Joe Murray is a leading name in the all-natural haircare movement and the owner of Hale Organic Salon—a revolutionary salon that prides itself in using safer, natural products and maintains a “clean air” environment. Hale Organic Salon has been featured prominently in major magazines, including New York Magazine and InStyle.
A personal friend of Nine Naturals founder Grace (the two were recently featured together in a TV special about green haircare), Joe sat down with Grace for an in-depth discussion about haircare, coloring and more during pregnancy at his salon.
How long have you been a hairstylist and what led you down the path of focusing on natural and organic products?
I’ve been a hairstylist for 30 years. I have always had sensitivities to chemicals but they got worse as I got older. My ‘aha’ moment was over ten years ago when I was doing hair and makeup for two bridal parties in the same day. It was a rainy day out and so we were indoors with all the windows and doors shut. After a whole day of work working with hairspray in a confined space, I came down with a severe allergic reaction - I had a fever and felt nauseous. The symptoms didn’t go away until I went home and was able to wash all the product off of me. That’s when I decided I needed to look for a cleaner, healthier work environment.
What sets apart Hale Organic Salon from other traditional hair salons?
We have a clean air salon, meaning that we don’t use any products with ammonia. If we have to use aerosol hairspray, we have a separate room to contain airborne irritants. We also seek out the cleanest, most natural and organic hair products possible to use on our clients.
What are the biggest concerns that pregnant women have when they come to see you?
Pregnant women are concerned about the health of their unborn baby, but they also want to look good. They feel conflicted between their vanity and their baby and feel guilty that they are being a bad mom. Women don’t believe they have options, but I believe they can still have great results with safer products that won’t put their health or their babies’ health at risk.
Should women dye their hair during pregnancy?
If the dye comes in contact with the skin or scalp, that is where the risk of absorption of chemicals comes from. For women who highlight their hair, they should be able to continue to do so since the dye doesn’t touch their scalp. They might still be concerned with the air environment of the salon though where they can breathe in toxic fumes, which is why they should look for a clean air salon like Hale.
For women who want to do single process and dye all their hair, we make sure to get the color as close to the scalp as possible, without touching the scalp. This is a lot of work for a hairstylist but we are happy to do it to make sure our clients feel safe.
What is the biggest challenge for you in running a green salon?
Finding employees who share the same values and ideals.
What is your favorite Nine Naturals product?
The Nine Naturals Restorative Mandarin + Ginger Conditioner!
Nine Naturals products are currently for sale at Hale Organic Salon.
