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Kim D'Amato

Beauty Saloniste

The Aussie ex-model/surfer owner of NYC's Priti Organic Spa talks about why organic beauty treatments are better for you—and can make you look prettier longer.

Watch video: See more about Kim D'Amato

What was the inspiration for Priti Organic Spa?

The organic spa idea started because when I was pregnant I couldn't find any place that I could go to that felt safe for myself and my child. All of the chemicals were making me sick. I researched it for a long time, and when I found enough products to get the ball rolling, I got started.

What does Priti mean?

"Priti" started off as a word play on "pretty." Then a friend of mine from India told me it's a beautiful name that in Sanskrit means satisfaction, joy at doing something, love. I thought, 'Well, this is perfect, I hope this is how people feel when they leave.'

Word is, your salon is the hot place to be.

We have a few celebrities that come to the spa, but celebrity clientele prefer us to go to them. Among our clients, we have Mariah Carey, Sofia Coppola, Margarita Missoni.

So what can I get done at Priti?

We do manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, massage. We use organic essential oils in our massages and organic products in our manicures and pedicures—nontoxic nail polishes and soy remover.

What's your most popular mani-pedi?

Right now, it's the rosemary mint. We use fresh rosemary, fresh mint, rosemary organic oil, a sugar scrub that we make with sugar and rice oil, and we give a nice massage. The mint has a smell that is really clean and revives and refreshes you. You can't be more than four weeks pregnant to use mint, and you shouldn't use the orange in the summer—it can get you sunburned—but everything else is totally safe.

You mentioned that the nail polishes you use are nontoxic, how so?

They are DBP-free, formaldehyde-free, tuolene-free. DBP has been linked with reproductive problems in baby boys and to birth defects in the genitals; some people believe it brings on puberty at an early age. Formaldehyde is carcinogenic. Tuolene is linked to liver and kidney problems.
There's a lot to choose from: The No-Miss line has 150 colors, Zoya is also quite huge, and I have started my own line, Priti Polish and we're up to 54 colors already. We sell ours on Pritiorganicspa.com, and you can go to Nomiss.com and Zoya.com for the other polishes.

How do they compare with regular polish?

I find that the non-toxic nail polish doesn't chip as much, and lasts a long time, two to three weeks. I've seen people come in after two months, and it's still on their nails. Of course, their nails have grown, but it stays on a long time.

Is the rest of your spa as good as the nail polish?

I hope so! In terms of being environmentally friendly, we use sustainable bamboo on the floor, bamboo just about everywhere that I can use it. There's a paint company in the Bronx that will match any Benjamin Moore color and make it low- or non-V.O.C., which is less toxic.
We use tea tree oil as our main cleaning product because it's one of the best things—in Australia, we use it for everything. Our local organic store across the road helps us with other cleaners.
The flip-flops we use in the spa are biodegradable—we love them.

Is your home as amazing as your spa?

Since I opened this spa, I've realized that I only know the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the organic world. Through my clients and other companies, I have learned more, and brought it into my personal life. I eat organic. At home, we try to use home cleaners like vinegar and water to clean windows. It works just as well. I recycle. We eat at a lot of organic restaurants in the neighborhood. I try to make my life around the small businesses in the neighborhood that are providing green and organic lifestyles. My hairdresser uses organic products in my hair; she's very intolerant of chemicals, so her business is something that I know means a lot to her.

What does "green" mean to you?

It's a personal decision, but I also think it's the only decision that we can make these days, to leave the world a better place for our children. Having my child was how it all started for me. It's the only road we can take, because the other choice is not going to be so good.

 

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