A new nail and wax salon focusing on using natural products is now open at the corner of Alhambra and S Street in the Alexan Midtown building.
“We really wanted to be green,” said GG Salon owner Thuy Ho, 37, who also owns Melody Salon, 1809 S St., in Midtown. “Most of our products are almost 100 percent natural.”
Ho said she called the salon “GG” as an acronym for “going green,” and she uses O.P.I. products of Los Angeles, which don’t contain a lot of the harsher chemicals such as formaldehyde that other nail polishes use.
A sea-salt scrub is used for pedicures, Ho said, since it is a more natural product. BeBe waxes are also used, since they are all-natural.
The salon does work with artificial nails at the customer’s request, but Ho said it is something she doesn’t promote, as she prefers to advocate for an all-natural manicure, but she doesn’t want to turn away customers.
The salon offers complete nail and waxing care, with manicures starting at $15 and pedicures starting at $30. Waxing starts at $8 for lips and $12 for eyebrows and ranges up to $55 for back waxing for men. She added that all types of waxing are available for both men and women.
For the grand opening, a 20-percent discount is being offered through July.
She opened her first salon five years ago and said she was nervous about opening a new location in the current economy, but she went ahead anyway.
“It does worry me, but I believe in quality and customer service and sanitation, which is our No. 1 goal,” she said
Part of the reason she said she is confident is that the location, in the upscale Alexan Midtown building across the street from the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, will draw foot traffic with a focus on natural products.
Megan Mier, business manager for the Alexan Midtown apartments, said GG Salon is a great addition to the property.
“We love it,” she said. “Our whole mentality is going green, and all their chemicals they use are green.”
She said having the salon on-site is also convenient for the apartment complex’s tenants.
“They can go down there and get their nails done and their toes done and grab a sandwich (at the next-door Midtown Deli),” she said.
The décor in the salon is modern, and Ho said she picked the warm yellow color scheme to give patrons a cozy space.
Currently, Ho employs two people, and she said she expects to add to that number as the business expands.
Ho, who moved to Sacramento from Seattle nine years ago to be with her husband’s family, has a degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, and she said she wanted to run salons because she likes working with people.
“I like helping them and promoting beauty,” she said. “I like to make them look good and feel good.”
GG Salon is open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday.
Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.
