Marti Morenings
I just returned from the 4th Annual Green Spa Network Fall Congress at Sundance Resort. It was wonderful to spend time with such passionate and inspirational spa and sustainability professionals. Universal Companies was a sponsor of the event and has supported the organization from the beginning.
One of the many fascinating people I met was author and educator Shelley Lotz, who was at the Congress to perform research for her new book Green Spas and Salons: How to Make Your Business Truly Sustainable. Published by Universal Companies’ long-term partner Milady, the book fills Shelley’s life-long passion for sustainability within the spa industry. In her words, “There is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the way the beauty industry does business.”
Shelley understands first-hand the challenges of operating a green spa. She is a co-author of Milady’s Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals and the former owner of an esthetics institute. She is looking for owners and managers of spas and salons to share their stories on sustainability and green business practices.
I encourage you to share your words of wisdom on making your business more green and sustainable. Please submit a few inspiring sentences, your name, company, and contact information in the comment field for possible inclusion in the book. “Words of wisdom” statements from contributors will be included throughout the book as space allows. The deadline for submissions is October 30th.
View of the Wasatch Mountain Range from Sundance Resort
Maria Sigman Says:
October 19th, 2011 at 1:31 pmVisit Maria Sigman
Salon Echo just celebrated it’s 6th year in business. We were among the first sustainably built day spa’s in Chicago. What a journey that was working with the city on permitting our project. We use primarily certified organic skin care products and botanic/organic haircare.
Please feel free to contact me with further questions.
Deborah Spencer Says:
October 19th, 2011 at 2:50 pmVisit Deborah Spencer
We were lucky enough to start from square one – from paint to furniture to the products we use in our services and sell. While some complain that using “green” products can be expensive, when you look at the cost to our overall health and effect on our environment, a little extra upfront is worth quite a bit! Plus, we’ve managed to find affordable alternatives. Sometimes being green means being frugal too.
~Deborah Spencer, Owner of Ahh Green Spa
Hilton Head Island, SC
(843)715-2643
Marti Morenings Says:
October 20th, 2011 at 1:16 pmVisit Marti Morenings
Thank you Maria and Deborah for your comments. I commend you on your efforts in greening your spa businesses. Of all places, a consumer should feel that they are safe from toxic substances in a spa. Even though it does take an effort for business owners to step up and take care of this, I have found that it does pay off in the long run with customer loyalty and employee satisfaction. I also found that in many of our greening initiatives at Universal, we actually received an ROI in a very reasonable amount of time. Truly a win-win!
Nancy Wogan Says:
October 20th, 2011 at 7:27 pmVisit Nancy Wogan
Being green is very important to us. Willamette Wellness Spa just celebrated their 2 year Anniversary. When starting a new business it is actuallly very easy to do things eco friendly and not that much more expensive.
Visit http://www.WillametteWellness.com/beinggreen to see what we did.
We love being green!
Our green promise is, that we are always on the alert to be environmentally conscious, live in a sustainable way and use natural and/or organic products whenever feasible.
Nancy Wogan, owner of Willamette Wellness Spa
West Linn, Oregon
Greg Bohn Says:
October 20th, 2011 at 9:30 pmVisit Greg Bohn
We believe that the last thing a guest should worry about while relaxing at a spa is whether the products being used in the spa services might be hazardous to their health. The lotions, oils and skin care products used at most spas contain potentially harmful chemicals, some of which are believed to cause cancer, reproductive or neurological problems. At Spa Habitat, we research every ingredient in every product we use or sell to ensure that it’s safe and beneficial, and that the companies we work with use organic and eco-friendly business practices.
Feel free to contact me directly. Thanks
Greg Bohn, CEO
Spa Habitat – Organic Spa and Apothecary
(with 4 organic spa locations in the Dallas, Texas area)
greg@spahabitat.com
Lisa Sykes Says:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:53 pmVisit Lisa Sykes
Wow—I loved reading all of these responses.
Maria, I recall all of the wonderful things you mentioned at the Sustainability Summit regarding Salon Echo’s endeavors. Salons have a unique challenge, and you’ve managed to really accomplish some bold initiatives.
Deborah, you’re right! Sometimes being green is being frugal. This is a message that should be mentioned more often.
Nancy, I love the messaging on your website. You list all of your endeavors so clearly so clients will have peace of mind when they receive treatments.
Greg, safety and toxicology as it relates to personal care is my specialty. You would have enjoyed the personal care panel discussion at the Green Spa Network event. In addition to information on green washing, dubious ingredients, and third party certifications, we also discussed resources. Research is very important—I love that Spa Habitat goes into such depth.
Shelley Lotz Says:
October 26th, 2011 at 6:40 pmVisit Shelley Lotz
Thanks everyone for your great comments. I will be in touch and keep them coming!
Alfred Merse Says:
October 29th, 2011 at 4:05 amVisit Alfred Merse
Hi…last year we opened a wellness retraet and organic day spa in Tasmania, Australia. We may be one of the few genuine organic spas in the world! We are a health spa and use only certfied organic products in all our treatments. These were developed and are produced on site by our sister company http://www.harmonyharvest.com
No chemicals whatsoever are used on our property. We use only rain water, have an extensive solar system for our hot water and all our waste water is filtered through a wetland so that it can be used for irrigation.
Please contact me if you require additional information….warm reagrds…Alfred, Director, Harmony Hill
Harith Wickrema Says:
October 30th, 2011 at 6:09 pmVisit Harith Wickrema
My vision for Eco Serendib Villa and Spa is to not only offer an environment that minimizes the carbon footprint but also provide an “eco-edutaining” experience – meaning an entertaining educating experience that incorporates sustainable practices and features. We invited a select group of companies that are committed to the environment to showcase their products, demonstrating how you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice luxury and modern conveniences to live a greener existence. For example, we offer Sodashi all-natural, chemical-free products in the spa, the only facility in the Caribbean to do so. Additionally we used re-purposed/recycled materials in construction and design and created a hillside organic garden for “seed to plate” culinary offerings and fresh ingredients for spa treatments. Although we are not 100% green, guests of Eco Serendib have the opportunity to experience the benefits of eco-friendly products and designs and hopefully not only incorporate aspects into their own lives, but encourage others to do so as well. For corporate groups staying at the property, that also means inspiring them to influence their procurement officers to embrace more eco-friendly purchases. In time, if enough companies and people embrace greener living, it will bring down the price per unit, making it more affordable for everyone.
Marti Morenings Says:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:00 pmVisit Marti Morenings
Alfred and Harith, thank you so much for your responses.
Alfred, it so interesting that your organic products are made on site. No doubt that saves on shipping costs and it provides a lovely story.
Harith, I love the term “eco-edutaining” and how this program involves your guests. Influencing vendors to embrace sustainability is something that we do at Universal Companies. Our hope is to also encourage the adoption of eco-friendly measures, all the way down the supply chain, so much that it becomes a standard practice versus an exceptional practice.