Rene Furterer Gives Back: The Pierre Fabre Foundation

We work hard to bring you products you can believe in. Yes, that means bringing you great hair, but it also means supporting social and political issues we care about. We are always in awe of the work by The Pierre Fabre Foundation—the French pharmaceutical company behind Rene Furterer. Check out their latest work supporting Dr. Denis Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Dr. Denis Mukwege and Pierre-Yves Revol,
Fondation Pierre Fabre's president

"The South Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been a conflict zone since 1999, where many armed groups are employing violent tactics with near impunity against the civilian population, particularly against women, using rape as a weapon of war. Dr Denis Mukwege, the founder of a centrally located hospital in this region, has devoted his life to saving female victims and denouncing sexual violence. The Fondation Pierre Fabre is going to support his work.

Dr Denis Mukwege is a surgical gynaecologist who is internationally renowned for his work in reconstructive surgery for victims of sexual violence in the DRC, a commitment that earned him the moniker “The Man Who Repairs Women”. In 1999, to provide treatment for the victims of sexual violence, he founded the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu that offers a full range of services (a holistic model or “one-stop treatment centre”), including medical, psychological, socio-economic and legal intervention. Since the hospital opened, it has treated nearly 50,000 victims of sexual violence.

A militant activist for women’s rights and the eradication of rape as a weapon of war, Dr Mukwege has received a plethora of international awards, including the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, the 2013 Fondation Chirac Prize for Conflict Prevention and the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Replicating the Panzi treatment model in a rural hospital in Bulenga

On 6 December 2017, before the Fondation Pierre Fabre Board of Directors, Dr Mukwege presented a project to replicate his model for comprehensive victim care at the hospital in Bulenga. This facility, located 165 kilometres from Panzi in another area affected by the conflict, has 62 beds and currently sees 1,800 patients a year, but lacks the human and material resources it needs. The Fondation Pierre Fabre will fund all activities related to providing medical care to the victims at this hospital for the next two years and will work with Dr Mukwege’s team to assess how this structure can be sustained.

The Fondation Pierre Fabre is proud to support the work of Dr Denis Mukwege in his daily fight to care for these female victims of violence. This project is another way in which the Foundation is taking action in accordance with its mission, which includes improving access to healthcare for populations embroiled in serious crises."

(quoted from Fondation Pierre Fabre)

Meet the newest Morphic team member: Annie!

You know we're looking to grow here at Morphic, and we are very choosy about who we bring in. The stars aligned and we found our new Salon Coordinator, Annie. Annie Bacon is a songwriter musician in the SF Bay Area (www.anniebacon.me). She aches for a more empathic humanity + her creativity orbits around this. She is also a long-time client and Morphic evangelist. We're so glad to have her on board. We know she'll help keep Morphic in tip-top shape while making you feel right at home. So, without further adieu, let's get to know our beloved Annie! 

Tell us about your personal style. 
I use these three questions in determining what to buy or wear:

1. Would I wear this in New York?
2. Is it a little bit rock n roll?
3. Am I a little bit emotionally uncomfortable (thus pushing the boundaries of my stylistically conservative upbringing)?

What’s a current fashion trend that you’re over?
Uggs. I don’t know how “in” they still are but my very fashionable 6-year-old son loves them and I’d really rather they disappeared.

How long have you lived in SF? How’d you get here.  
17 years in the Bay Area, 13 of that in SF. My best friend invited me to come with her after we graduated college in upstate New York. I wasn’t ready to make plans. My long-deceased grandfather came to me in a dream and said, “Go to California.” So I came.

Tell us your favorite things in SF.
There are too many to great restaurants to name! Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack stands out. Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, Bernal Hill, McLaren Park. SF MoMA. Music at Piano Fight & Bottom of the Hill.

How would you describe SF to someone new?
San Francisco is an epicurean delight, a bastion of culture, and the most beautiful city in America. For a long time, it’s been a place where anything feels possible. The promised land. The City also has a lot of vulnerable populations right now who suffer in the midst of massive disparity. Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions, so I challenge newcomers to think about how they can give back to the city—whether it’s time, money, ideas, energy, creativity, or art.

Tell us about your hair. What’s your current inspiration?
For a long time it was a cross between Yolandi Vi$$er and young Jane Fonda - the result of which was a punk-rock mullet. I’m still feeling the short bangs, but the undercut has taken over and I’m enjoying being able to present vastly different styles of my hair depending on my up or down do.

Air dry or blow dry?
Air dry always.

What’s your current hair routine? Favorite products?
Wash every 2-3 days. Currently using Rene Furterer Okara light-activating leave in fluid since I recently started going blonde again. Comb daily. That’s it!

What’s your best hair tip?
Don’t cut it yourself! The price you pay at a salon like Morphic gives you not only a haircut that will continue to look incredible for weeks or months after as it grows out, but will also give you an infusion of confidence and nourish your sense of best self.

You’re a musician. Tell us how that started.
Music started from the very beginning. I would listen in awe as my huge Irish-American family would burst into song with multiple harmonies and everyone knowing all the words. The feeling of that connection has stayed with me forever and I knew I wanted to create music that brought people together like that.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Nina Simone, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Pink Floyd, and 70’s soft rock.

What’s your biggest wish when people hear your music?
That they find something of themselves in the music - something that helps them feel seen/heard, a little less alone—or that they learn through the music to care about someone else in a way they didn’t before.

Best thing about this year?
After some deep work and a business model boot camp with my partner, I started to have a clearer sense of my music’s true purpose. When purpose and passion align, great things can happen! Morphic is a beautiful example of this, which is why I’m so happy to be working here.

Proudest moment recently?
My six-year-old son is developing a beautiful capacity for empathy. Watching him navigate the world over the last few months has made me so proud.

Best way to decompress?
Hot tub soak and a massage. But those are rare treats these days. Otherwise it’s music and sleep!

Favorite word?
Isaiah. I don’t know why but I get a sense of peacefulness saying this name over and over. I don’t even know anyone with the name!

Favorite curse word?
Fuck!

Coolest thing you own?
A beautiful sunburst Les Paul guitar.

Last trip you took?
Nashville! I get there every couple of months for some music hustle.

Favorite place to visit in the world?
Although I love warm, sunny, beaches, I think if I could pick only one more trip in my life it would be to go back to Paris and wander the streets late at night in the rain.

Last music show you’ve attended?
Lots in the past few weeks! Geographer, Emily Afton, and Langhorne Slim stand out.

Thanks, Annie! It's always such a pleasure! 

Is Your Scalp Looking Like a Winter Wonderland?

Is your scalp feeling dry, itchy, and sensitive? Do you notice your partner scratching their head or leaving snowflakes on the pillow? Fear not! I’m here with solutions!

First—why does this happen when the weather changes? Maybe we’re spending too much time indoors, or drinking too many hot beverages without enough water to hydrate. Maybe it’s the stress of the holidays and year-end affecting our circulatory system. Who knows?

To calm my irritated scalp, I use Astera Fluid and Astera Serum from Rene Furterer, and it works! In fact, I’ve started giving myself a little more scalp love by doing my Astera treatments twice a week. To do this I base my dry scalp with the oil and do light brushing with a gentle boar bristle brush and let it sit overnight. The manufacturer recommends to leave it in for 5-10 mins, but it doesn't hurt the scalp to leave in longer. But no matter what - don’t forget to rinse and shampoo! (There's also an Astera shampoo.)

While the oil helps to treat the problem and rebalance the scalp, sometimes you just need something more. This is where the the Astera serum comes in. It actually cools down the area you apply it to by 4 degrees! It’s a spot treatment to address the symptoms before they’re made worse by scratching and inflaming the area even more.

The name Astera actually comes from the word "Asteraceae", which is the scientific name for Echinacea. The active ingredient in the line, asteraceae extract, helps to reduce inflammation and soothe the scalp. Other pure essential oils included are mint and eucalyptus, giving the products a clean, cooling feeling. You can practically hear your scalp give a sigh of relief!

So if you’re scalp has the winter blues, come in and see me. Book online for an in-person consultation or text or email us to schedule a time to stop by for a complimentary demonstration of what you need and what to do. You can also book for a professional scalp treatment which includes manual exfoliation (brushing with a gentle scalp brush) and massage as a stand-alone treatment (with a shampoo and blowout) or an add-on to a service like a haircut. (Note: scalp treatments are not recommended 2 days before or after any color service.)

I hope this helps you or someone you know out!  Show you care, share the hair!

Questions/Comments? Email info@morphicbeauty.com or text 415-789-6682.

Thanks, and may you and your scalp be well.

EMI'S BACK! DECEMBER 20-22 ONLY!

If you’ve been missing our beloved Emi as much as we have, now’s your chance to see her! 

Emi’s going to be working her magic in the salon  just in time for your holiday events. (We’re looking at you, Christmas & New Year’s Eve!).

We can’t wait to spend time with her & see what lovely looks she creates for you. Want in? These spots will fill up fast! 

BOOK NOW! 

Need some inspo? Check out some of her recent masterpieces:

New Favorite: 5 Sens Enhancing Dry Oil by Rene Furterer

Sometimes the only difference between dry & lifeless and a fabulous hair day is the right product. What are we reaching for these days? 5 Sens Enhancing Dry Oil by Rene Furterer. 

This spray-on dry oil is really a full-body experience (I mean, five senses, get it?). This unique product is a combination perfume and finishing oil for both hair and body. As things cool off here in San Francisco, it’s giving us just the right amount of weight and moisture to combat dryness and fly-aways while also intoxicating us with it’s luxurious scent and feel. The blend of super nourishing oils (think jojoba, sweet almond, castor, avocado, and safflower) leaves hair naturally soft & shiny. It’s the perfect remedy for winter locks. 

With holidays right around the corner, we know you’re going to need some self-care after all those awkward questions from your weird aunt. Ready to treat yo’self yet? This new release from Rene Furterer is now 20% off, just in time for your winter hair refresh.