Biolage R.A.W., a brand committed to sustainability, natural-origin products and highly effective botanicals, just expanded their reach in a considerable way. By partnering with New York City’s J. Christopher Salon they’ve created the first Biolage R.A.W. flagship salon in the U.S. And, American Salon was there to toast the opening of this important, green-friendly salon.
“I’m a Matrix educator and I couldn’t be prouder of this newly renovated, completely green salon and my partnership with Biolage,” says Christopher Walsh, the founder and owner of J. Christopher Salon. “Everything you see, from the tiles to the glass, is made of recycled materials. We have LED lighting—which gives us an 80 percent reduction in energy use—and specially made water facets that reduce water consumption by 50 percent.” Another source of Walsh’s pride: becoming a Green Circle (greencirclesalons.ca) certified salon, which recycles about 85 percent of the salon’s trash, including hair and hair color. Green Circle uses the unwanted hair to make “hair brooms” that clean up chemical spills and fortify concrete.
With all of these smart sustainability practices, it’s easy to understand why Biolage R.A.W. would be a natural (pun intended) fit for the salon. “All the Biolage R.A.W. products are 98 to 100 percent natural-origin,” says Walsh. Adding to that fact, Biolage R.A.W. products are sustainably-sourced, have 99 percent biodegradable formulas and use 100 percent recycled packaging. But none of this would matter if the products weren’t highly effective and adored by clients and hairdressers alike—a fact that was clearly reinforced during the party. Both Walsh and Matrix Celebrity Colorist George Papanikolas (@georgepapanikolas) gushed over the way the shampoos, conditioners and masks rejuvenated the hair. And Walsh couldn’t say enough about the latest Biolage R.A.W. styling products. One of his favorites: the new Biolage R.A.W. Curl Defining Styling Butter. “It’s so rich and hydrating, it’s like a conditioning treatment within a styling product,” Walsh said as he twisted open the jar. “Look at that, it almost looks like peanut butter it’s so thick and creamy. And, it leaves the hair nice and soft without creating crunchy curls.”
As the salon party went on, we marveled over the Biolage moss wall, sipped refreshing smoothies, ate healthy veggies and watched customers relax with natural aromas, soothing scalp massages and stress-busting hand rubs. With the natural market representing the fastest growing category in the beauty industry, we can’t see anything but success in store for this gorgeously green salon.
The new J. Christopher Biolage R.A.W. flagship salon is located at 43 7th Avenue (between West 13th and 14th Street), New York, NY 10011.
About: MATRIX, a leading professional haircare and hair color company in the United States, is part of L’Oreal USA’s Professional Products Division. Matrix was founded in 1980 by the American husband and wife hairdressing team, Arnie and Sydell Miller. Before he founded Matrix, Mr. Miller was a hairdresser for over 20 years. Now, over two decades later, the Millers’ original ideas still stand strong, and Matrix is committed to the development of the salon professional, offering a wide range of haircare, haircolor and texturizing products.