THUNDER BAY -- Hairdresser Jordan Foster started working with green hair products six years ago and says she’ll never go back: “I have asthma but working in this environment, it has never been more in control.”
Foster has been working with hair for 12 years, but it was only after she moved away from aerosols and products containing ammonia that she realized that those chemicals didn’t agree with her health. “It’s nine, 10 hours a day, standing over chemicals. The less harsh chemicals we can use, the better for us,” she says.
She uses a line of hair colour and hair care that does not produce stinky fumes and are gentler on hair. Although the products are more expensive, there is a growing demand for them.
“Green products are getting more popular,” Foster says. She can even do ammonia-free perms, which result in a more natural curl. For colouring, there is a full range of colours available (“from platinum blond to black”) and she says the colour lasts just as well as conventional chemicals.
After working in salons for over a decade, Foster renovated her own basement to open The Green Room Organic Hair Care on January 2018. Since she has a young daughter, being able to work at home makes family life easier, and she is also able to give her undivided attention to clients. “A lot of people are looking for this type of salon or environment,” says Foster. “If you’re just getting a haircut, you’re not breathing in someone else’s colouring products.”
One day when her daughter is older, Foster dreams of starting a mobile service, particularly to serve small communities that do not have a hairdresser. “A haircut is a basic need,” she says.
For now though, the little salon on Margaret Street is Foster’s dream come true. “I wouldn’t change it. I love being this small intimate place. People feel comfortable, they’re not on display in front of a big window, and it’s always one on one,” she says.
