Ever thought about making your own hair oils? These inexpensive blends are perfect for anyone looking to detoxify their hair care routine. Most hair oils on the market are full of silicones, phthalates and irritating fragrance additives, which (as always) we recommend you avoid as much as possible. When you make your own at home, you avoid all those unnecessary nasties. This is not only great for you and your family’s health, but also your wallet. All the ingredients for making your own hair oil can be found at your local health food store or grocery store, thus making it easy to repeatedly make whatever blend suits you best.

The hair oil blend we’re showcasing today is a great alternative to leave in conditioners, styling gels and smoothing creams. It’s consistency can be varied depending on your hair type, season, or whatever you need in terms of haircare – it’s endless. Since colder months are fast approaching (ok – let’s be honest, it’s here), we’ve designed this as a winter time blend as the season is known for its dry coarse hair. You don’t need to melt anything on the stove or pull out your mixer, which are big bonuses for us too. While this mix would work year-round, what makes this a wintertime blend is the lower coconut oil content. For a warm weather blend, feel free to double the amount of coconut oil. “However, when it’s chilly outside, coconut oil hardens, and I prefer not applying products that must be melted during this time of year. Too much coconut oil in a mix will solidify in cooler temperatures.” The best part about making your own hair oil is the power of versatility. The recipe below is a rough guideline, but what to keep in mind is that the oils and even the essential oils can be traded up.

The first choice is to pick a carrier oil such as jojoba, coconut, hemp, castor, avocado, olive or vitamin e oil. Then, look at what essential oils to include – this is not only for scent, but for their properties as well. We included rosemary essential oil because its been shown to help stimulate hair growth and also prevent baldness, slow down grays, and can be used to treat dandruff and dry scalp. In comparison, sage oil aids in balancing scalp oil production and overall scalp regulation. In terms of smell, both are great and fresh.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup jojoba oil
• 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 3-5 drops rosemary essential oil (EO)
• 5 drops sage oil
• 3-5 drops EO of your choice for fragrance

Steps

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and then transfer into a glass bottle. Amber or cobalt blue bottles are the best for preserving oils as they help prevent oxidation. You’ll get around 4 oz. of oil with this recipe. A small side note on fragrance: a fragrance oil isn’t necessary, but should you choose to not include, the oil won’t smell like much of anything. By adding your favourite essential oil you can make your blend personalized and make it smell sweet, herbal or spicy depending on what you want you hair to smell like. Happy Mixing!

 

 

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Most Business leaders prioritize monetary gain and financial capital with the word ‘sustainability,’ not being part of their repertoire. “But this single-minded focus can be a major problem when it comes to tackling slow-building, systemic challenges, like global warming, that could take down not just supply chains but, over time, entire economies.” The planet is heating up and ecological systems are fundamentally changing. The course the world’s population has been taking in terms of basic respect and consciousness for the globe cannot continue. The Earth cannot support the lifestyles and economies we currently partake in and the roots of our difficulties are simple, yet for many business and political leaders completely hidden from view. “The activities of most firms, and the goals and structure of the economy as a whole, have been shaped by fundamental misjudgments about how the planet functions and what it means to live a good life.”

At the most basic level, this requires moving from a “linear” way of thinking to a “systems” perspective that brings behaviour in line with the natural laws of sustainability. These limited areas of interests and beliefs are slowly making their way out as business leaders are getting in tune with the growing conscious-minded consumer. By using ‘framing,’ corporations and leaders are able to put sustainability in their terms which makes it easier to digest and implement. By changing our frames we change our perceptions and how we prioritize and invest time, effort and money. The biggest questions asked by companies wanting to implement or having already implemented a sustainability initiative are how can we make money from our sustainability practices? Then they wanted to know what it meant to be fully sustainable and what they had to do differently. According to The Globe and Mail the top areas for concern regarding sustainability are:

• Collaborating for sustainability
• Addressing climate change
• Building stakeholder trust
• Designing effective sustainability communications
• Turning sustainability into strategic priority
• Transitioning to green products and services
• Respecting free, prior and informed consent

“Leading Canadian companies now realize that sustainability cannot be tackled alone.” We think a great avenue for businesses to explore and learn from is collaboration. The Salon Movement functions and was built from this model specifically as a tool to support others. We combine education, marketing, retail and the environment as the core four pillars of our business model. by utilizing these four areas we are able to empower others through education, get the word out through marketing, help our planet and also of course make a profit from out efforts. Switching from a typical business model and structure has allowed us to grow and continue our efforts in a more forward way of thinking and being. If you are interested in learning more about our business model or how we as business owners tackle sustainability, take a look here for more info on getting involved. Still have questions? Contact us at: info@thesalonmovement.com

 

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Popular beauty brands have an extensive history of unethical product sourcing and a tendency to try to “cover up,” what ingredients are actually in their formulas. Thanks to technology consumers have access to increased information via the web and a shift is happening in the way consumers shop and also for what they look for. Rising ethical consumerism and the need for resource efficiency are making cosmetic companies take steps towards sustainable development. Environmental, ethical and sustainability initiatives are all accounted for when examining the ethical sourcing of a product as well. Because of the Internet companies are being forced to become more and more transparent and also answer to the consumer. This shift is phenomenal and is part of the movement of “questioning,” that is taking place worldwide. Consumers are finally reading ingredients, researching environmentally sustainable packaging and calling out retailers and brands.

Ethical Sourcing
This process ensures the raw products being sourced are done so in a responsible and sustainable way. The workers involved in making the raw goods are safe, treated fairly and the environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the actual sourcing process.

This has become increasingly important “as the wellness trend continues, we’re increasingly aware of what we’re putting on our faces, as well as into our bodies, and there is greater demand for ethically-made cosmetics than ever before.” This demand from consumers has translated into an increasing number of cosmetic companies implementing ethical sourcing programs. This is important especially if they are getting raw materials from developing countries. There are many different ways to be an “ethical” beauty brand: from using organic and vegan ingredients, to not distributing products in China (where it’s a legal requirement for imported cosmetics to be tested on animals), and even creating solid products to avoid wasting water.

There is always room for improvement and very few have gone further and invested in equitable customer and supplier relationships. “The one area that needs most attention is the economic impact: indeed, not many companies could respond to the question: “how is your company having a sustainable economic impact?” Profits and economics are too often put hand in hand but many people feel that these areas don’t bond with sustainability.  However, there are many ways companies can address their economic impacts with a great example being Davines. Since day 1 Davines has had an integral and combined business model that addresses doing good business and also preserving our Earth.

Salon Movement believes wholeheartedly in supporting ethical companies that have made environmental and ethics missions a part of their business model. This attention to sustainability and ethical sourcing means we look for companies that pay attention to the raw sourcing of ingredients and are invested in those people’s lives. Ethical sourcing matters not only consumers but also educators we have a responsibly to be aware of the products we’re buying. Contact us to find out more.

 

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What exactly is a movement and how is it defined? According to our handy dictionary it is defined as “a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas.” When we think of what a movement means to us there is an inherent human component that relates to social change. According to the definition there’s without a doubt the power that green beauty and hair care has within our lives and the capacity for positive social change within this framework. “Though we think of beauty as being purely visual, the ripple effect the movement is having spans to unprecedented changes in the way companies and consumers are making sustainable choices, impacting new legislation, and even coursing deeper—to the conversations we are having with ourselves, (source).” We want to highlight specifically the conversations that begin internally surrounding green beauty and the shift that takes place within oneself when the switch has been made. Once you put two and two together going back to using toxic products isn’t an option anymore. Many deeply question the green movement and dismiss it as too expensive, not as effective or simply not worthwhile. “While making the choice to ditch harsh chemicals from your beauty routine is great, it can be a rough transition if you’re not sure what you’re getting into. The products usually don’t have the same consistencies or scents, and the adjustment period varies pretty drastically. Many people wind up getting frustrated with green products, claiming they don’t work as well as chemical ones, and ultimately just give up on them, (source).”

Interestingly enough the millennial generation is the group leading the charge into green beauty. Having grown up with the internet this group love to research ingredients, companies and the integrity surrounding different brands. With the power of the internet information is more readily available and its shown this generation truly cares and questions. “A Harris Poll survey found that 59 percent of women over the age of 35 believe buying green beauty is important to them, while an even larger percentage—73 to be exact—of millennial women seek out cleaner, all-natural products, (source).” There is a shift in attitude from ‘what will this product do for for me? to “what’s the greater impact that this purchase will make?” “One of best outcomes is that green beauty shoppers are looking more than skin-deep into their product choices. They still want products that will produce a positive result on their skin, but they also want products that positively benefit the ecology—and even the economy. You are correct in labeling it as a movement, (source).”

We called ourselves Salon Movement for a very specific reason as we believe in the power of education and ultimately people. By being a cohesive unit that is committed to social change and truly benefiting the environment we hope to inspire others and give them the tools to join us. Contact us at http://thesalonmovement.com/.

 

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Every time we start to get those straggly split ends or our layers grow out we’re met with waves of anticipation and nervousness to hit the salon chair. Getting your hair cut can be incredibly intimidating and everyone has that one terrible experience that brings back memories of a terrible cut. We’ve all had those hair stylists that don’t seem to understand what we want and turn a trim into a full on different look. “Believe it or not your inner- mood can influence the stylist behind the chair, hence it’s HOW YOU SPEAK your haircut expectations that will address his or her creativity and empathy towards your beauty need, and that will determine the outcome of your haircut, (source).” By learning some “hair speak,” you can limit the amount of miscommunication between you and your stylist ensuring you leave with what you want. “The hairstylist professional terminology is wide and sophisticated, but there are some classic key concepts that are not going to change, (source).” We want to stress the importance of communicating with your stylist and not being embarrassed to say what trauma you’ve put your hair through. “You should talk about what shampoos you use and styling aids. How much time you want to spend on your hair and your comfort ability with styling. It is important to include any chemical services that you have had. Even if it was over 1.5 years ago, (source).” We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly used haircuts and styles to help you navigate your next haircut:

(source)

Blunt Haircut: This cut eliminates all layers and creates a uniform look to the bottom of the hair. “Just a single length, a blunt haircut will give you that sensation of consistency and fullness. This haircut is perfect if your hair is straight and thin, because it will look thicker, (source).” Blunt cuts are incredibly popular right now popping up on celebrities and runways around the world. “The freshest hairstyles—whether bangs or ends, short or long—have one thing in common: a straight, blunt cut, (source).”

Layered Haircut: A layered haircut is one of the most popular as it gives the illusion of volume while still carrying a lot of movement. “Layered” means the hair is cut in such a way that the ends of the individual hairs fall to different points relative to one another. This at least gives the impression (if not actually being true) that the hairs are cut to different lengths, (source).” Layers work on a variety of hair lengths and textures making it perfect for anyone wanting more body in their hair.

(source)

Thinned Out Haircut: Thick and heavy hair types benefit the most from this style as it creates less weight and better shape throughout the hair. “Thinning out consists of making certain sections thinner using notched scissors or a razor blade to lighten the hairstyle. However it can, to a lesser degree, create volume, (source).” Getting hair thinned out can be damaging on weak and fine hair types so it’s best to tread with caution with this particular cut.

The Salon Movement is all about sustainability and hair talk so if you have any questions or want to know more about our resources contact us at info@thesalonmovement.com.

 

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