I recently decided to switch out all my beauty products to non-toxic products. I started with my shampoo choosing Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Hemp Almond Soap. The shampoo felt like it took years of gunk out of my hair but also left it feeling sticky. This is not from residue but rather due to the tiny follicles on the hair sticking out on each strand and tangling with each other due to the high pH of the castille soap. It's the acid/citrus in this hair rinse that helps the follicles to smooth back out. This product scores a "0" for toxicity with the EWG which I think is great. To dispense, I bought 2 squeeze bottle (clear ketchup/mustard bottles from restaurant supply store), one for my diluted Dr. Bronner's soap/shampoo and the other stays empty until I need the conditioner. This stuff looks like clumpy gross mud so you have to dilute it. The smell reminds me of candied orange slices or a fresh clementine. Before my shower I add one and a half capfulls of the Shikakai conditioner with one cup of warm water in my bottle. Give it a good shake and that's it! I pour half on my head and comb it through and then pour on the remaining half. I rinse the bottle out and it's ready for the next use. This leaves my hair amazingly silky smooth. I finish off by using the Dr. Bronner's Style Creme. You really have to experiment with the amount of capfuls, amount of applications and combination of products used to see what works for you. Also, keep in mind that as you detox from chemical filled shampoos and conditioners your scalp can go through an oily phase as it recalibrates its natural oils....so a bit of patience, ponytail days, and again experimentation might be needed. A WORD OF CAUTION: According to Lisa Bronner's blog, don’t do this on colored hair. The color will fade quickly. Since making the change to these hair products I can honestly say that my hair has never felt more beautiful and light. My natural curl has returned. However, it's the peace of mind of knowing how healthy these products are that for me is priceless. Each bottle should give between 20-30 uses. I live in Canada and this conditioner was $6.50 cheaper here on iherb than buying it locally. I've received all of my iherb orders within 2 weeks. Feel free to check out my other detailed reviews on products like stevia, baking staples and low-toxicity beauty products and do let me know if you found this review helpful :)
