Ep. 269: Chaz Dean on WEN, Celebrity Clients, Giving Back & His Secret Skincare Routine
One of the most recognizable names in beauty joins us for a deeply personal, wide-ranging conversation. Chaz Dean — the creator of WEN Cleansing Conditioner, with over 100 million bottles sold — sits down with Zach to talk about far more than hair. This is a conversation about following your instincts, building a legacy on your own terms, the chosen family that shapes you, and why giving back isn't something you do when you can afford it — it's something you do with whatever you have.
Chaz shares the story of how he almost took a job at Vidal Sassoon but walked away when they told him he had to choose between cutting and coloring. He talks about the moments that shaped him: getting exploited early in his career, using those experiences as fuel rather than reasons to quit, and ultimately building one of the most iconic product lines in beauty history. He opens up about his celebrity clients — from Jennie Garth (a friendship of over 30 years) to Tori Spelling and Julianna Margulies — and shares a never-before-told story about asking the universe for Madonna and Pamela Anderson as clients, and the ice-cold lesson that redirected him.
Beyond beauty, Chaz talks about the charities that have defined his adult life: 26+ years with the HollyRod Foundation supporting autism and Parkinson's research, nearly 30 years with Project Angel Food (which started with Marianne Williamson cooking meals for people with AIDS), and his deep involvement with Best Friends Animal Society. He reflects on the mentor figures who shaped him — including his minister of 25 years, the late Reverend Della Reese, and a woman named Spirit, a formerly homeless person who lived at his Hollywood salon for 12 years.
The conversation also gets beautifully personal — his journey away from Botox and fillers, his natural skincare routine (and why he'll do a half-face challenge with Zach live on camera), the inspiration behind his low-heat hair dryer after watching clients destroy their hair with high-heat tools, and a brand new self-tanner born out of a first-date ultimatum.
This is one of those episodes that makes you rethink what it means to build something real.
Episode Notes:
- Chaz's early career: photography school → beauty school → walking away from Vidal Sassoon
- Being exploited early and using it as a stepping stone instead of a roadblock
- How WEN changed the haircare industry — and why people still ask "where's the shampoo?" 25 years later
- The never-told story about asking the universe for celebrity clients — and the lesson that redirected him
- 30+ year friendship with Jennie Garth
- His minister for 25 years: the late Reverend Della Reese
- Spirit — a formerly homeless woman who lived at his Hollywood salon for 12 years
- Why he stopped Botox and fillers in 2019 — and what his natural skincare routine looks like now
- Why his hair dryer maxes out at 240°F — and why that matters for your hair health
- A new self-tanner created from plant-based sugars with no orange, no streak, no smell
- HollyRod Foundation (26+ years), Project Angel Food (nearly 30 years), Best Friends Animal Society
- His skincare product recommendations: dry oil, facial cleansing treatment, night cream, body bomb, revitalizing mist
- The half-face challenge: use your current products on one side, Chaz's on the other for 30 days
Links:
- Chaz Dean website: https://chazdean.com/
- WEN Pets Ultra Plush Faux Fur Bed: https://chazdean.com/collections/wen-pets
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Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
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