Eco Hairdressing with Good Salon Guide by Besma of Curiously Conscious
Have you ever wondered how sustainable your hairdresser is? From foils to dye, gloves to disinfectant, there’s a lot to consider. Fortunately, leading hairdresser Karine Jackson and her team at the Karine Jackson salon are tackling this both in their salon, and within their industry too, being the first ECO Salon as noted by the Good Salon Guide.
For those that don’t know, the Good Salon Guide is the only independent, nationwide scheme for assessing professional standards and services within the hairdressing and beauty industries. It assesses salons and rates them using a star system, in the same way as the well-known AA or RAC hotel guides, giving shoppers like me, confidence in their choice. One of the things they offer is an ECO Salon recognition to help highlight salons who are at the forefront of ethical and sustainable salon practices and services.
I decided I wanted to experience this great standard for myself, and booked in with the Karine Jackson salon sharpish…
Preparing For My Appointment
With Karine Jackson being a multi-award winning hairdresser and colour expert, I decided to book in for an organic hair colouring. Lockdown had left me using box dye, so I couldn’t wait for the change!
Before heading to the salon, I was sent a dye patch test kit in the post, and was booked in for a video consultation via Zoom. I really appreciated this, as it was both more convenient, and a safer way to discuss my hair goals while the pandemic continues.
On the call, I spoke to Karine personally, who helped me to conduct my own stretch test, as well as ways to keep my hair at its best, for example avoiding shampoos with silicones in.
I was also instructed on how to best apply the patch test, and to avoid applying hair oil to my hair before my session. This would ensure the organic dyes take well to my hair, as they don’t contain any harsh chemicals (such as ammonia).
At the end of the call, Karine asked what I liked most about my hair, something a hairdresser had never posed to me before. I told her I love when my hair is glossy and shiny, so we set that as the goal for my visit.
Visiting The Karine Jackson Salon
When it came to the day of my hair appointment, I was excited. I love a good pamper session! Upon my arrival, I put on my mask and was greeted by Jacqueline, a member of the KJ team. She was quick to provide both hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities, and then got me into a protective cape.
Organic Hair Colouring
Karine then greeted me, confirmed how I’d like my hair, and got to washing and dyeing. At the Karine Jackson salon, the team exclusively uses Organic Colour Systems, a range of professional dyes that use naturally-derived and organic ingredients and the minimum amount of chemicals. The range is made in the UK, and also uses 100% post-consumer recycled plastic in their bottles and caps.
Zero Waste Dyeing
I had both Karine and Sophia work on colouring my hair, starting with an overall dye, and then a bleach to bring through lighter pieces of hair for a multi-tonal look.
While dyeing my hair, Karine and I chatted about how we both became sustainability advocates. She explained that her salon is one of the first to use a zero waste technique of dye mixing, focusing on underestimating the amount of dye required, so as to avoid washing dye down the drain (and into our water systems and natural habitat). She went to mix dye three times during my session, and was left with an empty bowl by the end.
When it came to dye processing, instead of using a typical disposable plastic cap, my hair was instead covered with a compostable sheet and Nefertiti-style hat, using the heat of my head to complete the job!
Sustainability at Karine Jackson Salon
Around the salon, it’s clear to see their eco approach too. Facilities are clean, lined with plants, and reusable equipment such as glass boxes for cleaning brushes and combs.
It was a pleasure to see such passion to make hairdressing sustainable, and even during lockdown Karine has been working hard to educate other members of the hairdressing industry on how to be more sustainable. Her friendly, caring approach, and excellent facilities, make the salon well worth a visit!
My Hair Transformation
So, onto the big reveal! I’ve been rocking a flat, one-colour box dye for most of this year, so I was desperate to get some different tones coming through my hair.
As you can see, the organic dyes that the Karine Jackson salon uses can lift dye well, giving me a post-summer salt-and-pepper look. I love it!
Find an ECO Salon with Good Salon Guide
Before I sign off, I also wanted to share a note on Good Salon Guide’s ECO Salon recognition. It’ll hopefully help you to find a similar high-standard salon near you too!
With sustainability and environmental issues becoming an ever-increasing importance in today’s world, Good Salon Guide offers an ECO Salon recognition to help highlight salons who are at the forefront of ethical and sustainable salon practices and services.
Gareth Penn, Managing Director of Good Salon Guide, notes, “Consumers are more aware than ever of being eco-friendly in their choices, so our ECO Salon award helps to highlight those salons that are leading the way and help those that are just starting their journey. We all need to make changes, however big or small, to help our environment, so choosing a registered ECO Salon by Good Salon Guide can help the public make a sustainable choice when it comes to their beauty needs.
“The assessment for salons to be registered as an ECO Salon is incredibly strict and the standards are very high. Salons are assessed on areas such as products that minimise the use of plastic and are refillable, extensions and how they are sourced, the removal of all single use plastic, salon waste and recycling, how their in-salon refreshments are sourced, water reduction and much, much more!”
With so many certifications applied to products and businesses, it’s great to see Good Salon Guide also providing this extra certification to support more sustainable business in the salon industry!