Redlands Beauty Centre

"Life is tough. I recommend getting a manicure and a really cute helmet."

Clients keep asking me how business is, and I tell them the truth...
It's been better, but it could always get worse. Our clients are loyal though, and we appreciate that. It is what keeps us in business. We know things are getting tough at home and it's hard to justify spending money on shampoo or skin care. I've noticed that suddenly customer service is at the top of everyone's list, and all of the companies that find themselves lacking in this crucial area are sinking. Fast. Customers don't want to spend their hard earned cash on mediocre service, they want to feel valued and important. We have always stressed above-and-beyond service. We know our clients' names, we remember their birthdays, we don't sell them products that won't work for them (or if we do, we take it back no questions asked). We've seen a drop in how much our customers are spending, but not a drop in customers; and given a choice we'll take the former.

We know times are tough, we've got the manicure covered. You're on your own for the helmet.

Trick Or Treat

It's that time of year again. The stores that don't have Christmas merchandise for sale are bulging at the seams with halloween paraphenalia. We have narrowed down the choices and have picked our theme for the stores. Last year's powder puff football theme was kind of a flop.. (I don't think the kids thought our costumes were fun)

So this year, we picked....

Candyland!!

Along with the costumes, we are going to pass out the candy for Downtown's Safe Trick or Treat event, but we have lots of special things planned for our customers. Join us for a trip down Memory lane with a lifesize fully-interactive Candyland game! Any purchase gives you the chance to win prizes.

Who says Halloween is just for kids? 

David's Status

David has been using the serum for two months now. He says that there is a definite difference in how his scalp feels, but he has not noticed any gray reversal yet. I do not notice any new gray, and his hair looks thicker than it was when we started. He has (unfortunately for me) gone on to another job, so I do not see him every day. I do still see him usually about once a week, and he will continue to use the serum for the full 6 months. I have not been posting as often only because the results are staying constant. Do not lose heart, however; the claims made by the product say it could take up to 6 months to notice a change in hair color.

As always, if you have any questions email me or post them here. If anyone else has tried the product we would love to hear from you! (If anyone is interested in purchasing the product, we take phone orders)

Week #4

David is reaching the end of his first bottle of serum. He says his scalp feels great. In the 1-3 months we should start noticing less new gray hair, before we notice gray hair altogether.

We shall see.

Week #3

David is reaching the latter half of his serum, and reported this morning that it is becoming more challenging to apply because he isn't sure he is getting the right amount out of the dropper. His suggestion to Joico is to mark the sides of the dropper with the daily dosage.

I think his hair looked a little thicker than usual, but that could just be optimism. The flakey, dry patch is still gone, so the serum does promote a healthier scalp environment. I will take another set of pictures before his next hair cut to compare grayness and density.

Ra, Ra, Melanin!

Week #2

Week 2 Update:

David says, "When I put it on now, it doesn't tingle as much. I don't know if that means anything. I haven't noticed any major changes, but I used to have a patch of dry, scaly skin near my widow's peak that is now completely gone. I've gone back to using the Nioxin cleanser, but I'm still using the Re:nu conditioner twice a week."

Result: Healthier scalp... so far, so good. It's at least on track with the product claims.

It's not personal... It's just business

It's not personal... It's just business

But it is personal, at least it is for me, and most of downtown Redlands. State Street is all about personal service. It's about shopping where the employees know your name (I know... the Cheers theme song is playing in my head too), but beyond knowing your name, they know how old your kids are, what you like to buy. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time getting real people on the phone anymore (Press 1 for... Press 2 for... Say Yes or No after the tone). It is about waitresses knowing what your "usual" is, and calling you on the one day of the month when they are serving your favorite soup. So I disagree, it is personal and it's business. I am the third generation of my family to work in our store. I grew up here... I know our clients, I know their kids, and sometimes their grandkids. We support their charities, their businesses, and their schools.

Last week the Redlands Daily Facts ran an article titled, "Times Tough for City's Downtown" http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/search/ci_9820156?IADID=Search-www.redlandsdailyfacts.com-www.redlandsdailyfacts.com
This story (more appropriately the comments made by the Chamber of Commerce) and the resulting fall-out has stirred up the owners of State Street businesses. I don't know of anyone on State Street that wasn't sad to see that Crackerjack is closing its doors. I have been shopping there for 15 years, I was friends with her son in high school. The story shocked many of us because the Chamber has relegated State Street to being solely an eating destination, not a shopping destination; and also that Downtown Redlands does not have a "unique character" like Citrus Plaza does. Citrus Plaza is a corporate shopping center that looks just like every other corporate shopping center in every other city in America. Smart business owners know there is no way to "compete" with these types of big-box-stores. We all know people that work at Citrus Plaza, but we know the owners of State Street. Small business owners offer personal customer service. The beauty industry is one of the industries that is hit hardest in an economic slow-down. Typically when consumers start saving, luxury items are the first ones cut. Our store has been on State Street for more than 35 years, we have weathered economic slumps and recessions. You learn to roll with the punches, it's hard to roll with sucker punches though.

In the past week and a half I have spoken to other owners on the street, and read all of the forum topics about the question the Facts posed the community: "How can downtown Redlands remain a shopping destination?" http://www.topix.net/forum/source/redlands-daily-facts/TN5VOLRCIVH84QGM9. The feedback is AMAZING!!! Parking seems to be the number one concern, and rightfully so. It has been an issue for years, and now the city is compounding the problem by passing out hefty parking tickets. The second concern is the price levels downtown. One store in particular is mentioned often, and I am going to assume that people are talking about DenM because of the expensive jean comments. For those people that have never visited DenM they offer more than designer jeans. They have fantastic (inexpensive) jewelry. I am constantly asked where I got my necklace, and more often than not the answer is DenM. They aren't just about designer jeans. They carry other lines that are reasonably priced, and you don't have to worry about running into your own shirt everywhere you go. If you haven't been in, I recommend you stopping by some day if for nothing else than to admire the local artwork. The comments say that store owners have lost touch, and have not kept pace with the economy and consumer's tightening budgets. I cannot speak for anyone other than our own store, and we have altered our buying. We have started bringing in more jewelry and gift items that are more moderately priced, as well as, hair and skin care items. Our spa is seeing more people book shorter appointments. We rent 8 spaces behind the spa for our spa guests to use, and we recently began offering a pick-up service for guests with appointments.

We never like to feel like we have lost touch with the community, and we have enjoyed reading the good and the bad responses to the paper's question. We want to show that we are listening. And it is personal to us.

Before Pictures Week #1

This is what we've started out with. David has been using the Nioxin System for Thinning hair for a few years. We have two questions for the Re:nual Serum: 1) Does it work? 2) What does it mean when it says it alters the density of the hair? Does that mean thinning or thickening?

Here are Week 1 pictures.

We've got a Guinea Pig!

Good News!

David (our graying office manager) has agreed to test the Joico Re:nual Serum to see if it really works. We are going to track his progress and post it here for you to read.. and see. He has agreed to use the entire system -- shampoo, conditioner, primer & serum -- for the next 6 months to test Renu's claims to reverse the graying process.

I will be posting his thoughts weekly, and as soon as I can find a functioning scanner I will post the before & after pictures I dragged out of my sales rep. I will be the first one to say that I am extremely skeptical of the pictures since I cannot see the subject's face you cannot tell if it's even the same person. David and I are planning to take pictures once a week in the exact same location to minimize lighting differences and such.

I tried the Shampoo, Conditioner & Primer for softness and manageability on my own hair last week, and was impressed with the results. Because my hair is longer than most, and because I color it I usually have to deal with gnarly tangles after washing my hair. I liked the fragrance of the shampoo, and the conditioner/primer left only a few snarls. The shampoo is sulfate-free (like many color-extending shampoos) so it did not lather as much as I like, but I still felt like my scalp was clean, which is my big beef with sulfate-free products. It runs about the same price as Alterna and Pureology, but I would recommend using it in tandem with the serum to achieve the best results. At least we know for sure there's nothing in it to counteract the serum.

Stay tuned for more!

Are you ready for the Sun?

Is your skin? What about your hair?

It's that time of year again. When those of us who haven't been religious with our sunscreen in the winter decide maybe it's time to dig out the SPF (at least when we go play outside). I get tons of questions about sunscreen so I thought I would post some of them here. The Number 1 rule of sun protection is that it won't work if you don't use it, and you won't use it if you don't like how it feels. Sunlight is your skin's (and hair color's) worst enemy. UVA & UVB rays can attack you in your car, in the shade, and through almost any window. UV rays cause premature aging, skin cancer, and cause hair color to fade.

Sun damage doesn't begin at a certain age, but we know now that anytime we are outside we need to have something on SPF15 at the bare minimum to reduce the chance of hyperpigmentation and age spots later on. So if you are young protect your skin now! You can still get a tan, just do it the right way. If you are older and already notice signs of your indiscriminate youth remember it's never too late to start taking better care of your skin.

When should I wear sunscreen?
Every day. Period. 365 days a year, rain or shine. Ultraviolet rays penetrate even on cloudy days and glass. I blame my tiny Native American heritage for my ability to tan no matter what even when I wear a low SPF. I rarely burn, but I put sunscreen on my face every morning, because I don't want to look like Magda in the There's Something about Mary movie. So, even if you have dark skin, do not neglect the sun protection. You'll thank me later, trust me.

What exactly is SPF?
Sun Protection Factor. It is how we measure the ability of a product to block UVB rays. The rating is calculated by measuring sunburn time with and without sunblock. If it takes you 30 minutes for my bare skin to burn, then using an SPF15 will lengthen that amount of time to 15 times longer (7.5 hours).

What SPF is right for me?
This is where your skin complexion comes into account. The lighter your skin, the higher SPF you need. SPF 15 blocks 92% of the UVB rays. This should be the absolute minimum for everyone. Medium to light skin tones could use SPF 30 which blocks 96%. SPF 45 blocks 95%. My advice is to start with 30 and go from there. (Ladies... buy cute hats to match your bathing suits. Fewer lines and wrinkles)

UVA? UVB? UV-huh?
UVB rays are shorter, ultraviolet rays thatburn the outer layer of skin causing redness. UVA rays are longer wavelengths penetrate the deeper layers of skin, and are believed to be responsible for pre-mature aging and skin cancer. Make sure your sunscreen protects from both kinds of UV rays. 

Chemical Sunscreen vs. Physical Block?
Chemical sunscreens absorb into the skin and absorb the sunlight when it hits the skin. Physical sunblocks sit on the surface of the skin and reflect sunlight away. Most people like the chemical sunblocks because they rub in to the skin. Physical blocks are great for people with sensitive skin or allergies to chemical blocks.

What's the best time to put on sunscreen?
I think the easiest time is when you put on your make-up. The baseline is 30 minutes before sun exposure, so before you go outside to the pool. Most sunscreens should be reapplied every 3-4 hours, and immediately after swimming or perspiring.

What's the deal with anti-oxidant boosted sunscreens?
Antioxidants like Vitamins A, C and E help neutralize free radicals, which can dehydrate your skin and add to concerns of pre-mature aging. Vitamin E has tremendous healing powers as well. Any sunscreen that has antioxidants added is a bonus.. just like the power booster in our Jamba Juice smoothies.