We all know how hard it is to find all natural or organic hair salons.

Strip malls and plazas are littered with the typical, run of the mill chemical infested hair salons. “Oh great, I’d love to dye my hair a shade of Crayola blonde or get some cancer-curls while I’m here, totally!” SAID NO ONE EVER. Lucky for you, here’s a round-up of five fabulous organic hair salons throughout the nation!

1. Los Angeles, CA- Primrose Organics Salon and Boutique

This cute little place is full service, all organic, and odorless (no stinky chemical stench!)–from the products used to the actual structure of the space. Founded in April 2009 by celebrity hair stylist, Felicia Howe, Primrose Organics Salon and Boutique set the standards high with sustainable integrity ever present from the moment you walk through the doors. With her honorable and eco-friendly skills and expertise, Howe’s dream was to make each and every client not only feel beautiful, but to also assist in educating and guiding them in a more health conscious direction. Aside from the toxin-free, all organic product lines used and carried here, Primrose Organics uses recycled foil for treatments and is also equipped with energy-saving blow dryers! The furniture inside is all second-hand and was sourced from Craigslist while the drywall has been stabilized with formaldehyde-free compound and VOC-free paint was used to color the walls. Doesn’t get more sustainable than that, does it?

2. East Village, NY- Salon Eco Chic

Located in the East Village of the ever so chaotic NYC, is Salon Eco Chic. Welcoming clients in from the fast-paced streets of the city, Salon Eco Chic’s goal is to provide the most serene atmosphere accompanied by the best quality hair care. You can expect to come in and receive on-trend European inspired styling while being pampered with certified organic products. Everything used is plant-based and sulphate, ammonia, and chemical-free! Salon Eco Chic believes in sustainable beauty without sacrificing ones wellness. This is the place to go when you really want to take care of yourself and get away from the city madness.

3. Seattle, WA- Hazel Salon and Organics

A salon that not only is an advocate for organic hair care, but also gives back to its community?! That’s a double doozy of pure goodness right there. Seattle-based hair salon, Hazel Salon and Organics, specializes in outstanding style and highly reputable, cruelty-free products that are also free from ammonia, sulphates, parabens, petrochemicals, and formaldehyde. This salon bears an extensive line of organic products such as Organic Color Systems, LOMA, and Osea, to name a few. The other very respectable aspect to this salon that sets it apart from a lot of other organic hair salons is that it believes in supporting its community by participating in different charities. Doesn’t that just give you the warm fuzzies all over? Hair care is not their only forte either. Feel free to go there to get your lashes done up, get some hair removed (by means of sugaring or threading- no waxy gunk), or some rejuvenating organic skin treatments.

4. Chicago, IL- Splendor Salon and Spa

“Find a better way to beauty” is the motto of Chicago-based organic salon, Splendor Salon and Spa. This fume-free no-ammonia salon doesn’t play games. Aside from the plethora of organic, cruelty-free, and biodegradable products used, their packaging is also majorly eco-friendly! “Synthetic,” “toxic,” and “non-renewable” are not in this salon’s vocabulary. All product packaging is completely sustainable by utilizing recycled and plant-based materials. They even use soy ink on the labels! Splendor Salon and Spa offers a multitude of beauty related services without punishing the earth in the process. Why go anywhere else?!

5. Fort Lauderdale, FL- John Bruno Hair Salon

This is one salon you actually do want to tangle with. (See what I did there?) John Bruno Hair Salon located in Fort Lauderdale is an environmentally friendly force to be reckoned with. Recognized for outstanding customer service and eco-friendly products, they actually received a huge shout out in The New Times for being the Best Hair Salon in Fort Lauderdale/Broward County! Their popularity is understandable. All of their products are organic, vegan, and cruelty-free. Have no fear, you can trust your tresses to this remarkably health conscious salon.

So there you have it! If you live in or near any of these areas, stop wasting your time, money, and health in toxic hair salons and treat your body (and the earth) to a little guilt-free TLC!

Related on EcoSalon

3 Celeb-Endorsed Eco-Friendly Natural Beauty Products Worth the Hype

The Hair Makeover that Changes Your Entire Look (And Doesn’t Cost a Thing)

Shailene Woodley’s Lipstick is a Roasted Beet

Images via André Batista and Mainstream

The post 5 Awesomely Hair-Raising Organic Hair Salons in the U.S. appeared first on EcoSalon.

Trimming your own bangs and even your dead ends is easier than you might think.

Stylists tend to recoil in horror when clients admit to snipping their own hair at home. But while it may not be the greatest idea to give yourself a drastic new cut, a bit of a trim here and there is quick, easy and totally indistinguishable from a pro job once you know what you’re doing. Here’s how to trim your own bangs, from blunt cuts to side-swept fringe.

How to Trim Straight-Across Bangs

It may seem like getting blunt bangs trimmed perfectly straight would be impossible to do on your own, but there are a few tricks to it. First of all, don’t cut your hair while it’s wet; it tends to shrink after drying, so you can trim more than you bargained for.

Blow dry bangs (straight, if necessary), and then comb them into place. With a pair of small, very sharp scissors (cuticle scissors work well), cut vertically into the ends of the hair starting from the middle and moving out to the sides. Use the comb to maintain a straight line. Brush your bangs into place with your fingers to style them, and trim any additional pieces as needed if they’re not even.

How to Trim Side-Swept Bangs

Trimming side-swept bangs requires just a slightly different technique, still starting with dry hair and cutting vertically into the ends. Pull one-inch sections of hair out away from your face on the opposite side from where they will fall. Avoid trimming more than half an inch at a time.

How to Cut Your Own Bangs

Do you dare to cut your own bags, without the aid of a stylist? This is definitely going a bit further than a trim, and it’s a bit risky, but if you want to try, the technique above makes it pretty simple. The twist-cut trick results in bangs that are slightly longer on either side.

How to Trim Your Own Hair

This video from Cosmopolitan explains how to trim dead ends without taking a trip to the salon.

Photo: gomainstream

Related on Ecosalon: 

Best Braid Hairstyles for Grown-up Girls

Brazilian Blowouts: Pretty Toxic, Actually 

The post DIY Hair: How to Trim Your Own Bangs from Blunt Cuts to Side-Swept Fringes (Videos) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Veronica Lake’s iconic 1940s Hollywood hair came about by accident, when a lock of hair fell into her eye during a promotional photo shoot. This unusual look helped skyrocket her to stardom, and women working less glamorous lifestyles clamored to channel her smoky, sauntering nightclub singer silhouette. In fact, her femme fatale hairstyle was so widely copied that the U.S. government asked her to change it, because it was seen as a health hazard to women who worked on assembly lines in factories during World War II. Lake demurred, and appeared in Life magazine demonstrating how long waves could get caught in equipment.

But there’s certainly no hazard in wearing this look to cocktail parties and on dates, unless you consider an extraordinary amount of attention dangerous. Here are three steps to the film noir look for hair, makeup and accessories.

Iconic Hair: Soft Side-Swept Waves

Veronica Lake’s ‘peekaboo’ hairstyle was achieved with pin curls and a heavy side part. You could still get this look the traditional way – The Stylist Quo has a step-by-step tutorial that’ll spell out exactly how. But if a curling iron is more your speed, check out the instructions at The Beauty Department. It’s easier than you might think.

Smooth those waves with a little glossing product like Feed Your Shine by Yarok, and hold them in place with a natural hairspray that comes out in a fine mist rather than a spritz – try Giovanni’s L.A. Hold.

Makeup: Cheekbones and Red Lips

Natural brows, enhanced cheekbones and red lips are Veronica Lake’s trademark makeup looks. Use just a little bit of brow product like Josie Maran’s Magic Brows to add definition and swipe some mascara onto your lashes. Keep your eye makeup light to balance the bold red lip.

Ilia Beauty lipstick in Wild Child has a semi-matte finish in a fiery shade of red, or you could go with the darker Femme Fatale. Finally, use a little bit of bronzer just under your cheekbones to draw them out, making sure to blend well for a natural beauty effect.

Accessories: Turban and Trenchcoat

Wearing an actual satin dress from the 1940s along with the hair and makeup might look a bit too much like a costume. Instead, choose elements from Lake’s classic look to integrate into your own. A halter-style dress or something in low-cut satin would be a subtle tribute, or you could rock a turban like Lake’s character Ellen Graham. You can find vintage ones on Etsy, or get a sleeker, more modernized version in organic cotton by REIF at Craft and Culture.

And of course, no look could epitomize film noir better than a slim-fitting trench coat. Check out the Jonano Organic Hemp Denim Mini Trench Coat for an updated option, or have some fun poring through vintage boutiques.

Images: Robert Huffstutter, Wikimedia Commons, Cliff, doctor macro

Related on Ecosalon: 

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday: Get This Classic Hollywood Look (with Natural Products) 

Women on Film: Femme Fatale Rita Hayworth

The post Natural Beauty 1940s-Style: Get Veronica Lake’s Look (With Natural Products) appeared first on EcoSalon.