The smell that hits you when you enter the hair salon can be very overwhelming. It’s something Love Hair founder, Toni, struggles with enormously. It’s been 8 years since she’s been in a salon that uses such high chemical products. 

Love Hair has been committed to building a brand that uses less chemicals. Our values revolve around promoting mindful environmental practices and sustainability. We understand that true beauty should never come at the expense of our planet.

Hair Salons and Its Environmental Impact

Traditional hair salons create a large amount of waste and chemicals, which can be harmful to people and have an environmental impact. 

There are five main ways hair salons have an environmental impact:  

• Chemical waste: Hair dyes, bleaches and other beauty products used in salons contribute to substantial chemical waste. Improper disposal of these chemicals can lead to water and soil pollution.

• Energy consumption: Salon equipment like the tools, lighting and washing machines require substantial energy usage compared to other industries.

• Water usage: Salons consume a lot of water with hair washing, rinsing and other services. In areas facing water scarcity it can put a strain on local water resources.

• Plastic waste: There is a lot of single-use plastic items in salons, from gloves to capes and product containers. These all contribute to the plastic waste problem and if there’s no proper recycling practices, it makes environmental impact worse.

• Air pollution: Heavy chemical products containing ammonia, release harmful fumes.this can be detrimental to the indoor and outdoor air quality.

At Love Hair, we have made it our mission to minimise our environmental impact. Through meticulous waste management and recycling practices, we have significantly reduced our waste output.

Making Ethical Choices for Sustainable Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the most sustainable cities in the world, it is ranked 16th out of 100 of the world’s cities. We are proud to have a salon at the heart of Hong Kong and we’re always working towards being more conscious of our environmental impact, just like the city we call home.

Every product we use at Love Hair undergoes rigorous scrutiny to ensure its environmental impact is minimised. We carefully select brands and products that share our commitment to sustainability. This includes opting for eco-friendly packaging, reducing plastic usage and supporting companies that prioritise ethical and eco-conscious sourcing.

In our salon, we strive to reduce water and energy wastage. We have reduced our use of harsh chemicals and single-use plastics. We follow best practices for waste disposal and reuse packaging and materials that are designed for multiple uses without compromising the quality of our services. 

We use ECOHEADS shower heads for our salon basins, effectively reducing water and energy waste by 65% and filtering the water we use of sediments. 

We believe that businesses must acknowledge their ethical responsibility towards the environment. Opening a business now means embracing a heightened awareness of our environmental impact. For our salon it’s not just about profit; it is about the lasting legacy we leave for future generations. We aim to reduce the exposure to harsh chemicals that may affect their health. Not to mention, the long-term environmental impact such chemicals can have.

We believe that businesses can thrive without the environment suffering.

Efforts To Use Less Chemicals 

About 8 years ago, our founder, Toni, become allergic to the chemicals in hair dye. This experience ignited the vision for Love Hair. Toni realised that if it happened to her, it could happen to anyone. She envisioned a salon that prioritises the health of both her team and her clients. This is why Love Hair continuously strives to use less chemicals.

Although Love Hair promotes more natural and organic products where possible, we understand the need for certain chemicals in hair care, such as hair dyeing or during a keratin treatment. Some chemicals are necessary, especially during the hair dyeing process, to open up the hair cuticles and allow the dye to penetrate. However, we strive to use the least harmful chemicals possible.

We balance the safest and most effective product options available. We have moved away, where possible from ammonia-based products. And we insist on  skin testing for all clients to ensure there are no allergic reactions.

Our Eco-conscious Products

The products we use at Love Hair reflect our commitment to sustainability. These products deliver exceptional results and also align perfectly with our vision for a better environmental impact. 

Kevin Murphy

A well known hair care brand, that focuses on using natural ingredients in their products. They are cruelty-free and strive to avoid harmful chemicals whenever possible. The brand also prioritises conscious sourcing of ingredients and use packaging materials that are recyclable or biodegradable.

Olaplex

‍Olaplex is a cutting-edge hair care brand that strengthens and repairs hair at a molecular level, especially after treatments. Their products are not tested on animals and they use more sustainable packaging.

Bhave

‍Bhave is a natural keratin treatment that uses fewer chemicals. Their products incorporate ingredients from ethically sourced New Zealand wool. Bhave works towards reducing their overall environmental footprint by minimising waste, conserving energy and adopting practices that contribute less environmental impact.

Conclusion

We believe in 2023, it is essential for each and every one of us to make choices that have a positive environmental impact - as individuals and as businesses. 

We are always striving to become a salon that uses less chemicals and makes more conscious choices that have less of an environmental impact. If we want to have a more sustainable Hong Kong then we need to actively participate. At Love Hair, our commitment to sustainability is a core value.