The new Color Wow Money Laundering Shampoo and ConditionerSLOAN T HOWARD PHOTOGRAPHYWhen most people find a need in their hair care routine, they scour beauty shelves to find a solution. When Gail Federici wants a new product, she simply creates one. That’s the perk of being the founder of Color Wow, and having renowned cosmetic chemist Dr. Joe Cincotta, VP of Research and Innovation, at your side for over 35 years (they go all the way back to their John Frieda days). “It could be an inspirational moment where she walks in one day and says, ‘I just had an idea in the shower last night’ and everything changes overnight,” Cincotta says. Federici claims she has “difficult” hair, and this time, she wanted a shampoo and conditioner that would make it more manageable, shinier, healthier, and faster and easier to style—attributes that practically everyone else wants too. The result is Color Wow Money Laundering Shampoo and Conditioner, a two-step system that brings wash day to a new level and took a year and a half to develop. “People are real fans of the Money line, and its whole premise is a bit different,” Federici says. “It started with Chris [Appleton] and the Money Masque. It is a way that you can help people get their hair quality to be improved, so that when they go to style, they're starting with a base that is majorly improved from what their hair normally looks like. The prep is key because you've got to start with good quality hair in order to end with good quality hair. That was the idea behind the mask and also the Money Mist Leave-in Conditioner to make it easy. Now there’s a whole capsule line of products that really transform the quality of your hair.” The texture of Color Wow Money Laundering Hydrating ShampooSLOAN T HOWARD PHOTOGRAPHYColor Wow Money Laundering Hydrating Shampoo starts by delivering a 100% clean finish of the hair and scalp courtesy of the brand’s Residue-Free Cleansing Complex, ensuring that every ingredient completely rinses off. The clear, sulfate-free formula also deeply hydrates with hyaluronic acid and four types of nutrient-packed marine algae. The combination optimizes the scalp while leaving hair supple and healthy. Its role is to hydrate the internal structure of the hair. “The shampoo is setting up everything because it's basically a hydrating shampoo,” Cincotta says. “The idea was how do we get hydration in that first step without leaving anything behind on the surface of the hair? The surface has to be clean, so that we can then add other products to it. The hyaluronic acid we chose in the shampoo is the lowest molecular weight we could find, because once you get above a certain molecular weight it won’t penetrate the hair and will sit on the surface. I also used another small molecular weight of sodium PCA, which is typically used in skincare. The whole premise of the shampoo is to get that moisture in because that's one of the components of shine, and more suppleness.” Color Wow Money Laundering Glossing Conditioner’sColor WowEssentially doubling a glossing treatment, Color Wow Money Laundering Glossing Conditioner’s hero ingredient is the Hydro-Reflexive Complex made up of three 100% plant-derived silicone alternatives from castor and safflower oils to bring on major hydration without weighing down hair. Octyldodecyl PCA (a biomimetic ceramide) works to enclose the cuticle, trapping in moisture, leading to a smooth light-reflective surface for major shine and far less frizz. It’s also infused with marine botanicals to deliver amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins to strengthen strands and make them more manageable.“If you look at most conditioners out there, they condition the hair using acrylic polymers and silicones that stick to the hair,” Cincotta says. “The problem with that is they tend to stay behind and will last through a few shampoos and build up every time you use them. The difference with this one is we have silicone alternatives that are actually naturally-derived lipids. The surface of your hair has a certain percentage of lipids in it. Lipids are very important to the hair for moisturization, which is different than hydration. Moisturization is sealing that hydration into the hair that we put in with the shampoo. Lipids and ceramides together form the glue that holds the cuticle layers down. If we keep that cuticle flat, we not only make the surface smoother, we get rid of dullness, because a flat surface reflects light better. The formula also has a lanolin alternative, which adds gloss to the surface of the hair in a natural way.”The Color Wow Money collectionSLOAN T HOWARD PHOTOGRAPHYDesigned to be used as a pair, the set works in tandem to maximize results. “The two steps complement each other,” Cincotta says. “Hydration happens in the first step, and then in the second step we seal it in using natural materials versus synthetic materials. The shine is why we call it our glossing conditioner to make the hair look luxurious.”Healthy, hydrated hair is shiny hair, and that was one of Federici’s musts, since it also means younger-looking hair. Plus, when hair is moisturized it’s much more manageable. “It’s more elastic, making it easier to blow dry,” she says. “For me, that's always the thing—I don't want to be pulling and pulling my hair to get it to look smooth and shiny.” She reports that the duo also majorly cut down on styling time.The shampoo and conditioner are infused with Color Wow’s signature Money fragrance, a crisp, aquatic scent that does indeed smell rich. “People love the fragrance,” Federici says. “It was totally designed to make it feel like you're in the South of France.” But the most important thing to Federici is the results. “I only care about what works. When people go and smell the shampoos in the store, I say if you choose your shampoo by the way it smells, your results will stink.”