3-minute read

First published 30 August, 2014.

Updated 20 September, 2024.

Slow Beauty Eco Salon grew from a simple concept of sustainability and healthy living.

As a beauty therapist, I examined how the beauty industry’s practices harm the environment. I asked myself: How can we positively impact the people we serve and the communities where we work? In my research to create a sustainable salon, I discovered small companies committed to making environmentally friendly products. These companies use 100% recyclable materials for shipping and packaging.

Sustainability is the core of Slow Beauty. My love for nature inspired the salon’s design, featuring timber furniture, all repurposed or gifted, to maintain the eco-friendly theme.

My passion for conservation continues to grow. Slow Beauty operates on green energy, and I am working towards becoming a carbon-neutral business.

What makes Slow Beauty an eco salon?

ethical & Fair trade

We provide fair-trade products when possible. Our skincare products avoid harmful ingredients like parabens, nanoparticles, and artificial colouring or fragrance. These items are ethically formulated and sourced. For hair removal, I use a sugar paste, biodegradable gloves, and wipes, all of which break down completely for a zero-waste solution.

Guests enjoy filtered water free from contaminants, chlorine, and fluoride, alongside organic loose-leaf teas which are composted at the end of the day. In 2014, Slow Beauty went paperless, moving to digital forms for all guest records.

We offer packaging made from post-consumer recycled materials and encourage clients to return these items for reuse. Guests can also refuse a bag when making a purchase.

Slow Beauty uses 100% renewable, biodegradable bamboo toilet paper and Forest Friendly paper towels and tissues from the social enterprise Who Gives A Crap. Wipes, gloves, and printing paper are either biodegradable or carbon neutral and made from recycled materials.

We completed an energy audit that reviewed heating, lighting, and insulation. When possible, we rely on natural light and use energy-efficient lighting otherwise.

efficient green energy

My studio runs on efficient electricity. I use heat pumps for hot water and laundry drying during colder months. The salon’s temperature stays between 18-20°C in winter and 24-27°C in summer, with air conditioning used only when necessary.

I wash all linen on-site using a high-efficiency washing machine and biodegradable, phosphate-free detergent. Linen dries in the sun or on racks, with the heat pump dryer used only when needed. Phosphates harm water ecosystems by fueling algae growth, contaminating lakes and rivers, and affecting municipal water systems.

water sustainability

We reduce water use by up to 50% with low-flow aerators in most taps, which reduces water heating costs too, and water the garden early to minimise evaporation.

I precycle by choosing products with minimal packaging and buying in bulk wherever possible. We recycle old furniture—almost everything is repurposed, donated, or purchased second-hand. I use rechargeable batteries and recycle them and other disposable products with the ACT Recycling Program.

Slow Beauty also invests in the community. We’ve donated to Oxfam‘s emergency relief efforts, local women’s refuges, the Orangutan Foundation, Marine Conservation, and Share the Dignity. I’ve also hosted a donation box in the studio!

Lastly, I walk to work!