by Victoria Everman

As many of you know, while planning on moving back to the East Coast in January 2009, I almost decided to settle in Philadelphia. While I chose to go back to Connecticut instead, I came across a whole host of sustainable Philly businesses during my research. One of the most distinctive locations I stumbled upon was Juju Salon & Spa, which provides all-natural, non-toxic and organic professional body products and services.

Fink said she hopes opening her business in these rough economic times can inspire others not to be afraid to open businesses. Eco-chic is a trend that has consumers buying anything from bamboo yoga pants to burlap and muslin handbags. And eco-friendly salons are not uncharted territory in the U.S. Julie Ebner, owner of juju Salon & Organics, opened her organic salon in 2005 in Philadelphia and has since expanded it to include a spa. Ebner believes people are more health- and planet-conscious now and need to be given options. “Our power is in our wallets, we choose what we are going to spend our money on,” Ebner said.

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by Dawn Fallik

A vegan for the last eight years, Jennifer Storey is careful not to put meat, eggs, honey or milk in her body. Now it’s becoming easier not to put them on her body, either. From conditioner to lip balm to plant-based pedicures, companies and spas nationwide are offering vegan products and services. That typically means there’s no testing on animals, and ingredients are free of animal byproducts – including beeswax and carmine, a commonly used red coloring made from beetles.

by Julie Ebner

“Eco” and “green” are clearly the new buzz words in beauty. But before you think it’s just the latest trend, serious salons and manufacturers have studied the issues and take great care in providing customers with the truth about what’s in that bottle and why you should be concerned.

by Susan Beard & Katie Freeman

Whether it’s pilates, fashion, or public relations, for Paige Wolf, owner of Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations in Philadelphia, those interests co-exist harmoniously in her life. That’s because several years ago, Wolf transformed her busy home-based office into a recycled oasis. Although her workspace is tiny compared to corporate campuses that emit tons of waste each day, Wolf said she believes in doing her part to make the world a better place. Originally, Wolf implemented tried-and-true green products in her office, including compact fluorescent light bulbs, reusable cloth bags, and recycled paper goods. Now, Wolf bikes or walks to local meetings and advocates eco-friendly living by sharing “green tips” in each issue of her industry newsletter. …

by Julie Knapp

Whether you dye your hair to follow trends, to cover pesky grays or to test for truth in the saying “blondes have more fun,” hair color can have a big impact on how you look and feel about yourself. So it’s not surprising that a 2005 P&G survey found that 65 percent of women aged 15-75 had colored their hair in the past 12 months. But studies show that hair dye isn’t having such a positive effect on your health or that of the environment.

by Elizabeth Wellington

Contemporary women’s style is taking its cues this fall from the late 1950s and early ’60s – the country’s most well-tailored and fiercely feminine era in fashion. But this time around, women are donning ruffled blouses, mid-calf pencil skirts, and bateau-neck shifts – with contrasting gloves – without having to deal with the economic and social restraints that once kept them powerless.

 by Erica Palan 

Lather, rinse, repeat no more. Julie Ebner owns juju Salon & Organics, a quaint spot in South Philly where you can get nontoxic organic hair color (this means you, moms-to-be) as well as other natural beauty procedures. A bottle of Nurture My Body, her recommended organic shampoo, is pricey, but she maintains one bottle should last several months. “If the instructions say to use only a dime-sized portion, do that, she says. There’s a reason it says that. I even tell my clients to water it down sometimes.”

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Winter hair advice from juju printed in Natural Health magazine…

…Itchy eyes are targeted with a cooling mint mask, and chapped lips get much needed attention with a lemongrass exfoliant that sloughs flaky skin. Hot compresses and pressure point massage remove toxins and release sinus pressure. The treatment costs only $20, but it’ll leave you feeling like a million….

by Lisa Stasiulewicz 

“For Julie Ebner, owner of Juju Salon & Organics in Philadelphia, her motto—’Find a better way to beauty’—applies right down to her shop’s floor. Not only does she offer all organic, sulfate- and paraben-free products and chemical-free dyes, but she also hired a local green contractor to make sure renovations to the salon were eco-friendly and tat the paints used were fume-free. ‘I’m committed to providing a natural experience every way I can, from organic ways to treat hair problems to using flea-market furniture,’ says Julie. ‘The result is healthier hair, healthier people, and a cleaner environment—everyone wins.'”

by Eva Liao

Interview with Juliene Ebner: “…Getting a great haircut is a given here, but we’re also about community. We do tons of workshops: shiatsu, feng shui, classical Indian music. The people who come to this salon, they’re artists, healers, reiki practitioners, massage practitioners, yoga teachers, meditation counselors, nutritionists…”

“I’m a grad school dropout­—had a degree in Eastern philosophy—so I like to say I went from cosmology to cosmetology. Everything we use is nontoxic, organic, safe and well-researched. Working in the typical hair salon environment was uninspiring, so I just kinda cut hair on the side for a long time. And then about six, seven years ago I got into eating organically, doing yoga, living holistically. I always wanted to open up my own tiny shop, something small and friendly. Getting a great haircut is a given here, but we’re also about community. We do tons of workshops: shiatsu, feng shui, classical Indian music. The people who come to this salon, they’re artists, healers, reiki practitioners, massage practitioners, yoga teachers, meditation counselors, nutritionists. I enjoy going to a bar, having a drink, whatever—I’m not a fanatic, I live in the real world. I have kids, and I just try to feed them as many whole foods and grains as I can. And the more you do it, the more you can’t go back to eating another way. My triumph is my daughter stuffing down brown rice, bok choy and tofu, and saying, ‘This is so good.’ I’m like, ‘Yay!’ But trust me, they want chocolate cookies too. It’s the Buddhist way. You gotta take the middle path.”