With these state of the art products, Chris makes me feel like a "hair dresser to the stars"! He also makes me feel broke, because his stuff is NOT cheap.
This week I tried out Chris Christensen "After Bath" Rinse. In only three days of use, this is now a product I do not want to live without. The main use is for light conditioning of coats that are scissored. The emollient ingredients in most conditioners soften coats so that the hairs bend with scissoring, or they weigh down the coat so that it seems to lose volume. There is less body, less appearance of volume. The After Bath does not do this.
I used it on several bichons, a mini schnauzer and a standard poodle all with fabulous results. The scissored standard poodle I groomed today had the best prep EVER in two years of grooming her. All the advantages of conditioning with none of the softness or coat falling. The scissoring was Heaven! What I was not prepared for was the significant reduction in drying time with this product. CC After Bath cut at least 10 minutes off my drying time on this full coated poodle. Here's what it says on the website http://www.chrissystems.com :
After Bath, a final rinse solution, delivers outstanding ease of combing and
brushing the coat. Cutting your drying time substantially.
After Bath is recommended for all coat types, particularly coat types that
fall when using heavy conditioners. After Bath seals the cuticle, adds
resilience and moisture to the coat without any traces of heavy waxes or oils.
There are significant advantages to After Baths' system, in contrast with
topical coat conditioners. After Bath flushes out any shampoo residue, seals,
adds manageability, moisture, and comb and brush ease with zero weight to the
most delicate coats.
Chris Christensen does not just know what to say, he delivers! This is a great product. On one standard poodle I did yesterday, I used it on the ears only and later wished I had used it all over. The mini schnauzer I tested it on has a bad tendency toward matting, so I usually have to condition the heck out of the coat and suffer the consequences - the coat falls and doesn't
scissor well. Not only did the After Bath avoid that problem, it helped with the tangling, too.
Do ya'll know what I mean by the term coat "falling"? It means that when you "stack" the coat with your comb prior to scissoring, the coat doesn't stay set up, it falls. If you are doing any show grooming or competition grooming, or just determined to get that outstanding result in your salon, this product is worth trying.
Let's talk about fragrance. The product left a light fragrance, not over bearing. I really like how it smells. It has class!
Author's note 8/1/07: I originally wrote this article in 2004. It remains a favorite conditioning choice in my salon. It is a great product for Bichon Frise. For the whitest possible white, I also use the Chris Christensen White on White shampoo. My personal Bichon, "Ms. Diva", has a very fine coat, and I maximize it by using CC "Thick n' Thicker" Foaming Protein in the bath. For my very best scissoring result, I use the Thick n Thicker spray. Ms. Diva is a Chris Christensen walking commercial.
Chris Christensen products can be purchased through Cherrybrook catalogue. Click here to go there. Tucson, Arizona shoppers can pick up these products at Transformation Pet Center.
ADDENDUM TO PRODUCT REVIEW: INGREDIENT ANALYSIS
Gotta love this company. Lisa Christensen has graciously provided us with a complete list of ingredients for After Bath Rinse.
Here are the ingredients with the BBird definitions and analysis:
WATER (AQUA)
DICETYLDIMONIUM CHLORIDE- a cationic quaternary ammonium compound (quat) conditioning/antistatic ingredient. Low dermal irritation factor, moderate ocular irritation.
CETYL ALCOHOL - a widely used conditioner ingredient, a waxy emollient & emulsion stabilizer. "Can cause hives", Winter (A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients) p119. Cosmetics UnMasked states that it "may cause contact dermatitis in some individuals." p301. Should there be an adverse reaction to this product (which I think is highly unlikely), this would be the ingredient to suspect.
HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE - widely used modified cellulose used as a binder, emulsion stabilizer and thickener. Used in some products as a hair texturizer.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - acidifier and clarifier. This is probably the ingredient that "removes shampoo residue."
PEG/PPG-18/18 DIMETHICONE - silicone copolymer. A "polymer" is a substance formed by combining many small molecules. PEG is the abbreviation for polyethylene glycol. PPG is for polypropylene glycol. This is one COMPLEX ingredient!
LECITHIN - a natural emollient, emulsifier, antioxidant and spreading agent. a hydrophilic ingredient that attracts water and acts as a moisturizer.
KERATIN AMINO ACIDS- derived from hydrolysis of keratin protein, amino acids have a smaller molecular structure than proteins and are therefore considered to have greater ability to penetrate the hair cellular structure. Used for moisturizing. This is probably the ingredient that needs the 3 minute setting time.
SODIUM CHLORIDE - salt, a thickener
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE- sunscreen ingredient
FRAGRANCE (PARFUME) - this product uses a nice, light, fragrance.
TETRASODIUM EDTA - chelating agent, helps product perform in hard water, also boosts preservatives (so that less preservatives can be used).
METHYLPARABEN - preservative
PROPYLPARABEN - preservative
RED NO. 33 - coloring agent
How I would describe this formulation: A rather complex, highly sophisticated combination of ingredients including the very natural (apple cider vinegar and lecithin) as well as the chemically complex (silicone copolymer and keratin amino acids), designed for static control and moisturizing with the least weighing down or softening of hair. The Apple Cider Vinegar serves to remove shampoo residue and to mildly acidify the hair and skin, encouraging the hair cuticle to snap shut and the coat to snap to attention. My pH test indicated a pH of 5.5.
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