We live in such a beautiful time where so much research is being conducted on “taboo” substances found on our planet. Over the past two years I have been filling my time absorbing information on topics that never interested me. I’ve been reading books on Japanese philosophy, like Bushido the way of the samurai, minimalism, Zen meditation, to books by Michael Pollen like, How to change your mind, a book on the science of psychedelics.

In all my fun research and reading I came across information on CBD (cannabidiol) and how it is being used in beauty products. I’ve used CBD and other cannabis-based products for many years, CBD helps me maintain pain from inflammation of the joints, CBD crème’s have helped sooth sore muscles from teaching yoga, and also assists me in sleeping at night. When it came to a shampoo with CBD, I was very skeptical, thinking that the CBD trend has melted into the beauty industry and companies trying to make a quick buck on the community’s spark of interest with CBD. Instead of sitting in judgement I went down the rabbit hole to see if there was actually something to having a cannabinoid in hair products.

After reading books and articles about the benefits of cannabis I was shopping at my local beauty supply store (shout out to Salon Services!) and the manger was telling me about a new product line called Leaf & Flower. Leaf & Flower is an American based hair care company that is developed for hairstylists, by hairstylists offering a new therapeutic and innovative way to create stronger more resilient hair. The manger of Salon Services gave me some samples and I went home and tried them on myself.

I was shocked by how incredible my hair felt after one shampoo! My hair has been through a lot the last few years, from growing it out, perming it multiple times, and being hard on it with my yoga practice. You’ll be amazed by how much damage can occur when it’s in a pony tail all the time and practicing head balancing poses in yoga, such poses cause tension on the hair and breakage.

After that one shampoo, condition, and treatment, my hair felt unnaturally soft, thicker, and fuller. I asked myself, “How does this work so well?’ After contacting Leaf & Flower and talking to them here is what I discovered.
Leaf & Flower is a company that is vegan friendly and extracts their ingredients from the soil and sea. Full of sweet almond oil to help hydrate the hair and promote growth, red seaweed to reconstruct the hair and smooth it out, shea butter and coconut oil to heal and hydrate, and of course CBD.

But what does CBD do for our hair?

First off, we have to discuss how CBD is processed for the hair, you can’t just buy CBD oil, put it in your hair and call it a day. Leaf & Flower combines CBD and other cannabinoids under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to isolate and preserve the oils in a specific way that helps restore perfect homeostasis to the scalp. Resulting in stronger hair follicles and creating fuller, healthier, and stronger hair. The more you use the shampoo and conditioner the more predictable hair you will become.

After researching cannabis and how it works in our internal system, to me, it seems logical that having a compressed CBD oil on the scalp would create a natural balance in our hair. Here is what happens when cannabis is introduced into our bodies.
Our bodies have the ECS (endocannabinoid system), the ECS is a transmitter system that is critical for almost every aspect of our moment-to-moment functioning. It regulates bodily functions, learning, memory, emotional processing, sleep, pain control, immune response, and so much more. When a cannabinoid is introduced into the body it’s like a puzzle piece in our ECS, either going into a neuron or immune cell creating a different result. There are over 100 different types of cannabinoids found in the cannabis sativa plant, the most common ones being CBD, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and CBG (cannabigerol). Each cannabinoid has a different outcome when introduced to the body, THC makes your high, CBD is relaxing and calming, CBG helps with inflammation and nausea. There is still so much research being conducted on cannabis and the ECS that everyday we are discovering something new, since research on cannabis and the ECS have been stunted due to propaganda films from the 1930’s (Reefer Madness), to federal laws introduced by the Regan administration, we are decades behind in research.

Knowing our body is built to process cannabis shows that this plant is designed for us, or maybe we are designed for it, regardless, it shows that this plant that can offer multiple beneficial uses, just like how a coconut can be a source of food and also provide hydration for our skin and hair.

Knowing some of the research and after seeing the amazing effects on me and a lot of my clients I have now begun to carry and sell Leaf & Flower in the salon. You can explore what products this company offers by clicking here. From shampoos, conditioners, to frizz remedies, and even a pain relief crème it is all absolutely amazing!

Stop by the salon today to explore how CBD can change your hair or maybe change your perception on cannabis.

Disclaimer: Leaf & Flower does NOT contain any THC, your shampoo will not get you high! However the smell will definitely lift your spirits.

As of November 2021, I have adjusted the way I charge individuals for their haircuts. 
When I went to cosmetology school back in 2007, I was taught to charge men and women different prices for their hair services. I always thought it was a bit odd basing prices on gender, but hey, what did I know, I was a young man just trying to make a career and took the advice of my teachers. 
Flash forward 14 years and I am finally moving away from the pink tax and will be basing my prices on the length and density of a persons hair, not by their sex or gender. 

What is the pink tax?
The pink tax refers to the tendency for certain products or services marketed specifically towards women being more expensive than those marketed towards men. This is most commonly seen in items like razors, lotions, jeans, children's toys, but can also be seen in salon services like facials, haircuts, and waxing.
The pink tax is not an actual tax, it is an upcharge on products specifically marketed towards women. A few years ago the company Bic, you know them, they make lighters, pens, and other office goods, got in trouble for the "His & Her" pen sets. The men's set had the colors blue and black, while the gals had pink and purple and those pens for the ladies were more costly. Now there is a lot to unpack in that horrible marketing idea, but that is a recent example of the pink tax. 

Why change prices now?
It took me 14 years to do, what I feel is the right thing. Charging for the hair not by the sex or gender expression of the person. I'm embarrassed it took me this long, I was fearful that I would lose clients, specifically my male clients. If men had to start paying their fair share I was scared I'd lose them, but in the end I don't care. If certain clients think it's unfair, fine, goodbye, go somewhere else. My hope is that as hairstylists and leaders in the beauty and fashion industry we can all start a movement in which we can slowly shift away from these archaic ways and move into a format in which we treat everyone equal and fair. 
For those of you in cosmetology, aestheticians, barbering, and anyone in fashion or beauty, I urge you, I beg you, please join me in creating a fair business in which all you customers have a fair pricing system and we aren't charging women more for the only fact that they are women.

Is your hair feeling lifeless? Are you conditioning your hair regularly but the ends of your hair feel crunchy or dry? Do you feel like your hair gets greasy very quickly and you have to shampoo it daily? If you said yes to any of the following questions, I may hold the golden key to help you with your hair problems. One word. Malibu.

Malibu C is a line of hair treatment products that is designed for fixing and eliminating common hair problems. “Malibu C’s mission statement is tried and true: to solve problems for every human being using nature-inspired, patented technologies. Malibu C is a professional haircare brand based in science, not marketing hype”. An American based company, Malibu C is designed with the consumer in mind, creating 100% vegan products formulated without gluten, parabens, sulfates, or preservatives of fragrances.

If I have ever corrected your color, removed grocery store hair color, or treated your hair for chlorine buildup I’ve (most likely) used a Malibu C treatment on your hair. Malibu has treatments to help remove hair color and chlorine, but they also have treatments to help remove minerals from hard water build up, blonding treatments to help brighten hair from over using toners or tinted shampoos (purple shampoo), and treatments to remove product build up.

Here are some common hair issues that can be treated with a Malibu C treatment:

Dry hair: If you are conditioning your hair regularly but feel you have dry hair, this can be caused by hard water build up on the hair. High mineral content on your hair can make it feel dry or rough to the touch. No amount of deep conditions can fix this, the minerals must be removed for the deep conditioners to penetrate the hair to help heal it. Come in for a Hard Water Wellness Remedy.

Blonde hair looking dull: Blonde hair can begin to look dull and lifeless for a number of reasons. Too much build up from toners and toning shampoos can actually make the hair dull over time. Once the color of those toners wash away you are left with build up from these products, the coating agents that help the toners stick, mineral buildup, and waxy coatings from these products. Doing a Blonding Treatment will remove buildup so you can begin fresh with the desired blonde color you always want!

Swimmers Hair: Chlorine is terrible for your hair, especially for blonde hair! Chlorine can make your hair feel dry, brittle, and can leave the hair looking green! Doing a Swimmers Wellness Remedy on the hair will remove those nasty chemicals to help the hair feeling natural, soft, and shiny!

Curly hair losing its curl? For those of you who have curly hair, you know it is its own creature. We have to be extra aware of how we are treating our curly hair. Hard water buildup, chlorine, and hair product buildup can alter the curl pattern and make the waves/curl loose and unruly. Completing a Curl Pattern Treatment will fix your curls and bring back the spring in your hair that we all love.
​
Scalp feeling dry? A scalp therapy treatment is great to assist in rebalancing the PH of your scalp and help combat a dry itchy scalp.
 
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms in your hair don’t worry! Book a Malibu C treatment today! Add on the Malibu C treatment to your hair service today and let’s both work towards creating healthy hair that feels amazing, looks phenomenal, and will make heads turn!

As the seasons shift and we slowly emerge from the cold, dry winter air into warmer and also dry air our bodies maybe freaking out! It is common that our hair, skin, and scalp can have a difficult time adjusting to the weather changes we experience in Utah. Common effects would be having dry hair, dry and itching scalp and skin and perhaps experiencing some extra shedding of the hair and having skin flakes from the scalp (looks like dandruff, but is temporary).
Our bodies are smart and will begin to realign it's self and rebalance the oils it produces to combat these weather changes. However, it can make for a few uncomfortable weeks as our bodies adapt to these shifts. Luckily there have been some brilliant minds that have created hair and body care products to help with these symptoms.
Here are my three favorite products to help our body and hair rebalance itself during these seasonal shifts.

Healthy Hair Oil by Banyan Botanicals 
$12.99+
This is by far one of my favorite products at the moment! I was introduced to this by my friend Maria who is a yoga and Ayurveda practitioner. This oil is a game changer! Apply it to your scalp and let it soak in for 10-20 minutes. This oil helps rebalance the PH in the scalp, adding moisture into dry scalps, but also rebalancing oily scalps and helping the body to produce less natural oils. This is a great universal product to help with all scalp issues. You can also pull the oils to the ends of the hair to help rehydrate the hair. This is a treatment that you will only use once a week at the most. Oils like this was designed for Asian hair which is thicker and coarser than European hair. Do not over use this product, if used daily it can have the opposite effect on finer textures of hair. I will go into further detail about why this happens in certain hair types in a future post.

HEMPZ Body Moisturizer 
$7.99+
By far the best body lotion I've ever used! I used to hate lotion because I felt it left my skin oily, greasy, and unclean. However this lotion absorbs into the skin beautifully! Leaving the skin soft to the touch with no residue of the lotion. With a soft, natural scent of bananas and floral you will love this lotion as it's hydrating properties. Don't let the image worry you, this product is THC and CBD free, allowing the natural Hemp oils to stand on it's own.

Eleven Australia 3 Minute Repair Treatment
$21.99 
Finding a hair mask can be challenging, with so many on the market how do you know which one will be a right fit for your hair? Don't you worry! The 3 Minute Repair Treatment is a great hair mask to use weekly to help rehydrate and repair your hair. This treatment is designed to be used in all hair types and textures, this is a great mask to help slight-moderate dry hair. After just one use you will notice healthier, shinier, and softer hair. To be used once a week after a shampoo, leave on the hair for three minutes and rinse out. 

One day while he was meditating and looking across at Es Vedra he had a eureka moment! He realized that the hair industry needed a product that was professional salon quality, yet didn’t contain harsh chemicals such as parabens, silicones or sulphates. These ingredients are usually found in most hair products and can cause irritations or damage the hair. When Flecth meditates he use crystals, he thought it would be really cool to infuse his products with the essences of crystals for additional well being.​

Earlier this summer I purchased his Rose Quartz Shampoo and Conditioner to try it out for myself. 
I've been in the cosmetology industry for over 12 years and I have tried a vast variety of products. I can honestly say that the Rose Quartz Shampoo and Conditioner is the best shampoo/conditioner I have ever used!

With the smallest drop of shampoo on the dirtiest of hair, you will be able to achieve an effervescent lather in the hair. Creating a burst of bubbles and suds with a aromatic experience that will pull you away from the troubles of the world and transport your shower experience to an exotic island full of floral and natural smells like rose, jasmine, and patchouli, creating a paradise in your own washroom. You will forget for just a moment of the pandemic in which we are all experiencing.

The conditioner has a similar fragrance of the shampoo, extending your sensory experience even longer. The conditioner is a creamy, buttery consistency that will leave even the driest of hair feeling soft, shiny, and silky. Hydrating the hair inside and out, creating a beautiful, desirable finish. This balancing and nourishing formula is great for all hair types and textures.   

The Rose Quartz Shampoo and Conditioner set comes in a  beautiful box which houses the hair products and also a cut of the Rose Quartz Crystal to set in your wash room, your alter, or bedroom, to extend the benefits of this healing crystal into your home. This set is approximately $75.oo (not including shipping), some may say this is a bit pricey, but with such a concentrated formula, 93% natural ingredients, recycled packaging, and vegan friendly with no animal cruelty it's worth every penny. 

Crystal Earth is launching two more sets of shampoos/conditioners in the next year, along with scented candles.
If you would like to experience this amazing product you can purchase at www.crystalearth.co 
You can also follow them on Instagram @crystal.earth.holistic.hair

​In honor of Pride month, I am excited to offer some limited promotions and services for the month of June.
 
For the month of June, I will be offering individual fashion color extensions! I have all the colors of the rainbow and more! You can create a pop of color and join in the celebration by adding a few colored extensions. Extensions are $6.00 each and can be booked online under PRIDE EXTENSION (while supplies last).
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
 
Brazilian Blowouts are only $225 for the month of June ($75.00 savings!)
This promotion includes a take home kit with shampoo, conditioner, and style aid. Promotion will be extended into July if the appointment is scheduled in June.
 
As a salon we are still taking heightened COVID-19 precautions. Everyone is required to wear a mask, come to the appointment alone, and please reschedule if you have been sick or come in contact with anyone who has been in sick in the last 14 days.
 
Happy Pride Month!
 
Daniel Hill
 
P.S. I've had inquiries about my work outside the salon like yoga classes, community events, workshops, and other projects up my sleeve. To get the latest information please follow me on Instagram @danieljacobhill or join my other mailing list at mypatternbreaker.com.
 

THIS BLOG POST HAS BEEN REPOSTED FROM PATTERN BREAKERS

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 30 the streets of Salt Lake City, Utah were flooded with people in a peaceful protest marching for the justice of George Floyd and the countless other people of color (POC) who have been murdered by the unjust police systems across America. You could hear the echo of the voices down the blocks of our city, “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!!!” Thousands of people storming the State Capitol screaming, chanting, and asking for change, justice, and reform. Asking or rather demanding that innocent POC stop being the victims of violent behavior or being murdered by police forces across our country.

Within a matter of hours this peaceful protest turned violent. The State Capitol has been graffitied with words like, “FUCK THE POLICE”, “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE”, “I CAN’T BREATHE”, “WE THE PEOPLE” and acronyms like, “BLM” (Black Lives Matter). Cars over turned and burned, local business suffered with vandalization like busted windows and graffiti. Scooters like BIRD and LIME could be found tipped over, busted and broken throughout the city. Broken glass from windows of cars, businesses, and bottles glittered the sidewalks and streets like the sad after glow of the events that took place.

A peaceful protest turned violent, leaving many injured, over forty people arrested, with no deaths during these events.

As the weekend went on many other states had similar protests from Nebraska, Colorado, and California to name a few. Many of them were peaceful protests and did not end up becoming a violent riot that was witnessed in Salt Lake.

Violence is never the answer. When peaceful protesting, taking a knee, social media posts, calling your politicians, education in schools, and enacting discrimination trainings in police forces don’t work what else is there to do? When no change has happened and innocent POC are still being arrested or worse, MURDERED it is not hard to understand why people became violent. I do not condone that behavior, violence is not the answer but if my father, mother, brother, or sister was murdered when innocent by a system that is supposed to protect the innocent, I can honestly say I do not know what I would do. My emotions would take hold and I’m not sure how rational or peaceful I would be either.
           
Racism is not going away anytime soon. Unfortunately, no one in this country is free until we are all free. If we want change in this world, we have to start taking radical action. If we want to liberate our local communities, our nation, or brothers and sisters from the evil racist institution that is the foundation of this country we need to start taking radical change.
           
Being part of the Pattern Breaker movement is more than just taking care of yourself, it is also taking care of your community, taking care of those who are unable to take care of their-self. It’s a radical act to take care of others. To assist those who’s voices are being silenced, to stand next to someone who is being discriminated against and saying, “I will not stand for this”. To shut down and stand against racist comments, jokes, and actions. To acknowledge that our country is founded on slavery and racism, to acknowledge that we have made progress but not enough, to accept that a lot of America’s policies and procedures are broken or even non-existent. To say, “America is broken, not all men are created equal, but we have the power has a nation to change it.”
           
The power to change this institutional nightmare is in all of us, it takes courage to activate that power but I honestly believe that we can change if we can let our ego’s go for a moment and accept that we are part of the problem.
              
As a white person I have something known as white privilege. White privilege is the societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstance. White people have the privilege of no racism, non-discrimination in places of education and employment, of being ‘colorblind’, white people can escape violent stereotypes, the list goes on and on.
           
As a white person I can sit back and enjoy my privilege or I can join the movement and become part of the solution and not part of the problem. For all those out there- regardless of race- that are silent in the conversation of racial injustice you are part of the problem. If you feel that, “this is not your problem” then you sit on the side of racism. Period. Your silence says, “I don’t see a problem”.
Your silence speaks volumes.
           
How do we create the change in the world? How do we break the patterns of social injustice? It starts with learning how to be an ally.
           
The Guide to Allyship has four steps to become a better ally for POC.

1. Take on the struggle as your own.
2. Stand up, even when you feel scared.
3. Transfer the benefits of your privilege to those who lack it.
4. Acknowledge that while you, too, feel pain, the conversation is not about you.

The guide also address the DO’s and DON’T’s in being an ally.
​
THE DO’S

• Do be open to listening
• Do be aware of your implicit biases
• Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating
• Do the inner work to figure out a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems
• Do the outer work and figure out how to change the oppressive systems
• Do amplify (online and when physically present) the voices of those without your privilege
• Do learn how to listen and accept criticism with grace, even if it’s uncomfortable

THE DON’TS

• Do not expect to be taught or shown. Take it upon yourself to use the tools around you to learn and answer your questions
• Do not participate for the gold medal in the “Oppression Olympics” (you don’t need to compare how your struggle is just as bad)
• Do not behave as though you know best
• Do not take credit for the labor of those who are marginalized and did the work before you stepped into the picture
• Do not assume that every member of an underinvested group feels oppressed

           
Being an ally is work. We can’t simply preach equality online and not participate when it matters. We need to put some skin in the game. As allies we will make mistakes, say the wrong thing, we will have to dive deep into ourselves and recognize our privileges, our history, where we could improve and accept that we are not perfect. Regardless, we have to continue to try and try again to be better.
           
Change will not happen unless every single one of us participates in the conversation.
           
Wake up, speak up, and act out. Self-care is about loving yourself, and creating a practice of bettering yourself. In conclusion, I would like to leave a quote from Rev. angel Kyodo williams from their introduction in their book RADICAL DHARMA

If the fruit of practice is not a desire to respond to the world if it just remains in response to your own needs, “me” is all you are seeing. “I want to feel better. I want to feel like a spiritual person. I want to be seen as right. But I don’t want to actually be responsible for the world that I’m in.” Then you haven’t woken up yet.

Daniel Jacob Hill
 
NOTE: I am not perfect. I am still learning daily about how I- as an individual- can become a better ally. I am using my platforms to educate and advocate, I will continue to provide more information on how you can become a Pattern Breaker of social injustices. I included some resources below to get you started (which they all have even more resources in them). I speak as an ally. POC, if there is vital information, I got wrong or missed please let me know and I will make corrections. I am doing the best I know how to and I recognize that, that is still not enough.

How White People Can Be Better Allies to the Black Community https://witanddelight.com/2020/05/how-white-people-can-be-better-allies-to-the-black-community/

Guide to Allyship https://guidetoallyship.com/

Me and White Supremacy https://www.meandwhitesupremacybook.com/

Radical Dharma: Talking race, love, and liberation https://radicaldharma.org/

Wow! What a month it has been. Times have been different since the introduction of COVID-19. However, we are slowly beginning the process of reintroducing people back out into the world. With that said, I wanted to let you know that as of May 2nd we will back in business!

This does not mean we are in the clear.

As a salon we will continue to take extra special precautions to ensure the health and wellness of all of our visitors and service providers. All service providers at the salon will be wearing masks and other protective gear. We will be sanitizing all surface areas, equipment, and tools before, after, and during appointments. To maintain the best that we can in social distancing we are leaving every other station empty so we can allow space between stylists and clients.

I ask for your assistance and cooperation in maintaining a sanitary, clean environment. We ask all visitors to please follow these guidelines: 

*Everyone is required to wear a mask during your appointment. This includes our staff and all visitors. 
*When you arrive for your appointment please remain in your car and call me (801.548.7669) or Shear Excellence (801.484.5101) we will let you know when you may enter the building.
*Wash your hands regularly. 
*If you have been sick or have been around anyone who has been sick in the last 14 days, we ask you to kindly reschedule your appointment. 
*In order to keep the traffic down in the salon, come to your appointment alone, please do not bring anybody in to the salon unless they have an appointment.
*Please pay with a credit or debt card.

I appreciate your kindness and cooperation as we slowly begin the process to reintroduce people back into the salon. If there is anything I can do to assist in making your visit safe and comfortable please let me know.

Daniel Hill