April is Earth Month! At Progressions Salon, we are not only the best hair salon in Bethesda, but we are a sanctuary of beauty and wellness. We are passionate about reducing our enviornmental impact in any way we can—through recycling, supporting green brands and encouraging our guests to do the same. So in honor of Earth Month, we’d like to share some ideas to change up your routine to be more environmentally friendly—not just this month, but every day, because we believe “Earth Month” should be a lifelong thing. Read on for our favorite eco-friendly tips.
1: HAVE NO-WASH DAYS
Did you know that if you cut minutes from your shower, you could save six gallons of water a day? Giving your hair a little wash break not only helps with texture and preserving the natural oils in your hair, but it also saves water. For days when you don’t wash, you can keep your scalp clean and revived with Bumble and Bumble’s Invisible Dry Shampoo. It’s a 2-in-1 style extender that not only cleanses your locks, but it also adds volume from roots to ends. The magic ingredient? French pink clay, which helps it absorb the oil and sweat on your hair. Simply put, it’s a game-changer.
2: HANG OUT WITH MOTHER NATURE
The next time you feel like hanging out, whether on a romantic date or a fun day with friends, invite Mother Nature and let her be the star of the outing. Enjoy your surroundings by going hiking or for a long bike ride, go stargazing and let the cosmos be your candlelight, or come see the Progressions squad at the Bethesda Central Farm Market to shop local and make an amazing meal out of organic, locally-sourced ingredients. We will be at the market once a month now through the end of the year giving away Progressions swag and offering hair spray painting for kids.
3: GET CRAFTY
Of the 3 R’s of eco-friendliness (reduce, reuse, recycle), one of our favorites is reuse—because it allows us to be creative while also caring for the earth. Before you go and throw away your empty bottles or containers, try to find a new purpose for them. Your glass and plastic bottles can easily be turned into candle holders, flower vases, food and storage containers and even super cute planters.
4: CLOTHES SWAP
If you’ve jumped on the Marie Kondo bandwagon, then you’ve probably been getting rid of anything that doesn’t spark joy, including clothes. Make this an experience that also sparks joy by hosting a clothes swap. Have your friends bring over their unwanted articles of clothing and swap out some of your stuff for some of theirs. You’d be amazed at the gems you might find.
5: SUPPORT BRANDS THAT ARE MAKING MOVES
When we pick which brands to carry, we always pick ones that are algined with our values, including enviornmental stewardship. So when you shop at Progressions or use our services, you can know that you are supporting companies that operate with the earth in mind—like HydraFacial, which uses enviornmentally-friendly packaging.
6: PLANT POWER
Incorporating more plants into your life is not only better for the planet but also better for your personal health. Consider going for a more plant-based diet, as well as using non-toxic beauty and cleaning products. The harsh chemicals in our food and products can cause long-term health defects and wreak havoc on our environment. We carry lots of brands that use plant-powered ingredients:
- Coola harnesses the power of plant cell actives to nourish and support healthy skin, and they use sustainably-sourced ingredients.
- Eminence Organics makes award-winning skin care products using natural, organic and biodynamic fruits and vegetables sourced from their partner farms. Plus, they plant a tree for every product sold through their Forest For The Future program. By partnering with Eminence, we have planted over 6,500 trees to date. And when we hear of a loss in our community, whether a person or animal, we honor their memory by planting a tree—so far, we have planted 130 Arbor Day trees.
- Oribe hair care products are paraben-free and contain bioflavanoids, a natural ingredient that gives fruits their vibrant pigments and also happen to protect hair color from fading by blocking harmful enviornemntal stressors.
7: GO PAPERLESS
Catalogs, flyers, bills and promotional materials use up so much paper and let’s face it, that stuff usually ends up right in the garbage. By opting for paperless bill pay, email newsletters and online subscriptions, you are greatly reducing the amount of paper used. Not only that, but going digital gives you quicker and easier access to these documents.
8: USE THAT CAR LESS
If you can walk there—walk there! If you can bike there—bike there! Look into setting up a carpool to work or places you frequent. If you’re going longer distances, rely on mass transit options like city buses and light rail systems. When you call for an Uber, Lyft, or any other ride-share, check out their “pool” option and share rides with people going in the same direction. (It’s much cheaper, too.)
Stop by Progressions, one of the top hair salons in Bethesda, to support environmentally-friendly brands and feel good about your beauty products. To us, every day is Earth Day.
