Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Duhame.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
A chronic, mystery illness in my early 30’s completely shifted my perspective of my career. It’s a story we’re familiar with – “unrelated symptoms”, revolving door of doctors, no conclusive answers. It wasn’t until I acknowledged the reality of the chemicals I was working with every day for a decade doing hair color that answers started to flood in.
Almost overnight I closed the doors on over 10 years of being a colorist. Being a well informed decision didn’t make it any easier as I was likely looking at a career loss with no unemployment benefits (most hairstylists are self employed).
I began a process of detoxification and within a couple of months my body began to heal.
It’s been a year and half since leaving conventional salon environments and I’ve began to access hairstyling from a different perspective.
I love the simplicity and structure of haircutting, an amazing cut can make all the difference in styling time, confidence and vibe.
I’ve also begun to focus on hair / scalp health, incorporating some gorgeous plant derived products for scalp treatments and deep nourishing treatments.
Tapping into the more energetic elements of hair, I’ll soon start offering Ceremonial Cuts. For women in particular, hair has been historically symbolic. It’s powerful, beautiful, holds our memories and stories. There’s also longstanding tradition of cutting your hair by the cycles of the moon.
A Ceremonial Cut can be reserved for a threshold experience (first haircut postpartum, a significant birthday, the ending of a relationship, etc.), or it can be scheduled for a big shift in style, tuning into a new self expression.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I started paying closer attention to the toxicity in hairstyling, I realized it not only affects our bodies but our earth. All those chemicals droning straight to the ocean. It can be overwhelming today to try to live consciously… it feels like there’s so much to avoid. It can be simple though, to start slow and mindfully consider your smaller habits that add up.
There are some really intriguing hair color companies emerging with strict standards for toxic ingredients and many more voices like mine joining the chorus in advocating for more transparency and better safety practices.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My most frequent feedback from a client is that their hair dried naturally in a way that it never had before, making them feel like themselves.
There is of course a lot of technique, experience and skill that goes into this being the outcome, but there is also the connection and appreciation of each individual client that sits in my chair. A speciality and favorite of mine is curly cuts. A curly girl myself, I know how hard it can be to find someone who will work intuitively with your texture. So, I do just that.
I also walk with each new client through their haircare routine start to finish to look for places we can simplify or enhance. This is always such a fun conversation, who knew there was a right and wrong way to wash your hair!
I find that most of my clients appreciate the clean air / clean product environment, and have noticed as a whole that so many women are shifting away from dramatically altering their hair, which is a big shift from when I first started doing hair.
I do love a good balayage as much as the next girlie, and have been starting to explore some alternative color lines. I would love to incorporate gentle color back into my process, but only if I’m confident in the ingredients.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I split my professional time between LA and Ojai. Ever the sensitive artist, my environment impacts my work.
Moving to Ojai has deepened my commitment to clean beauty offerings and has reinforced the importance of small rituals that connect us, like a haircut. Living in a smaller community has reflected back to me how valuable integrity, consistency and listening are.
This Spring I’ve started doing cuts and treatments at my private studio Sanctuary Ojai. I love the serenity and simplicity of the space and clean offerings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rachelduhame.com
- Instagram: @heygreathair
