As we see our clients making more informed and conscious decisions around what products they use on their hair, exactly what ingredients are in a Keratin Treatment is becoming a regular conversation in our salon. So we thought it's time we addressed the ins and outs of where is the;
Best place to get a low tox keratin treatment in Sydney
Well obviously we're going to say OUR salon but stay with me.
Firstly what you need to know is that when it comes to hair colour and keratin treatments, whilst they have never been as low tox as they are now, it's actually impossible to have fully organic products that work. Instead the best we can do, like here at Bare Beauty, is offer a brand that is as "clean as it gets". What that means is we source products that are as low tox and as possible. Ensuring a checklist of ingredients are excluded such as parabens, sulfates, chemical based surfactants, and the big F, formaldehyde.
We use Bhave made in New Zealand and for more reasons than you would think.
New Zealand wool is soft and strong,
Much like a hug from an old friend on a windy hilltop. And it turns out New Zealand wool can be processed to hold and nourish our hair too. It's why Bhave products use the natural strength and binding power of bioactive keratin. Derived and extracted from pure New Zealand sheep's wool, bioactive keratin makes sure those mane-boosting proteins and amino acids are kept intact (unlike most hair care products - which use hydrolyzed keratin, an ingredient extracted from animal hooves and ears - yuck!) Bioactive keratin was originally developed by scientists to heal wounds and severe burns. This form of keratin technology is not only kinder to our sheep friends, it also mirrors the damage to your hair's internal structure then works to rebuild it from the inside out.
Bio-active keratin perfectly matches hair keratin,
They link together to lock the structure in place. This structure is essential for the protein to perform its role, keeping hair strong & flexible. Other keratin technologies break up the protein when extracted & damage the amino acids, losing the important zipper traction needed to bind for genuine hair repair. this keratin is NOT a functional keratin.
Pure New Zealand wool is a 100% natural material,
Farmed throughout the pristine countryside of New Zealand, the sheep grow a thick fleece of wool to protect themselves from New Zealand’s harsh winter. This wool is harvested during Spring so that the sheep do not have a full fleece during the long, hot summer. During Autumn the fleece grows back in readiness for the coming winter. The wool is harvested by shearing, using electric clippers in much the same way as getting a haircut. Following shearing, sheep return to the fields to continue grazing and raise their young. No animals are harmed at any stage of the wool harvesting process. Our product is tested on humans not animals ensuring they bring no harm to animals whatsoever.
That's why we're the best place to get a low tox keratin treatment in Sydney; at Bare Beauty House. It's important for us to ensure yours (and our teams) safety and peace of mind with a low tox product that doesn't cause harm to animals. You can trust that we only use a curated list of products that've gone through a strict screening process.
So if you're looking for a keratin treatment in Sydney come and get in touch with us here and we can ensure we will take care of your hair in the best way possible.
When creating those stunning Easter baskets for your kiddies to plow through, use recycled shredded paper or dry leaves. Using newspapers can create an edgy look and using leaves can create a more interactive hands on experience. The same thing goes if you decide to get gifts! Use recycled wrapping paper to try and limit the footprint of waste we leave during this holiday.
Dyed eggs are a beautiful Easter tradition full of colour and celebration. The dyes we use can pollute and poison the earth. To create a greener Easter, make your own dyes from organic products, this also makes sure that you can eat the eggs after! Using bright berries or veggies is a fun experiment at creating your own dyes.
The link below has a method for creating stunning dyes and patterns.
When you think of the hair and beauty industry, it does dominate as a more female centralised career path. However there are still issues within equality and the opportunities that come with the industry. Naomi, Bare Beauty House’s founder, finds that the industry is “dominated by male artistic directors and product companies. Men have been lifted up more through the industry which is disappointing as it is a more female dominated area”.
Think Paul Mitchel, Kevin Murphy, & Tony & Guy, just to name the top three that come to mind.
This imbalance is seen across all industries especially when it comes to powerful roles. Last year we saw some positive changes towards females and parliamentary roles. Samoa and Estonia have elected their first female prime minister. Confronting the out of date belief that women are not suitable for power. In the past couple of years feminists and activists have made stands to fight for equal rights for women and those who also face bias. Creating and editing legislation and bills assists certain communities and people of the world from future bias and mistreatment. It is creating a permanent, sustainable and maintainable tomorrow.
This year we look too celebrating the struggle of feminists fighting for environmental justice around the globe. An example are women farmers in India who are trying to secure land to create lives that are empowered, self-resilient, sustainable and to create change. Last year in India the government decided to raise the legal age of marriage from 18-21 in the belief that the legislation will bring parity in the age of marriage between men and women. This decision led to a amendment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which was introduced into parliament.
At our salon we open our doors to all kinds of people. We make sure that every client is treated with the same respect and experience no matter their race, religion, age, gender or sexual preference. Our team of fewer than 10 are all at different stages in life. A few have teenagers, toddlers or a baby on the way. Two of us are training to either advance our skills or are just starting out. Due to us all being different ages and ethnicities we must learn to understand and support the wide range of events each of us go through. Although we are all different we have all had some of the same experiences growing up and how we are treated day to day.
To keep us and our clients feeling safe the salon has an anti discrimination policy and Our founder, Naomi, ensures all staff are not only aware of this but adhere to it by the strictest standard. This isn't hard as we all have shared values and a certain level of respect for one another , but its nice to know there is a baseline expectation for everyone who comes into the salon. Naomi also makes sure we support other Female entrepreneurs and business owners to help build a community of successful women in the area. We strive for female success in all aspects of life, whatever that looks like for each individual person. Naomi had her share of struggles and she found difficulty in finding other like minded business women. Since relocating her salon from Rose Bay to Manly, Naomi feels as though she has found her tribe who are on the same journey with her business wise and sustainability wise.
We must continue to fight for equality, biodiversity and ultimately a sustainable world for everyone and everything to thrive in!
With this in mind, we are bringing in new treatments such as vitamin infusions and light therapy throughout the year. For those of you who don’t know about Vitamin infusions, it is a mini facial in itself where we cleanse and exfoliate your skin and then using an ultra sonic micro therapy device paired with the vitamins that your skins craving, massage and infuse the vitamins into your skin. The sound therapy device helps push the ingredients deep into your skin allowing a deeper cleanse and vitamin infusion which results in longer lasting, visible results where you will leave the salon absolutely glowing!
Light Therapy, as many of you probably know, has many benefits. One of which is stimulating cellular activity, including the fibroblasts that produce collagen, a substance that gives young skin its plump look. Collagen production helps minimise fine lines and wrinkles, treat sun-damage and stretch marks, and reduce redness. Our in salon light therapy treatments will use different coloured lights to target the varied skin concerns. The light therapy treatments have no downtime, so you can be back out in the sun with no concerns, as well as being able to have a light therapy treatment every 48 hours for maximum results!
We also partner with ‘Sustainable Salons’ to provide an eco friendly approach to the removal of waste. Together we have kept 69kg of plastics out of landfill, 138kg of paper recycled and have recycled 100kg of metals. We also look at the more humanitarian side of life and have provided over 169,000 meals to those in need and we actually couldn’t do that without you. The meals are provided by donating the profit from the sales of recycled aluminium and paper used in your services!
At Bare Beauty House we focus on informing clients and being a voice in the hair and beauty industry. Naomi Browner, our founder, is due to be a speaker at this years hair festival (covid pending) and will help educate our industry about the more sustainable approach to hair and beauty.
This year we also have ‘Earth Day’ in April, ‘Clean up Australia’ in March and following that we have National Plant a Tree Day & Plastic free July. For every one of these events we will have different campaigns to help provide support and knowledge to our local community and industry.
Using our clean products, partnering with the right waste removal services and being an advocate for positive change within our industry collectively helps us to become a sustainability leader within the industry and ultimately achieve our goal of continued commitment to the environment and surrounding community.
2. Anything formulated with PEGs and PGs
PEGs have been found in everything from personal care products, baby care and sunscreens. They act as binders and plasticise ingredients and are designed to enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. This is often a double whammy when you consider that there are often many ingredients in these products that you do not want to be penetrating deeply through the skin barrier. Dioxin is a by-product of the process used to create propylene glycol. Dioxin has been linked to cancer, reduced immunity, nervous system disorders, miscarriage and birth deformity. If you see a PEG on your beauty product ingredient list this is definitely a product you do not want to be absorbed into your skin. A solution to this is finding a brand like Eve Taylor which are made using only natural ingredients. To help the products penetrate your skin we use sound waves through our Ultrasonic Micro therapy device. This is a handheld tool that by using sounds waves helps the products delve deeper into your skin allowing for accelerated results and glowing skin in half the time, no nasties required!
3. Parabens
Parabens are preservatives and allow skincare products to survive for months or even years in your medicine cabinet. They are used in deodorants and other skincare products and have been found in breast cancer tumours. Parabens are known endocrine disruptors that have been linked to cancer and hormonal imbalances. There are plant-based and plant-derived preservatives on the market which make it unnecessary to use products containing parabens. Natural Beauty products are persevered using Sodium Anisate and Sodium Levulinate derived from Aniseed and starch.
4. Phthalates
Phthalates are most often used to create fragrances in cosmetic products. They are known endocrine and fertility disruptors. The scary reality which exists around phthalates is that we are exposed to them in so many areas of our life. The storage of these toxins in fat cells and their bio-accumulation over time makes a strong case for avoiding exposure to synthetic fragrances. With so many natural essential oils and extracts on the market, there is no need to reach for synthetic fragrances. Eve Taylors products are formulated with pure essential oils so there is no need for Phthalates as the essential oils have enough fragrance.
5. Synthetic dyes and colourants
Synthetic colours from coal tar contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins in the skin, causing skin sensitivity/irritation. Absorption can cause depletion of oxygen. Look for makeup which uses natural iron oxide to create pigments. You will be surprised at the colour assortments that can be created by natural pigments.
6. Benzyl peroxide
This is predominantly used in acne products and may act as a mutagen, producing DNA damage. Natural anti-microbial extracts, Kakadu Plum, Aloe Vera and Salicylic Acid are alternatives to harsh acne treatments and solve acne problems as quickly and effectively as their chemical counterparts.
7. DEA, MEA & TEA
This foam booster is a skin irritant and causes contact dermatitis. It is easily absorbed through the skin to accumulate in the body’s organs and the brain. The more you can get used to milk and oil-based cleansers, the happier your skin will be. Not only do oil-based cleansers prevent your skin being stripped of its natural oils, but they also enable the skin to balance oil production by providing it exactly what it needs so that it does not overcompensate by overproducing oil.
8. Formaldehyde
Has many uses but is most often used in cosmetics as a disinfectant and preservative. Be cautious of products containing 1,4-dioxane, as this can also release formaldehyde in certain chemical processes. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, skin, eye and lung irritant. This ingredient can either be completely left out or can be substituted for peppermint, which is a natural disinfectant.
Find pure alternatives and embrace toxic free beauty for the healthiest you yet! Awareness of ingredients to avoid is the first step to creating a toxic-free lifestyle and being equally aware of suitable alternatives is empowering. This new knowledge provides you with options to equip you with everything you need to practice a pure and highly effective beauty routine.
Give up generic wrapping paper
Most wrapping paper is not recycled (and much of it can’t be), so it ends up in landfills.
A lot of the paper you might think is recyclable is actually lined with plastic, according to 
Use natural decorations
Natural foliage, such as branches, leaves, pinecones and berries are timeless and can be re-used year after year.
Dried citrus slices make beautiful ornaments and they will leave your house smelling gorgeous.
Cook mindfully
Christmas has always been a time for feasting, but we can all definitely be a little more mindful about what we decide to feast on. Try source locally grown and organic produce. Not only will your meal be even more delicious but you can rest easy knowing you have contributed to local business and reduced your carbon footprint. Don't forget to use reusable containers and food coverings for your leftovers!
Sustainable Salons are an organisation which collects hair from partnering hair salons and doggy parlours. They are leading the way in creating hair booms and sending them out to specific areas that are in danger from spills. These hair booms can also be re-used. The oil collected gets wrung out and recycled itself. The hair booms are then allowed to dry and sent back into rotation for the next spill clean up.
The next time you have your hair done, remember that hair attracts oil and one day your hair could help mop up a spill, saving our precious oceans in a sustainable way.
When visiting a salon look out for the sustainable salons window decal, that way you can rest easy knowing your hair clippings are going to help keep our oceans clean!
Natural Healing
Natural and oleochemical ingredients are less likely to cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. Without synthetic, toxic chemicals or artificial colours, sustainable products rely on the healing properties found naturally in plants.
Consider glycerine, this clear, non-toxic liquid is used in soaps, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Since it is a humectant, glycerine can retain water, making it an excellent moisturiser. Glycerine enhances the body’s ability to absorb water, encouraging the skin to absorb and hold on to as much as possible. As a non-irritating substance, it can be applied anywhere on the body. It is also an effective anti-aging ingredient and, due to its anti-microbial properties, and can also serve as an acne treatment.
An oleochemical that has all the power of synthetic chemicals without any of the toxicity, glycerine is a perfect example of the natural effectiveness of sustainable cosmetics.
Natural Health and Beauty
While petrochemicals may deliver short-term results, the long-term effects can be highly toxic to humans and the environment. Years of synthetic cosmetics use have been traced to headaches, eye damage, acne, hormonal imbalance and premature ageing. Phthalates have even been linked to cancer and type 2 diabetes.
By choosing products that contain natural ingredients, we are investing in your long-term health and beauty, and not polluting our environment.
So really, the question should be… why wouldn’t we be committed to sustainable beauty?!
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