why i’m rethinking everything i was taught about haircare
what is holistic hair care
Holistic hair care is a collection of hairstylists, products and brands that are pioneering a new wave of health-conscious hair care. From the styling products you take home, to the color we’re using in the salon, to the way we manage salon waste to optimize sustainability, and even to the fragrances we’re allowing in the salon, this new wave of stylists are on a mission to create a safe space for men and women to come into a hair salon knowing that they’re not putting their health at risk. Which, in today’s age, is a real luxury.
why i made the switch
When I was living in LA, I quite literally stumbled upon a hair salon while on a walk in my neighborhood in Mar Vista called Amber Holistic Hair Studio. At this point, all I knew about holistic beauty routines were from crunchy granola women who used rosemary oil on their scalp, coconut oil on their hair and wore their natural texture everyday. I had no idea about all the beauty brands that existed on the market to give space for using God given natural botanicals while still incorporating thoughtfully curated formulas. And how much of a need was really, truly growing in the market.
where it started
As a teenager, I grew up with a terminally ill mother in the house. We did not have a very good understanding of eastern medicine, but the more the years passed with her cancer, the more we lost faith in western medicine and the capitalist society that cares more about money than about genuine health and wellness. My mom and grandma cared to use essential oils and natural remedies when we were sick, but when it came to the day-to-day, we were still basically completely in the dark. As the years passed, we began to understand preventive healthcare and how much it really mattered what kind of products we were using in the house. But it became so discouraging, being that every corner of society existed with toxicity.
Being welcomed into a space like Amber Holistic Hair Studio, was the crevice of society I needed to find to explore my curiosity about holistic philosophies. It was a soft introduction into beauty wellness that genuinely altered my brain chemistry. Working here I was able to grow in understanding the top organic hair products, how to use them, and how to talk to clients about the importance of reducing toxic chemical exposure as much as possible. As Simply Organic Beauty puts it- “Many conventional products use synthetic fragrances, which can be endocrine disruptors, cause respiratory issues, irritate the skin, and even trigger migraines. Clean beauty products, on the other hand, often use natural or naturally derived fragrances, offering a pleasant and aromatic experience while prioritizing health.” Simply Organic Beauty This provided a safe space for clients who were doing their best to manage their health and wellness. Which also became increasingly important for me, as someone who began to notice some changes in my own health.
That year I lived in LA, I was also working at a salon in West Hollywood as a celebrity hairstylist's assistant. I was managing the two jobs, while also networking with agencies to try to get booked for set work, and my health was simply not at the top of my priority list. I was being taught that I had to say yes, work harder and work more. I was being taught that the best thing for my career was to use the most popular products on the market- or whatever brand was willing to send free products to make content. And it was completely ethical because it was a brand deal bringing in money. As the months passed, my internal world was as distraught as ever- meanwhile my dreams were coming true right before my eyes. The duality in my struggle was so heartwrenching as I started to notice eczema spreading all over my body. At its worst- it made me an absolute train wreck, completely disassociated in my personal relationships, having constant panic attacks, insomnia and brain fog. At its best- I was showing up to work with my long sleeve clothes that I couldn’t afford and a smile on my face- barely. Eventually, I was forced to ask myself if my dream of working in Hollywood with celebrity clients was worth sacrificing my health. And the answer was- no. Being healthy is always more important than accruing achievements. I could go on and on about that- but perhaps in another article.
So what I've come to learn from that experience is that a lot of my confidence in my art comes not from adding the most ‘popular’ brands to my toolbelt, from saying ‘yes’ to the best opportunities or even in having a celebrity clientele, but rather aligning myself brands, salons and clients that share the same personal philosophy on hair care. I made the switch to holistic haircare because I learned that your routines should be a sacred practice, your products should actually improve the health of your hair (even if it takes time), and it should NOT put your bodily health at risk.
I can only hope to inspire others to embrace holistic hair care the way Amber has inspired me. It has truly changed the way I feel safe giving my art to the world.
Xx,
Trinity Rose
