I had the privilege of meeting Fernando in person at a continuing education class ,he was teaching at Lacy Cosmetology. After speaking with him and learning more about his products. I knew that I would want to learn more and more from Fernando to stay up to date with the industry.
I hunted him down to appear on The Hair Artist Association,LLC Radio Show because I felt his value would bring our members and others great success in the industry. Now we are having him as a guest September 29, 2011. To learn more about Fernando keep reading but to join us on the show go to http://blogtalkradio.com/hairartistassociation
Fernando Salas has been inspiring, educating and mentoring other hairdressers for more than 35 years. His passion for the profession has helped take him from behind the chair to the stage as a successful platform artist to a salon owner to a manufacturer of a line of signature hair care products. As he continually strives to create products that help hairdressers push the limits, his primary focus is teaching them how to use the products and rediscover the creativity within.
The son of a barber, Salas was still in high school when he became a licensed cosmetologist. After spending a year working in a salon in an affluent area of Southern California, he left for Europe to soak in the education and broaden his expertise. He realized early on that being young and talented simply wasn’t enough. People wanted hairdressers with experience. So he turned to learning what he could from the best in the world in an effort to increase his clientele upon his return to the states.
Salas’ passion for education led him to various companies, including Helene Curtis, Clairol, New Image and Brilliant Products. He also worked behind the scenes to develop products for them, sparking the idea that he should create a line of his own. It would be years before he acted on it, concentrating instead on his skills as a master artist and representing the U.S. in the World Hairdressing Championships.
In 1999, Salas was invited to participate in the Premiere Beauty Show in Orlando. As he spent his day on stage styling hair, his wife and business partner Patricia sold the spray product he was using. By the end of the first day 200 pieces had sold – and the product didn’t even have a name. Salas knew his days of working for others were over, and by the end of the trip, he had christened the soon-to-be developed line White Sands.
Launched in 2000, White Sands is a comprehensive line of cleansing, conditioning, treatment, styling and finishing products that work from the inside out to nurture and protect the hair. In addition to the wet line, White Sands offers shears, styling tools such as flat irons and Velcro strips and collateral material such as instructional DVDs and brochures.
A family-owned and operated venture, Salas works closely with his sons Aarron and Noel to ensure that the branding of the line is in tune with its growth. He oversees all company operations, including research and development, photo shoots and image in addition to spending four days weekly behind the chair in his Newport Beach, CA-based salon. His dedication to education has not gone unrecognized: show demand has tripled for 2006 resulting in Salas expanding his team of educators.
In the coming months, Salas plans to introduce new products to both the hair care and styling tool lines. As the demand for White Sands increases worldwide, the line is quickly becoming as recognized for its innovative products as it is for the fantasy hair it showcases at trade shows and its vast celebrity presence on Hollywood movie and TV sets.
An industry veteran who has worked diligently to create a line where the results of the products are only limited to the creativity of the user, Salas continues to push the envelope among hairdressers as he spreads the message that knowledge is power.
