Going green for Salon Love.

Going green for Salon Love.

Alyssa Housh has been a professional hairstylist for almost 17 years.  After completing her Bachelor’s of Environmental Studies & Sustainability in 2011, she considered leaving the salon industry. Although she continued to love many aspects of the profession, she had come to realise its overwhelmingly negative human health and environmental impacts. Upon reflection, Alyssa realised she would have no impact on the industry by simply removing herself. BUT, she COULD have a positive impact if she combined her passions – the salon industry and the environment. We ask her more about her story.

So we hear that you had quite a journey into hairdressing! Tell us more…

I became a hairstylist very young. I have always loved art. As I entered high school my creativity began to transform into a focus on fashion, hair & makeup. This inspired me to become a hairdresser & makeup artist. I graduated high school and went straight into a Cosmetology programme. I went to school 40 hrs a week and worked part-time to graduate when I was 19 yrs old to start my career. It was the best decision I ever made!

What has been the highlight of your hair career so far and why?

The highlight of my career thus far has definitely been the opportunity to be an Organic Colour Systems Salon Mentor. I love sharing knowledge about this amazing brand with other like-minded professionals! It’s so fun to see their faces light up when they learn something new. This is such a beautiful community, it gives me a lot of hope for the future of our industry.

We know you have a passion for the environment. How are you sustainable in salon, are there any programmes that you participate in etc.?

Small business owners wear many hats. I think it is important to remember to delegate tasks. The same is true when implementing a sustainability programme. Do some research and find other businesses/organisations that can help. I have found a couple I LOVE.

• Green Circle Salons is a recycling & up-cycling business that focuses on waste produced by salons. They have even figured out a way to extract fresh water from left-over colour waste, they neutralise it and put it back in the water system…BRILLANT!
• Another great (local) organisation I collaborate with is Scraps compost collection. They do our weekly compost pick-up on bicycle so they aren’t even burning fossil fuels!

Finally, something I don’t like is the need to use plastic shower caps. But, I have come up with a solution. First, I reuse the same plastic cap from the treatment for the colour (simply turn it inside out so no left-over treatment contacts the hair while the colour is processing). Then, I wash them in the washing machine and hang them to dry. A single plastic cap now lasts months!

You try to be as eco, green and sustainable as possible. What are your top tips for salons also looking to go down this route of being better?

When salon owners are just starting their sustainability program I always suggest starting with the basics.  Remember, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is in order of importance. The most impact will be made through reducing! Look around the salon for single-use items, then replace them with reusable ones. If you offer your clients bottled water, replace them with a filtered water refill station and offer glasses rather than styrofoam, plastic, or paper cups. Ditch the paper towels in the bathroom and setup a cute basket of neatly folded wash clothes instead.  Do you use plastic-wrap for balayage? Look into replacing it with washable meche strips.

You are a Salon Mentor for North America, how has this evolved you as a hair stylist and why do you think education is so important?

Being a North America Salon Mentor has been so rewarding. I love helping others understand the ethos behind this brand along with helping them better understand the entire system. It’s so rewarding to know something we said or did could help others improve their career! I think education is everything in this industry. Whether you are attending a workshop or show or just watching another stylist work and asking questions, there is so much knowledge to be shared. It’s the reason I have been able to work in the same industry for 17 yrs. Nothing is stagnant.

You are a balayage specialist, what are your top tips for the perfect blend?

Balayage is such a fun art form. I love the creativity that it allows. I use many different methods, but a couple of my go-to faves are back-combing & using a dry brush to blend harsh transitions. The right tools and application are important too. Soft balayage brushes and light strokes with the brush parallel to the ground are both key.

I do most of my balayages using Organic Colour Systems white Naturelite Powder with either 3% or 6% cream activator. I always measure with a scale to be sure I’m using an exact 1:2 ratio. It is the perfect consistency for balayage! To tone level 8 hair, I love mixing 8AH & Silver (which is also a level 8) to perfectly neutralise the orange & yellow tones remaining.

How do you unwind after a day in the salon?

I live in Colorado so I spend as much time as possible outside enjoying nature. I’m always happy if I can get home in time for a sunset walk with the three loves of my life, my husband and our two rescued pups. They make any stress from the day disappear so quickly.