Shampoo and Conditioner are important products to switch out.  Your scalp is one of the most absorbent parts of your body, so any toxic ingredient in your current shampoo/conditioner is going straight into your bloodstream and major organs.  Conventional shampoos are mostly made up of harsh industrial detergents, water, surfactants, and alcohol.  These ingredients leave our hair feeling squeaky clean, but they also strip our natural oils, requiring conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, hair masks, you get the picture.

The surfactants used in conventional shampoos are usually sodium laurel sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.  These ingredients can cause rashes, but worse, when they are ethoxylated, (a process that “softens” the chemical) 1,4-dioxane is produced, and it won’t be on the label, because it is a by-product.  We talked about this by-product just a few days ago – it is a known carcinogen.

You say, “but my shampoo is sulfate-free!”  Is it free of parabens, synthetic fragrance, phthalates, DMDM hydantoin, lauramide DEA, cocamide DEA and MEA?  Buckle up.  By now, you’ve read the “This isn’t Pretty” section of the website, but a brief recap: phthalates, which are in fragrance, and parabens mess with thyroid, estrogen, and pretty much all hormone levels.  DMDM hydantoin releases small amounts of formaldehyde when it comes into contact with your skin. Lauramide DEA and Cocamide DEA and MEA react with other chemicals in your shampoo to create carcinogens.  So, you really need to switch to a clean shampoo.

Conditioners also contain parabens, synthetic fragrance, phthalates, preservatives and silicones, which aren’t biodegradable.  Unlike shampoo, conditioner (even the kind that rinses out) is meant to coat the hair.  That means these chemicals are being absorbed into your body 24/7.

I know you are very hesitant to give up your Kerastase and Pureology, but I am living proof of the good stuff.  Since making the switch, my hair, which I’ve struggled with for my entire adult life, has never looked or felt better.

Onto the recommendations!  Selfishly, I am going to start with my own hair type, because I’ve obviously researched it the most extensively.  The bane of my existence is my fine hair.  I mean it.  If I had the choice of being thinner or having better hair…. I think you know the answer.  I have tried everything, including all the very expensive “unclean” options out there.  Here are two brands that are better than anything else I have tried:

  AMAZON BEAUTY RAHUA

Amazon Beauty Rahua makes a great solution to my problem.  Their Voluminous Shampoo is low-lather, but it contains citric juices which absorb oil and extend time between washes.  You only need a quarter-size dollop, lather it up in your hands, and focus on the scalp.  Your hair won’t feel squeaky clean, but I promise it is.  The Voluminous Conditioner is also a winner.  It is very light and rinses out easily.  It is perfect for warmer weather, but when it is cold/dry, I add a little leave in conditioner to my ends.  Cost: about $30 each for 9.3 oz.  Purchase them both here.

Ingredients (shampoo): aqua, herbal infusion of camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract and cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) extract, cocamidopropyl betaine, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, coco betaine, glycerin, sea salt, caprylic acid, glycine, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, ungurahua oil (oenocarpus bataua), hydrolyzed wheat protein, panthenol, molasses extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, chlorophyll, citric acid, potassium sorbate.

Ingredients (condtioner): aqua, herbal infusion of camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract and cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, behentrimonium methosulfate (colza oil), glycerin, stearalkonium chloride (plant derived), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, ungurahua oil (oenocarpus bataua), glyceryl stearate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), caprylic acid, glycine, hydrolyzed wheat protein, mixed tocopherol, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, panthenol, hydrolyzed oat protein, citric acid, potassium sorbate.

YAROK FEED YOUR VOLUME

I also really love the Feed Your Volume line by Yarok.  The shampoo lathers and cleanses really well for being free of harsh detergents and the conditioner rinses clean.  It also smells great –  it has a tangy-herbal aromatic blend of organic herbs, flowers, vitamins, minerals and essential oils that visibly plump normal to fine hair.  My hair is left swingy and manageable.  Cost: about $27 each for 8.5 oz.  Purchase them here.

Ingredients (shampoo): Purified Water, Decyl Glucose and Lauryl Glucose, (two natural cleansers) Coco Protein (helps strengthen and smooth hair shaft and maximize manageability), Seaweed Extract (helps prevent moisture loss in hair and scalp), Organic Herbal Infusions of Coltsfoot and Marshmallow Root (keeps the scalp nourished and hydrated, fends off dryness and flaking), Calendula Blossoms and Chamomile Flowers (two healing plants that together protect and soothe hair and scalp), Chickweed, Horsetail, Slippery Elm, Comfrey Root and Sea Buckthorn CO2 (fortify the hair shaft with strengthening proteins, minerals and trace elements, promoting its luster and longevity, Nettles and Oatstraw (help prevent thinning and hair loss), Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Lavender, Atlas Cedar, Red Mandarin, Sweet Orange & Rosemary, Grapefruit Seed Extract (helps with hair loss).

Ingredients (condtioner): Purified Water, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Organic Herbal Infusions of Coltsfoot, Chickweed, Nettles, Horsetail, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root, Comfrey Root, Calendula Blossoms, Chamomile Flowers & Oatstraw, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil (the oil most similar to our own natural sebum, making it superb for conditioning hair and scalp, possesses natural anti-oxidant properties), Macadamia Nut Oil (rich in fatty acid, Omega-7, helps repair dry, frizzy, damaged hair), Seaweed Extract, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, (healing properties, packed with vitamins and minerals) Calendula CO2, Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Sweet Orange, Rosemary & Vetiver, Vitamin C, Sage & Rosemary, Antioxidants, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Organic and Wildcrafted Essential Oils of Geranium, Tea Tree, Lavender, Ravensara Aromatica, Rosemary & Lemon, Sage & Rosemary Antioxidants, Grapefruit Seed Extract.

All week I’ll be reviewing various haircare lines and products; stay tuned!