“What we put on our body is all absorbed”
explains Debbie as she shows me the organic color she uses on her clients; the coloring which has no ammonia at all.
Ammonia
The chemical ammonia, which you customarily find in all hair colorings, is toxic, caustic and corrosive; and according to Debbie used in both pesticides and explosives. The reason it is added to coloring is that it opens, “explodes” the cuticles for color to penetrate.
Organic Certification
Debra Caruso, owner of Capello Salon in Fort Lauderdale, has been in business for 2 years and got certified in January 2011. The certificate from the Organic Salon Systems is not only for color treatments, but for care and smoothing treatments as well.
The color used in her salon still contains chemicals, this is unavoidable, but it is a professional product and is missing many of the toxic ingredients. It does not burn or sting the scalp and no accidental coloring patches are left on the skin either.
It even smells nice!
She also carries a brand called Sanzi which she is very fond of. She prefers their shampoos and conditionings. “The conditioning is of such quality you can leave it in and is perfect for curly hair” she tells me and rubs some on my hand. It is very smooth and silky to touch.
How come she started to use organic products?
These less toxic, organic products are great for the clients, but even more important for people who work with them all day long.
Debbie had been doing hair for 34 years, renting space in other salons, when she started to notice that she could not breathe any more. “Since I am short” Debbie says, “I was always just right on top of the customers hair with coloring and I was breathing toxic fumes all day long and ended up having a bad chemical reaction.” She started to get dizzy, almost falling over and it got so bad she considered wearing a mask and possibly even quit.
She stumbled over organic hair products when searching on line. She had no idea they even existed then, because she stopped going to conventions to learn – she was going to quit her work anyway. When she found out about the alternative products, she was hooked.
Now two years later, she only advertises in the Natural Awakenings magazine and is fully booked.
The ad in the magazine reads:
-NO Ammonia, NO Animal products, NO Animal testing, NO Parabens, NO Plastics, NO Thioglades
SAFE for pregnant women, SAFE for nursing mothers, SAFE for chemo patients.
Why are there not more salons carrying organic products?
Answering my question, on why there are not more salons out there, because people become more and more aware of the harmful environment we live in and want to avoid as many toxic substance as possible, she says that it costs thousands of dollar in startup costs and also as a business owner you have to charge more for organic products and not many are willing to risk this.
How many pounds of toxic chemicals
does a woman absorb per year, if wearing makeup, sunscreen, hair colorings etc.? Read more…
Natural skin products
Many of her customers asked for natural makeup and now she carries a makeup line called La Bella Donna and a skin product line called Sally B’s. Her daughter Carly does the makeup there and is actually going to school to become a hairdresser and plans on working at the salon, Debbie proudly tells me.
Her hair changed
Since starting to use the less toxic hair products, Debbie has noticed a change in her hair. It grows much quicker now, she explains and she has to cut it more often and there is no damage or loss of hair anymore either. She suspects that many of the toxic chemicals stunt hair growth.
The Salon
Located in a historic building, the salon carries a nice ambiance and is filled with wooden antique furniture and collectibles; another of Debbie’s interests.
Being Italian, she has a quite fitting name for her salon – Capello, which is the Italian word for hair.
If you visit the Capello Salon, please say hi to Debbie from me!
Capello Salon
Debbie Caruso
Address: 1421 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: (954) 609-2616
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday after 10:00 a.m.
(closed Monday, Wednesday & Sunday)
By Åsa Paul-Johansson
On the Lime – Raw Foods
Fort Lauderdale, area, Florida
