Hair Draaaaama!

So, here is my dilemma. My hair. Do I keep it long? Or cut it short? I'll explain, in great detail as usual... ;) 
     I have my long curly hair almost totally back to it's original length (mid back length fully stretched out)  since the big chop for chemo in April of 2008. Everyone loves my long hair, they love that it's not frizzy which helps me sell more Deva Curl products and the Curly Girl (aka CG) method that we teach in the boutique and salon. What a lot of people don't know is I have a very serious scalp condition. I have something called Seborrhiasis, which is a yucky combination of Seboriac Dermatitis and Psoriasis. One comes from one side of my family and one comes from the other. 
In the late 1990's when I thought I only had bad dandruff I was so fed up with washing my hair every single day (my hair was pillow messy every morning, no matter what so I washed it all the time) with medicated, sulfate riddled, icky smelling shampoo, then treating it with curly hair conditioner and styling products. One day I  decided to stop all products except for baby shampoo and made my dermatoligist look at my scalp in its raw, cracked, bleeding, itchy as hell state. That's when the Seborrhiasis was diagnosed. I was prescribed a topical corticosteroid (it was the 90's, I didn't know any better) which was a miracle for the scalp issues and not in a shampoo base.... SOOO I happily dashed over to a (sulfate filled) curly hair shampoo (I was very excited that for the first time in memory I could use a nice smelling shampoo that wasn't full of medicine) my scalp got better in some ways, but got worse in others.... after weeks of experimentation I worked out that the shampoo was making certain parts of my head bleed! So, I lived like that for many years until I discovered the holy grail that is the CG method and the DevaCurl line of products. 

The magic of  DevaCurl is what we teach in our salon that sulfate free and in fact bubble free cleansing products are the best way to "wash" your dry and curly hair on those days you choose to wash your hair. For me the CG method and specifically the NoPoo conditioning cleanser is what not only saved my curls from frizz, it saved my scalp!  From the first use NoPoo cleanser and One Condition conditioner calmed my scalp condition drastically and over the years of experimenting I can get away with using my corticosteroid meds about once a month to keep my scalp condition under control and I cleanse with NoPoo every two or three days to keep my scalp calm. 
You see, the CG method and all it's amazing tips and tricks for curly hair has taught me to have my hair perfect for days on end without washing or even wetting it. I put my hair up with rings made from pantyhose to avoid the mark left from tight elastics. I sleep on a silk pillowcase to avoid the puffy hair created from cotton pillowcases. I know what to do if my hair is not quite perfect when I wake up, take a hat off, come home from a workout, get caught in the rain etc to keep my hair perfectly lovely and free of the dreaded frizz that haunts the nightmares of curly girls everywhere.
  
So, I bet you are wondering if I will ever get to my dilemma. This is how it goes. I do my hair on "Day 1" I cleanse with NoPoo and condition with One Condition and set it perfectly with Ultra Defining Gel (a 15 minute process and a 5 hour natural drying process including the CG method of clipping) I go through my day with lovely hair and a non itchy scalp and wake up on "Day 2" with perfect hair and a slightly itchy scalp..... and then wake up on "Day 3" with perfectly acceptable hair and a VERY itchy scalp. I could use my cortisone more often which I don't want to do and so I start all over again with another "Day 1" and on some days I just put it in a simple but boring ponytail and try not to itch my head in public.
If I cut my hair off to a very short style I could do my hair in 2 minutes and I could do it every 2 days without the itchiness and drying drama.
What do you think oh bloggy readers? Keep the long curls or chop it off?

Face owey...

For some unknown reason I have developed a minor rash on my face and a cruddy breakout on my chin. I'm trying out our new Acne treatment product. I'll keep you posted in a couple of days.
 Yay me!
 ;)

Homemade Sugar Scrub !

As promised!
One Homemade Sugar Scrub recipe share coming up! You can use this on yourself, or on your sweetheart. You can give them a handscrub over the sink, or a foot scrub in a basin (bring another basin with warm water in it or a warm damp towel for rinsing)  You could even have a partner shower and give each other a gentle scrub down......

Ingredients:
 Sugar-White, Brown, Demerrara or Coconut/ Palm

Oil: any vegetable based oil- Olive, Grapeseed, or whatever vegetable oil you have in the house
 Equipment: Cereal Bowl, Tablespoon, A willing person to try a gorgeous natural hand scrub

Quantities are approximate, no measuring needed!

1) Take a bowl (any size but for comparison a cereal bowl is enough to do 4 grown up hands) and fill it 3/4 full with your choice of sugar
2) Take your oil and add small amounts to the sugar(tablespoon at a time for the cereal bowl size) stop pouring and stir or mix with fingers (fingers work best)
3) Continue to add oil until all sugar crystals are glistening with oil, you don't want it too drippy.
4) Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes or more and  make sure you don't have too much oil floating on the top. If you do, add a little more sugar.
5) Add two or three drops of an essential oil or a tiny shake of cinnamon if you like a little scent, but avoid the face and chest if you use this.

To use: wet hands with warm water (or feet or your whole body in the tub if you like) and start rubbing a tablespoon or so of your mixture on the skin. Rub gently (don't scrub too hard, especially on tender bits or face) for 10 or 15 seconds (on hands be sure not to miss between the fingers, dried out fingertips and cuticles) then rinse off with water, there will still be some oil left on the skin just blot the skin dry with a soft towel and enjoy the gorgeously naturally moisturized skin you have just revealed! If you are doing this in the tub please be careful, it will be make the surfaces slippery!

You can do this on hands and feet as often as needed, 2-3 times a week is the maximum I suggest for face or other tender body parts.
If you don't want to do any of this you can always buy my Demerrara Sugar Scrub

 Enjoy and let me know what fun concoctions you came up with!
Cheers!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy 10th Anniversary to me! I opened the first ellenoire store front on Valentines Day in 2003 (I was home based and web based from 1994) I think I sold exactly 0$ that day. Between Corey Smith dragging barn board from Dunnsville, Caroline Peer smearing woad  tinted plaster on the walls with me, Squirrelly McFancypants helping with displays and endless hours of help from Timothy James Hanlon and others I managed to open on time. It's been a long 10 years full of ups and downs, but we'll sell a bit more than 0$ today! Thanks for all the support and love from all of you over the years. Happy Valentines Day!



Don't forget! There are always lots of low calorie treats here for you and your Valentine to share after hours!
Massage oils, Bath bombs, sweet little heart shaped soaps... How about giving your Valentine a foot treatment while they drink a glass of wine tonight ? (or any night) You can buy it from us, or you make it at home. In a few hours i'll be posting a quick and simple recipe for a homemade sugar scrub that you can make with ingredients you likely have in your kitchen right now!
Stay tuned!

New York state of mind

 If you are a regular curly salon client here at ellenoire you are likely aware of the legend that is David Lopez. David has been flying in from New York City to cut hair for our clients since 2009. He helped establish ellenoire as a curly specialty salon when he cut hair in the crazy salon setting that was my dining room while we waited for construction to be completed here in the FKA The Dundas Post Office. David is well known on the sets of many magazine shoots and TV sets. You can check out his portfolio and bio at the link below.
David is getting so busy in New York that he will be coming here less and less often. This makes us sad, but we are very happy for his success! If you have not already, then do everything you can to book an appointment with him on this trip. It doesn't matter what hair type you have, David can make magic from anything!
See more about David on his website: David Lopez Hair . He will be here February 22-26 to cut hair for a select few clients... his appointments are filling fast! Call soon! 905 627 9379

Job Post!!

HI Everyone! I'm reposting this, since we still have not found the right candidate for the position.

It's time to hire another Curly Hair stylist! Please share this with anyone you know who is looking for a career change. What we do in the  ellenoire salon is new and different but the right candidate will be offered full training. Open minded and creative people are the best fit!  

Title: Hairstylist

Terms of Employment: Permanent, Full Time, Weekend, Day, Evening

Salary: Hourly Wage $10.25-$12.00 per hour minimum + Commissions+ Bonuses

Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible

Location: Busy Salon in Dundas, specializing in Curly Hair & Natural Hair Care

Credentials (certificates, licenses, memberships, courses, etc.):

Hairstylist License

 

Experience: 2 years or more of recent experience in the Haircutting/ Hairstyling Field, DevaCurl training a bonus

 

Languages: Speak English, Read English, Write English

 

Work Setting: Natural Hair Care Salon (no blow outs, no flat irons or chemical straightening, or sulfates used) with Natural Beauty Boutique attached

 

Hair Cutting Techniques: Scissor cutting, Hair washing, conditioning and setting, Men, Women & Children’s cuts, Dry or Barbering cutting experience a bonus, straight razor shaving a bonus

 

 

Hair Colouring Techniques: Bleach, Dyes/tints, Streaking/highlights

 

 

Additional Skills: Customer Service, Retail sales, Ringing in Sales, attention to detail, ability to follow instructions, Strong Communication skills, Comfortable teaching clients, Comfortable learning new skills quickly, creative thinking, Maintenance and clean up, presentation skills, ability to organize and schedule, Willing to embrace new thinking, Must be willing to travel for special training

 

Work Conditions and Physical Capabilities: Fast-paced environment, Repetitive tasks, Manual dexterity, Attention to detail, Hand-eye co-ordination, Combination of standing, walking, Standing for extended periods

 

Work Site Environment: Noisy, Odours, Fragrances, Non-smoking

 

Transportation/Travel Information: Own transportation, Public transportation is available

 

Work Location Information: Small town setting, On-site customer service

 

Essential Skills: Personable, Good Manners, Reading text, Basic computer use, Document use, Numeracy, Writing, Oral communication, Working with others, Problem solving, Decision making, Critical thinking, Job task planning and organizing, Significant use of memory, Finding information, Continuous learning

 

Other Information: Excited, Hardworking people will make the most money and have the most fun with the ellënoire team.

Employer: Ellënoire

How to Apply:

Please apply for this job only in the manner specified by the employer. Failure to do so may result in your application not being properly considered for the position.

 

Send resume with cover letter to: ellenoire@ellenoire.com or email to ask job related questions before emailing resume

Business Profile:  www.ellenoire.com

Rainy Days and Mondays?

Stuck at home with the snow day? Deep condition your hair! Go to your kitchen, get the olive oil (unless you have DevaCurl One Condition or Heaven in Hair or another silicone and petroleum free conditioner at hand) and dump some oil or conditioner on wet or dry hair and smush it through then wrap with a towel or turban. Go on with your day, ditch the towel after an hour or so and tie hair in a bun. You can go run errands or hang out and your hair will be shiny but not greasy. Wash out later or tomorrow with a sulphate free cleanser, condition and style as usual. Works well with all dry hair, curly hair and hair damaged from straightening or colouring. DO IT!