Running out of 20 volume on a Saturday, or opening the last box of foil halfway through a highlight, costs more than the product itself. It costs time, reschedules and sometimes a client. The fix is boring but effective: a written checklist, organized by station, with a minimum quantity for every item. Use this list as a starting point and adjust it to your menu and your book.
How to use this checklist
- Count once a week, on the same day, before you place orders.
- Give every item a par level: the minimum on hand before you reorder.
- Reorder fast movers (developer, foil, gloves, backbar shampoo) by the case.
- Keep one person responsible for the count, even in a small salon.
1. Color bar
Color
- Permanent color in your top-selling levels and tones, especially naturals for gray coverage
- 10-minute permanent color for fast gray-coverage appointments
- Demi-permanent color and clear gloss for refreshing ends and shine
- Toners for blondes: acidic glosses and fast demi toners (see our guide to color types and toners)
- Semi-permanent and vivid shades if you offer fashion color
Developer, lightener and additives
- Developer in 10, 20, 30 and 40 volume for your main line, plus each demi line’s own activator (our developer volume guide explains which does what)
- Lightener for on-scalp and off-scalp work, for example Joico VeroLight, Paul Mitchell Blonde or Matrix BlondeMax 9+
- Your salon bond builder for lightening services
- Additives your team relies on, such as Wella Blondor Brass Kicker, Gray Magic or Goldwell System Thickener
Tools and disposables
- Foil: pop-up sheets for speed and a roll for custom lengths (Colortrak 500CT pop-up, Framar pop-up, Framar embossed roll, Reynolds 711)
- Disposable gloves in every size your team wears (Colortrak vinyl gloves)
- Bowls and brushes: a wide brush for roots and a fine one for foils (Colortrak Pro Pack, Framar Pin Tail Brush, Cricket Mega Roots Brush)
- Sectioning clips (Colortrak croc clips, Framar Gator Grips)
- Barrier cream and stain remover (Framar Dye Defender, Framar Kolor Killer wipes)
- A digital scale, timers, color capes and dark towels
- Cotton swabs and client cards for 48-hour allergy alert tests
2. Shampoo bowl and backbar
- Professional shampoo and conditioner in liters or larger, for example Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo 2 L
- A clarifying shampoo for pre-service cleansing (Olaplex Nº.4C, Pravana Clear Cleanse)
- Color-care shampoo for after color services (Joico K-PAK Color Therapy)
- Treatments and masks (Joico K-PAK Reconstructor, Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, amika the kure)
- Purple and blue toning care for blondes and brunettes (Matrix So Silver, Joico Color Balance Blue)
- Scalp care if you offer scalp services (Joico Scalp Vitality scrub, Nioxin systems)
- Towels, neck strips and capes
3. Styling stations
- Heat protectant at every station (K18 HeatBounce, Paul Mitchell Neuro Protect, Sebastian Trilliant)
- Smoothing oil or serum (Moroccanoil Treatment)
- Volume and texture (Big Sexy Hair Powder Play, Kenra Volume Spray 25)
- Finishing sprays in light and firm hold (Joico Power Spray, Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray)
- Curl products if you have textured-hair clients (Kenra Curl Defining Creme 5, Olaplex Nº.10)
- Detangling brushes and combs (Wet Brush Pro)
- Tools, with a backup at the front desk: dryer, irons and clippers (GA.MA iQ Sfera, BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium, BaBylissPRO COREFX)
- Spray bottles, sectioning clips and neck strips
4. Cleaning and disinfection (California)
If you work in California, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology sets the rules. The basics to stock for:
- An EPA-registered disinfectant with demonstrated bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal activity, in liquid form for immersing non-electrical tools and in spray or wipe form for shears and electrical tools
- Soap and water, or a cleaner, for washing tools before they are disinfected
- A covered container large enough to fully immerse combs, brushes and clips for the contact time on the label
- Clean, closed and labeled containers for disinfected tools
- Single-use items such as neck strips and gloves, thrown away after each client
Change the disinfectant as the manufacturer directs or when it looks cloudy or dirty. For the full rules, read the Board’s health and safety regulations.
5. Retail shelf
Retail is where home care happens, and it protects the service you just did. Stock the take-home versions of what you use at the bowl: color-safe shampoo and conditioner, a purple shampoo for blondes, a heat protectant, and one repair treatment. If clients ask about bond repair, our Olaplex vs K18 guide explains the difference.
Set par levels that match your book
A simple rule: par level = average weekly use × weeks until your next delivery + one week of safety stock. If you use four bottles of 20 volume a week and order every two weeks, keep at least twelve on hand. Review the numbers every season. Holidays, prom and wedding months need more lightener and toner.
Our guide to setting minimum stock levels walks through the same method with nail supplies as the example.
Restock from OBB in Westminster
Oh Baby Nails & Hair is a beauty supply in Little Saigon carrying more than 290 professional hair, nail and skin products from over 60 brands. Text your list with the quantities you need to (949) 591-5304. We confirm stock and your total, and you pick up at 9550 Bolsa St. Ste 111, Westminster, CA 92683. Delivery is free on invoices over $2,000 within about 15 miles.
Start browsing in Hair and Salon Tools & Supplies.
Sources
- California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Disinfection and Article 12, Health and Safety
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