Above and beyond shampoo
 May 3rd, 2001
(May 20th, 2003)
Advantages:
Suitable for all hair types, leaves hair feeling soft and shiny, helps to improve the condition, 1 litre bottle size is good value for money
Disadvantages:
Not widely available on the high street
Recommendable:
Yes
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Member since:04.10.2000
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Review rated by 59 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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Have you ever fancied washing your hair with an aroma-therapeutic blend of twenty five pure flower and plant essences? Well, if you use Aveda’s best selling shampoo 'Shampure' then this is exactly what you will be doing. I am a big fan of the Aveda range of shampoos and conditioners and, since I was introduced to Shampure a few years ago, it has become one of my favourite shampoos.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Background ~
For those of you unfamiliar with them, Aveda is an American company and manufactures a premier range of salon quality products and exclusive blends. They work on the principles of 'Aromacology' which is 'The art and science of pure flower and plant essences' and are very environmentally friendly and aware. They are constantly trying to reduce the amount of synthetics and petrochemicals used in their packaging and products and use a high percentage of naturally occurring plant and flower extracts. Although here in the UK, Aveda are best known for manufacturing haircare products, they also have a wide range of skin and bodycare, make-up and even vitamins to help to promote a healthy body and lifestyle.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Why is Shampure so special? ~
Along with some other premium brands, Aveda have manufactured a shampoo which can be used on all hair types - dry and brittle; greasy; fine; out-of-condition or normal to name a few.
Shampure contains Coconut Oil rather than a synthetic detergent to produce the lather and also has plant proteins to replace the moisture as it cleanses the impurities and grime from the surface of the hair. As it is protein enriched, with regular use it can strengthen hair and make it less susceptible to breaking and splitting. Aveda do not used petrochemicals in their haircare products and so Shampure will not coat the hair in silicon-type substances and thus won’t give it a greasy sheen or make it feel lank and unwashed after a few hours.
Some of the ingredients in Shampure’s unique blend include: rosemary, lavender, aloe vera, avocado and ylang ylang and it has a wonderful aroma. Personally it reminds me of a mixture of cherry with a hint of lemon but it is a fragrance that is quite difficult to describe. ~~~~~~~~~~
~ Can it be used for those with sensitive skin or flaky scalp? ~ For those of you with a sensitive scalp, ingredients such as Aloe Vera may help to calm it down and thus few reactions should occur (however as each person reacts differently then it is always worth doing a patch test first if you have allergies or extremely sensitive skin). As it does not irritate the scalp, it should not over-stimulate it and for those with greasy hair, shouldn’t lead to more secretion of sebum to the roots of the hair.
If you have a flaky scalp this may be due to a number of things, one of which could be a fungal infection that may need treatment with a medical shampoo. Shampure is safe to use on this but, as it doesn’t have any anti-fungal agents, it may not clear it up and thus medical help and a specific anti-fungal shampoo (eg from the doctor or pharmacist) may be needed. However, if the flaky scalp is due to sensitivity to another shampoo, then you may find that after using Shampure a few times then this might help clear it as there are fewer synthetic ingredients used in this than in other formulations which you might find in your local chemist or supermarket.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~ If it is such a wonder product then it must be expensive? ~
Well, yes, I have to admit that the Aveda range is on the expensive side when you compare it to the shampoos that you find in your local Boots or Superdrug. It is available to buy in selected House of Fraser, Debenham’s and Fenwick stores around the country. You can also buy it from QVC (Sky Digital Channel 630) and the website Look Fantastic (www.lookfantastic.com). Prices vary but expect to pay £6.50-£7.50 for a 250ml bottle. You may also be able to get a 50ml trial size for around £2 from some of the department stores mentioned above. As you can see, it is significantly more expensive than other shampoos on the market, but I have personally found that once you have tried it and like it, then it is worthwhile buying the Salon Size bottle (one litre) which costs around £21-£22.
By purchasing this size, it can actually work out more economical in the long run when you compare it on a 'price per 100ml basis' as it means that 100ml only costs £2.10 when you buy this size. Comparing this to regular brands of shampoo which may cost £2.99 -£3.99 for a bottle (150-250ml) means that Shampure compares well. However, not everyone is willing to pay this for a shampoo so it might be worth looking out for sales or special offers (QVC is particularly good for this) or, if you are in one of the department stores and ask the assistant nicely, they might give you a sample to use for one or two washes so that you can try it out before committing yourself to a big bottle.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Does it really work? ~
Well, I can only speak for myself and my mother who both use it but we are very pleased with the results achieved. This was the first Aveda shampoo that I purchased and, after only using it for a few weeks I found my long hair to be much softer, shinier and brighter looking. Although my hair was out-of-condition with plenty of split ends, my hairdresser noticed an improvement in the overall condition of my hair, especially at the roots - and this was from using Shampure in combination with my ordinary conditioner. Nowadays, I also use an Aveda conditioner and, although I still dye my hair every so often and use heated styling products, it is still in great condition and I have very few problems with split ends despite the length of my hair. Of course, I do go to the hairdresser’s regularly for a trim to prevent split ends from occurring but my hair is definitely not as dry, brittle and frizzy as it was before I started using Aveda products.
Now I’m not saying that if you buy this shampoo you will get the hair of your dreams, just that both myself and my mother had great results with it and the rest of the Aveda range. We both have pretty thick, strong hair and perhaps we were just lucky that Shampure (and an Aveda conditioner) was able to bring it back to a manageable state but it certainly worked for both of us. ~~~~~~~~~~
~ Why should I buy it? ~ If you feel that your hair is in need of that extra boost or perhaps you find that your old shampoo is not doing its job properly then you might want to buy a small trial size to see if it makes a difference.
Perhaps if you are going somewhere special and want to look your best, then investing in a salon quality shampoo might make your hair look that little bit more shiny and healthy. Or maybe you just want an all purpose shampoo that every member of the family (including young children) can use regardless of their hair type. As I’ve said before, a one litre salon size costs around £21 and I purchased my last bottle about six months ago. Although I probably only use it twice a week (I like to use other Aveda shampoos as well), there still isn’t any sign of reaching the end of it and thus, for me, the large size works out to be very good value for money.
I would say that for a family of four it will probably last around four or five months. This seems quite a long time but you only need a small amount to get a lather - even if you have long hair like I have. (One small thing to point out is that Aveda shampoos do lather up but not as much as some cheaper ones due to the lack of synthetic detergent used. Remember your shampoo doesn’t need to create a lot of soapy lather to cleanse the hair). ~~~~~~~~~~
~ My final thoughts ~ I cannot praise this product enough as I personally have seen a difference in my hair since I have been using it. Although expensive, I do feel that it is definitely worth it for me and would recommend it to anyone.
And as it says in the bottle, it truly is 'above and beyond shampoo'. ~~~~~~~~~~
For more information:
Aveda UK
7 Munton Road
London
SE15 1PR
Tel: 020 74101600 (for details of stockists around the country)
www.aveda.com (for explanations about the range of products. Based in USA)
www.lookfantastic.com (sell a variety of products)
QVC channel 630 on Sky Digital (Note: Aveda products are not available on QVC’s website).
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27.08.2007 09:51
Detailed, informative and entertaining review. Their hair products really are a pleasure to use, aren't they...
07.08.2007 11:16
Im really eager to try this but i buy that much i feel like i need an excuse! Its annoying that they dont have their products on QVCs website as their returns policy if it doesnt suit is excellent x
13.10.2003 21:24
I'm willing to spend that bit more on my hair if the product works, and this sounds great. x