McLaine Craig, owner of Halo Salon in Rossville, TN, shares expert advice for taking care of your hair at home, among other tips for improving your physical and mental health!
See the transcript below.
Anna Bell: Hello everyone I’m Anna Bell, and today, I’m thankful to have McLaine Craig, owner of Halo Salon in Rossville on the phone to talk with us about how to keep your beauty regimen in spite of the coronavirus closing salons and spas. McLaine, thank you for taking the time to talk with us today.
McLaine Craig: Thank you. I really appreciate it.
AB: We’re excited to talk with you and honestly, it’s been a running joke in my home, how many days it’s been since I’ve worn anything but a ponytail or put on makeup, you know, when we don’t have to keep up appearances but maybe you can tell us why that might not be the best approach to a beauty routine during this time?
MC: Okay. So just with that in mind, with everybody staying at home and if you don’t have to be on like a video conference or something like that, if you are not having to be seen, it is easy to kind of fall into the routine of putting it up in a ponytail and moving on with your day. There are a few just kind of do’s and don’ts that I would do, if you are going to wear it in a ponytail a lot. I would definitely invest in like a better elastic band that is not going to continually try to stress on the same hairs in the same way, especially if you are keeping it up in the same place every day. But it is kind of a reality that right now most of us are not doing our same. So we may just need to establish a little bit of a different routine, but still having those routines in place are always good, especially for your hair and your scalp. That’s definitely an important part of our bodies anyways, on a normal basis. And I would just definitely recommend cleansing properly and conditioning properly. Right now what we’re kind of doing at the salon is encouraging people to take this downtime to actually treat your hair. Since we aren’t really going through and doing a lot of heat on it every day, it’s nice to just kind of give your hair a little bit of a break and be kind to your hair.
AB: That’s so smart. I mean right now I’ve just been keeping it up in that ponytail, like I said, and you know what? I’m losing so much hair and I don’t know if it’s from stress or the ponytail, but thinking about conditioning and treating it is probably a good idea.
MC: Yeah. And I mean the whole losing hair deal is very real. And a lot of times if you are kind of keeping stress on it, like in that same tight ponytail band, it can definitely start breaking off in that same area. And that’s what we want to avoid. So I would purchase something maybe like these little bands that are called invisible holes that are great or just pulling it up loosely or even just using like a clip or like a soft scrunchie that everybody’s got right now. Those are a lot better.
AB: That’s so smart. You know, so many of us are missing our hairstylists, our manicurists or estheticians right now, you know, and there may be some of us listening that are frantic, you know, McLaine, we were ready to go out and buy a box dye to cover up our roots or are struggling with overgrown hairstyles or maybe even dealing with fake eyelashes that are just hanging on for dear life. Let’s talk about some beauty tips that you’re willing to share with those of us that kind of feel like we’re stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
MC: So, okay, so the whole box dye thing, I totally get that. That is kind of a freak out go-to, but as a professional I would definitely encourage you to not go that route.
AB: Stay away.
MC: It’s the easy fix, but in the long run, when we get back to our normal day-to-day, we can get back to the salon and get back to our clients. I mean, it actually can cause a lot of problems for us trying to get you back to normal. And it’s going to cost a lot more money in the long run just to fix some of those little mistakes or just different things that’s harder to fix with box colors. So I know that is something that people tend to go towards. And a lot of times when people are just putting one all-over color just for now, like let me fix this little problem now you know, you’re covering up all of your highlighting that we’ve done for you. It’s definitely changing the game, which we will definitely fix, but it is a little bit more of a process for when we do get back to the salon, if that makes sense.
AB: Yeah. It sounds like it’s doing more harm than good for that quick fix.
MC: Yeah. And for the quick fixes we’re recommending using something like a temporary kind of color cover-up, which would be like a color spray or like a colored powder or sometimes you might see those color-like mascara things for your hair. If you have to use something, I would definitely go more that route then trying to do like an at home color on your own. That can be kind of scary.
AB: Sure, absolutely. But the good thing is some of those things you’re recommending are at the grocery store, right?
MC: Yeah, they are. And I mean even though like a lot of us salons that can’t be open right now for our clients and our friends, I’m still constantly selling products that we can ship directly to you. So I would definitely recommend supporting your small businesses through this time and purchasing those products through, you know, your salon and supporting your stylist. And if you have any questions, just reach out to your stylists.
AB: That is so smart. I’m so glad you said that because, I’m speaking on behalf of a lot of people, but you know, you would think you just run into the store and try to grab something to do it yourself. But when you have someone who knows and who can help you and send those products, it’s better to reach out to those that you trust and you know, right?
MC: Yeah, yeah, for sure. We would love to help anybody, you know, through this time. It’s just hard. I know there are some hairstylists that are doing this, like I’ll make some color up then, you know, show you how to do it for a price or whatever. But there’s something be said for putting chemicals in the hands of non-professionals and I just, I want people to feel happy and confident sometimes, yeah, but there is that line where you definitely don’t want to be liable for something that could happen that could go wrong.
AB: Sure, absolutely.
MC: I mean some stylists feel comfortable doing it and some don’t. It’s just varies from salon to salon.
AB: Sure. So we need to stay comfortable with what we do know. And one thing I know is that during normal times, under normal circumstances, we’re always told to wash our makeup brushes. Can you speak to the importance of keeping good hygiene when handling our makeup products and maybe how to best sanitize that sort of thing?
MC: Yeah. So, I am a professional makeup artist and I know right now that, you know, buying rubbing alcohol is definitely hard to come by. That is actually a great go-to if you have an on-hand, just to either spritz it on there and, and kind of scrub the makeup off. But if you don’t, one of my favorite go-tos is using a very gentle shampoo or a very gentle like a face soap and just wet your brush, wash it around in the soap or shampoo. You will see all of that makeup coming off and just rinse it and let them air dry. That’s my favorite kind of go-to. It takes a little bit more time for them to dry. But I would definitely recommend continuing to cleanse your tools and your makeup brushes at least a few times a week if you’re just using it on yourself.
AB: Absolutely.
MC: Yeah, and all of that can hold a lot of bacteria and oils. And whenever we get back into public, we definitely want to have the best skin that we can have and our hair. I think it’s very important to keep up with that part of your hygiene.
AB: Absolutely. And what was the old saying? When you look good, you feel good. Is that right?
MC: For sure. And that, you know, as Southern women, we like to look good.
AB: That’s right. That’s right. You feel good too. Do you a self care regimen will help kind of keep up spirits in this time? I mean, what are you doing personally at home to kind of for self care to stay positive?
MC: So what I’ve been doing and, and really, you know, it kind of goes back to just the basics of making your bed every day. Like, just the making your bed, getting dressed, put it in your head, you know, doing a little bit of something to yourself still, I would recommend. Sticking with your normal skincare routine is very important, but there’s something about just getting ready for the day and it just makes you feel more confident. It makes you feel more productive even if you’re not going to see anybody that day. It just really does. It does a lot of good for them. Your morale and just your attitude for the day. And I think that’s what we all need right now. And I would just encourage everyone just, you know, get up, take care of yourself and then conquer your day.
AB: Absolutely. So just choose to have a good day and stick with some of those normal routines that we’re used to, even though things are a little bit un-normal right now, right.
MC: Right. Yeah. And I mean personally, I’ve kinda just been sticking with that as well. I mean, just getting up, doing my skincare routine in the morning and night, getting dressed. I mean, even if you are just kind of brushing your hair through, putting some dry shampoo on, you know, put it in a cute little pony tail, just something to fix yourself a little bit, you know, I think that definitely it makes a difference in how you feel and how you handle the day.
AB: I couldn’t agree more. McLaine, I want to thank you so much for your time and insight. We certainly appreciate it.
MC: Oh, thank you. Thank you all so much. I’m always thrilled when y’all ask us to be a part of things with y’all.
AB: If anybody has any questions or want to reach out, what might be the best way for them to get in touch with you?
MC: So we’re still active on our social media. Our accounts are Halo Salon Rossville on Instagram and then also on Facebook. But our email is info@halo.salon and we’re constantly posting about products and masks and protectants and things that we can ship directly to you or we actually have been doing some video tutorials on how to do curls or how to do like a little half top knot, stuff like that. So yeah, we’ve been trying to just keep up with some downtime and still post some things for you guys that could be helpful through this time.
AB: I agree.
MC: So yeah, I mean it’s been an interesting time, but I know, well, I’ll get through it and when we do get back in the salon, it’s going to be great.
AB: It’s gonna feel so good, won’t it?
MC: Yeah, it really will feel so good because there’s nothing really there. What we love is just for people to feel great and we’re all going to need that by the end of this.
AB: The truth, girl. Right. Well, I personally would like to send you all well wishes from mine to yours. Thank you again McLaine for your time. Until next, I’m Anna Bell.