What is the safest way to color your hair?

The Organic Stylist is proud to provide a healthier salon experience for scent-sensitive and health-oriented people. I provide services and use products that are non-toxic, organic, and eco-friendly; and therefore healthier for you, me, and the planet. If you have had a reaction to haircolor in the past or a temporary black henna tattoo, it is imperative that you schedule a hair color predisposition test 48-hrs prior to your next hair color appointment. 

There are a growing number of hair color brands on the market today that claim to be organic and natural. But since the beauty industry is unregulated, these claims are only partially true. Permanent, oxidative, artificial hair color is composed of synthetic and chemical compounds that can create a toxic buildup in the body with over exposure. While oxidative hair color is convenient and fast, it isn’t the safest or healthiest way to color your hair.

Common hair dye chemicals may be problematic, and sensitization to para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is on the rise globally. Based on research compiled by Dr. Catherine Cartwright-Jones, in 2014, 16% of young adults in western industrialized nations (and even more in other parts of the world) are already sensitized to PPD. With repeated PPD exposure (found in artificial hair-color, and “black henna”), anyone can become sensitized to PPD chemicals at any point in their life. Please review the PhD work of Catherine Cartwright-Jones to learn more.

As of today, more than 45% of Cosmetologists are also sensitized to para-phenylenediamine (PPD); they have higher cancer risks than the general population; and many are leaving the industry to protect their health. Because the beauty industry is not regulated, manufacturers around the world can sell products to The United States that contain carcinogens, PPDs and other toxins without having to disclose any health risks.

Over the last year, I’ve done a lot of reading, research and experimentation on how to work with 100% natural plant pigments to create beautiful, translucent, permanent hair dyes that can transform gray hair into highlights and bring warmth and richness to dull and over processed hair. Schedule a consultation to learn more.

All Hair Problems Have Solutions

All hair problems have solutions. Sometimes the solution is internal and sometimes it’s external. Often, the solution includes the elimination of certain ingredients, or changing your hair care routine entirely. If you suffer from itchy, flaky scalp, I can help you analyze and understand how your hair care routine and home care products may be contributing to ongoing hair and scalp issues.

Book an Organic Hair & Scalp Rejuvenation Treatment to give your hair and scalp a fresh start and get some personalized recommendations for home care routines and products designed keep your hair and scalp healthy and vibrant between salon visits.

Take Back Your Power - Buy Healthier Beauty Products

Recently a number of clients have asked me if I’m aware of the Deva Curl Class Action Lawsuit alleging hair loss? The short answer is yes. However, I do not use Deva Curl products (owned by Henkel) because they have never met my personal standards for clean beauty products. Deva Curl has been acquired twice since it launched "No-Poo” in 2002. Every time a company goes through an acquisition the entire product line goes though a systematic and organized cost reduction process that affects ingredients, manufacturing, and distribution. This means that every ingredient is evaluated for its effectiveness against a less expensive alternative, without sacrificing performance. In the beauty world this means substituting cheaper, synthetic, and chemical ingredients (like parabens and silicones) to replace more natural ingredients. It is therefore no wonder that the cheapest beauty products, sold by the largest companies, are the least expensive and most harmful to our health.

Henkel Beauty Brands

Henkel also owns Deva Curl.

So what’s the big deal?
The short term cost savings you might find yourself attracted to in the drug store beauty aisle is most likely being offset by long term costs to your health. Please be aware that almost all drug store brands are masters of deception - they tell you a marketing story while finding every possible way to reduce their manufacturing costs and streamline their ingredients to the cheapest possible sources. Then they mask the stink of their synthetic and chemical ingredients with perfumes, hoping that your nose will override your critical thinking skills.

How can I do better?
Support small businesses who are trying to make the beauty world a safer place. Let me help you make better hair care choices by visiting my Recommended Products page, and use the Think Dirty App to scan your products and learn more about ingredients you don’t understand.

See image below for 7 big brands that own more than 182 global beauty brands.

What's The Best Haircut for my Hair type?

Are you looking for a hair stylist who appreciates your unique hair texture and understands how to design and structure your haircut for a wash and go life style? Do you have tight curls in one area and wavy hair in another? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I bring over 10-years of experience to the art and craft of curly hair cutting with a disciplined attention to how the details of texture and density contribute to the overall shape and style of a haircut. My curly haircuts are designed for easy wash-and-go air dry styles that grow out beautifully.

Why I’m Obsessed With Hair

Our hair makes a first impression when we enter a room and the lasting impression when we exit. Our hair is a living, growing, dynamic accessory that accompanies us wherever we go.

I believe that a haircut is the primary beautification tool that we have to look our very best, regardless of the color, texture, or density or our hair. A great haircut will give you more confidence, enhance your best features and elevate your personal style.

When you come to see me, our time together is 100% focused on you and your hair. It’s a time for you to share with me how you see yourself and how you want to be perceived.

From the moment you walk into my space, our conversation and my observations of you and your hair help me get to know you so that I may provide you with a hair style that reflects who you truly are. When crafting your haircut I also take into consideration your lifestyle and how much time you want to spend on your hair every day.

I love giving my clients versatile and easy-to-style haircuts that work with the natural hair texture. If you are looking for an updated hairstyle that better reflects who you are today, I’d be honored to work with you.

Is there a safe alternative to Keratin Straightening?

Are you addicted to hair straightening treatments?
Do you feel sick after you go to the salon?
Are you ready to try something different?
Curly and wavy hair can be fabulous!
Let me help you rock your natural texture with a Curly Haircut.

I promise you, the safest alternative to a straightening treatment is to learn to love your natural texture. The fastest way to do that is with a great haircut. I provide curly haircuts that work with natural hair textures and are fun and easy to style.

Every haircut starts with a conversation about what you want your hair to do and how much effort you want to spend on it. A curly haircut is designed to put you at ease, as you watch your hair transformation take place. I believe that your hair should provide a beautiful frame for your face, and a balancing shape for your body. I love working with multi-textural hair because no two heads of hair are the same which means that your haircut and texture are unique to you. Bring me your curls and let me help you embrace your natural texture with a curly haircut and natural styling lesson.

Still on the fence about straightening your hair?
Please consider the following before your next straightening treatment.

• Keratin treatments create a straight, flat iron look by using a formaldehyde-releasing solution that coats the hair and is sealed into the hair with a 450 degree flat iron. Once straightened, the hair may continue to release formaldehyde every time you heat style your hair after your treatment.

• Formaldehyde is a sensitizer, which means that after you reach a certain level of exposure and react to it, you'll always experience an allergic reaction when you re-encounter the chemical. So the more times you chemically straighten your hair, the greater your risk of developing symptoms.

• Clients and stylists exposed to keratin straightening chemicals complain of burning eyes, difficulty breathing, and other allergy symptoms. Other symptoms include: throat irritation, mouth ulcers, dizziness, headaches, vision impairment and fatigue. Accidental skin contact with formaldehyde may cause blisters or rash on the scalp, face, and neck.

• Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, proven to cause cancer in humans, with higher levels of exposure.

When Should I Use An Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse?

Hair can become limp, dull, and heavy due to buildup of residues from shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products. An Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Hair Rinse can help remove some of the buildup when used after shampooing. An apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse can also help detangle hair, reduce frizz, restore body and shine, stimulate and sooth the scalp, reduce hair and scalp buildup, unclog hair follicles, decrease dandruff, and reduce excess shedding. An ACV rinse is especially helpful for people who are new to using shampoo bars.

How do I know if I need to use an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse?

Whether or not you need to use an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse depends on many factors.

• Your water: If your hair does not seem to be adjusting to the shampoo bars, it may be due to your water. Hard water makes it more difficult to rinse natural shampoo from your hair, and San Francisco has hard water. An ACV rinse will help to balance out hard water and provide slip to the hair to make your final rinse more effective.

• Hair length: Some men and women with short hair have found that they do not need to rinse with vinegar, simply because their hair is short and easier to rinse.

• Tangles: ACV rinses help to close down the hair cuticle and therefore help reduce hair tangles.

• Residue & Buildup: If your hair has residue buildup from products, shampoo, or conditioner, spot cleaning your hair with a small amount of baking soda mixed into your shampoo will remove unwanted buildup. It’s important to follow this clarifying treatment with an ACV rinse to restore a slightly acidic pH to hair and scalp.

Below you will find a simple ACV recipe and Instructions for getting started with this at home. If you are reluctant to try this at home, just ask me for a demo at your next appointment and I’ll be happy to walk you through all the steps. I also have an ACV concentrates for sale in the salon or can create a custom blend just for you with pure, medicinal grade essential oils. Click here if you would like to order from me instead of making your own.

ACV & Essential Oil Concentrate Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

• 1 glass bottle

• 5 to 10 drops of skin safe essential oils of your choice.

Directions

1. Add essential oils of your choice to vinegar. Store mixture in a glass bottle.

2. The mixture can be used right away or allowed to sit for a couple of days to steep.

3. When ready to make your hair rinse, shake the Essential Oil & ACV Concentrate and then dilute 1 to 2 tablespoon of your concentrate with 1 cup of water in a plastic squeeze bottle.

4. Apply dilution to wet hair after rinsing out your shampoo. Manipulate hair for 1-2 minutes with ACV rinse.

5. Rinse hair with fresh, cool water.

6. At this point, you may choose whether or not to use a conditioner based on how your hair feels.

What is the best way to apply my ACV rinse?

While you can use any container to mix up your ACV Dilution, I prefer to use a plastic squirt top bottle. Pouring a cold rinse on your hair is invigorating, but if you prefer a warmer rinse, make it right before you step in the shower using warm tap water.

How Often Can I Use The Vinegar Hair Rinse?

Since everyone's hair is unique you should use your own judgment as you experiment with ACV rinses. You will need to find a dilution and a frequency that works best for your hair type. Remember: dry hair likes less vinegar and oily hair likes more. Start with 1 or 2 rinses per week and adjust from there.

Do I need to refrigerate my ACV concentrate?

No, you do not need to refrigerate an ACV concentrate.

*A Note About Essential Oils

There are many wonderful essential oils for hair, but please proceed with caution when using them. Essential oils are strong concentrates and may cause skin irritation if not used correctly. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be used directly on the skin. Since some essential oils are stronger than others, it’s important to be be knowledgeable about the amount of essential oils that you add to your ACV concentrate. High quality essential oils are expensive, so start with a few that feel right for you.

Shampoo Bars Are Here!

Every person has unique skin and hair, so finding an organic shampoo that works for your specific hair and scalp can be difficult. When looking for an organic shampoo, many things come into play: How does it feel? How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Where’s it made? Do you trust the manufacturer? What’s the environmental impact? Etc, etc.

As your go-to organic hair care expert, I am proud to provide you with gentle and organic hair care options. I’m excited to share my signature Organic Hair Detox & Treatment with you this month. It includes a hair and scalp detox, followed by a nourishing organic hair treatment and blowdry or natural style.

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Co. has a variety of nourishing organic shampoo bars for all hair types. These bars feel and smell amazing. They are 100% organic without emulsifiers, synthetics, or plastic packaging; so they are healthy for the whole family while remaining gentle on your hair and the environment (all their soaps and shampoos are biodegradable). What makes Chagrin Valley’s Shampoo Bars even more amazing is how great they are at removing buildup from the hair while simultaneously nourishing the scalp and stimulating hair growth. To learn more about why you should consider switching to a shampoo bar, check out Chagrin Valley’s blog here.

Book your Organic Hair Detox & Treatment today and learn first hand how to take care of your hair in an economical way at home.

Want to learn more? Let’s chat about the chemistry of hair care at your next appointment.

Going Natural With A Big Chop Haircut

“Short natural hair styles” is one of the most common google searches for women who are ready to embrace their natural hair texture. 

A natural hair journey often begins with a big chop followed by a series of short hair styles. This can be a fun and playful time for women who are embracing their natural hair texture. Short hairstyles are beautiful, flattering and sexy. They are easy to maintain, fun to wear, versatile and professional. Schedule a complementary consultation to discuss what short hair style is right for you.

One of many short hair options is the beloved TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro), this style is a staple for women wearing their hair natural. The TWA is a short hairstyle that it fun and versatile. Check out the video to see some fun TWA styling options.

DIY Salt Spay Recipe For Beachy Waves & Texture

As a professional hair stylist, I’m often one of the first to learn about a new beauty product launch. Today I received an announcement about the launch of an organic salt spray - wait, haven’t we seen this before? Salt spray is one hair product that I’ve been loathe to buy or stock because it’s basically salt water in a bottle with a little moisture and perfume. Now when a company that I love and trust tells me they are launching a salt spray for $26 a bottle I have to wonder to myself “what am I missing?”

After reviewing this new product, I thought “how hard could it possibly be to make my own salt spray?” I compared a few DIY recipes with my favorite organic salt sprays and realized very quickly that there isn’t much to it. So, using my professional knowledge and common sense, I came up with a perfectly serviceable DIY Salt Spray.

Step 1: Find yourself an 8oz spray bottle. You may reuse a bottle you already have or buy a reusable plastic or glass bottle. I recommend this 4oz two pack (affiliate link) on Amazon so you can have one salt spray at home and one on the go.

Step 2: Make your salt spray

1. Warm 1 cup of distilled water in glass measuring cup

2. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom Salt and 1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt into warm water

3. Optional additional ingredients:

   • Add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite leave-in conditioner for extra moisture

   • Add 1/2 teaspoon of witch hazel for scalp and hair health

   • Add 1/2 teaspoon of honey or gel (dissolved in water) for a stickier tousled look

   • Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil(s) for a signature scent.

4. Add solution to one 8oz spray bottle (affiliate link) or split into two 4oz bottles (affiliate link)

Step 3: If using optional ingredients, shake well before each use. Spray on damp or dry hair at crown and on ends and then scrunch to encourage waves and texture to form. This simple DIY Salt Spray is great for fine-medium hair that needs extra volume and texture.

Note: Since everyone’s hair and scalp is unique, feel free to play with and customize this basic recipe to meet your personal needs. If you want a little more texture, increase the salt content 1/2 tsp at a time. When making your own salt spray, start with a simple recipe, figure out what you want more of and then adjust. My basic recipe is clean, not too sticky, and enhances natural waves in fine to medium weight hair.

Not into making your own hair products? Book a haircut or treatment and let me introduce your hair to some of the cleanest beauty products available.