©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Christine Graf
Local business owner Ruth Boals recently relocated New Attitudes Salon & Spa from Henry Street to 1 Phila St. in Saratoga Springs.
The city native spent most of her life in Florida. She returned 10 years ago to care for her ailing grandmother.
“I like Saratoga and always wanted to come back because I thought it was beautiful,” said Boals.
She is putting the finishing touches on her new space in the lower level of 1 Phila St., just off Broadway. Previous tenants included shoe store Stephanie Anne’s and Reruns Consignment.
“I totally changed the space, and it’s still not done,” said Boals.
She has worked as a licensed cosmetologist for 36 years and believes in using natural and organic products. Her hair dyes are ammonia and PPD free. PPD (Paraphenylenediamine), a chemical used in many brands dye, can cause skin and scalp irritations.
“I do hair, facials, electrotherapy facials, dermabrasion, nails, waxing. I pretty much do everything,” she said.
She is hoping to hire a manicurist but has had difficulty finding someone who is licensed. She is unwilling to allow anyone without a license to work in her salon and will be the salon’s manicurist until she can hire a qualified professional.
In addition to offering spa and salon services, Boals sells soy candles, jewelry, and other home décor items at New Attitudes. She has plans to offer custom-formulated facial creams which she will sell in the salon and on Amazon.com.
“It’s an anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, organic cream,” she said. “It’s all made-to-order. I don’t want my stuff sitting on countertops for two years. Nobody does that. They don’t make it for you exclusively.”
Creams will be custom-formulated based on the customer’s unique skin concerns. These skin conditions include brown spots, acne, and rosacea.
“Not everyone is going to have the same issues,” she said.
When making her custom skin cream, Boals will draw on her extensive experience working with essential oils. She began studying essential oils after both her father and her son experienced serious medical issues. She uses only organic oils and has plans to sell the them at New Attitudes.
“There are so many oils out there, but what people don’t realize is that just because it says they are 100 percent pure doesn’t mean that it is ingestible,” she said.
“That means the oil is 100 percent pure but that there is something added to it that you can’t ingest. All my oils are ingestible. And they are organic. They are therapeutic.”
Boal manages her own health by taking a variety of essential oils including frankincense, an ancient oil contains a powerful active ingredient called boswellic acid. Studies have indicated that boswellic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects and that it exerts antitumor effects in colorectal cancer cells.
In order to educate others on the benefits of essential oils, Boals plans to offer classes at New Attitudes in the near future. She will discuss the health benefits of various oils and teach people to make essential-oil-containing personal care items such as lip balms, bug sprays, and hand and surface sanitizers. She is waiting for the weather to warm up before starting her classes.
“When it’s cold like this, people just aren’t out and about,” she said.
More information about New Attitudes Salon & Spa, visit www.chihairgirlandwhatnot.com. or call (518) 879-6859.