Bare Beauty House is a business that epitomises clean beauty. Hannah Gay caught up with owner Naomi Browner to discuss what new initiatives the hybrid hair and beauty salon is implementing to maintain its sustainability stamp.
Four years ago, I interviewed you shortly after the opening of Bare Beauty House. How has business been since then?
“Since opening Bare Beauty House, we pushed through two lockdowns, having to pivot very early on; I can see a change in our clients’ behaviours. I have noticed clients are a lot more likely to treat themselves to facials, massages and nails over getting their hair done. A lot of people only get their hair done 1-2 times per year now, requiring a much more natural result or a colour service that lasts a lot longer.”
At that time, you had already implemented several sustainable salon practices in your business. How many of those same practices do you still employ? And have any been added or removed in line with your research into sustainability practices?
“Fortunately for us, people are a lot more aware of what’s going in and on their bodies and so value toxic-free ingredients. Our toxic-free offering, paired with our exceptional customer service, helps set us apart and keeps business thriving.
We still employ the same sustainable practices that we started with and have recently been looking into a complete water filtration system for the entire salon. What we have added is a wider range of treatments and products. It’s great to see a lot more products on the market that meet our strict criteria. We have been able to start offering a more bespoke facial treatment incorporating jelly masks into our treatments and have introduced Bio Sculpture Gel polish to our nail treatments as well as Nouveau Lash Lifts.”
There’s a major ‘greenwashing’ movement in the beauty industry at the moment. What steps do you take as a business owner to assure your product choices and marketing are accurate?
“To ensure we are accurate with our marketing and avoid greenwashing, we thoroughly investigate each product’s ingredients as well as company practices to ensure we are providing treatments that remain clean and sustainable and to ensure we are supporting brands that share our values. We are in constant communication with each supplier if any ingredients are added/removed to ensure they still meet our required standards. We believe in providing treatments using brands that care about their complete impact – on society, the environment, and the world we leave behind.”
Where do you look for updated information on sustainability and toxin-free practices to implement into your business?
“To help me stay up-to-date with information on sustainability and toxin-free practices, I follow a range of eco-conscious leaders in a range of industries and take inspiration that I know can implement into the salon to help us strive forward on our sustainable journey. My team all share the salon’s core values, and are amazing at sharing product knowledge and helpful conscious tips to further better our space. I am also looking into becoming a Bcorp company and the application itself is hugely helpful in providing information on how we can update our sustainable practices.”
You’ve recently launched a vegan, paraben-free and cruelty-free lash lift service at your business. Which brand/s/distributor have you opted to work with for this, and why?
“For our lash lifts we opted to work with Bio Beauty Concepts as we had already been working with them for our Bio Sculpture gel polish. Not only do they share our values, but they are extremely helpful in training staff and helping us push forward as a business. Their products are professional, clean and effective, and we have been able to build a trustworthy relationship with them. For me, it was a no-brainer to expand our offerings with them.”
True or false: toxin-free or ‘green’ beauty products are less effective than non-green products. Why/why not?
“100% FALSE. Toxin-free products are extremely effective. Like anything, you just need to find the ones that work for you. I actually think they are more effective because our bodies don’t have to fight toxins to receive nutrients. Instead, our skin/hair/nails can absorb all those yummy vitamins, minerals and skin-specific ingredients used to rebuild, hydrate and nourish.
The key thing here is – I think people get scared of the word chemical. Just to clarify – a ‘chemical’ is made of one or more elements bonded together. Chemicals aren’t the enemy, toxins are. These days, we have such amazing scientists that can grow ingredients in a lab and bond them together to create a potion that will reduce acne, smooth wrinkles, hydrate your hair, and so on without using toxins to bind them or increase their shelf life. This is a huge reason why we choose to support the brands that we do. Like us, each brand ensures they are looking at the bigger picture and the complete impact their company has to provide their products. It’s so much more than providing clean products and services; it’s also providing them in a clean and sustainable manner.”
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