Clearly, many of us are in SHOCK due to the ever-rising cost of salon hair color! Hair
color, other products, food, and even coffee cost so much more than they did even one year ago.
I am fortunate to sometimes be in the room when color is being manufactured or when marketing plans are being discussed at brand offices. Here is what is going on, whether
we like it or not: When a company purchases (or makes) raw materials, the cost of
those materials has gone through the roof. And, all the components: tubes, tube caps,
cartons, bottles, bottle tops, shipping cartons are all more expensive then they were in 2022. PLUS the cost of labor.. paying the women and men who formulate, test and manufacture color costs more. Our climate has changed. Insuring a manufacturing facility against
flooding, damage, fire and destruction due to intense weather... another larger expense.
I hate these rising prices as much as you do. And, as a salon owner, I also look at the
sink in the dispensary, and become upset. I see how much un-used product is being rinsed down our drains. Some colorists mix too much color when performing a retouch. There is
almost nothing we can do to prevent that. Mechanical mixing stations cost a fortune, and people do not like using them.
In my opinion, a short retouch application does Not require
4 ounces of formula.. 2 ounces of color mixed with 2 ounces of developer!
You do have options. I avoided considering options for a very long time, but I am happy to
have made several discoveries:
Consider an extraordinary "new" development. Think about color in a three ounce bottle.
First, think about it as a three ounce bottle of your favorite liquid demi color.. something like
Redken's Shades E.Q. Recognize that this three ounce bottle is biodegradable. The cost
of this three ounces of color is $7.95. Mixing this color with equal parts of
five volume developer creates a glaze, toner, gloss, which requires no processing
under heat, and is complete in 15 minutes or less. The plant oils, including olive and aloe, condition scalp and hair. The results are intensely shiny. The color contains NO MEA, PPD, Alcohol, or Resorcinol.
When mixed with Color Booster (which is cream ammonia), the product morphs into a
slightly alkaline demi-plus formula, delivering like Wella Color Touch or L'Oreal's Richesse-
Mixing this color with a bit more Color Booster, and using 20 or 40 volume developer, creates
a permanent hair color formula that lifts, deposits and covers even the most stubborn gray
100%. Formulated in Italy and imported to America by the Beecher Group, BEAUTY FUSION is the newest, most cost effective and most beautiful color collection I have seen in a long time. If you want more information, let me know, or call my expert associate, Elisa
Messick. 877-817-7384. You can email her at elisaredconsult@yahoo.com.
And finally: Ask yourself: When is the last time you have changed the price you .charge for hair color? I know you fear doing this. When you go to the grocery, does the store manager stand out front, apologizing to you about the new cost of chicken or toilet paper? I don't think so. Raising your color prices $5.00, effective May 1st, 2023, should be announced on an attractively printed sign, placed at your station or at the desk, with a BRIEF EXPLANATION that the cost of buying best quality professional hair color and color related products has
risen several times within the last twelve months.. This should suffice. Do not argue.
Do not raise your voice. Simply say". Both you and I wish the situation was different. Then,
excuse yourself and go on with your day. Difficult, but you are responsible for your
expenses and for your business. Beth
I recently lost a couple of color clients to less expensive practitioners in the business. I’m also raising my prices as of 4/1, first time since the pandemic. I know the conversations this can evoke. Not my favorite conversation to have but being ready with facts and presented in a professional and friendly way is the ONLY response I’ll have moving forward.
Thanks, for reminding me, Beth, of ALL of the cost which go into delivering the best product and service to my clients. The timing of your post is perfect! Thank you for all you do in the Beauty Industry ✌🏻❤️
And our education
I struggle with pricing as a whole. This part is simple to me, the cost of materials and overhead goes up, so does the cost of the service. But the intrinsic value is hard for me to gauge. I work in Austin tx, an expensive city. My prices are currently pretty high and we're about to raise them more. But I struggle with the fact that I charge so much already, yet I can't afford myself. I couldn't get my hair done by me. Haha I'm sure it's just a mind game, but it hurts my head.
It really does come down to: Do the Math.