Hair today, but not gone tomorrow - sustainability in the salon industry

Eco-friendly hair products from davines

I decided to look at a shampoo/conditioner/hairspray line, davines, that I used about five years ago and loved and found that it is perhaps the most eco-friendly of the bunch. I remember the packaging for their Essential Haircare was very minimalistic and user friendly. Plus, with names like Love, Momo and NouNou, you can't help but pick them up and give 'em a second look.

They're pricey, with their largest shampoo (1000mL) carrying a price tag of almost $50, but when you consider that it's production has zero impact (they've supported the creation and maintenance of over six million square feet of green space in Costa Rica and Italy) and the ingredients are natural and just smell so yummy, they're worth the investment.

On the davines website, they also offer tips that will enable salons to lessen their environmental impact. One of them was for salons to feature potted plants in order that the oxygen produced could balance out the carbon dioxide, having taps fitted with a flow reducer and remembering to turn off the water when massaging in product during a hair wash, use low energy lighting and carefully read labels of cleaning the products you with which you plan to clean your salon.

Basically all of the things we're supposed to be doing in our own homes are things that salon owners can implement in order to be more eco-conscious (and fiscally conservative for the most part).

My time at the salon is something that I'll never give up, but it is nice to know that a lot of companies are making real efforts to balance out their impact. My roots thank you!

When Sara isn't busy chasing her kids, testing out new recipes or knitting up a storm, she can be found as SallyHP at Sex and the Knitty and its companion blog Knitty Reviews.