the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

surface hair products

i would like to take this time to shine a light on surface hair products. this canadian product line’s focus is the growth and development of strong healthy hair as well as promoting the health of the planet we all share. they are very eco conscious and offer a wide range of products. from curly haired folks to those experiencing hair loss, surface hair has something for all heads. my personal faves are the oils and products from the blow out line (image above). the curls mousse is really great and delivers on hold, shine, and volume. the surface products we carry in the store are the products that our stylists use and love. but if you stumble onto any other surface products you’d like to try that we don’t carry, please let your stylist know or even the front desk. we can order in anything you’d like to try!

curls products

Surface was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Saskatchewan, Canada. Inspired by salon owner and international hair stylist Wayne Grund. Surface was founded on the principle of respecting personal health and the Earth. The Surface culture is committed to growth while encouraging personal health, respecting the Earth and helping others. The name Surface came from a passion to develop superior, all natural products that create a strong surface of success from which salons and their guests could grow. The Surface Tree represents a strong foundation of life from which there will be never-ending growth.

We offer a culture of education, guest service and technical expertise. Surface is committed to giving back to the environment, providing natural, organic ingredients for their products and packaging as well as giving back to the community.

wayne grund (founder) and family

OUR ETHOS

Surface was founded with a deep passion to develop superior, natural and organic products that respect personal health and the Earth.

Surface is a corporate sponsor of the Arbor Day Foundation, and together we have planted more than 88,000 trees across North America. We are also proud partners of World Vision, sponsoring over 50 children and their communities across 6 counties with food, water, shelter, medicine and education. With every Surface purchase, you are supporting our goal of leaving the world a better place than we found it.

wayne loves his seed oils! you can use them on your body as well! BONUS

these products are made without parabens, gluten and sulfates. surface products are vegan, cruelty free and made with natural ingredients. the scents are tolerable and the pricing is competitive. the packaging is a little small but with our recycling program, you can save when you bring your bottles back. i just wanted to shine a spotlight on one of our canadian lines to give our clients more information. you can check out their site and take a quiz to see what products could work for you! let me know if you like these products or have even tried them in the comments below!

✌🏾-p

*i copied and pasted the surface info from the site so, if you’re in it and notice…🙊

The Fresh Perspective...

So fresh and So clean!

Hi-hi to everyone that cares about our blog! I am back on! Full disclosure, I’m back in school and for some reason, that helps me focus on writing. My classes finish in April so here’s to hoping the posts continue past that! Ha! I make no promises…

As most of you know, new years bring on new goals, challenges and dreams. That’s the same for the shop as well! Since the pandemic, and the changing of our lives, much has shifted. Our goal to have an eco-friendly boutique was stymied by the pandemic and the new and strained shopping habits of absolutely eveyone. Now that we all seem to be back on track, the boutique is as well! We found some new items for all of you to try as well as some new gift ideas and joy bringing jems!

moisturizer? sunscreen? you use this stuff?

There will be a new skin care line we will be revealing next month for our birthday celebration. We have been on Academy Rd. for 14 years and are honoured to still be a part of this street and it’s surrounding community. Come check us out on the 23rd of February and celebrate 14 years with us!

-p

….aaaand if you wanna bring ME joy, like this, comment or share! 😉

It's a new dawn, a new day, and a new life?

We are about to embark into the coldest season of the year, and even though it’s been a rough year (pandemic, everything) I’m looking forward to all the newness that fall brings. It’s been hard navigating the current standards of our culture as a business owner, AND a mother! Can I just say that I have never been in so many ‘emotional’ situations in my life! From the changing business standards and our changing social standards, I’m learning, growing and developing more and more each day!

if you don’t succeed…

While changes in my life are inevitable, I’m looking forward to the changes here, at the shop! The pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate how we currently run the business and how we HAVE BEEN running the business until the shut downs of 2019. This time we are challenged with how to stay open in spite of our stylists being unreliable because of illnesses. At first, we noticed that clients were cancelling and now, it’s the stylists! These cancellations and closures have slowly made us aware of how inconsistent and slightly unreliable a service industry can be. What to do? How do we solve this issue?

so many rules, so many changes

Full disclosure, I’m not sure what all the answers are, but I am here, ready and willing to find out! This day and age, online businesses are truly taking off! Our hair salon has not yet evolved to doing haircuts online but hey, maybe one day?

We can really feel the power of online sales when we deliberately make posts to move our followers to our site. E-commerce is a new area for me to learn about but like I said, new things are now my jam? We are hoping to develop a little more on this platform by offering unique items that are sustainably made/sourced and that will make your life easier, while staying local and close.

Our body wash and lotion have been exclusively used by all the Okwumabuas in my house! I prefer body wash over bar soap because I find the bar soap really dries my skin out. Freshwash (body wash) DOES NOT. It is almost like a cowash for your skin! It’s moisturizing AND cleansing at once! I love how it makes my skin feel during the shower and afterwards as well. The lotion is pretty great too, but I double up with shea in the cooler months as Freshbody (body lotion) is quite light. It’s great for the summer or if you need a light layer of moisture.

We have some other products available for a subscription services so that you don’t have to think about coming in to get your hair products or lifestyle products. You can sign up to have them automatically ordered and set up for delivery or pick up at your own convenience! We’re here to help you, help us, help you! 😉

just one step at a time buddy

As the year continues to unfold, we are hoping that some small changes will help keep our doors open for as long as possible. We are chnaging our salon software and will also be making changes here, to our website, in order to capture more sales. While cutting, coloring and styling hair is my main focus and the shops main source of revenue, this NEW way has made it almost impossible to see the future without more “digital” services.

The online store is open 24 hours a day and while my chair is not available all day everyday, freshairboutique.ca is. It’s seems like this is the number one way that we can make some financial progress without relying or depending on service providers. It makes me sad that folks are seeming less dependable these days, but that’s just how things are now. The sooner we accept the changes, the sooner we can move on.

remember the time?

Thanks to all who support us! You might be sitting in our chairs, or only shopping online, but either way helps and either way supports. Now that we are in the last quarter of the year, we really hope that all of you consider our online store while you’re shopping for back to school items or holiday gifts or whatever your heart desires. We are always open!

-p

It's Wednesday!

ECO BOUTIQUE

I know i’ve done this before, but these are all the items I use from our boutique. We don’t just sell this stuff ‘just because’ you guys! I mean, everyone knows that ‘sales’ are essential to business and essential to how the hair industry works. Heck, it’s essential to our lives. So. We need to ‘buy’ stuff. Let’s try to make it count!

Here’s what I got!

the full haul

1. Last Object- Last Tissue, Last Swab and Last Tissue big box

2. Freshwash and Freshbody

3. Well Kept- Razor, Razor kit with blade bank and extra blades, Ingrown Oil, Shave Oil, Small sponge, and agave cloth

4. 6Babe Beauty- make-up remover pads

5. Ursa Major- Night cream

6. Truth Balm- Lip chap

7. Pure Anada- body butter, Eyeliner ad mascara

8. Uashmama- paper bag

9. Brush Naked- bamboo tooth brush

It’s no secret that my passion for all things sustainable and environmentally responsible is almost unquenchable! It’s one of the ways I challenge myself to grow and develop even more. It’s a challenge sometimes trying to be sustainable, but I’m here for it!

Since you’re here, comment and win a free mystery bag!😉

It's Wednesday!

ECO BOUTIQUE

What’s new in the store? Check us out as we start bringing in the holiday gifts. From Last Object to Bottle None, we have your back! Even more so with our in house body lotion and body wash, also available in the boutique. Unique bath salts and soaps can be great gifts for any occasion. Stop by at our shop now!

introducing the big box tissue

small silk sea sponge (great for the face)

Be sure to check back in to see the new items as they come! There are lots of goodies for the holidays! Bye bye summer and hello fall!

It's Wednesday!

ECO BOUTIQUE

shampoo bars for the win

Bottle none is a product brand we feature in the boutique. Look at this new way of cleansing to be the next thing. No packaging. Zero waste. Fantastic for your hair and your bathroom space. These bars come in an array of types for ALL hair types. The results are incredible!

If you are someone that really feels like sustainability is the new trend, then give these a try! Available in store and on-line!

✌🏾