A West Vancouver hairstylist is singing the praises of a humble little plum from northern Australia.
Mika Ozeki Saunderson discovered the kakadu plum extract in skincare products from Toronto-based Niko Cosmetics. The only thing was, she was shopping for shampoos and styling aids at the time, not skin creams.
"It was back in April that I went to the international beauty show in New York, for the purpose of finding a new line that would be purely organic . . . But I was surprised to find out that it was actually a skincare line I was totally amazed with," says Ozeki Saunderson.
Kakadu plum is a fruit from Northern Australia that contains high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. Ozeki Saunderson calls the results "amazing."
"You have to see it to believe it," she says. Ozeki Saunderson operates Yoko's Haute Coiffure and b-yu Head Spa along with her parents, Yoko and Tad Ozeki. All three are trained hairstylists, and have owned the salon at 1352 Marine Dr. for nearly 30 years.
While it took Ozeki Saunderson a while to get into the business - she has training in traditional Chinese medicine and practises a Japanese realignment treatment called shinso - hair has now become her passion. When she finally decided to train as a stylist, she followed the advice of her mom, who urged her to attend the Vidal Sassoon Academy in London.
Then it was Ozeki Saunderson's turn to give advice: she persuaded her parents to revamp the business and go all-natural. The salon was renovated with green materials in 2008, and the Ozeki family now uses mostly organic products.
In September, the business will join Green Circle Salons, an organization that promotes non-polluting practices in a business that has traditionally washed chemicals right down the drain.
The Niko products are USDA certified organic, something that makes a big difference, says Ozeki Saunderson. "There are so many organic things out there, it's an organic boom . . . but theirs is a USDA seal and as long as we have that seal, it really confirms that it's all organic."
She's now stocking it in the salon and organizing free events where clients can check it out for themselves. She sells two types of products: Organic skincare cleansers, toners and moisturizers that contain the kakadu plum, and a medical skincare line that targets wrinkles and sagging skin. Products in the high-end line range from $48 to $166. The salon will continue to hold informational events for Niko skincare products throughout the fall.
