Salon owner Jenn Jones discusses her new spot and the biodynamic hair product trend

STORY: Karina Antenucci
Photo: Raymond McCrea Jones

When hair stylist of 15 years Jenn Jones looked around Atlanta for a clean-beauty salon to work at, she couldn’t find it. So she decided to open her own. “I’ve worked in great salons but wanted to work in a clean space where clients and stylists wouldn’t be exposed to chemicals,” explains the Alabama native. “I have sensitivities to things like keratin treatments—my eyes water, lungs burn. Once you get away from ammonia color, when you smell it, it’s very jarring. It burns your nose.”

Her new organic beauty space, Creature Studio in Inman Park, features eight hair stylist chairs, two manicure pedicure stations run by Lark & Sparrow and two treatment rooms with skin care, wax and massage by Ritual Bodywork. It is also Atlanta’s first and only Oway concept salon, exclusively selling and using the company‘s products and hair colors based on extracts, essential oils, hydrolates (herbal waters) and plants that have been micronized (ground down into very fine particles) from an organic, sustainable farm in Italy that goes above and beyond to be environmentally friendly. Here, she talks more about the new studio and what makes these biodynamic hair products so incredible.

Why did you choose The Dickey space at 900 DeKalb?

The location is just amazing. You can shoot down DeKalb from anywhere, and there’s a ton of parking. That was really important. Also, I was attached to the idea of a reused space, and this was previously a brokendown warehouse. It goes along with our whole environmental thing.

What vibe were you going for in the new space?

Everything’s white. There are two big skylights and tons of natural light, and we placed some track lighting to accent the front, sides and backs of clients‘ heads. The space is completely convertible, as the stations are mobile, and electrical cords can be pulled down from the ceiling.

Why did you choose to work with Oway products?

They are clean products, and they also perform well. I’ve used other organic hair color lines, but they were not awesome—they couldn’t lift well or get the best gray coverage. I’ve worked with Redken, Aveda and Schwarzkopf, and it performs the best of all. Plus, the shampoos, conditioners and styling products come in recycled amber glass; they are beautiful products by an amazing family-owned company that has its own biodynamic farm in Italy.

How is “biodynamic” different from “organic” and “natural”?

Biodynamic is like the top dog. It is the highest level of organic farming. It means that you farm by the moon cycle, which is the way it was done for years and years, and a truer way to farm crops instead of by the seasons. And there aren’t any pesticides or any other chemicals on the plants or in the soil. There also isn’t any machinery on the farmland. Donkeys are used for plowing, and humans are farming by hand. When you go to Oway’s farm, you can’t drive up; you have to walk in. They are keeping the integrity of the plant and soil in tact; there aren’t even fuel emissions getting on the plants.

You see the word “biodynamic” popping up in produce, but why do you think it’s a new trend for hair?

I just think that if you want it for your food, you want it for everything else. These days, you can have both—you can be fashion-forward and live a pure lifestyle while doing it. It’s the wave of the future. The environment and keeping the integrity of the planet are so important. Oway is a huge brand in Europe. Europe gets down with stuff before we do! It’s only just hitting the States. It’s going to be the new Aveda and take over everything. I think everyone should be using these products.

Are there any limitations with natural color?

There are no limitations at this point. They’re touching every part of the market, from men’s products to fashion colors. Oway has a beautiful, no-ammonia cream bleach and products that provide 100 percent gray coverage.

Creature Studio
900 DeKalb Ave. N.E., 30307
678.701.7484
creatureatl.com