Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Jane Carter, creator of the
Jane Carter Solution. Jane's down to earth demeanor was like a breath of fresh air in this superficial industry; and her extensive knowledge of hair, and product formulation was impressive to say the least. Jane definitely knows her stuff, as she is a veteran stylist who immersed herself in numerous formulation chemistry classes, and stands by her philosophy that we shouldn't over complicate hair care.
MTM: What inspired you to start the Jane Carter Line?JC: There were two reasons; I started the line about ten years ago while I was working as a stylist. I owned my own salon at the time, and I was also doing the hair show circuit as a Color Educator almost every weekend. During that time, I was also a Director of Education over at Avlon [they make relaxer]. Due to working around hair care products regularly, I developed an allergy. It was from that point that I couldn't work around any products that contained alcohol, dimethicone, petroleum, and mineral oil. Those four ingredients were in every single product line that I used.
My clients ran the full gamut from high-lift blonds, to clients with locks, extremely curly hair, and everything in between. Because of my diverse clientele, I could never find a product line that addressed the needs of every consumer. I would find myself taking two products from this line, and one product from another line, just to give my clients an at-home regimen.
I took an Essential Oil course, and from that point I developed my first product, which was the
Hair Nourishing Serum. This product was made from vitamins and pure essential oils, and I as well as my clients was mesmerized at how well those natural ingredients worked [which led to them requesting to purchase the serum]. Even my clients that had extremely coarse hair, or hair that couldn't go a week beyond when they were supposed to relax without experiencing breakage, had instant results. All of a sudden it was almost like different hair, this was the first time I used a product that produced those types of results on extremely coarse hair. I knew other finishing products were needed [leave-ins, sculpting lotions etc], and a full product line seemed like the next step.
"Ultimately, we really wanted to create a product line for everyone that was completely plant derived, and wasn't harmful to your body"
We feel we have a social responsibility to put products on the market that perform well with really good ingredients. One of the tag lines that we use is 'Hair Care for Humanity', meaning you should really be able prescribe 4-6 of the same products to anyone who walks through your door no matter their hair type. I really oppose the fact that we fit into a category, because we don't. I believe that hair is hair, and it isn't really that complicated. Ultimately, we really wanted to create a product line for everyone that was completely plant derived, and wasn't harmful to your body.
"The number one reason for hair loss in women is inflammation. If you have a dry, itching, or flaking scalp, that is inflammation and there is a potential for some hair loss."
The residual effects of using petroleum regularly on your scalp is pretty scary. Petroleum has a large molecule, and it creates somewhat of a moisture barrier. So if you use products that contain petroleum on your scalp, [especially one that is dry or flaking] and you perspire, you now have a moisture barrier with dead skin, which is a prime breeding ground for bacteria. The number one reason for hair loss in women is inflammation. If you have a dry, itching, or flaking scalp, that is inflammation and there is a potential for some hair loss.
I formulated a product called
Scalp Renew which is a pre shampoo treatment formulated with pure vitamins and essential oils that helps cleanse, and exfoliate the scalp. Scalp Renew contains Lavender Oil, which soothes the scalp, eliminates dead skin, and gently cleanses the follicle of sebum. A pre shampoo is necessary because shampoo is water-soluble, therefore shampoo will not melt sebum or dislodge toxins from your follicle. I sent my clients whom had scalp conditions home with Scalp Renew, as well as our
Revitalizing Leave-In to moisturize their scalp twice daily, and their scalp conditions disappeared. Scalp Renew is also good for people who have eczema as well! Instead of using synthetic products to cover up problematic issues, we really need to deal with them holistically.
MTM: What tips do you have for women who are transitioning out of a relaxer, and what products from Jane Carter do you recommend?JC: Our
Hair Nourishing Cream is a good product to use on your regrowth if you are going to continue to flat iron your hair during the transition process. Hair Nourishing Cream can also be used as a good detangler post conditioner, which is also important because hair is very fragile near the line of demarcation, so having a good detangler on hand is essential.
Misting the
Revitalizing Leave-In a few times during flat ironing is also good for women who are transitioning, because it cuts down on the amount of heat needed to get the hair straight. A lot of times women experience hair that has been "relaxed" due to excessive heat from flat ironing.
MTM: What do you think about the "natural hair movement"? Do you think natural hair is more of a trend or a lifestyle?JC: I don't think it is a trend; I feel that once you wear your hair natural, you will never relax your hair again. You have the ease of being able to wear it smooth, or wear it natural, so I think it is the best of both worlds. As you evolve, and use more natural things on your body and on your hair, then you start to read labels a little bit more and you start to pay attention; it is definitely a lifestyle. Natural products have a higher vibration than synthetic products, so ultimately you feel better when you put natural things on, and in your body.
JANE ON NATURAL INGREDIENTS: I truly think the molecule in natural ingredients were all designed in perfect order, and I believe that there are vitamins, herbs, and oils really have the ability to heal. I think that with being designed in perfect order, that the natural place for us to look would be the earth. To me it just seems like a given, we don't have to man-make things, as there is a reason why natural products are more effective. They're just more expensive which is why most cosmetic companies tend to formulate with synthetic ingredients.
MTM: I hear Jane Carter will soon be available in Target stores, can you tell me more about that?JC: We are taking part in a 90-day test with Target, and it is a really big deal for us because it really increases our distribution power by giving us the opportunity to get our products to more consumers.
JANE ON THE NEW CURL DEFINING CREAM: The product is designed to reduce shrinkage, lock in the curl, and it won't take your hair forever to dry. This curl cream is formulated with essential oils, more importantly there aren't plastic polymers in this product so it doesn't flake, and it dries really clean. We work very closely with Certified Organic Essential Oil Labs, which ensures that we don't get a grower that uses pesticides, because that is very important.
MTM: What can we expect from the Jane Carter line in the future?JANE: Well, I want to continue to serve my purpose here. I really like the idea of being able to be a resource, dispel myths, and just be available in my community. I went to Atlanta a few weeks ago to meet with a Facebook Group, and it was about 80 of us on a Sunday having a dialogue on natural hair. I am not really a foo-foo kind of girl so it really took me a while to find my space as a product manufacturer, but I prefer that type of environment over that of the shallow stuffy department store cosmetic counters -
To find out more about The Jane Carter Solution, click
here! -
Review of Jane Carter's products coming soon :-)
