why we carry joon
we said in a previous post that our shelf is small on purpose, and that nothing makes it on unless we already use it on you.
joon is a good example of what earns a spot.
a grandmother's kitchen and a haircare lab
joon was founded by siblings shiva and kayvon tavakoli, and the story behind it is a family one. their grandfather ran a spice trading company, and the idea for the line came out of summers spent at their grandmother's kitchen table — the smells and flavors of that table turned into plant-based infusions built around saffron, rose, fig, and pomegranate.
the other half of the story is technical. their father came to the united states at seventeen, settled in houston, and built both a salon business and a haircare laboratory. shiva and kayvon grew up in that world and worked in the family business for years. shiva describes the goal as marrying ancient tradition with modern science — grade a ingredients in a product that actually performs.
that combination is unusual. plenty of brands have a beautiful origin story. fewer have a formulation lab behind it.
the ingredients, and what they are actually doing
saffron, pistachio, and rose have been part of persian beauty rituals for centuries. here is how joon describes each one:
saffron — a spice worth more than its weight in gold, used to strengthen hair. it contains antioxidants including crocin, along with carotenoids and anti-inflammatory agents, plus vitamins b and c, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
pistachio — nourishes and moisturizes, for hair that feels bouncy and smooth.
rose — long adored in persian poetry and art, and used to make hair smooth and shiny. it brings anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that leave hair frizz-free and glossy.
joon's own framing is that modern chemistry lets these three work together to give hair longevity a real boost.
the things that matter to us
a few of joon's own commitments are the reason it sits on our shelf rather than in the back room:
it prevents hair color from fading. it is never tested on animals. it contains no animal products or byproducts.
for a salon that does a lot of color, the first one is not a small detail. we would rather sell you something that protects the work you just paid for than something that quietly undoes it.
how we use it
we reach for the saffron hair elixir most often — on damp hair before a blowout, or on dry hair after, depending on what your hair is doing that day. it is light enough that it does not weigh down fine hair and rich enough to do something for coarse hair.
but this is exactly the kind of thing that belongs in your consultation rather than in a blog post. what your hair needs depends on your texture, your color history, and what your week actually looks like. ask whoever is behind your chair. they have used all of it.
and if joon is not the right fit for you, we will say so. that is the whole point of keeping the shelf small.
joon is available at both locations. ask us about it at your next appointment.
book at olasflamingo.com — 12 south and goldfinch.
