Alanna York, the owner of Head Games salon in Portland, conceived of the idea of a quality, refillable, reusable product when she was having trouble finding a single product line that could meet all of her clients' needs.
'There was just something missing from every line, and since most have four or five products in each line, you have to carry six different products from each line. I wanted something that was more comprehensive,' she said. She also wanted something that was vegan, sulfate free, paraffin free and bottles that were free of BPA. 'We took it to five more levels why not do every single thing you can possibly do?'
The Boom Boom Room is technically for parents of children, and most of the swag being given out is aimed directly at the little ones. But their products were such a hit not only because they were safe for children to handle - there was also some parent love going on.
'It was a much bigger success than we thought. The moms would get there and say, It's a mommy table!' and they were pretty excited,' said York.
And it wasn't just moms going after their products Max Ehrich isn't a parent, and he's been tweeting about their products.
The way the reusable products work is a client buys two mailer bags that both contain a cleanser and a moisturizer (shampoo and conditioner). You use one and mail it back to be refilled, but you still have your product on hand with the second bag so you're not waiting around. It's like Netflix for your hair.
York said that there are some refilling stations at salons, but they have to meet a minimum order requirement and the mailing system allows their product to reach more people without putting a financial strain on small salons.
For more information on Use Me! Refill. Reuse. Repeat. check out their website at www.usemeproducts.com or call 888-So-USE-ME.