Beauty shouldn’t cost the earth, right? If we’re going to save this planet, eco-friendly balayage is a pretty good way to start (not all heroes wear capes).
To that end, we’ve rounded up the best sustainable salons in Brisbane. All of these guys take a lot of care with waste management, aluminium use and organic product partners. Everything they put on your head is 100% eco-friendly, animal-friendly and follicle-friendly. In that order. Because you might be worth it, but the environment is worth even more.
Here are the most sustainable, eco-friendly salons in Brisbane.
Naturally Organic Hair Salons
Various
Clue’s in the name with these guys. You might have seen them around. They have five salons scattered around town (Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly, Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital and North Lakes). Here’s the good thing about Naturally Organic: all their products are certified cruelty-free, vegan, and ticked off by the Soil Association, so you know exactly what’s in them. They’ve also teamed up with Hair Aid, which is a not-for-profit hair school in the Philippines, helping those suffering from homelessness.
Paris Texas Hairdressing
Milton
Paris Texas is an owner/operator deal. It’s run by Ashlee Cunningham, and she’s recruited a pretty talented list of senior stylists (they don’t run junior stylist discounts or anything – it’s the best or nothing). Cunningham only uses Evo products, which are free from sulphates, parabens and propylene glycol (not to mention being hilarious). All their hair extensions come from ethical suppliers. And they’ve been rewarded with membership of Sustainable Salons Australia, which means they recycle 95% of the salon waste.
Krop Hair
Norman Park
Krop’s mission is ‘get a haircut and save the planet’. They’re another member of Sustainable Salons Australia—that means Krop’s salon waste gets recycled, excess shampoo and hair colour goes to a chemical recycler, and salon plastics are turned into gardening equipment. Snipped ponytails go to the Variety Charity and get turned into wigs for kids with alopecia. The team even use the proceeds from recycled aluminium to support OzHarvest. It’s one of the few places where getting a simple haircut creates a net benefit for the world.
Olive Eco Hair
Tarragindi
With a name like Olive Eco Hair, you know you’re in good hands. These guys are big on reducing their carbon footprint. To that end, the whole salon runs on solar power. They also recycle most of their waste and only use products with zero animal testing (mostly Kevin Murphy and Organic Colour Systems). The salon itself is super cute: a home-based space, set among the treetops of Tarragindi. Owner Jade Atia is one of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet—that’s not technically sustainable, but it’s very good for business.
Elysium Hair
Brisbane City
Elysium Hair have built sustainability right into the pricing model. Every time you visit, there’s a $2 ‘Green Cost’ tacked onto the bill. That money helps the salon stay ethical without compromising on quality. They were one of the first certified ‘Green Salons’ in Brisbane (and a member of Sustainable Salons Australia). More good news: 98% of all waste gets recycled, and apparently the guys are on the way to being a zero-waste salon. They’ve even been given a green certification by the Australian Hairdressing Council.
Mikki Auld Hairdressing
West End
These guys are all class. Not only does Mikki Auld have a legion of loyal followers (and one of the prettiest salon spaces in Brisbane), they collab with Sustainable Salons Australia and recycle 95% of their studio waste. Like Krop Hair, all the proceeds from Mikki Auld’s recycled aluminium go straight to OzHarvest. Need more? How’s this: the hair swept off the floor (ie. your hair) gets turned into ‘hair booms’ that clean oil spills on the Great Barrier Reef. Next time you’re snorkelling past some unbleached coral, give yourself a pat on the back.
Horse Meat Disco Salon
Stones Corner
Horse Meat Disco Salon has made serious gains in becoming more sustainable, and since 2016 has diverted the equivalent of 33 wheelie bins from landfill, keeping up to 95% of all materials used for salon services in circulation. That's a lot of waste! They recycle all paper, metals, plastics and glass, send their excess chemicals to be recycled into water for construction and road works and collect hair from the salon floor to make hair booms which help clean up oil spills. We feel better about our do already.
If sustainable isn't enough, you'll find Brisbane's best organic salons right here.
Image credit: Mikki Auld