Archive - February 2018

For thousands of years, plants have always been one of the main sources of ingredients for beauty products and skincare rituals. Siblings Shiva and Kayvon Tavakoli harnessed their Persian roots to create the ultimate hair elixir- Joon’s Saffron Hair Oil. This oil was actually featured in Allure Magazine as one of the “Best Hair Oils of 2017.”

It all started when the duo spent their summers with their grandparents in Iran. Shiva recalls, “My grandpa was a businessman that exported exotic Persian spices, such as saffron. My grandmother used these same spices and herbs in not only her cooking, but also her beauty rituals. This is where we learned about our culture and also along with it, the deep DIY, natural remedies from anything from hair loss to stomachaches.”

Shiva and Kayvon also have the fundamentals of the beauty industry in their blood. “After my father received his PH.D. in chemical engineering, he moved to Houston to work in the oil and gas industry, which he did for several years. Eventually, he began itching to start his own business. When there was a salon that was up for sale, he decided to buy it. It became one of the top salons in Houston. From that one salon, he began his chain. He owned over 150 salons at one point. As he was expanding his salons, he decided he was unhappy with the quality of hair care products that were available, so he decided to start his own haircare laboratory. He ended up selling his salon empire, but he kept the laboratory, which is where we still private label and make our own hair care products, including Joon. My brother and I worked in both the salons and the laboratory.”

Their hair oil has since been a hit with all hair types, and has been featured in numerous publications. “Our line is universal, and our saffron hair elixir works on many different hair types. I also want to highlight a diverse group of people who generally have been shut out of the mainstream beauty conversation. They tend to be Middle Eastern, South Asian, Hispanic, Black, and it goes on. I think no matter where you come from, and who you are, it’s important to be true to yourself. There is something to learn from every culture,” Shiva explained. “We make cruelty-free products and use non-toxic ingredients. Besides the obvious fact that non-toxic ingredients are better for everyone, the line was also inspired by Persian culture. Persians use a lot of plant-based remedies in their beauty rituals. I wanted to create safe products that are also in line with my Persian background…I have never heard of a Persian inspired hair care line prior to Joon. The Persian ingredients, such as the saffron (actually floating in the bottle), are not commonly used ingredients in beauty. You will be seeing a lot of new ingredients in our upcoming products that have a lot of benefits for the hair.”

I’ve personally used this product mainly after I’ve washed my hair, or sometimes in the mornings when I feel that my hair needs a refresher. I love that it’s cruelty-free, so I can feel good about putting it in my hair. I rub the remaining oil into my hands, and it also makes a great smelling moisturizer. Other ingredients in the product are rose and pistachio. Pistachio is known to help nourish and moisturize bouncy and smooth hair, while rose is known to help with hair repair.

“It’s a pretty versatile product. You can use the Saffron Hair Elixir on both dry or damp hair. Put a few drops into your hands, rub it together to evenly distribute the product, and then apply it to your hair length and ends. You can even use it before and after styling, and also as an overnight treatment.” Shiva also goes on to recommend that you wash your hair with lukewarm or cold water, as hot water can dry out hair and make it more brittle, as well as weaken the roots.

“We are about to work on creating our next product. I always want to get input from the Joonies before I create anything new. If you want to be a part of our product creation, or just keep up with the latest hair tips and launches, you can always go on our website, and join our Joon email list. Or follow us @joonhaircare.”