A few weeks ago, I took a big leap of beauty faith and tried out a new hair salon, an eco-friendly, organic-product-using salon, to be exact. Swing Hair Salon, located in the ever-hip Lower-East-Side of New York City, is one of those cool, small, cozy spaces you pass by and say, I’ve got to remember this place. I must say, it’s worth remembering and I would recommend it to anyone!
Luis Alfonso, lead stylist and co-owner, is the design, style and color guru while partner, Caroline Holley, brings her love of the environment and business prowess to the success of Swing. A great combo that should be replicated everywhere!!!
I went for my usual trim and half a head of high-lights. Luis made an assessment of the situation and gave me some great tips for my general hair maintenance. These tips are listed on their site, some of the main points include:
Love your hair: No matter the hair type, most clients have at least one thing they would change about their hair. Your best haircut is one that works with the type of hair that you have. Luis encourages his clients to embrace the gifts Mother Nature gave them.
Brush More: Three to five minutes of brushing a day will stimulate blood circulation promoting hair growth. Brushing also distributes the natural oils from your scalp, moisturizing and protecting your hair. Many prefer a brush with a natural bristle, such as boar’s hair, for its gentleness and ability to absorb oil and lift dirt.
Wash Less: The natural oils that your scalp produces are good for you. Most people wash their hair too frequently, missing out on the natural conditioning treatment their scalp is offering them. Also many shampoos, particularly those with sulfates, can exaggerate their drying effects. Detergents can actually make hair less manageable and cause hair to lose body.
The beauty of this eco-salon is that the staff is super nice, it’s well ventilated, wind-powered and the coloring products don’t have those harsh odors that you know are bad for you. The price is totally right compared to so many NYC salons and the organic hair care line they use is delish - Modern Organic Products (MOP) is a must for all!!!
…And now for the results:
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In addition, they donate the accumulated hair to the Oil Spill Hair Mats project which creates hairmats that help clean up oil spills. How cool is that?
Do good for yourself – do good for the environment.
Give it a try!
Swing Hair Salon, 280 E. 10th St. near Tompkins Square Park. Call for an appointment 212-677-2008. Cuts start at $55 for women and $35 for men.
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