I'm slightly addicted to beauty products, which is probably the main reason that I'm here; I figure ...
I'm slightly addicted to beauty products, which is probably the main reason that I'm here; I figure that I could use some of my exciting/disappointing experiences with new products to write some helpful reviews for people!
I brought this shampoo after reading a glowing review of it here on Ciao. I was looking for a shampoo, which would care for my hair AND my scalp. Previously I'd always found that I could either have one or the other - products that left my scalp feeling great always seemed to leave my hair like straw and the shampoo I brought from my hairdresser, which smelt like caramel and left my hair so very soft, irritated my scalp - what was a girl to choose?
Shiny gorgeous hair and a scalp so itchy I appear to have fleas?
Or a soothed and calm scalp but with hair like a barn floor?
It's not that I have a specific problem with my scalp - it just gets really itchy! I can frequently sit and scratch at it for ages, which feels good at the time, but that just makes the itching worse in the long run. I don't get flakes or dandruff either, so there is no real visible sign of what is causing the itching. I definitely don't have nits or anything either…
Anyway - I am always interested to read reviews of any beauty products and it was while I was browsing such reviews that stumbled across one for
Aveda Scalp Benefits Balancing Shampoo.
About Aveda
Aveda was created in 1978. The company makes 'high performance, botanically based' beauty products. They are also (or claim to be) environmentally friendly. They're definitely one of these ethically minded companies you hear lots about these days, as they make a big deal out of the impact the business has on the countries/people they source their ingredients from. I personally think this is a good thing - the more companies that do this the better! They use a lot of organic ingredients in their products and have seriously strict traceability systems to show where the ingredients were originally from. They use (minimum 80%) recycled plastics to make their product packaging and they actually manufacture with wind power. They are also big on raising money to help different causes (especially in poorer nations and the countries where they source their ingredients). When I got my first order, I was tickled to see that the information that came with it was printed on 100% recycled card and printed with soy ink!
What is the product? What does it do?
The principle behind Aveda Scalp Benefits Balancing Shampoo is that it cares for your scalp, giving you a healthy scalp and thus a great foundation for healthy hair to spring forth from. It cleans your hair right down to the root (if I'm not mistaken this is what all shampoos do!) and removes sebum and build-up (of products, oil etcetera) from the scalp - I think this is the more important bit.
It contains the following natural ingredients: Babassu, Burdock root, Echinacea, Sage leaf, Seabuckthorn oil, Vetiver
Price?
This is the scary bit! The product comes in two sizes - 250ml or 1litre. I brought mine from the Aveda website where the prices are as follows: 250ml costs £12.50 and the 1 litre costs £32.00 (£5 and £3.20 per 100ml respectively). Obviously buying the 1 litre is actually cheaper - although it's a lot of money to shell out in one go.
I haven't brought the larger size yet, because I am still using my first bottle, but I will be taking the plunge once this one runs out.
I don't know how the prices compare if you go to an Aveda salon, it might be worth it if you live near to a stockist because the cost of postage if you buy online is around £5 and the delivery options weren't very flexible. I think some Debenhams stores stock Aveda products, so that is always worth a look.
What's it like?
The product comes in a tall slender bottle, which is a pale semi-transparent cream/beige colour. The bottle I have got has patches of white and darker areas, which I think is due to the recycled nature of the material so the colour may vary slightly. The writing on the bottle is a light brown colour. The top of the bottle is one of those ones where you push the top in at one side, to reveal a hole through which the product flows. It is also a screw top, which is always handy when the product is running out and you need to scrape the dregs out of the bottle.
The shampoo itself is clear, but with a slightly brown colour to it. It is perfectly inoffensive and doesn't have any weird bits or glitter in it like some products!
It smells utterly heavenly (I am sniffing my hair now, to recall the scent!). It is an earthy, natural and clean smell - led mostly by the burdock. I can safely say that it is the nicest smelling shampoo I have EVER used. If you dislike all the strange artificial smells you often get with shampoo (especially hi-end salon brands) then you will like this. My boyfriend loves it too; he thinks it makes my hair smell peppery. But whatever the smell actually is - it is a clean fresh scent. It is also quite a strong smell, which lingers on the hair even after it is dry, so throughout the day you will find yourself getting little whiffs of it. I guess that if you like your hair to smell girlie and perfumed then you probably wouldn't like this shampoo as the smell is far from that; it's quite a serious smell, which personally, I love!
When using this shampoo you follow the bog-standard shampooing instructions - wet hair, apply shampoo, massage well into scalp, rinse thoroughly. It's very simple.
The shampoo lathers very well. I use an amount around the size of a 10p (my hair is just above my shoulders) but I do this twice as I find I don't get the desired lather on the first go. I have had to do this with every shampoo I have ever used though. I think it is because I try not to wash my hair too frequently (3 times a week-ish) and I use a heat protection product too, so there is probably quite a lot of build-up by the time I come to wash my hair. I think if you washed your hair every day/every other day then this shampoo would lather up massively straight away, as I find that on the second lather it always produces a very thick, rich, creamy foam. I always massage my scalp for a few minutes and using this shampoo makes me really enjoy doing it because it smells so very nice. It rinses clean very easily and leaves my hair feeling smooth and silky, even before I've applied the conditioner.
Now I always use the complimentary Aveda conditioner on my hair, so I can't say what the condition of my hair would be like if I only used the shampoo, but I can certainly tell you how good my scalp has been feeling since I began to use this shampoo! One word - amazing! The first time I used it I noticed the difference straight away and my scalp has been less itchy ever since. I've only been using the shampoo for a couple of weeks now, but my scalp is showing a vast improvement. I've noticed that I itch my scalp far less often than normal. Also my hair is definitely feeling in better condition - it's soft and healthy! I couldn't have asked for more really!
In Conclusion… I love this shampoo because:
It contains natural ingredients
It smells heavenly
It has the hair-care performance of a hi-end salon shampoo
It leaves my hair feeling beautifully clean
It leaves my scalp feeling refreshed and calm
I would certainly recommend this shampoo to anyone, even if you don't have a scalp problem! I understand that it would probably be too expensive for some people, but personally I am willing to pay for a shampoo that really performs and the fact that it has successfully soothed my scalp makes it a real winner!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
The first 'sensitive' hypoallergenic shampoo of its kind. Not medicinal or drying. With a ... more
unique blend of three extremely mild cleansing agents from coconut. Balances scalp and conditions hair with plant extracts, helping to reduce tangles and add mois...
Advantages: Cleans and conditions hair fantastically. Smells gorgeous. Made from natural ingredients. Disadvantages: Slightly more pricey than some other brands (but worth it)
Advantages: Cleans and conditions hair fantastically. Smells gorgeous. Made from natural ingredients. Disadvantages: Slightly more pricey than some other brands (but worth it)
very helpful by (96%):
helpful by (4%):
