Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Creme of Nature shampoo and conditioner


It's a well-known secret that if you have a very thick and dry hair, the ethnic product aisle is a wonderland full of little fixes and surprises, from carrot oil to ultra-nourishing shampoos and creams. Those who straighten, flat iron or use any kind of harsh treatments on their hair are even more likely to find relief for stressed tresses among the heavy potions and lotions.

Creme of Nature seems to be emerging from under the ethnic label and into greener market. The products are now made with some certified organic ingredients and include a long list of natural oils and plant extracts. However, they still contain quite a few chemicals, colors and the eyebrow-raising SLS (in the shampoo I tested) and parabens (both shampoo and conditioner). It's especially weird that the Red Clover & Aloe Soothing Shampoo, which is formulated for a flaky scalp has SLS, a known irritant, in it. Personally, my scalp is very sensitive and many famous brands' shampoos make me itch terribly, but Sodium Laureth Sulfate does not affect me. I found the shampoo to be mild and rich enough to help detangle my hair. Still, I don't get why they had to use this ingredient.

The big success from this line, as far as I'm concerned, is the Jojoba & Olive Oil deep conditioning treatment. When they say "deep conditioning", they really mean it. It took me a couple of tries to realise that I don't need any additional product after using it. That's a new experience for me: I'm a leave-in conditioner addict, but this heavy-duty conditioner does a remarkable job making my hair as soft and manageable as can be, to the point that any additional product just weighs it down. I never expected such results.

I also tried a couple of the leave-in products, but they were too rich and heavy even for me. Those are probably better for real ethnic hair that has a different texture than mine, and perhaps for chemically processed hair (mine isn't and has never been. For the record, I don't even blow dry it). It's not that my hair got too greasy, but it lost some of the bounce in the open waves and the shine that the deep conditioning treatment gives it.

The products I tried smell soapy and herbal. The scent doesn't overwhelm or lingers too much, and, thankfully, it's not fruity like too many other hair products. All in all, I like the shampoo, love the deep conditioning treatment, but will have to skip the leave-in products.

I received four free products for testing from Creme of Nature's PR. The products are available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $7.99- 9.99. For more details see their website.

4 comments:

  1. Sounds pretty good - I'm a sucker for deep conditioning treatments and any product guaranteed to infuse my super dry hair with moisture and bounce will get my money - or in my particular case - my pounds sterling. Why oh why do we who live in Europe have to wait ages for so much stuff you all take for granted in the US? *Goes off in a sulk*

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  2. bloggal- I understand the frustration. we do tend to take for granted the hige amount and variety of stuff we have here. If it's any consolation, I'm always having a hard time finding Maltesers here ;)

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  3. The buzz about SLS really needs to be addressed. It started out as a hoax email and urban legend and now is being taken for truth. Sodium lauryl sulfate is even found in food products such as candy. It's chemical relative is sodium laureth sulfate - two different things. SLS is a foaming agent used in toothpaste and shampoo. The greatest danger from SLS is maybe getting some in your eyes but soap in the eyes always hurts - SLS or not. The US Food and Drug Admin. does require that floride toothpaste have a warning label as at April of 1998 about the dangers of swallowing too much toothpaste, and sodium lauryl sulfate is one of the three ingredients (also sorbitol and fluoride) posing as a health risk - because it's cancer causing? No - because it can cause diarrhea.

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  4. Even if the link between SLS and ALS to cancer isn't firm, the damage these ingredients can do to the environment is for sure. They're also very drying to skin and hair.

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