Shampoo Review!

My first blog post was about an amazing sea-salt based shampoo called "Big" by Lush soaps. It's only downfall is the price; $24.95 a tub, and the fact that it totals over $30 with shipping costs included.

So, I went in search of a product that could match the power of Lush's sea-salt mixture. Though I haven't found anything comparable, and I'm seriously considering making shampoo by hand, "Nude - Volumizing Shampoo" by Down Under Naturals is a decent replacement for now!

"Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo" - J/A/S/O/N

The first Lush replacement that I tried was "Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo"  (~$8 for 473ml) by the brand J/A/S/O/N. A few months ago, I reviewed their hairspray, which worked well for an all-natural product. Their shampoo is, "free of parabens, harsh chemicals, dyes...perfect for all hair types." But, not perfect for my hair. Imagine putting laundry detergent on your hair. It didn't lather well, and left a greasy residue. Yet, this product may be beneficial to those with dry hair (if any of you dry-haired people want the rest of my bottle, let me know).

On the plus side, this is the ingredient list:

Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Bentaine, Sodium Laurel Sulfoacetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Leaf Extract, Sage Leaf Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Guar Hydropropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Provitamin B5, Lauryl Glucoside, Stearyl Citrate, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

"Nude Volumizing Shampoo" - Down Under Naturals

The "Nude" line of hair care products by Down Under Naturals is impressive, cheap ($4 for 325ml), and 98% plant-derived. The volumizing shampoo is, "Free from parabens, sulfates, phosphates, DEA, Phthalates." The website describes WHY it is important to be free of these potentially harmful ingredients in the "Get the Facts" section.

"Nude" uses, "certified organic botanicals..and biodegradeable ingredients." As a consumer, it is necessary to read this carefully - these terms don't necessarily mean that EVERY botanical/ingredient fits these descriptions, only that some do. Yet, compared with J/A/S/O/N's alternative, "Nude" successfully cleans my hair without coating it in grease.

Ingredients

Water, Certified Organic Botanicals/Extracts: Soybean Protein, Black Tea Extract, Nettle Extract

Bamboo Extract, Sodium Methyl 2 Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2 Sulfolaurate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Kaolin, Glycerin, Provitamin B5, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Polyquaternium 10, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid

Many other ingredients are similar to those in J/A/S/O/N's product, and though they appear slightly-less-natural, it does work better!

Chemists, provide feedback, why does "Nude" work better than "Fragrance Free Daily Shampoo"?

BIG - Shampoo by Lush

The old shampoo that I was using had ingredients such as "PEG-150 Distearate" (whatever that means). It claimed to create "daring volume". My hair is very fine, and I've unsuccessfully tried multiple products to make it thicker.

"BIG," a unique shampoo made by Lush, actually works - and it is made of fresh, natural ingredients. If you've never heard of Lush, I suggest you visit their website . All Lush products are handmade and have a sticker with a picture of the ACTUAL PERSON who made it.

Though the main ingredient in BIG is sea salt, it (surprisingly) does not dry out hair, as other ingredients work simultaneously as a conditioner. It has a gooey consistency and you only need a tiny bit for each wash.

Two downfalls of this product:

1) Because Lush uses such natural ingredients, BIG has an expiry date two months after the day it was made. Yet, the 325g container is filled to last for roughly that time period.

2) Each pot of shampoo/conditioner is $22.95 CDN. It's tempting to keep trying cheap drugstore brands, hoping that they will display amazing results using their fancy chemicals - but I'm sticking with a safe product that works (even if I have to order online ).

Watch for future reviews on Lush henna hair dye and tea tree face cleanser.