Truly green manicures are a tough sell.While some salons may market their services as “green,” it’s difficult to know if what you’re getting is actually what you’re looking for. We sat down to chat with Sarah Gibson-Tuttle, owner of one of the newest, hottest nail spots in LA. The salon is named after Sarah’s grandmother and great-grandmother respectively, and she brings that family-oriented attitude to the salon in various aspects. The salon itself is gorgeous and filled with live plants to help keep it airy.
We asked Sarah of Olive & June to give us the rundown on her top essentials for green manicures, pregnancy pedicures (it’s a thing), and how to keep your nail game on point.
10 Tips for A Green Manicure
Fume-Free:
There are no acrylics or harmful toxins in our air! When you walk into most nail salons, you immediately smell the familiar nail salon smell. Most people associate that smell with nail polish, but it’s actually the residual smell of acrylics.
Crystal method:
Instead of always using disposable files, we use crystal files as much as possible, which can be medically sterilized along with our other tools. These files are also fantastic at smoothing all the rough edges around your nails, as well as filing the actual nails.
Oil spill:
We use all natural and organic cuticle oils in our organic manis, which help to soften and remove the cuticle without damaging chemicals.
Soy joy:
We use two soy removers, RGB
& Priti NYC, in our Margot and Emma services so that clients can enjoy an acetone-free experience.
Sugar Me Up:
We use three different types of scrubs in our Olive, Margot and Emma pedis: Ojai Sugar, Earth Tu Face and Odacite. All three brands are all natural and organic.
Local motion:
Lotion choice is so important in green manicures. It’s a secret chemical trove. We use Odacite lotion, which, again, is all natural and organic, and we get our supply hand-batched in Topanga.
The Kure:
We carry multiple brands that are eco-conscious, however, Kure Bazaar is the greenest. Obviously, manicures without polish are the most green – and we do offer that service, but for those who want color, Kure Bazaar is up to 85% organic composed mostly of cotton and wood pulp, along with natural color sources.
Waste not:
We serve both water and various teas in our salon in reusable glasses and mugs to avoid the waste of paper products!
Trend report:
One way to incorporate green options into your service is through nail art. Traditionally this means polish, appliques and add-ons, but anotherway to freshen up a green manicure is through nail shape. Right now, the “almond” shape is making a comeback. It elongates fingers and adds an elegance to polish-free manicures!
Oh Mama:
We love catering to those most in need of green nail care: mothers-to-be!
The Emma is a service designed for pregnant women who deserve extra love and attention. Our entire brand is built on love for family and this extra special service is named after my great great grandmother!
The service includes special products for expectant mothers: belly butter lotion by Nine Naturals and Earth Tu Face body scrub
.
