Glitz Salon owner/operator Debi Gidner says it was an easy decision to associate her Dallas hair salon with Organic Salon Systems. “I was getting chemicals burns on my hands, my breathing could be a little difficult, I was having allergic reactions—I knew it was all because of the chemicals I was using at the hair salons where I was working as a professional stylist.

After her daughter told her about a salon she had patronized in Austin where they used all natural products, Gidner knew that’s what she wanted for her clientele and for herself. When she opened Glitz last year, it was as a certified 100 percent organic salon. Professional hair care services are delivered with the customers’ well-being in mind, on the leading edge of fashion, in one of the coolest settings in town, and are 100 percent vegan certified organic.

 Organic Salon Systems’ professional line of products was exactly what she wanted. They offer permanent curling, coloring, hair care and control results equal to or better than any product on the market, but containing no ammonia, parabens, sulfates, plastics or animal products. Their curl system neutralizer, for example, is made with plant amino acids and Certified Organic extracts of aloe vera, chamomile and comfrey. It even smells good, which may be a first for a neutralizer.

Gidner says, “A growing number of my clientele are post-cancer patients, pregnant women and women with serious health issues like asthma, psoriasis and lupus. Safe, non-toxic hair products are essential to their well-being.”

Organic Salon Systems is based in the UK, so in addition to the slightly higher cost of organics, there are additional shipping costs. Nevertheless, Gidner has kept the pricing for Glitz Salon services extremely competitive. She quips, “I’d rather be healthy than wealthy.” Her client list is growing monthly as eco-minded, green-thinking women that include the readers of Natural Awakenings spread the word about the safe options she offers.

As a result, she is adding staff, which isn’t easy. Gidner insists that the very specific protocols and techniques for using Organic Salon products be followed to the letter. Seasoned professionals are not always able or willing to change the way they have worked for years.

In February, Gidner spent an entire week in Florida studying to become certified as the Organic Salon Systems regional organic educator for North Texas. Now she can train her own staff, as well as salon owners and operators from elsewhere in Texas, in the Organic Salon Systems practices.