Wait...What?
Interesting concept..so how does that work?
For those of you who have been long time clients at Flipp, know me, Jo-Anna (Owner, Stylist, Herbalist, Musician). It has been my vision to create a space that encopasses all of my passions and vocations in one place. They are symbiotic in their purpose and outcomes. Hence, Flipp Salon Apothecary was born. With a very passionate goal. To create community and healing in a truly holistic and artistic way.
A little history
My heritage is mixed, mostly Italian, Greek and Egyptian. I lived in Italy for 16 years, and began my path in herbalism in a more formal way there, but really delved deep into study and practice here in the States in 2005. In the pursuit of a deeper knowledge of my ancient ancestry, I have traveled to, and studied with some amazing Herbalists in both Greece and Egypt. I am currently finishing the Vitalist Herbal practitioner program, an advanced clinical herbalism program with the School of Evolutionary Herbalism here in the US. I hold multiple certifications in herbalism and am also currently finishing a Diploma in advanced Cosmetic Science with a focus on Botanical cosmetics.
I have been a licensed cosmetologist since 1986, as I chose this path for many reasons. I love working with people, I love conversations and community, I am an artist and was looking for a way to paint and sculpt in a non traditional form, I wanted to travel the world and use my artistic skills to make a living no matter where I landed, and most of all, I wanted to teach folks how to love themselves and feel beautiful.
Here is where the symbiosis comes in…
Radiance and ‘beauty” are accomplished through healing. Physically, psychologically, spiritually. Human touch, working on the crown Chakra, navigating through vulnerabilities and vanity, establishing trust and creating a safe space are some of the things we do as stylists. Using herbs both internally and externally brings the experience to the next level, whether it be for supporting anxiety, digestion, or any other imbalance that may be affecting the person, and often manifests in a multitude of ways both physically and spiritually. We see self care as truly holistic practice. The Salon enhances the Apothecary and vice-versa...they are symbiotic and provide a “whole-istic” approach.
As a Herbalist, I take the Vitalist approach, which comes naturally to me thanks to all of my years of experience as a stylist as well, learning and working with the subtleties of vulnerability. Looking at the entire picture, the constitution of the person, physically and energetically, as well as the constitution of the plants, physically (chemically) and energetically. (more in depth info on this subject in future posts). I’ve studied plants in depth, from a scientific standpoint and from the Vitalistic standpoint, which is the core approach to my vision in creating Flipp...A Salon-Apothecary.
At Flipp, we offer a wide range of services and the stylists are truly a crew of amazing artists, excellent at their craft. As for the Apothecary, I am available for consultations on how to begin incorporating herbs in the support of well being. We offer loose herbs to custom blend a tea or tisana, and herbal extracts for a more concentrated form. We also have house blends that are energetically balanced and can be enjoyed by most folks (always consult for any allergies or intolerance)
Another point I would love to address. We use plant based, botanical products for all of our services. We only work with ethical companies and source with sustainability in mind. We offer a refill program on many products and our goal is to eliminate all plastic from our retail (which we are almost there!)
As of last month, I also officially became the resident Herbalist at Shewatuck Farm in Exeter. It is 91 Acres of pure Heaven! There is so much to share about that, and it deserves it’s own post...so stay tuned, as I will share very soon. One important detail is that we will grow everything we need for our Apothecary at Flipp, plus the ingredients used in my line Botanic Providence ( Botanically based hair care, skin care, bath & body care and herbal tea blends) I am also in the process of developing an educational program for folks who are interested in learning about herbs, especially young cosmetology students looking to move away from toxic products and embrace a holistic approach to their craft for the betterment and health of their clients and the environment.
I hope this gives a deeper understanding of what is a Salon-Apothecary, and how the two harmonize together. Our mantra and mission statement since day one has been “Beauty Begins From Within” and it does. In all ways...physically, spiritually, emotionally, energetically.