May I have a word?

RE: Hair companies and bases

So there has been quite the furor lately over on the nc.com hair boards regarding certain companies use of bases for their hair care line. Here is my take on it.

I got two leave in conditioner sprays from two different companies -- turned out they had the exact same ingredients. I was not happy -- in effect I bought the same leave in spray twice. I wanted to try 2 leave in's that were distinct -- not just differently scented. I'm out the money (product plus shipping) and that doesn't sit right with me. Especially when the companies advertise as if they are mixing stuff up in the kitchen and everything is an original product. Now can I prove they were the same? Well if it looks like a rose and smells like a rose -- and works the same way as the OTHER rose then I say: It's a rose. (Of course, not being a chemist nor pretending to be one, I can't say anything with 100% certainty and I certainly would never provide the company name -- I'm a curly girl not an idiot girl. No legal problems wanted here!)

So I learned a couple of things: One is that there are fabulous wholesale sites out there that can provide a great service for us curly girls and guys-- if you've a mind you can order items yourself or take part in the co-op that is being organized on the naturallycurly.com boards. It's your choice. The other is, unfortunately, that I will likely chose to give my business to well established companies who, by word of mouth, I know are authentic with their products. IMHO if you use a base then either SAY SO or don't put it out there that you are slaving away in some tiny kitchen somewhere when what you are really doing is not mixing but pouring (from one gallon bottles to 8 oz ones!).

I can't tell you how much this pains me. I am very committed to helping my fellow females have successful businesses. Capitalism is what drives this economy-- and that's how it works. However when capitalism or the pursuit of the almighty dollar leads someone to pretend to be something they are not I don't like it. That's a personal view point. YMMV.

Flatly I don't have the time, nor do I want to, go looking all over the internet and exhausting my google finger trying to find all the bases that companies use to make sure I didn't already buy the same product from someone else. Sorry. No.

From a business point of view I get it..I really do. It's a business and businesses exist to make money. You can certainly make some good money repackaging base products and adding just some scent or EO/FO. That's fine. So if you advertise or explain that you wanted to find natural products and good ingredients and then you offer some products that meet that up for sale..hey that's great. Please just do NOT take the detour that states you were mixing stuff up like Brunhilda in the stock pot on your tiny kitchen stove.

Karma's a bitch.