The Truth Behind Water Solubility

A Note From Shari

It’s that time of year that brings me back to thinking about what truly counts in life.

Presence. Connection. Gratitude.

That same clarity has shaped the way I’ve been approaching my work.

When I allow myself to slow down and pay attention, I see what needs to evolve. I see what needs to be refined. And I see where the work wants to go next.

That’s part of what led me to shift from Gem Drop 1.0 to Gem Drop 2.0.

Some of you have been following my SHARI-ing is Caring series, Gem Drops. Gem Drop 1.0 focused on technique. I taught steps, demonstrated methods, and broke down shapes the way I had done for years.

It served a purpose. But I began to recognize that there was another layer of the work I wanted to explore.

Gem Drop 2.0 moves beneath the technique.

I teach the principles that guide it and the thinking behind the decisions we make. Rather than showing designers what to copy, I want to help them understand what they’re seeing, why something works, and how to make stronger decisions for themselves.

The language is cleaner. The philosophy is stronger. And the work feels more aligned with where I am now.

In many ways, that evolution mirrors what I feel in my own life.

Less noise. More clarity.

More commitment to what feels right.

As I stepped into this next phase,I also knew it was time to name some of the assumptions that shape our work and examine whether they still hold up.

The conversation around water solubility is one of them.

“To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse” sets the stage for that discussion.

The truth about water solubility

To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse: The Truth Behind Water Soluble Products

The term water soluble has lived in our industry for years. It shaped routines, shaped beliefs, and often created confusion. During my Deva days, I worked closely with chemists, and their perspective has always been direct.

 If your definition of water soluble means “all product should rinse out with a simple flush of water,” here is their answer:

There is no such thing as a fully water soluble hair product. Every formula contains ingredients that dissolve in water and ingredients that do not. This is not negative. It is what creates performance. Anything that provides hold, moisture retention, slip, shine, or protection will resist water and will need more than water to cleanse.”

Water soluble refers to specific ingredients, not the entire product. Even formulas marketed as water soluble rely on polymers and conditioning agents that still require cleansing. Water soluble ingredients include glycerin, aloe juice, panthenol, and amino acids. Modified silicones disperse more easily but still need to be washed out.

📝Water resistant ingredients include oils, butters, waxes, traditional silicones, and certain polymers. These create hold, slip, shine, and protection. Gels and creams are never fully water soluble because their structure depends on emulsifiers and polymers.

📝What matters most is not whether a product is water soluble. What matters is whether your cleansing routine supports the amount + frequency of the products you use. When a formula contains ingredients that are not water soluble, you need surfactants to remove them. That is how cleansing is designed to work. Period.

Take this for what it is. A clear explanation from the chemists who build these formulas. You get to decide what supports your approach and your routine.

What Is Yours To Tend Today?

How intention, principle, and real science shape your work behind the chair.

I’ve been asking myself one question each morning:

“What is mine to tend today?”

The answer is usually simple, and it is always enough.

That question helps me stay clear about where I place my energy. It keeps me from reacting to noise and reminds me to lead from intention, not pressure.

You can bring that same clarity behind the chair.

What is yours to tend today?

Is it your consultation?
The structure of your design?
The consistency of your technique?
The way you guide your client through a decision?

When you tend to what is truly yours, your work becomes more focused. Your choices become cleaner. Your presence becomes a steady part of the service.

Y olution . Your clarity matters. And your presence shapes the work more than any technique ever will.

Interestingly, tending as taken on another meaning for me since moving to Florida.

After trading a terrace and concrete skyline for a house with a lawn, gardening became one of the places I turn when I need to work with my hands and reconnect with my creativity.

And of course, I see design there too.

Sculpting a shrub isn't all that different from refining the shape of a haircut. I look at proportion, balance, where something needs to be removed, and where it needs to remain. Adding flowers brings contrast and color into the composition, much like placing color within a hairstyle.

Different medium. Same designer eye.

Gardening gives me somewhere else to practice seeing.

And somewhere along the way, I realized it was teaching me something about business too.

More on that belo

Did You Know?

I have spent years building education that holds up in real salons.

I have spent years building education that holds up in real salons.

THE TRUTH IS THIS…

I build systems that help professionals grow.
I align structure with purpose.
I design learning that works in real life, not only in a classroom.

Strong curriculum does not happen by accident.

It comes from intention, refinement, and protecting the stages that give the work its strength.

As a curriculum architect, I look beyond what needs to be taught. I think about how the learning will be understood, applied, and repeated once the classroom is gone.

I CREATE BLUEPRINTS THAT TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO PRACTICE.

If you are a beauty professional looking for deeper clarity, cleaner technique, or stronger structure behind your work, this is the work I love to teach.

Technical Training I Strategies I Leadership

@jennymoloney