Green Goddesses: Hair

Beauty’s Green Goddesses

Part Two: Louise Galvin of Sacred Locks

Who doesn’t love that feeling of swirling handfuls of foamy shampoo suds into our hair, leaving it squeaky-clean? Turns out that the simple act of shampooing our hair could be damaging it, thanks to nasty ingredients like silicones, sulfates, petrols, parabens and more. Sulfates cause shampoo (and other soaps and cleansers) to lather up, and de-grease and de-gunk your hair and scalp by dissolving oil and dirt. Unfortunately, sulfate shampoos can also dry out your hair, strip its color and even potentially damage your health. Add silicone to the ingredient list (it’s the ubiquitous hair smoother and shiner, loved by frizz-fighting-freaks) and now you’ve got dry hair that’s coated with a synthetic film that only temporarily glosses. Eventually, this plastic-like coating builds up and needs to be stripped off with a clarifying shampoo. This whole bit sounds nothing like soft, shiny, swingy hair, does it? Enter my pick for Green Goddess of Hair, internationally-renowned colorist Louise Galvin, who created the revolutionary Sacred Locks brand to address these very concerns.

The eldest daughter of famed British colorist Daniel Galvin, Louise spent much of her childhood learning the Brit-Glam beauty scene in her father’s eponymous salon.  Still a highly sought-after colorist there, Galvin has created and oversees the production of Sacred Locks, one of the most natural, eco-friendly yet ultra-luxe hair care lines on the market. The collection consists of shampoos, conditioners and masques divided into fine, or curly categories as well as a totally scent-free range for mothers-to-be. My use of the products for fine hair gives me nothing less than jaw-dropping results: brighter highlights and smooth, shiny, glisten-y hair. With hair as dry as mine, the fact that I can describe it as “glisten-y” is a stop-the-presses moment.

The mystery is how a product can leave hair so unbelievably silky, shimmery and full of body without any nasty oils, silicones or build up, but it seems that Galvin has found the answer. The entire Sacred Locks line (as well as the newer Natural Locks line for colored hair) uses only natural or naturally-derived ingredients such as essential oils of grapefruit, lemon, orange, geranium and mandarin and natural extracts and vegetable-derived moisturizing and conditioning agents in place of harmful, artificial preservatives. The products are also free of sulfates, parabens, phlalates, silicone, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances and preservatives. 

Better still, the entire line is carbon-neutral, making Galvin a pioneer not only a leading colorist but a true Green Goddess. Galvin took the unprecedented step of being the first beauty company to offset its carbon emissions and strive to reduce its carbon footprint. The Louise Galvin company is committed to The Carbon Neutral Company and its Carbon Neutral Program, which aims to neutralize or offset the contributions made by businesses and businesses to global warming. Product junkie that I am, I think the sublime citrus scent and gorgeously girly-goth bottles are just vegan icing on the organic cake.

Please visit www.louisegalvin.com for more information or to order products.