Alternative Hair Show

The Alternative Hair Show will take place this Sunday, 14th October, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. For more details see the website

Positive Health Magazine

If you need information about complementary therapies, try looking at the Positive Health Magazine website. This site features events listings, research up-dates, and articles. You have the option to search previous issues and can also do a general search by topic. You no longer need to log in to access any of the features of this site and it is well worth a visit.

Hairdressing Training Resource

We have a good range of online databases available for you to use via the Athens link on Blackboard. Select the Library tab from the Blackboard page and then click on the Athens link to see what's available.
If you are studying up to NVQ Level 2 Hairdressing you will find lots of useful resources on the Hairdressing Training database. This includes information on Health and Safety acts, step-by-step haircutting guides and much, much, more. If you would like any more information or help with accessing the Athens databases, call and see me at Richmond House Library.

Chemicals in Beauty Products

Next week a television programme investigating the potential harm of chemicals in cosmetics can be seen on Channel 4 at 8.00pm Thursday 11 October. Look out for Beauty Addicts: How Toxic are You? For more info about the programme click here for the Channel 4 Listings page.
If you want to read more about cosmetic ingredients, here are two books that we have in the Library (copies at Richmond House and Summer Row) .

A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients- shelved at 668.5503 WIN

Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients - shelved at 646.726 MIC

If you are really interested in reading about ingredients you might want to have a look at the European Commission - Enterprise and Industry Directorate General - Consumer goods - Cosmetics 17/01/2007 website and check out the list of ingredients for the chemical names.

The Olive Awards Scheme for Wellness Workers in the UK

A new awards scheme, The Olive Awards, has been created in the UK to recognise exceptional employees working in the wellness and integrated health industries. Employees of spas, beauty and nail salons, suppliers, health clubs and leisure centres, and retailers of beauty products will all be able to enter the awards.

Companies of all sizes are eligible and any employers wanting to enter this year can register on the website. Employees will then have until November this year to complete online questionnaires and the awards ceremony will be held in central London in February 2008. For further details see

The Olive Awards website

Why do you need music in your business? (and a reminder that you need to pay for using it )



BBC Radio 1 is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year. It was certainly a 'must have' radio station to have playing in hair salons in the 1960s, and a vast improvement on the previous BBC stations (for those of you too young to remember them, you'll have to take my word for it!)

This seems like an opportune moment to remind you that these days you need to have a Performing Rights Society Licence to play music in the salon. For all the information that you need about obtaining a licence, have a look at the MCPS-PRC website. You will find the information by clicking on the Why Do You Need to Pay to Use Music? link under the Hot Topics section. You can also read research about the beneficial effects of music in the workplace on the site.

Salon International

Salon International 2007 will be held at ExCel, London, on 13th, 14th, and 15th October 2007.

A visit to the event provides a chance to see the latest hairstyles and techniques demonstated live on stage. You will also be able to view the latest products and services. For more details have a look at the event website http://www.salonexhibitions.co.uk/