Celebrity hair stylist Chaz Dean is the creator of Wen Hair Care Line or Wen by Chaz Dean.

Chaz Dean and Marta Walsh.

In this interview Chaz Dean talks to Marta Walsh about how through his appreciation for beauty and his mission to help every women to realize their best beauty potential he created Wen hair care line, why he stopped using shampoos and how he managed to convince his celebrity clients to do the same, how he went about creating the very popular Wen Cleansing Conditioner, the launch of Wen products for the skin and Wen hair mask which in the past was exclusive to their salon clients and celebrities, and his love for cooking.

When did your interest in hair design begin?
My interest in hair design stems from an appreciation for beauty that I’ve had all my life. I started my career in photography because initially I wanted to capture that – but eventually I realized I wanted to be more involved in creating beauty and not just reflecting it on an image. I wanted to shape a look in its different aspects and in the process realized how hair is so fundamental to that.

Read the rest of Marta Walsh’s interview with Chaz Dean here:

Why have you decided to create your own hair care line: Wen by Chaz Dean?
I had been a working hairstylist for some time when I realized how so many of my clients – especially celebrities – would come to me with such damaged hair. In my work, I always strive to be more than just the person who patches up a problem. I want to get to the cause of it and help prevent it. Eventually I came to the evident conclusion that the detergents in shampoo were causing the damage. So I sought to come up with a superior alternative, something that would safely cleanse hair and in the process restore hair to its beautiful health.

What sets the Wen hair care line apart from other hair care products?
Each product from the WEN haircare line is created with much thought, research and care. We use only naturally healthy ingredients that address various hair concerns. Then it comes down to creating the perfect blend of those ingredients to deliver optimum results in nourishing hair and making it healthy and beautiful.

What made you stop using regular shampoos and how did you manage to convince your clients to do the same?
Shampoos contain many harsh chemicals which in the course of cleansing strip away hair’s natural moisture and consequently weaken and damage it. Getting my clients to stop using shampoo is fairly easy since being their hairstylist constitutes a certain amount of trust. It’s getting them to embrace the idea of cleansing without that lather of shampoo that is often the initial hurdle. We’re all psychologically predisposed to connecting lather with cleansing. But once you understand that WEN thoroughly cleanses with natural and effective ingredients without the harmful effects of shampoo you will realize the significant difference WEN can make.

How did you go about creating Wen’s Cleansing Conditioner?
I started with experimenting with ingredients from my own garden. I researched their properties and tried to figure out the specific hair problems that need to be addressed and how best to approach them. After figuring out the general directions I wanted I got in touch with a laboratory that could help me realize the products.

What difference in hair condition can one expect using Wen hair care products?
The difference is nothing short of amazing and every person who’s ever used WEN knows. You can actually already feel the difference with initial use so you can imagine that with continued use the improvement in the health, texture and vibrance of your hair will be incredible.

Which tips can you give us when using Wen hair care products for the first time?
You simply need to follow the easy instructions we provide and it’s mostly how much to use with regards to the length and thickness of your hair. The rule of thumb is that the drier or the more damaged your hair is you should work in more product – from scalp to the very ends – and leave it in longer.

What is new this year at Wen By Chaz Dean?
We recently launched our very first products that do for your skin what WEN does for hair. We have these amazing WEN Lavender Body Cleanser and WEN Lavender Nourishing Body Lotion that provides amazing moisture for the skin and body. We also just made available for the first time our special blend of WEN hair mask that has prior to this only been in exclusive use to our salon clients and celebrities.

What was your most enjoyable element in the creation of Wen by Chaz Dean?
What gives me the most satisfaction is seeing the results. There’s nothing more fulfilling or more enjoyable than seeing how WEN has helped change and improve my clients’ hair, how beautiful they look and how confident they feel.

What have been some of your most memorable celebrity collaborations?
There are too many to mention. Every single one of them – from Nicolette Sheridan to Finola Hughes to the women of Desperate Housewives – has been an inspirational moment of discovery for both me and these celebrities. It’s all about helping them realize the best potential of their beauties.

What one or two things some people may not know about Chaz Dean?
It may not be much of a surprise, but I love to cook. It’s an extension of my creativity. I enjoy figuring out how to put things together and trying to create something wonderful and enjoyable for everyone.

What’s next for Chaz Dean?
I’m always working on new things, new ideas and new projects. At the moment I’m trying to create another WEN product that’s not only worthy of the brand name but will without a doubt amaze everyone yet again!

It was a pleasure to interview Chaz you can find out more about him at his official website: www.chazdean.com/

Chaz Dean was interviewed by Marta Walsh for Beauty Interviews.