Making a difference in the haircare industry
Thanks to a wave of smart-thinking industry experts, haircare now takes on a much deeper meaning.
I ’ve always believed that the sign of a good hair salon is when a client walks out with not only a bounce in her tresses, but with a bounce in her step as well. A cut, colour and blow-dry generally takes a long time, and if you’re able to share a good laugh with your stylist, or solve all the world’s problems together, the time goes all the more quickly. When you also discover that the salon’s ethos around sustainability and treating this earth with care matches your own, the experience is even sweeter. One hundred choices Calling in to see star hair stylist Lauren Gunn at her Auckland salon, Colleen, was the start of a very good day. Not only was Gunn’s head massage heavenly, but what truly invigorated me was a conversation which began organically, as I commended her on the foliage display in her front window. Gunn explained that the greenery was not only aesthetically pretty, but placed for practical reasons as well – to reduce noise pollution and to help oxygenate the air.
“In any person’s day, how economically or environmentally sustainable our life is will be a result of one hundred choices we make during that day,” she explains. “From the length of a shower, which coffee beans we choose, buying local fashion, or watching our waste. This is where the power of consumers lies, and where change can happen.”
Gunn acknowledges that consumers are more informed and interested about at-home and in-salon hair care ingredients and practices than ever before. “People are still focused on having spectacular hair, but developments in technology and services are allowing salon owners to consider and mitigate negative impacts on the health of clients and staff, and the environment.”
“Consciously improving what we do” is also a business philosophy at The Powder Room in Wellington. Says salon director Lisa Ussher, “If a person lives sustainably at home, then their hair salon should be an extension of those values. Not only are people seeking paraben-, sulfate- and cruelty-free colour and styling products, but the idea of using things that do no harm to the environment or actively give back to the environment gives extra pleasure to the salon experience.
Recycling, minimising water usage through eco-friendly tapware, leaving minimal paper-trails, using toxin-free products where
possible: salon owners who want their salons to become sustainable are looking at every single aspect of their business.
“I’d love to be able to recycle hair,” says Ussher. “We compost all the natural hair but overseas there are amazing things happening in this space.” Making big changes We all know that Cantabrians are not afraid to rise to a challenge. Cue Phillipa Adams, owner of Pure Hair & Body, who, while running two busy salons also has her eyes on continued sustainability. “In the near future we’re hoping to find a company that will take the cut hair and make it into mats,” Adams says.
“That’s what they do in Canada, actually; hair absorbs well and apparently it’s really good for oil spills.
“We’ve just found a company who will take on our foil.” (Tin foil is used in salons during the ‘foiling’ process, which is when certain sections of hair only are highlighted or lowlighted.) “They will melt down the cleaned foil and make other aluminium products out of it – it’s really exciting!”
Adams’ interest in eco-friendly salon options came after several years of working in the hairdressing industry and being plagued with contact dermatitis. “I was steering down the road of giving up this career,” she recalls, “but because I’m a passionate person, and because I’m a Capricorn, I started researching products. It’s been an absolute journey, and a long one to find products that perform as required.”
After suffering a chemical allergy early in her career, Auckland’s Vada Hair co-owner Cat Frost needed to ‘sustain’ her career in hairdressing, as well as reduce exposure to allergens within the work environment, for the benefit of all. “When Guy [Roberts, Vada co-owner and Frost’s husband] and I started a family, two out of our three children were born with reactive disrupted immune systems: severe food allergies and environmental-driven allergies. It became incredibly important to look closely at what’s happening in our industry and to seek alternatives to protect ourselves, our team, and our customers.”
The concern extends to the environment for Lower Hutt salon owner Shazly Rasheed, who knows first-hand the devastating impacts of global warming. With advice from the Sustainable Business Network and the Hutt City Council, she has just re-opened her salon “that won’t damage the planet” in new premises. “I’ve seen whole communities shift from the island they lived on because of sea levels rising, damaging people’s lives and livelihood.”
While hairdressers are first and foremost focused on enhancing their clients’ appearance, it’s refreshing to see a growing business interest in the eco-friendly factor as well. When asked about the next ultimate product substitute or innovation?
“I’d love a silent hairdryer,” quips Gunn.
“I’d love to be able to recycle hair. We compost all the natural hair but overseas there are amazing things happening in this space.” Lisa Ussher