products

PRODUCT CONTROL
It’s time to get real about the professional salon products you see at mass retailers, grocery stores, drug stores, swap meets and on the internet. It may look like genuine product, but it's actually diverted and it could be old, stolen, counterfeit or tampered with.

Get Real
FAQs

What is diversion?
Diversion is product being sold outside of its authorized chain of distribution.

Is diversion illegal?
Not technically. When diversion happens, there are breaches in contracts that occur but it is not illegal—professional salon companies cannot go into retail stores and forcibly remove their products from the shelf.

How do drugstores, grocery stores and discount stores get professional products?
The professional products in mass retailers do not come from the manufacturer. There are wholesalers that supply those stores, who are not affiliated with the professional salon companies. Those same wholesalers go to great lengths to obtain products to sell to mass retailers. You can't be sure it is the real thing.

Is the salon product I buy at a grocery store, drugstore or on the internet the real thing?
Maybe, maybe not. The professional salon products found in grocery stores, drug stores or on the internet are either diverted, stolen, old, tampered with or counterfeit. The only way to guarantee professional salon product is genuine is to buy it at a professional hair salon or beauty supply where professional salon services are offered.

Is it safe to use these products?
It’s difficult to say. Independent lab tests conducted by FOX News on bottles purchased from a variety of mass retailers and grocery stores found enough bacteria that would make the user sick enough to require medical attention.

Aren’t the products more expensive in a salon?
Product at unauthorized outlets can cost up to twice as much as it would if you bought it at a salon. Get the real deal, not a bogus steal—only buy professional salon products from a hair salon, barber shop or beauty supply that offers professional salon services. Support your stylists and their efforts to keep you looking great.

Where should I purchase professional salon products?
Only in a professional hair salon, barber shop or beauty supply where they perform professional salon services. Of course you can purchase them at Lather Salon!

What can I do to fight diversion?
Purchase professional salon products only from a professional hair salon. Tell your friends about what you learned on this web site.

What should I do if I have already purchased a professional salon product from a mass market retailer?
We strongly recommend that you return the product and get a refund—products purchased outside of a professional salon are not guaranteed and can be old, diverted, stolen, tampered with or counterfeit.