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QVC is always a busy place, but it's on fire right now! Everyone on our beauty team is getting ready for our big event, All Access Beauty, this Saturday, April 14. The on-air and online event will feature the very best in makeup, skin care, and hair care. While the team is buzzing around me, I actually feel pretty laid back about my shows that day because I'll be spending most of my time with my friend Chaz Dean, the creator of WEN. (Check out the All Access Beauty Blog to see more behind the scenes of the event.)

Preparing for All Access Beauty while getting my hair colored

Chaz and I became friends about five years ago when I had just started working at QVC. One night while working the overnight shift, he stopped me in the hallway, introduced himself, and almost immediately began giving me a professional assessment of my hair. Dry. Damaged. Dull. If anyone else would have said those words to me, I might have been offended, but Chaz has this way of radiating goodness. He was just so sincere and sweet and he promised that he could totally transform my hair. I was intrigued. Then he suggested I cleanse my hair  with WEN and use 32 pumps each time. What? Now I was skeptical. 32 pumps? Plus, I didn't think my hair was really all that bad...I was used to picking up shampoo at the drugstore and assuming split ends were normal. However, being a beauty junkie, I'll try anything. So, I used WEN Cleansing Conditioner the very next day.

 
With my dear friend, Chaz Dean

Chaz was right. Immediately, my hair felt softer, smoother, and shinier. It had so much more bounce and volume! Then, the next day, it looked a little greasy. Hmmm…this couldn't be right. I tried it again. Same result. My hair kept getting healthier, but something was missing. The next time I saw Chaz, I was upfront with him about my experience with WEN, sharing the good and the bad. Before I could even finish, he stopped me and said that he could already see that I wasn't using enough product to really saturate the hair. It turns out, I also was not massaging it into my scalp enough, and I needed to rinse it out more. I had been using WEN the same way I had used every other shampoo. The problem with that method is that WEN IS NOT SHAMPOO! It is an entirely different way of cleansing and treating the hair. The next time I washed my hair, I did exactly what he instructed. Suddenly, I found I could go two to three days in between washings and my hair still looked clean (I know some people can go even longer.) The fact that I can cleanse less frequently made it easy to give in and use more product, making my container last longer. More importantly, people started telling me that I had great hair. That rarely happened before WEN. Even now, new stylists at QVC always compliment my hair. I thank them, but give WEN all of the credit. I have no split ends, my color lasts until it grows out, and my hair feels so much thicker because I have almost no breakage.

Cooper is 60 years young and owes her incredible hair to WEN

So, why am I blogging about this now, five years after my first experience with WEN? Because just this week I had a friend tell me she loved WEN, but was confused about how to use it. Chaz has tons of information on his website and he has instructional DVDs available. However, here's my "Cliffs Notes" version based on my personal experience:

How to use?

Long hair like mine usually requires 16 pumps massaged into the hair. I use my fingertips to firmly rub my entire scalp. Then rinse, add 16 more pumps, and rinse and rinse again. Before the second rinse, I like to leave the WEN sitting on my hair while I take my shower so it has time to really penetrate. If you have shorter hair, you'll use less. Just make sure you have enough WEN in your hair to thoroughly massage your scalp and run through your hair from root to tip. The cleansing conditioner should be as thick and creamy at your scalp as it is through the entire length of your hair, including the ends. Start with the guideline amount based on your hair length. Then, based on how it feels as you massage through your hair, add another pump if necessary. There's no such thing as too much WEN!  However, if you don't use enough, you won't get the same great results.

Which formula do I use? 

Most people can use any of the formulas, but here are some basic suggestions to get you started:

POMEGRANATE, SWEET ALMOND MINT, and the SEASONAL SCENTS (right now it is SPRING GARDENIA GREEN TEA) are most universal. Start here if you aren’t sure.

FIG is most hydrating.

LAVENDER is most volumizing.

TEA TREE works for everyone, but is especially incredible if you have scalp issues. I use Tea Tree most of the time.

While I realize that not every product is for everybody, I've found that people who have trouble with WEN are usually not using it correctly. It's not shampoo, so it requires a different technique. Most people I know love the difference in their hair once they get the hang of it. Keep in mind, I can only speak from personal experience and from what I know by talking to friends and QVC customers. However, I can say without a doubt my hair is way better now than it was five years ago! If you have more questions about WEN, please join us for our show on Saturday, April 14 at 8pm ET, including a look at the WEN TSV. Before that, I'll have an hour of It Cosmetics at 7pm ET. I love to talk about WEN, so in the meantime, feel free to join the discussion on my Facebook page. Here's to good hair days!

—Sandra