As many of you know we started carrying all of Jusu body’s luxurious and local body products earlier this year. This company is all Victoria based and truly aligns with our practices here at DesignHouse to a tee. Jusu Body’s organic roots first sprouted with the opening of the flagship Jusu Bar in 2014. Jusu Body saw an important niche market that has emerged worldwide and decided to introduce it to the Westcoast. The green beauty revolution is slowly gaining traction and speed with the market expected to explode within the next couple years due to increased consumer demand. “Parabens became passé a while ago. Microbeads were completely banned last year. And, even though there are still hundreds (if not thousands) of untested and potentially toxic chemicals in personal care products, a national health revolution is stirring that’s going to shake up the beauty industry and your beauty bag, as we know it—and in a very good way, (source).” All-natural, plant-based, clean personal care products are the future of beauty. What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. “Our belief in a zero-impact lifestyle quickly made us realize the pulp from our organic, cold-pressed juices was a nutrient gold mine, and Jusu Body was born. We’ve created conscious, clean, beautiful body products that are rich in vitamins and minerals. This is nourishment that goes way beyond skin deep, (source).” There are three major components that make up Jusu’s unique formula’s and effectiveness.

1. 100% Natural: We use 100% food-grade, organic ingredients in Jusu Body products, so they’re naturally rich in key vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. By using food grade blends the body is able to easily recognize ingredients and absorb the benefits.
2. Pulp-infused: Jusu Body products are made with the organic pulp recovered from Jusu Bar’s cold-pressed juices. It truly is food for your skin. “Fruits have many wonderful properties but did you know that the main active ingredients in many rejuvenating skin care treatments such as anti-aging, blemish-fighting and skin peel products are actually AHAs or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, naturally found in many fruits, (source).”
3. Chemical Free: Many products are labelled “natural,” but they’re far from it. “Ours are truly free from harsh chemicals, synthetic additives, and over-processed emulsifiers and preservatives, (source).”

At the heart of everything Jusu does is a commitment to transparency, respect for the environment, and inspiring good health. Making the switch to truly clean products is one of the easiest ways to make a difference for your health and the planet. Ethically made products that are non-toxic, recyclable and not animal tested happen to be our jam. Pop into DesignHouse to take a peek at the full Jusu collection and try a sample of our favourite new body products. You can also purchase online on our website at http://designhousesalon.com/.

Davines made big news when they became recognized internationally as a certified B Corporation at the end of November this year. We first want to define what being a B Corporation is and what traits a company has to possess in order to gain the widely recognized certification. “At the end of November 2016, Davines Group and its 2 brands – Davines and Comfort Zone – became a B Corporation® , a new type of company that meets the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, (source).”Davines consistently displays awareness regarding its ethical and social practices making it only a matter of time before a official certification was met. “Davines Group was born with the aim of being a business with a positive impact both on people and the environment. Through the years, we have carried out this goal with different projects, such as our Ethical Chart and our Sustainability Report , (source).” First let’s define what exactly a B Corporation is:

B Corporation: B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. This includes accountability, and transparency. “B Corp is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA organic is to milk, (source).” There are currently over 2100 Certified B Corps from 50 countries and over 130 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

The next question is how does a company get evaluated in order to become a B Corp? and how does Davines rank in all of this?

Certification: B Corp certification is a long process that usually takes years from application to certification. “To become certified, we had to meet the requirements of the nonprofit B Lab®, which measured “what matters”, meaning the performance of the company regarding five fields: workers, governance, community, customers and environment, (source).” B corporation’s are able to publicly claim an identity as an organization interested in both shareholder and stakeholder success. By having an identity that is clear customers are able to witness the difference in industry norms.

“B Lab certifies companies based on how they create value for non-shareholding stakeholders, such as their employees, the local community, and the environment. Once a firm crosses a certain performance threshold on these dimensions, it makes amendments to its corporate charter to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders into the fiduciary duties of directors and officers, (source).”

Davines’ evaluation ranked a 99 out of 200 and for a company of it’s size is incredibly positive. Davines excelled in various areas including: The analysis of the product life cycle (SLCA) based on their environmental and social impact, the reduction of materials for the packaging of our products, through a lower environmental impact choice and a more responsible product design, the reduction of our waste, and an increase in the percentage allocated to recycling, the involvement of all suppliers in the certification path, the attention to the welfare of the company staff.

Here at DesignHouse we are incredibly fortunate to not only carry Davines products but also posses the same values and ethics surrounding our own business. Want to learn more about Davines? Contact us at http://designhousesalon.com/.

The Fall always reminds us of new hair and clothing picked out for your grand début at school after the long days of summer vacation. This has carried over into our adult lives so whenever fall comes around we can’t help but itch for a new cut or colour to match the changing seasons. Fall is traditionally a time where hair gets chopped and coloured richer, deeper hues to reflect the coming colder weather. The year 2016 was all about throwback cuts but as we continue into 2017 we’re seeing more and more futuristic but wearable looks. “This coming fall will be about making subtle tweaks to what you’ve already got. This is the year to go for those layers or test-drive some eye-grazing bangs — which is perfect for those out there who are afraid of a major chop.” Below are 5 of our favourite and most versatile styles and looks for Fall 2017:

1. Natural: Embracing natural textures, colours and styles continue to be a trend into Fall 2017. “Hair that flows free, full of movement, styled simply with water, and just touched up by hand. The natural look is the biggest trend of this season, letting hair speak for itself.”
2. Bows: Black ribbons and bows are all the rage and to be honest we were a but surprised when they started popping up on runways across the globe. “Wrapped in silk, velvet, tied in a ponytail or looped above a bun the runways proved this season that there’s more than one way to wear the ribbon trend.”
3. Eye-length Fringe: We love the eye grazing bangs on numerous celebrities such as Lilly Collins and they have got us wanting to take the plunge. “It’s a great way to change up your look without having to take off a lot of length.” Long bangs are also incredibly versatile. You can sweep or pin them to the side or completely pull them back.
4. Grown out Lob: The lob was incredibly popular in 2016 and now it’s received a bit of an upgrade with added texture and a hint of length. This style is perfect for mid length hair as layers can be added and adjusted according to the look you’re going for. It can be beachy or sleek depending on your mood.
5. Shag: “The shag was huge in 2016 — and it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere. This silhouette allows the cut to really style itself with soft lines and seamless layers, it can work on straight and wavy hair, long or short.”

(Source)

Having the right products to enhance the styles and looks you are trying to achieve can be a huge help as well. Here at designHouse we always provide recommendations on our favourite Davines products and our entire staff is trained on the products that work for specific looks and hair types. We also have an online store where you can browse to find exactly what you’re looking for! Interested in booking in for a new Fall look? Contact us!

Some of the most popular beauty brands and companies have a long-standing history of unethical product sourcing along with transparency of the ingredients that go into their  beauty products. Thanks to technology a shift is happening in the way consumers shop and also for what they look for when voting with their dollar. Rising ethical consumerism and the need for resource efficiency are making cosmetic companies – small, independent firms to global giants – take steps towards sustainable development. Environmental, ethical and sustainability initiatives are all taken into account when examining the ethical sourcing of a product. Awareness has increased due to the Internet, forcing companies to become transparent in order to stay in the running. “Consumers read ingredients or notice if packaging is not recyclable and they will call brands out on it, (source).” First let’s define ethical sourcing:

Ethical Sourcing: is the process of ensuring the raw products being sourced are done so in a responsible and sustainable way. The workers involved in making the raw goods are safe, treated fairly and the environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the actual sourcing process.

This has become increasingly important “as the wellness trend continues, we’re increasingly aware of what we’re putting on our faces, as well as into our bodies, and there is greater demand for ethically-made cosmetics than ever before, (source).” This demand from consumers has translated into “a growing number of cosmetic companies are implementing ethical sourcing programs, especially if they are getting raw materials from developing countries, (source).” There are many ways to be “ethical” as a beauty brand: from using organic- and non-animal-derived (vegan) ingredients, to not distributing products in China (where it’s a legal requirement for imported cosmetics to be tested on animals), and even creating solid beauty products to avoid wasting water.

There is still room for improvement as few have gone further and invested in equitable customer-supplier relationships and social investment. “The one area that needs most attention is the economic impact: indeed, not many companies could respond to the question: “how is your company having a sustainable economic impact?”, (source).” Economics with profits are too often put hand in hand and these areas don’t bond well with sustainability. However, there are many ways companies can address their economic impacts with a great example being how you can share wealth creation with stake-holders – and not just share-holders.

Here at designHouse, we have a strict policy and strict buying guidelines for the beauty products that we bring in to sell or use on our clients. This attention to sustainability and ethical sourcing means we look for companies that pay attention to the raw sourcing of ingredients and are invested in those people’s lives. In our opinion ethical sourcing really matters and as consumers we have a responsibly to be aware of the products we’re buying and also hold the companies we trust accountable for their business practices. Contact us at or pop by designHouse for a full array of ethically sourced ingredients and beauty products!

Summer is finally getting into the swing of things here in Victoria! We couldn’t be happier (we’ve BEEN waiting) and are counting down the days to the weekend so can hit up Willows or Gonzales. Summer is amazing but what most women don’t know is that it can do a serious number on your hair and skin. “When it comes to hair, we romanticize summer. The sun-kissed highlights, the air-dried beach waves. But in reality, it’s actually the worst time of year for your mane. And chlorine is just the beginning, (source).” We want to encourage all our beach babes to cover up and be smart about baking in the sun…while still having a good time. We complied a list of our must-have beach essentials to keep you protected and also stylish:

A reusable water bottle: We’re all about being eco-friendly here at DesignHouse and that means swapping out your plastic water bottle for a reusable one. Swell has by far our favourite bottles going and they keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12.

Towel: Have you seen the beauty that are Tofino towels? These gorgeous creations are local and will make you feel like Instagramming your whole experience.

(Source)

Elate lipstick: Who doesn’t like to look a little glamorous on the beach? Go with bare skin but add a pop of colour on the lips. Entirely vegan, non-toxic and gluten-free we love Elate’s gorgeous shades.

Davines Hair care: The SU line from Davines protects your locks while out baking in the sun. “This line is loaded with UVA & UVB blockers. The shampoo & body wash double up as one which makes it easy to pack. This wash removes chlorine and salt water from our hair and skin, (source).” We offer it online and in store at DesignHouse making it incredibly easy to pick up before your first beach day.

Hat: Carrying a hat is a no brainer. “You need coverage, whether it’s a sizable topper or a heat protectant, on your hair at all times—especially if you color it. If not, you’ll pay a dear price by way of dullness, discoloration, dryness, and even breakage, (source).” Anything from a baseball cap to a full brimmed sun hat will do the trick..just make sure you’re not just carrying it around but actually wearing it.

We want to emphasis the importance of sun protection on your mane especially if it’s colour treated. “If we skip sun protection, the result could be a dry, dull, and brittle mane. The damage will only worsen if you’re taking a dip in the pool or ocean because of the drying effects of chlorine and salt, (source).” The easiest way to do this is with a hat but if you decide to use product don’t forget your scalp! Too many times have we seen people come into the salon with burnt parts from not using sunscreen protection! You truly need sun protection from hair to toe!