Mixed Greens
On these pages you'll find eco-friendly products plus tips for going green that you can implement right now.
London Calling
Aveda introduced the Marylebone Lifestyle Salon and Store in London's high-end, luxury, residential neighborhood last August. Following the company's Sustainability Design Protocol, the design is a dynamic play of strong yet simple architectural elements that are visually rich and tactile. During demolition of the existing Environmental Lifestyle Store and Café, Aveda donated and recycled all the content they could not use; more than 50 percent of what would typically be considered demolition waste never made it to the landfill. The company also sourced recycled, nonlaminated glass (lamination can be toxic) for the retail fixtures. What makes glass so desirable is that it can be recycled continuously. Finally, the design incorporates both stainless and powder-coated steel, both of which are easily returned to industrial cycles for reuse. —M.D.
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Eco-Chic Candles
Kobo pure soy candles are hand-poured in Upstate New York and beautifully packaged. They're made from the highest-quality essential oils and domestically grown, sustainable soybeans, which burn much cleaner than paraffin wax, a petroleum-based product shown to release questionable chemicals into the air. kobocandles.com —C.W.
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Hooray for Hemp
Made with such certified-organic botanicals as hemp seed oil, cranberry, avocado, cucumber and white tea, Alterna Hemp with Organics Sheer Pomade tames frizz, adds shine, creates shape and provides light hold. Talk about multitasking. 4alterna.com —C.W.
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The Right Stuff
HAMPTON SUN SPF 30 Lotion is loaded with walnut oil, aloe and vitamins A and E that keep skin moisturized. Another plus: The fresh, green scent is perfect for summer.hamptonsuncare.com —M.D.
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It's Easy Being Green
The Virtuous Consumer (New World Library, 2007) by Leslie Garrett is a go-to guide to help readers discover how to care for the environment while learning something about themselves at the same time. Find out how to purchase nearly everything ethically, including clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry, in a section of the book called "Eco-Chic." —N.P.
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Eco-Friendly Business Cards
One way to make your salon more planet-friendly is to print your business cards, marketing materials and menus on chlorine-free, post-consumer recycled paper, which is made from paper that has been used and then collected by various recycling programs. Kim D'Amato, owner of Priti Organic Spa in New York City, uses post-consumer recycled paper for her cards. Producing recycled paper causes 74 percent less air pollution, 35 percent less water pollution and creates five times the number of jobs than does producing paper from trees. Check out greenerprinter.com for options. —C.W.
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Think about buying a refurbished computer when it's time to get a new one for your salon. In The Green Book (Three Rivers Press, 2007) Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen note that you'll save 139 pounds of waste, 7,300 gallons of water and 2,300 kilowatt-hours of energy associated with manufacturing a new one. —C.W.
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Scents & Sensibility
Zents Eau de Toilette sprays are formulated with essential oils, botanical extracts and aromatic blends that use as many as 120 notes to create a sophisticated but natural fragrance. zents.com —C.W.
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Color Safe
Organic Color Systems offers a haircolor dye made without ammonia, preservatives or petrochemicals for clients who are sensitive to those items. It has a nontoxic odor and uses a lightener that contains active wheat proteins, which help protect the hair during bleaching. Juliene Ebner, owner of Juju Salon & Organics, an environmentally friendly salon and spa in Philadelphia, has been using Organic Color Systems exclusively since she opened more than two years ago and says she'll never go back to traditional haircolor. "Organic Color Systems is more expensive, but we educate our clients and tell them what it means to be ammonia-free," she says. —C.W.
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
For organic-beauty pioneer JOHN MASTERS, "green" is not a trend but a way of life. Not only is his Manhattan salon powered with 100-percent wind energy, but Masters has also taken steps to increase the city's fresh oxygen supply by giving his salon's backyard garden an "eco-update." He worked in conjunction with landscape architect Simon Martinez and consultants from the nonprofit Rainforest Relief to transform the garden into a relaxing, green haven with a deck and planters crafted from reclaimed wood, natural systems for repurposing storm water run-off and organic soil management that makes pesticides and herbicides unnecessary. —C.W.
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Curl Cure
Frizzy curls are no longer a problem with PHILIP PELUSI's P2 ReCurl, infused with certified-organic lavender oil and Aloe barbadensis leaf extract. The resin-free treatment provides weightless moisture to natural and permed curls and never leaves them stiff or sticky. Innovative plant extracts block UV rays, while green tea antioxidants prevent color from fading. philippelusi.com—N.G.
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Wild Aid
David Babaii and actress Kate Hudson have combined their love of nature and beauty to create a line of haircare products. A percentage of the revenue benefits WildAid, the Global Wildlife Conservation Organization. davidbabaiiforwildaid.com —M.D.
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BAG LADY
To many "greenies," plastic shopping bags are earth-enemy number one. Opt instead for a reusable, machine-washable ChicoBag, which folds into a tiny, go-anywhere, 3-by-4 inch pouch when not in use. ChicoBags come with a one-year warranty, but when their time is up, the company will repurpose them into dog beds, door mats and prayer flags. chicobag.com —C.W.
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Salons on a Mission
A cornerstone of John Paul Mitchell Systems' corporate philosophy is caring for the earth. But the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" is not only touted around the corporate office but also in Paul Mitchell Focus and Signature Salons, as well as in its schools, many of which are making it a point to be more green. Frank Wright of Haircolorxperts, a Paul Mitchell Focus Salon in Highlands Ranch, CO, found that he could save an average of 55 percent on his energy bill by replacing all 72 of his salon's incandescent lightbulbs with 17-watt fluorescent bulbs. Meanwhile, the staff at Reveal Salon, a Paul Mitchell Signature Salon in San Luis Obispo, CA, switched from paper books to computer booking to cut down on waste, set up a recycling bin, installed energy-saving bulbs and unplug all of their hot tools at the end of each day to save energy. St. Louis Academy, a Paul Mitchell Partner School, recycles empty developer bottles and package inserts and saves backbar containers for a recycling art project. They also bought metal forks and spoons and quit using plastic utensils. Another Paul Mitchell Partner School, The San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, is going to great lengths to be more green. They've installed motion sensors on lights and UV-protection shades on windows to save on energy. Now there's a computer lab where students take exams online to conserve paper. And how cool is this? The institute recently donated hair from its cutting floor to a nonprofit called Matter of Trust that made mats out of the donated hair. Volunteers then used these spongelike mats to help sop up oil that had leaked into San Francisco Bay from an oil spill. Once the mats were soaked with the gunk, mushrooms were placed on the mats to grow and absorb the oil, converting the oily hair mats into nontoxic compost. —C.W.
 The stylists at Reveal Salon in San Luis Obispo, CA, dressed their models in clothing made from recycled newspapers in an effort to make their photo shoot more eco-conscious. |
A Better Bottle
Plastic water bottles, which are filling up landfills, have recently seen their reputation fall about as fast as a bouffant in a Mississippi summer. In fact, Aveda now requires its fashion week partners to serve water backstage from Swiss-made, aluminum SIGG water bottles. Fashionable and functional, SIGG bottles are 100-percent recyclable, long-lasting and nontoxic. mysigg.com —C.W.
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Balance in a Bottle
Lavender, nature's remedy for anxiety and tension, is a key ingredient in the new Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner duo. The relaxing blend is recommended for use, along with a scalp massage and aromatherapy heat treatment, as a calming, stress-relieving service. paulmitchell.com —C.W.
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Adorn your salon or spa with locally or organically grown flowers. "Many people don't realize that typically 50 to 1,000 times the amount of chemicals that are legally allowed on foods are used on flowers," says Gerald Prolman, founder and CEO of Organic Style. Salons and spas can order organic and fair trade flowers from Organic Style's wholesale division, ecoflowers.com. —C.W.
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It's Green to Me
The Scalp Rescue Styling Gel from MAX GREEN ALCHEMY is a flake-free, flexible-hold formula that is 100-percent plant-derived. It's made with organic aloe leaf juice and organic geranium, lavender and tea tree essential oils but without wax, petrochemicals or parabens. maxgreenalchemy.com —C.W.
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Pipe Dreams
Sanijet Pipeless Spa and Pedicure Baths, currently in use at Pure Spa and Salon in Dallas and Canyon Ranch SpaClub in Las Vegas, feature state-of-the-art technology that eliminates the hidden pipes found in traditional whirlpools, which may trap bacteria and require two cups of chlorine bleach and gallons of water to clean. Sanijet baths also use 98 percent less water for cleaning than traditional piped systems. sanijet.com —C.W.
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Choose retail products that are packaged in bottles made from post-consumer recycled plastic. Doing so helps reuse plastic and cut down on waste. Australian hairstylist Kevin Murphy, for instance, recently introduced a haircare line that uses packaging made from recycled materials. If the items you carry are made with new plastic, urge the manufacturer to switch to bottles made with at least 25-percent post-consumer materials. —C.W.
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Using Your Head
The environmentally friendly Pivot Point Snap Cap eliminates the waste of having to dispose of the entire mannequin after a haircut is finished. The innovative head form is reusable, as removable hair components are available in a range of hair lengths, colors and textures. All components are created with precise implantation techniques to mimic natural hair growth patterns. Plus, there's less to be shipped and stored, which reduces costs and greenhouse emissions. 800/886-4247; pivot-point.com —L.A.
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OPI Goes Green
Bees won't be the only things buzzing this spring in California. Everyone is sure to be talking about the new OPI Concept Salon that Robbie Schaeffer, son of OPI President and CEO George Schaeffer, is opening in Studio City. Called Rob|b, it will be one of the only salons in the world to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-certification.
Schaeffer worked with a "green" architect to construct Rob|b, using as many natural building materials and energy-efficient appliances as possible. The salons' ventilation system refreshes the air at three to four times the rate required by California's building code and includes a charcoal filter system to eliminate harsh odors and pollution.
Other steps the salon has taken to be green include the use of bamboo and organic cotton towels, recycled paper for printed materials and environmentally friendly cleaning products. —C.W.
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Botanical Boost
PUREOLOGY fortifies its new Nanoworks LuxuryHairMasque with an antioxidant combination of acai berry, pomegranate and blueberry, as well as certified-organic botanicals of mushrooms, to keep hair youthful and healthy. pureology.com —C.W.
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Making a Splash
Splish Salon Systems opened a green-built salon in Conifer, CO, last fall, the first of nine planned to open nationwide by 2010. The Aveda Concept Salon features ginger wood floors from a sustainable forest in Paraguay, eco–friendly polypropylene carpets, counters and cabinet surfaces made of recycled banana fibers and low-voltage lighting. According to President Matthew Walsh, the salon intends to actively give back to local community organizations through fundraising and volunteer efforts. —L.A.
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Rain Forest Repair
Rahua nut extract has been used by the women of the Quichwa Shuar tribes from the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador for hundreds of years to keep their long hair looking healthy. It's also a key ingredient in Amazon Beauty's new Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner. Free of chemical preservatives, the products repair damaged hair, speed its growth and heal the scalp. Palo santo oil, traditionally used in shaman practice, has healing properties. amazonbeautysecret.com —L.A.
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SMOOTH OPERATOR
New from AVEDA, Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother is ideal for creating smooth, sleek styles. It's loaded with certified-organic ingredients, including Bulgarian rose extract, bergamot, aloe and tapioca starch, as well as sustainably harvested sandalwood from Australia, where Aveda's partnership with a Western Australian indigenous group provides a sustainable economic base that helps protect their culture and way of life. aveda.com —C.W.
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Conserve water by turning off the tap while massaging in color, shampoo or conditioner. One drop of wasted water every two seconds equals 4,000 liters annually. The eco-experts at Davines Sustainable Beauty suggest attaching a flow-reducer to your water faucet. It can reduce your monthly water bill by up to 50 percent. —C.W.
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