I haven't talked much about shampoo and conditioner on this blog, for good reason. I found it one of the more difficult items to switch over when I started using natural products. Why? There are three things that I expect of a shampoo and conditioner.
1. Clean ingredients. This goes without saying — this is a green beauty blog!
2. Reasonable price. Hair care is something you have to purchase relatively frequently, so I don't want it to be something to "invest" in.
3. High performance. What good are the other two requirements if the products don't make your hair feel clean and soft?
The thing is, it is so hard to find something that is a combination of the three. Some hair products with the cleanest ingredients can be upwards of $30, which I just can't justify spending every couple of months. Some of the more affordable, clean shampoos are not true shampoos at all, and don't work in hard water. And then the true shampoos in the affordable range often aren't that clean at all. Just when I was starting to feel like there was no happy medium, enter Acure's line of shampoo and conditioner.
First off, these hair products work so, so well. If you have a hard time weaning off of the regular drugstore stuff, you will love these. I had gone no-poo before using this shampoo and conditioner, and as soon as I switched back to these, I noticed such a huge difference in the texture and of my hair. It finally felt healthy again! The shampoo lathers nicely, despite the fact that has no sulfates, and it makes my hair and scalp feel very clean. The conditioner feels and works just as well as a mainstream one. It is thick, has lots of slip, and detangles and my hair feel soooo soft after using it.
As for price, this line can usually be found for less than $10. The last time I bought a couple bottles, they were on sale for about $8 each on Vitacost. That's not exactly budget, but in my opinion, it is a reasonable amount to be paying for haircare.
The ingredients are really great too. Among the ingredients are Acure's usual cocktail of antioxidants, including Acai Berry, Blackberry, Rosehips, Pomegranate and Rooibos, and Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that helps prevent UV damage. I was especially impressed with this last ingredient, because our scalps can get sun exposure too! It's such a thoughtful addition. The shampoo does contain Cocamidopropyl Betaine, an surfactant that is a bit controversial, because can sometimes be contaminated with nitrosamines. It ranks as a4 in the skin deep database, for those wondering. However, I checked with Acure, and the cocamidopropyl betaine they use is derived from non-GMO sugar beets, and no amines are present during production that would result in any nitrosamine contamination. With this information, I feel totally comfortable recommending this shampoo's safety.
This particular variety, Pure Mint + Echinacea Stem Cell, is the "volumizing" one. I'm not sure if I've ever had a shampoo that volumized my hair, so I can't really speak to that. My hair usually has a bit of volume to it, so I'm really not sure. I do love this scent the most out of the three available. It smells pretty much exactly like fresh peppermint, and is a tad cooling. I use it year round, but some might especially like the cooling peppermint effect in the summer.
In summation, this is my #1 recommendation for natural shampoo. In my opinion, no other company on the market comes close to Acure's combination of safe ingredients, high performance, and reasonable price. I highly recommend this line.
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