Meet Emily

Get to know the creative behind the chair

Born and raised in Arizona, I grew up learning about the importance of sustainable practices. Living in a desert forces you to think differently about things that lusher regions can afford not to worry about. I always thought it was strange that people would choose to live in such a harsh climate. I thought its capacity to maintain life was so marginal and I had concluded that there are far better landscapes more richly suited for sustaining human life than Arizona’s desolate valley. That perspective began to change the more I traveled around the state as a young’n, peering out of car windows on long drives. I realized there was something wrong with my thinking. Perhaps my original disdain for desert dwelling was in fact an error of my own mentality and conditioning.

The older I get the more I realize the beauty of what it means to be human, and a large part of that is our unique ability to create and innovate. For a long time I detested the idea of living in such a harsh place but I have realized that our earth’s ecosystems are opportunistic and we should be also. Life longs to exist and it will adapt and change in order to thrive., not just survive. That’s why I created The Organic Mane. I have a passion for sustainable living, social and environmental justice, and yeah, you guessed it, hairstyling. I believe our footprint on this planet should nurture and not harm.

In 2019 I graduated from ASU with two degrees, one in Cultural Anthropology and the other in Sustainability. Achieving these degrees was always something I wanted to accomplish. I love learning and expanding my perspective as well as my understanding about the world and one another. It’s something my soul craves. While I love creating hair into a work of art, I love building relationships with the people who sit in my chair even more. I have learned so much from others in that setting. The opportunities and moments shared in that space have blessed me immensely. I have laughed until my stomach hurt, cried with many, and had heart to hearts with almost all. The Organic Mane for me is more than just a conduit for which I do hair. It is my outlet in which I get to experience at times the best that the world has to offer.

The Organic Mane was created for you and it is so close to my heart. I wanted a place that makes integrating more sustainable practices more doable. A place where people can feel safe to be themselves and know that they are loved and accepted as they are. I want everyone to feel relaxed, inspired, informed, and empowered because clean living, conscious consumerism, and conversation is celebrated in this space.

bringing you non-toxic alternatives for your mane

Our ever-changing world has compelled so many of us to become more chemically conscious

The Organic Mane exists to serve individuals just like you who are looking for cleaner and safer alternatives for your hair and skin needs. We know how important your health and the health of our planet is, which is why we offer the most innovative products from around the world to give you the most sustainable hair care available.

Traditional hair color contains toxic ingredients such as ammonia and formaldehyde, which are suspected to cause cancer. It is crazy to me that ammonia, which has been banned in the European Union due to its high toxicity, is something that we put directly on our scalps. Our skin is porous and absorbs just about everything we put on it. I like to think of our bodies like ecosystems. The human body can be broken down into organs, tissues, and cells. Cells can be further broken down into atoms. Our bodies are dependent upon these component parts functioning optimally in order for us to live our healthiest. Our bodies, if in good condition, are extremely resilient. However, just like ecosystems, too much of an intrusive invader will over time weaken our bodies ability to protect itself. When the body builds up too much toxicity it gets sick, and sometimes rogue cells begin to form in our bodies becoming a cancer to our ecosystems.

Now, there is a healthy perspective to be gained here. There was a time when I was so consumed with the idea of living a completely non toxic life, it became unhealthy for me mentally. I spent so much time and money trying to control these factors in my life, but the fact is, we can’t control everything. If you live in a city, however big or small, just by walking outside you are exposing yourself to contaminants and pollutants through the air you breathe and that same air gets absorbed by your skin. I do not believe in extremism but a healthy dose of eco consciousness is a good thing. There are some unnecessary chemicals we expose ourselves to such as household cleaners, foods we eat, products we put on our bodies… etc. That is why The Organic Mane exists. I love doing hair, I love making people feel good about the way they look and cultivating relationships with everyone who walks through my door. It is not necessary to color people’s hair or fill products with some of the same toxic ingredients we did in the past. The products we use have a reduced carbon footprint, are never tested on animals, vegan, gluten free, and provide your hair with built in UV protection.

Traditional color often contains possible carcinogens:

PPD (paraphenylenediamine) a chemical substance that is derivative of petroleum. It is known as a potential carcinogen and in some extreme cases can cause allergic reactions such as dermatitis, irritated red skin, and swelling on and or around the areas of contact. In extremely severe cases the eyelids can swell shut and can result in contact urticaria and anaphylaxis.

Resorcinol is suspected to be an endocrine toxicity hazard, human immune system toxicant, and wildlife and environment toxicant.

Ammonia is often used in traditional hair color to swell the cuticle in order for the color to penetrate inside the hair shaft. When inhaled it disrupts mucous membranes in the nose; this is why ammonia has such a foul smell. It is also known to cause allergic reactions such as itching, burning, and watery red eyes.

Our color line is certified vegan, uses organic ingredients, is PPD, resorcinol, and gluten free. If you have had reactions to traditional hair color in the past, you just might be in for a sweet surprise. We always recommend a patch test before coloring hair, especially If you have sensitive skin, or have had reactions to hair color in the past. No client should be exposed to unnecessary chemicals. We get asked all the time if our color line covers grey hair; yes, it covers greys beautifully and without those harsh ingredients, your hair will appear shinier and healthier with continued use.

Written by Emily Ward, founder of The Organic Mane

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