Product Reviews: Hair Care

None of the products I review have been tested on animals.

abba : I have a new favorite, thanks to a reader who wrote in. abba is Australian, I got it at Ulta in the U.S., and their stuff is 100% vegan. I love the way the Pure Color Protect Shampoo lathers up lusciously and smells divine. Rinses out easily and doesn't strip color. Next came the Pure Color Protect Conditioner, and I must tell you, when I put a small dollop on, my hair suddenly felt like pure silk. It was almost like I felt my hair breathing a huge sigh of relief, and relaxing into strong gorgeousness. It's not as easy to rinse out as the Jason conditioners, but I love it and plan to keep it on hand always. I also tried their Pure Finish Spray - the hold is strong, and yet when you comb through it, your hair doesn't feel sticky at all. Don't know how they do that, but it's great.

Jason Shampoos and Conditioners : The Jason line is awesome. The ingredients are safe, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and they are not tested on animals. What strikes me most about Jason is that the shampoos and conditioners do NOT strip color. For me, that's huge. So many mainstream shampoos - even the ones that claim they don't strip color - do indeed strip color. Makes me so angry. I've never had that problem with Jason. hair product reviews Also, they offer a large line of products, depending on your hair type.

Jason Natural Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner is their "hair fortifying" line. I use it when I do a lot of blow drying or after coloring my hair. Their Natural Sea Kelp Shampoo and Contitioner are for moisturizing. I use them when my hair feels dried out or unhealthy.

In general, you can't go wrong with Jason. The only thing I've noticed is that the conditioners aren't as "heavy duty" as mainstream national brand conditioners.

Aveda Hair Products have the advantage of being vegan. I love that. And of course they don't test on animals. I've been using their Color Conserve line, and like it a lot. The shampoo lathers up a little better than the Jason, but it does have a slight medicinal fragrance. I've been using their Color Conserve Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, and Strengthening Treatment. Next shopping trip, I'm skipping the Daily Conditioner and using the Strengthening Treatment as a conditioner. It's got more punch to it.

For styling, I like the Aveda Light Elements Detailing Mist-Wax. It's great for getting your bangs to behave and for adding a little weight to cowlicks to tame them down. My friend uses Aveda Air Spray and loves it. She says it's light, but it holds well and even adds volume.

Alba Botanica hair conditioners : The Volumizing Conditioner is an after-shampoo rinse out product. Although it doesn't leave my hair tangle-free, it does indeed soften my hair and somehow actually makes it look a little thicker! The leave-in conditioner is nice, but you don't need more than a thimble-full for medium length hair.

hair product reviews

got2b Voluptuous Volume mousse by Schwarzkopf: If you tease your hair, spray this stuff on first, and you'll find that the tease won't slip out AND you'll need to tease less. For general volumizing, it's good, but use it sparingly because otherwise it can be a little sticky.

ShiKai Color Reflect shampoo and conditioner : I tried the "gold" shampoo, which is plant-based and designed to bring out any golden tones your brown hair may be hiding. It should also make keep your blond hair gold, instead of letting it get brassy or orangy. I like it. It feels good, smells good, is not tested on animals, and has a rich lather.

Their daily moisture conditioner is good if you only want a touch of rinse-out conditioner. Use just a tiny bit, because even though it's supposed to have "weightless body," if you use too much and don't get it all rinsed out, it can weigh your hair down a little.

Pureology serious colour care antifade complex hydrating shampoo and conditioner : It's VEGAN!!! And I do love its performance as well. It doesn't strip color, and yet I can always count on Pureology to make my hair look really nice. It smells a little mediciney, but not overpoweringly so. You get used to it.

citre shine anti-frizz serum by Schwarzkopf & Henkel : Love love love it. Use it everyday. Drizzle no more than two drops into your hands and rub your hands together, then fluff your hair with it. Using a wide tooth comb, get the product evenly distributed through your hair. It gives my dry hair shine and luster, and I do feel it gives my hair some protection against blow-drying.

Everclean Antidandruff Shampoo : My friend uses it - he switched from a mainstream national brand to the Everclean, and it seems to work just as well. It contains salicylic acid, aloe vera, and other herbal extracts. Why use something with a bunch of who-knows-what chemicals are in it, when you can use a safer version from the health food store instead. Everclean is made by HomeHealth.

Terax Hair Conditioner : This is my true favorite, for a rinse-out hair conditioner. It leaves my hair so silky that I often don't need to use a leave-in product afterwards. hair product reviews

Mill Creek Biotene H-24 Natural Shampoo: Luscious and rich. Lathers quickly and beautifully, rinses out easily. It promises "thicker, fuller hair naturally." I didn't notice that my hair was thicker, but I've only used it a few times.

Mill Creek Biotene H-24 Natural Conditioner: Very silky. Got the tangles out on contact. Did not mess with my color. Rinsed out easily. I love it.