Scisters Salon & Apothecary: A Sustainable Beauty Haven in San Diego
When you step into Scisters Salon & Apothecary in the San Diego area, the absence of typical salon clutter is immediately striking. Gone are the walls of plastic bottles and the sharp chemical odors. Instead, this southern California establishment embraces a low-waste philosophy, with refillable containers, houseplants, and a subtle scent of bergamot and vanilla filling the air.
The Founders' Vision for Eco-Friendly Beauty
Co-founders Easton Basjec and Melissa Parker launched Scisters 15 years ago in La Mesa, about 9 miles east of San Diego. What began as a conventional boutique salon has evolved into a regional leader in sustainable beauty, with the duo claiming to divert up to 99% of its waste from landfills.
"It's the smell people comment on straight away," says Parker. "They walk in and say: 'It smells good in here.' That never happens in a conventional salon."
The beauty industry is notoriously wasteful, with North American salons sending an estimated 63,000 pounds of hair to landfills daily, along with tons of foil and hair dyes, according to Green Circle Salons. Many products also contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and lye, posing health risks to stylists and clients alike.
Transforming the Salon into a Low-Waste Experiment
Parker and Basjec, both natives of San Diego's East County, met while working at another salon and later attended business school together. Their turning point came after Basjec watched a documentary on zero-waste living, and Parker developed health issues linked to salon chemicals. Studies show hairdressers face higher risks of asthma, skin conditions, and cancer due to chemical exposure.
Rather than leave the industry, they overhauled their business. They discontinued perms due to formaldehyde emissions and phased out big-brand products in plastic bottles. After finding no suitable alternatives, they spent years developing their own line, Element, launched in 2019. Made in a California lab, it features organic ingredients like aloe and castor oil, sold in refillable glass and aluminum containers.
Innovative Waste Reduction Strategies
Scisters' commitment extends beyond products. The salon composts hair clippings, recycles foils, and offers sugaring—a compostable hair-removal technique using sugar, water, and lemon—instead of waxing. They use washable cloths in bathrooms, LED lighting, and Ecoheads sprayers to conserve energy and water.
Even the decor is sustainable, with antique furniture and secondhand items. However, some compromises are necessary, such as offering hair bleaching, which releases ammonia. They mitigate this with air filtration and air-purifying plants.
"We can't get away from the little plastic pump tops and latex gloves," Basjec admits, noting California laws require disposable gloves. They ship minimal plastic waste to Green Circle Salons for processing, paying $200 per box to ensure it doesn't end up in landfills.
Financial and Community Impact
The transition required upfront investment but has proven cost-effective. "Overall, it's actually less expensive. We're not outsourcing to other beauty brands," Parker says. During the Covid-19 pandemic, refill sales kept the business afloat, allowing them to pay full rent while neighbors struggled.
Denise Baden, a professor of sustainable business at the University of Southampton, notes that eco-friendly practices often reduce costs. "It's a misunderstanding that to be eco-friendly, you have to spend more money. In fact, usually, it's the reverse," she says.
Parker and Basjec now advocate for broader change, speaking at events like the San Diego Zero Waste Symposium and publishing guides for other salons. "It's not sustainable if we're the only ones doing it," Basjec emphasizes, aiming to place Element products in other salons and replicate their model.
Scisters Salon & Apothecary demonstrates that beauty can thrive without harming the planet, setting a new standard for the industry in San Diego and beyond.
