, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are next...by April, Sojourn will be distributed nationwide.
I got a ‘behind the scenes’ look into the new line. Not only was I able to ask both Sassoon and Director of Chemistry Rob Guimond, why this product stands out from others, I was also able to try out the products myself! (You will find my review under the interview.)
What impact do you think Sojourn hair care will have on the beauty industry?
“Listening to the stylist, I hear how they have been forced to settle for second-rate products that in many cases hardly live up to the promise of professional standards. Sales reps, are at times unaware themselves of the company’s long term goals, and are equally offended when they are forced to uphold a climate of corporate greed that is more interested in the bottom line than hairstylists. Feelings of distrust and mediocrity are abound — yet, I am optimistic.
“When I am asked how my products will be different from others, the questions are straightforward and clear. Asking the right questions is the right place to begin creating a new dialogue—one that is in right relationship with the right products and with each other. Although, many have told me they feel powerless when it comes to industry politics, that is changing.”
“It’s the stylist’s industry and business. While some seem to have forgotten that, I am devoted to changing the current model and redefining what it means to work cooperatively for the better good of the industry. Through mentoring, education, and respect for what it is hairdressers want, together we can create a new culture of hairdressing —one that is about stylists, for stylists, created cooperatively with stylists, and one that is invested in products and education that first and foremost, stylists want.” – Elan Sassoon
According to the Sojourn team, their line has a positive chemistry for hair. You’re probably wondering why Sojourn hair care is so revolutionary? Director of Chemistry, Rob Guimond says, “It’s the only professional line to have the proper pH 4.5 to 5.5 on all of the products to guarantee that they are color safe.”
Since the natural pH of hair is 4.5, this means in this range your hair structure is at its strongest. Raising the pH of hair causes the cuticle to open—this can leave your hair susceptible to color loss and damage. Guimond says, “Most companies are savvy to this, so they use a term ‘pH balanced’—which has no significance to hair. This could mean the pH is as high as 12.” So unless there is a pH clearly stated on the product, you’re really not sure whether it’s color safe or not...
Besides it’s long-life color protection, Guimond says, “It’s the only product to have Keratin Cashmere and Cystine throughout the line. This will give permanent conditioning to the hair.” The line also has: UV protection, no sulfates, no formaldehydes, no denatured alcohol (100 percent alcohol free), no parabens, no salt and no artificial color or dye. It’s also 100 percent biodegradable and has net-zero environmental impact.
Since I got to try out this product, here’s a little educational lesson about each product and my take according to what it did to MY hair.