Celebrity Hairstylist Chaz Dean On His Latest Hair Line

Celebrity hairstylist Chaz Dean

chaz dean

We might know celebrity hairstylist Chaz Dean for his Los Angeles salon, or for his face on Hollywood billboards. For over 25, Dean has worked as a hairstylist, colorist, and hair product innovator with his vegan, cruelty-free line of WEN hair products. Dean was a trailblazer of the no-poo movement (he hasn't washed his hair with traditional shampoo since 1993, opting for a Cleansing Conditioner instead of using shampoo).

In January, he opened his first New York City hair salon in Greenwich Village located in a historic 19th century building at 59 Greenwich Avenue. The four-story building has a blowout bar, retail space and salon that offers treatments like haircuts, color treatments and his signature ReMoist treatment which rehydrates damaged hair.

Dean's latest WEN line is the sumptuous Piña Colada Collection for the hair and body, which includes a cleansing conditioner, hydrating hair mask, body treatment, and styling cream. This new collection squarely focuses on incorporating natural botanical ingredients like olive fruit oil, coconut water and pineapple extract into products like treatment oils.

The Piña Colada collection by WEN by Chaz Dean

chaz dean

Take the Piña Colada Styling Crème, which fights frizzy hair, while the Piña Colada Treatment Oil hydrates hair with a mix of argan oils and jojoba seed to replenish hair. The Piña Colada Re-Moist Hydrating Hair Mask uses essential oils and amino acids to make your hair stronger. And of course, they all smell like the summer cocktail, even though it just started as a general idea of 'pineapple and coconut,'" Dean says. "My clients like using products that smell good enough to eat—but of course, you can't. People love the aroma."

Dean was born in Vermont and grew up on the east coast until he was 13-years-old. His family then moved to California, relocating to Arizona a week after he graduated high school. In Arizona, he attended photography school and cosmetology school for two years and then moved to Los Angeles. He worked for a salon in Bel Air before opening his own salon in Hollywood called Chaz Dean Studio. It became a buzzy go-to spot for actors and celebrities alike, and his success led him to debut his product line WEN Hair & Body Care by Chaz Dean in November 2000.

Over the past numerous years, he has released over 700 products, many of which are still in production, and his product line has expanded to include pet care, skincare, fragrances and candles.

"My Cleansing Conditioner is my hero product," he says of the formula, which includes rosemary leaf extract. This ingredient allows hair to grow faster by improving scalp circulation. To date, he has sold over 60 million Cleansing Conditioners in various scents and formulas, from the Sweet Almond Mint to the Seasonals to Six-Thirteen, which include hair strengthening ingredients like 11-amino acids, peptides, and 4-Tea complex to help address free radicals with sun-stressed hair.

WEN summer Piña Colada styling creme

chaz dean

"I always say, what's going on at the scalp is your actual hair thickness, but what goes on at the ends is due to either the harsh chemicals that you're using, heat styling, or color processes that are taking a toll on your hair," says Dean, a top-selling beauty brands on the QVC shopping network.

"If you have an oily scalp but dry ends, you might be using the wrong products."

He stays away from the type of ingredients that damage the hair, mainly Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which can strip hair of its natural oils, and can cause irritation. Some of the natural ingredients in his products are infused with eucalyptus oil, which helps manage dandruff, and cherry bark extract, which adds a smooth shine to hair.

His trademark Cleansing Conditioner is a shampoo and conditioner, all in one. It also is a detangler and a leave-in conditioner, and "promotes a healthier scalp and hair growth," Dean says. It doesn't have your traditional lather, parabens, or SD Alcohol, which is typically found in shampoos, as well.

According to Dean, traditional shampoos that retail on the shelves of pharmacies and grocery stores alike are packed with harsh chemicals and sulfates that strip out hair moisture, thinning and weakening hair. He first saw this happen to his own hair back in the 1990s, which is traditionally oily and had him wash his hair twice a day. "Shampoo robs your scalp of its natural oils," he said.

Inside the Chaz Dean Studio NYC located at 59 Greenwich Ave in New York City

chaz dean

Many celebrities have jumped on board team WEN, as Dean helped transform the hair of the cast of 90210 in the 1990s, from Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth to Shannon Doherty and buzz grew from there throughout Hollywood. Brooke Shields became a WEN ambassador in 2015, after discovering the brand to help heal her over-processed, colored hair. Over the years, his Hollywood salon has catered to celebs like Alyssa Milano, Angie Harmon, Ming-Na Wen, Charlize Theron, and Paula Abdul.

"George Clooney overheard a few actors talking about my products and he asked them 'who is this Chaz guy you keep talking about?'" says Dean. He has garnered a reputation in the industry for helping celebrities tame their frizzy manes and boost their dramatic red carpet looks.

"I love working with Ming-Na Wen because she feels like family," he said. "She puts her trust in me and lets me do what I want to her hair with boundless creativity."

Today, he credits his success to emphasizing the care in hair care. "You have to care," he says, "more than anything in this business. Even after shooting for a full 24 hours at QVC, if I get asked the same question about hair over and over again, I'll get back up and answer it for anybody because I'm dedicated. I truly care about hair and helping people find the right hair routine that works best for them."

Passion has always been a driving force for Dean, who started out as a photographer, but realized he couldn't succeed in the fashion industry without learning hair and makeup. Today, he still shoots all his own product labels in his own photo studio.

Up next, Dean is releasing a cruelty-free, lightweight hair dryer that will debut in fall 2023. It weighs under a pound and a half and has multiple interchangeable attachments, including round brushes and something he calls an "Air Flow" accessory, making it an innovative brush-dryer that aims to deliver a salon-quality blowout at home.

"It's going to be a game changer for dryers," said Dean. "I can't wait to keep innovating in the hair industry, it's what keeps me going."

Hairstylist Chaz Dean

chaz dean