I’ve been using Danielle’s homemade bottle of sea salt spray for the past couple of weeks, and I’m loving the results. My hair has extra body, the dreamiest waves, and it even smells nice thanks to the lavender essential oil she added. I can’t wait to whip up a batch of my own! Maybe I’ll even add a little argan oil as the ReadyMade article suggests. The longer my hair gets, the more of a problem split ends are becoming. It’s disheartening, really.

Made from Earth is a line of organic skincare products that are always free of parabens, synthetic preservatives, colors, and fragrances.  They’re a cruelty-free company and one that  fully supports The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. I recently received several Made from Earth products in the mail for review, and the Peppermint Herbal Conditioner’s lovely scent and no nonsense list of ingredients begged me to try it immediately. How could I resist?

Ingredients (provided at madefromearth.com)- “Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Lavender Distillate, Organic Roman Chamomile Distillate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Castor Seed Oil, Stearalkonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolized Wheat, Mentha piperita (Pepper mint) Essential Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil, Panthenol Vitamin B5, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Rosehip Seed Oil, Organic Black Willow Bark Extract.”

I couldn’t locate this product in the Cosmetic Safety Database, so I linked to each ingredient above. The only ingredient with a hazard score above a 3 is Phenoxyethanol, and it earns a hazard score of 4.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and synthetic coloring agents.

2.  It’s cruelty-free.

3. It contains organic ingredients.

4. The bottle is made from #1 plastic and is easily recyclable.

Product Description(also provided at madefromearth.com)- “This herbal and organic conditioner leaves your hair silky soft – and it also contains peppermint essential oil to stimulate the scalp area leaving you refreshed. All natural and plant-based ingredients restore elasticity and strength. It is designed to give your hair and scalp the optimum benefits of natural botanicals, rich plant moisturizers. Included is also our science-based formula of hair-enhancing vitamins and amino acids.

Peppermint is known for providing relief from stress, depression and mental exhaustion. Its oil is useful for hair care as it gives a cooling effect while leaving a “waxy” coating on the hair. The conditioner forms a protective layer over each hair, and restores moisture to hair follicles.”

Price- $12.00 for an 8 oz. bottle, which seems to be pretty standard.

Performance-  After shampooing with Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo, I followed the directions provided on this product’s packaging and conditioned my hair twice. I was a little worried that doubling up on the conditioner might weigh my hair down, but I was pretty pleased with how shiny and manageable it ended up being. After a little blow drying and straightening with the help of my Jonathan Straightening Lotion, my hair was almost commercial material!

Scent- Combine the invigorating scents of peppermint and tea tree oil, and voilà! You wind up with this conditioner. The tea tree oil is much less obvious than the peppermint and is almost an afterthought, but it’s definitely there. Also, whoever decided to make shampoos, body washes, and conditioners smell like mint had to be a genius. I can’t think of a better addition to a sleepy morning shower.

Rating- 9/10. I subtracted 1 point for the ingredient with the hazard score of 4, but this product’s performance, scent, price, and remaining ingredients are all fantastic!

Would I purchase this item again? Yes, I certainly would.

*This product was provided by Made from Earth; the opinions were provided by me.

Shampoo-free for five days, and my bangs still don't look wet. Amazing!

I’ve always longed for the kind of hair that never has to be washed but still looks great. Danielle was lucky enough to be born with such hair, but some people have to work for it. I’m one of those people, and I’m finally starting to work for it. For the past three weeks, I’ve been washing my hair only once a week, and I’m actually starting to see a difference in my hair! It’s shinier and it requires less heat styling to make presentable. You might be wondering how a greasy-headed girl like me could possibly get away with shampooing her hair only once a week, so I’ll let you guys in on a few haircare secrets below.

• After going two or three days without shampooing my hair, it starts to feel a little weighed down and dirty. I’ve found that rinsing my hair with either a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water or baking soda and water works wonders. When I’m feeling brave, I use cool or cold water to for extra shine.

• Surprising as it may be, conditioning daily with a light conditioner does not make my hair oily. My hair is healthier for it, and it keeps it smelling nice and minty.

• There are days when I cover my hair with a water resistant head wrap in the shower or simply wet my hair and forgo all rinses and conditioners (usually the day after shampooing), and my hair looks as clean as it ever does.

• I’ve been brushing my hair right before bed and before my morning shower with a boar bristle brush.  Not only does it help move the oil from the roots to the ends, but it also helps remove dirt and other nasty stuff from my hair (if you’re skeptical, then you should buy one and use it for a while without cleaning it…it gets pretty gross). Boar bristle brushes are also great for people with sensitive scalps. Translation: I don’t feel like I’m yanking all my hair out when I encounter tangles.

• When I do shampoo, I try to use as gentle a cleanser as possible. This ensures a minimal amount of damage and makes me feel better about myself.

Thinking of shampooing your hair less? I hope some of my tips encourage you to take the plunge! Or if healthier hair all around is what you’re after… here’s a Care2 article that suggests a few ways to achieve it.

I purchased a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Coconut Hair Creme around last July, but I guess it got lost in the abyss that is my bathroom cabinet. I ended up giving it to Danielle at some point, and then it really wasn’t a concern of mine. I’m not sure what reminded me of it, but here I am with a very late review.

Ingredients (provided at drbronner.com)- “Water, Organic Coconut Oil*, Organic Ethanol, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Lavender Oil, Organic Quillaja Saponaria Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol.”

This product receives a hazard score of two in the Cosmetic Safety Database. For whatever reason, Avocado Oil is wrongly listed as one of the ingredients in the CSD, but this shouldn’t change the hazard score much (if at all). The only ingredient with a hazard score above a two is Ethanol, and it has a hazard score of five.

Here’s what the CSD has to say about Ethanol, in case you weren’t feeling up to clicking the above link:

“Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is considered broadly toxic and linked to birth defects following excessive oral ingestion. Potential risks from ethanol in personal care products are significantly smaller than the health risks posed by the consumption of alcoholic beverages.”

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of parabens, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates, and synthetic fragrances.

3. It’s cruelty-free.

4. It’s certified Fair Trade by IMO.

5. The bottle is 100% post consumer recycled content, and it’s a #1 plastic (easily recyclable).

Product Description (provided at drbronner.com)- “Certified by the same National Organic program that certifies organic food, our conditioning & styling crème provides light styling hold while making hair silky soft without any synthetic ingredients. Organic virgin coconut oil makes hair shiny & luxurious, organic jojoba oil imparts excellent manageability and feel, while the organic hemp oil moisturizes and softens hair.”

Price- $7.99 for a 6 oz. bottle or $9.99 for an 8 oz. bottle

Performance- I used this hair creme strictly as a leave-in conditioner, and I never really noticed a marked difference in my hair after using it. It might’ve been a little shinier, but it also left it feeling slightly oily (which is why I never used this product for light styling, despite the bottle’s suggestion).

Scent- I smelled very little coconut and a whole lot of lavender and alcohol when I used this product. Looking back, my dissatisfaction with this product probably had a lot to do with the alcohol smell.

Rating- 5/10. I subtracted four points for the less than stellar performance and another for the one questionable (and smelly) ingredient. The reasonable price and other decent ingredients are worth at least five points.

Would I purchase this item again?- Probably not. Since I forgot about it and eventually gave it away, this product clearly wasn’t the one for me. I don’t mean to say this product is completely worthless; maybe I just didn’t/don’t have the right hair texture/type for it.

Image Courtesy of Amazon.com

Aside from shampoo, conditioner, and the occasional leave-in moisturizing treatment, I don’t put many products in my hair. After smelling John Masters Bourbon Vanilla & Tangerine Hair Texturizer, though, I knew that I had to at least try it. I had pretty high expectations after using and loving John Masters Organics shampoo and conditioner.

Ingredients (provided at johnmasters.com)-”Ricinus communis (castor seed) oil, glycerin, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter,* sorbitol, panthenol, vanilla planifolia (bourbon vanilla) fruit oil,* citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) flower oil,* citrus reticulata (tangerine) peel oil,* citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil,* tocopherol (vitamin E), ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C), ascorbic acid, phytic acid

* NOP Certified Organic”

While I couldn’t find this product on the Cosmetic Safety Database, none of its ingredients are above a two…so I guess that’s a good thing.

Product Description (also provided at johnmasters.com)- “This extra-strength hair texturizer is perfect for shaping hair into any desired style, from the “bed-head” look to smooth and silky. Castor oil, glycerin and 5 certified-organic oils add incredible shine and texture. Safe for color-treated hair.”

Price- $21.00 for a 2 oz jar

Performance- This product does exactly what it advertises. It gives my hair texture. I just apply a pea-sized amount to wet or dry hair. I also feel like this product makes my hair a little wavier than it ordinarily is, which is a nice change.

Scent- The scent of this product is my favorite thing about it. It smells like an Orange Creamsicle. How dreamy is that?!

Rating-  It’s a little pricey, and for that I subtracted 2 points. Otherwise, I’m a big fan of this product. It definitely deserves an 8.

Click the link to get  your own jar of John Masters Bourbon Vanilla & Tangerine Hair Texturizer.

I cannot say enough positive things about the boar bristle hair brush that I recently purchased. It makes my hair shiny, soft, and much more manageable. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see much of an improvement in my hair, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Every review that I read before purchasing one said that it evenly distributes the oils in your hair (from the scalp to the ends, where it’s needed to prevent and repair split ends), but I was still skeptical until I tried it.   It has actually improved the overall texture of my hair. Also, it was in the neighborhood of eight dollars.  Success!!

However, if your hair is super fine or super thick, then this product might not be for you.  Fine hair easily flies in several different directions when brushed with a boar bristle brush, and thick hair might have tangles that a boar bristle brush can not easily conquer. I have normal hair, so it works like a charm form me.