In 2020, COVID-19 has all but decimated the salon industry not just across the US, but the world, noted Valerie George, vice president of research and development, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Los Angeles, CA.

“The total loss of business has been devastating for salon owners, who are forced to continue to pay operating expenses without any income,” she said. “Many salons have permanently closed and stylists have reverted to booth renting to reduce overhead.”

According to Paula Gottdiner, Kline Pro project manager, Cincinnati, OH, salon shutdowns started trickling across the nation in mid-March 2020 impacting salons by reducing March service revenues by 50% and retail products sales down 43% versus the same period year ago.  She told Happi, “Those couple of weeks really took a toll on revenue resulting in the quarter overall being down 20% to around $11 billion overall compared to Q1 2019 at $13.8 billion.”

George noted salon brands have been impacted as well—with salons closed, no professional color is being used, and there is a complete loss in retail sales.

“For brands, this has also been detrimental to business. Many companies, as a result of impacted sales, have had to furlough their employees,” she said.

COVID-19 has also brought development in the lab to a halt as well.

“We rely on a state-of-the-art testing salon attached to our lab to evaluate the products we are formulating. Because the salon is closed, we have been unable to test products at the speed in which we normally do. The lab team has been volunteering for product testing, and will probably be the most shampooed chemists in America in 2020!,” joked George. 

The good news is that, at press time, salons are re-opening and ready for business. Celebrity Hair Colorist Michael Canalé of Michael Canalé, Los Angeles, emphasizes that hair care experts are ready to roll, thanks, in part, to extensive training in school.

“Our training and licensing is based on 1,600 hours of learning how to properly sanitize and maintain a safe, clean and sterile environment for our clients … fully set up all safety measures such as the sneeze guards, partitions (if needed), sanitizing tools at every station and extra masks for clients before officially reopening your salon. I knew this was going to be the new normal, and so my salons prepared early and the transition has been more seamless. Our salon input a red-carpet velvet rope to stop clients from entering the salon before having their temperature taken, along with forms to fill out regarding their whereabouts and standard questions.”

Besides salon owners and stylists, marketers are also moving forward with planned launches for Fall 2020.

“Like we saw in 2019, the indie brands are the ones showing growth in salons,” said Gottdiner of Kline Pro. “Despite the shutdowns at the end of the first quarter, several of them managed to post sales higher than a year ago. Those with double-digit growth and a share of total revenue of at least 0.5% were Amika, Eleven Australia, Layrite, Milk_Shake, Olaplex, Reference of Sweden and Reuzel.  I think the appeal is that the brands stand out as fresh names to consumers as compared to the legacy brands that still support the professional beauty industry as a whole.  In addition, the innovation and stream of new items keeps consumers’ interest.”

Despite being in lockdown, consumers are more visible than ever through FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams—and it’s not just for work. It is the new way to interact with friends and family when social distancing is a must.

“Even though interactions are virtual, people still want to look good and feel good, and that starts with a great hair day,” explained George. “While consumers may not necessarily be going for their fully styled looks, they’re looking for products that are easy to use that effortlessly manage their hair. Many are even adding a weekly hair ritual to their routine, indulging in masks and other deep treatments.”

New and Improved
As North America looks toward salon businesses beginning to re-open, Henkel North America—via its professional hair care  brands Alterna, Joico, Kenra, #mydentity, Pravana, Schwarzkopf Professional, SexyHair and Zotos Professional—rolled out its “Beauty Care United—Standing Together with Stylists,” a campaign and program aimed at helping to bring back the “unity” in the salon community. The program is designed to support professional salons and hairstylists navigate what will be a “new normal” through encouraging and motivational tools, and education from their favorite artists. All salons and pro stylists can go to BeautyCareUnited.com for hair tutorial technique videos, perfect for this time, and to download the “Beauty Care United Virtual Kit.”

“In what could be a challenging time, encouraging stylist and customer confidence can be an important part of the salon re-opening process,” said Stefan Mund, regional head Henkel Beauty Care Hair Professional NA. ”Leveraging the unifying power of the hairdresser community, Henkel’s “Beauty Care United” program provides salons with tools to help clients and stylists alike feel comfortable in an environment aimed at making them feel and look beautiful.”

Henkel’s new hair care brand Better Natured has expanded with Good.Clean.Fun, its first permanent hair color line.

The naturally-derived, professionally-developed range is formulated with rich ingredients such as coconut oil and a signature triple plant-milk blend of Tahitian palm, coconut and orchid milk to deliver professional-level color while ensuring hair stays dramatically conditioned throughout the color process. The brand uses Global ISO Standard 16128 which defines naturally-derived as a plant- or mineral-derived material and water and has undergone limited processing. In the Better Natured Hair Color line, the percent naturally-derived ranges from 87-92% depending on the shade. 

Tested in a Green Circle Salon, this liquid-crème formula is gentle on hair and scalp, and shades can be customized while mixing with either a bottle or bowl and brush. The Better Natured hair color range provides rich, dimensional color that lasts for up to eight weeks and ensures 360°gray coverage. There are 26 shades ranging from classic neutrals like black, brown and blonde to flashy fashionable shades including red, violet, silver and blue.

“When we started creating Better Natured hair color, we heard people’s frustration about having to choose between naturally-derived products and vibrant results. We vowed to help put an end to that sacrifice. So, we committed to crafting a color with the highest number of naturally-derived ingredients possible and amazing vibrancy, coverage and long-lastingness—all the qualities you expect from professional color,”  Elizabeth Kenny, vice president of marketing and creative, Henkel Beauty Care North America, said in a statement.

Zotos Professional, also part of Henkel, recently launched a CBD and hemp seed oil infused hair care brand called Wellphoria. The range contains a blend of 99% pure CBD at 50ppm and hemp seed oil. 

Another launch comes from celebrity stylist Garren. With a full waitlist gathering online and a November 2020 rollout, the launch of R+Co Bleu channels five decades of hair history, according to the brand. It includes 21 formulations bringing sophistication, unparalleled quality and ingredient innovation to hair care, according to the company. Every category, from shampoos to conditioners to masks to stylers, has its own distinct shape and color-coded cap. The range is divided into families according to benefit, and reflected in four color stories: blue for Essentials, orange-red for Color, green for Repair & Moisture and purple for Volume.

“R+Co Bleu transforms the hair, providing editorial access at home,” said Garren, who has shaped the hair of beauty icons including Linda Evangelista, Farrah Fawcett, Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Kendall Jenner and Karlie Kloss, and whose work is featured consistently in global fashion campaigns and publications including Vogue, W, Interview and Allure.

Pureology launched a completely renovated product lineup this season with a new look and select formula improvements. The updated range boasts a reduction in carbon footprint during sourcing of ingredients and raw materials, increased water conservation through concentrated formulas, and 95% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging that is 100% recyclable. Further, Pureology formulas are paraben- and mineral oil-free, said the firm.

This month, Alterna Haircare introduces Caviar Anti-Aging Clinical Densifying, a range of hair care and scalp solutions that target thinning hair with transformative products and sensorial rituals. Created specifically to meet the needs of the fine and thinning hair consumer, this line includes innovative, advanced formulas that enhance the performance of its shampoo, scalp treatment and styling mousse and brings to market a new foam conditioner that is a clinically tested formula shown to increase volume and density to make hair appear fuller.

The core densifying regimen—shampoo, foam conditioner and scalp treatment—was clinically proven to help improve scalp’s natural barrier and significantly improve hair texture, thickness and condition.

Each Clinical Densifying formula has been reworked with ingredients such as amla Indian gooseberry to purify the scalp to unlock each strand’s full potential. Clinical Densifying treats the thinning hair consumer to a truly indulgent, deeply sensorial hair care experience, according to the brand. The products are specifically designed to have a lightweight texture to maximize the appearance of thicker, more voluminous hair, leaving out ingredients that can weigh hair down. Clinical Densifying formulas feature Alterna’s Amla Purifying Scalp & Hair Densifying Complex to weightlessly moisturize and gently purify the scalp to encourage the look of natural fullness, thickness and density.

“A healthy scalp and beautifully full, healthy hair are a source of confidence. But as hair thins, as it does for millions of people, pride and confidence can give way to self-doubt and emotional distress,” explained said Suzanne Dawson, global general manager, Alterna Haircare, New York. “While some mass and medical brands cater to consumers with thinning hair, we realized that this huge audience was largely unserved by the luxury hair care market. We created our newest incarnation of Caviar Clinical Densifying products to elevate this distressing chore into a truly transformative, healthy, sensorial experience. Grounded in science, that can improve the quality, texture and volume of their hair to help them look and feel beautiful and confident again.”

Meanwhile, Bumble and Bumble bulked up its salon offerings with Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Mask, an ultra-nourishing weekly hair mask that treats hair with up to 72 hours of lasting moisture, according to the company. The formulation is infused with the brand’s signature six-oil blend: coconut oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia nut oil and safflower seed oil.
Plus, this treatment is also boosted with a moisturizing blend of moringa oil and pomegranate seed extract. Dry, parched, or downright thirsty hair will love this new in-shower mask, featuring an easy-to-use flip-top cap.

To promote air-drying, Kenra Professional launched Kenra Platinum Texture Wave in stores and online at Ulta. It previewed the products with celebrity stylist David Lopez, who is also the brand’s Ulta ambassador, in an online editors’ event in August. Lopez, known for his wig-wearing tutorials, showcased how to utilize the brand’s latest and greatest firsthand.

“Minimum heat for maximum texture. Create at-home waves like a pro with optimal hold for style longevity. Ideal for the ‘no styling, styled hair,’” said Lopez, who demonstrated the products in a live Zoom video.

The collection includes Kenra Platinum Formation Mousse, a flexible styling mousse enriched with Indian lotus for enhanced body, and Kenra Platinum Veil Styling Crème, which provides light control to tame frizz and flyaways, and is enriched with purple orchid for increased moisture and definition.

At Ecru New York, the salon revolution continues with the launch of Air-Dry Foam, a heatless, texture and wave enhancer. According to the company, this silicone- and paraben-free formula perfects wavy and curly styles.

“Our line of Curl Perfect products was curated specifically to meet the needs of individuals with curly hair. Air-Dry foam is infused with natural ingredients to add moisture and enhance curl definition including rosehip oil, kalahari melon seed oil, mango butter and coltsfoot extract,” said Carmen DePasquale, CEO and founder of Ecru New York, Fair Lawn, NJ.

Consumers also are craving gleaming locks—an attribute of health and vitality. Redken’s new Shine Flash is a sulfate-free, anti-frizz shine spray for all hair types looking to add a sleek, smooth, shiny, glass-like shine to hair. The formula also features vitamin B5 and camelina oil for moisture.

Redken Global Creative Director Guido Palau capitalized on the past, the present, and the future woman at Marc Jacobs’ FW20 NYFW Show—showcasing that anything goes as we head into 2021.

“There are nods to different time periods: the ‘60s, ‘90s, but in a way that girls might wear their hair today. You’ll see girls with ponytails, deep side parts, scarves, hats, uptown girls, downtown girls…with Marc, there’s always and uptown and a downtown element to his looks. Marc is inspired by everyone—every kind of woman, every kind of man,” Palau said about the looks he created.

A Style for Everyone
The pandemic has created a surge of new products to either create or maintain the color experience at home. According to Gottdiner of Kline Pro, Madison Reed has led the way with home hair color kits in addition to color depositing masks. Moroccanoil offers color depositing masks as well. Amika introduced mixtape Color Enhancing Drops that can be added to hair care products.

According to George of JPMS, the salon sector will continue to focus on technology employing artificial intelligence that addresses personalization for the salon customer. John Paul Mitchell Systems will launch Hair AI in January 2021, the world’s first hair analysis solution that pairs a scanner with smartphone to diagnose hair health using artificial intelligence to make take home product recommendations tailored to the customer’s individual hair needs.

“This technology was years in the making, and I really believe it is going to change the way the salon professional and guest interact, not only about the guest’s hair, but about products. Technologies already exist, but they are either not affordable or accessible to salons; Hair AI is both,” George told Happi.

Ultimately, many consumers may want a way to limit salon visits even in the next year, so products that help maintain color or style in between will be critical to the consumer and the professional hair care industry.