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Sunday 8 March 2015

A Month of The Body Shop Shampoo and Conditioner- The Results.

Hello!
I haven't written a blog post in a looooooong time, partly due to starting a new job working more hours but the main reason is because I wanted to do a proper trial on a couple of products to test their effectiveness over time. In particular, I wanted to try some more 'pure' forms of Shampoo and Conditioner and the period of time I tested them was just over a month.

For a long time I have read and heard about all the bad chemicals such as Silicones and Parabens in hair products, and how these can impact the health and appearance of your hair. 
I have never really changed my hair routine or products much, mainly due to the cost of specialist hair products that don't include these ingredients. I have used the Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Shampoo, it is lovely but I just can't get along with the smell. To me it smells like hand wash and leaves the hair feeling a little odd. It also didn't add a great deal of moisture to my hair. I do like it as a clarifying shampoo though (if I can try and ignore the smell).

I have quite frizzy, dry hair to which I used to have to add multiple products in an effort to add moisture and shine (mountains of conditioner, hair masks, hair butter, oils). I tended to gravitate towards Dove products after trying many different brands, which would appear to temporarily maintain the frizz but over time it left my hair dry, lifeless and frizzier than ever. I wash my hair every other day which may be seen as a little too frequent as I know leaving it longer improves the condition of hair (like Kim K who is rumored to wash it every four days!) but I hate leaving it.

I have used the Body Shop Hair Butter (£3.00) and always quite liked it. I would quite often pop in to see if their Rainforest Moisture Shampoo and Rainforest Moisture Conditioner were on offer (£4.50 each for 250ml). At the end of January there was a big event at The Body Shop, with members receiving 30% off products. I wasn't a member but I decided to join up and take the plunge. I purchased the Shampoo and the Conditioner and received a free gift of an Almond Hand wash, which I quite enjoy using (win!).

I was told by the assistant in The Body Shop not to expect the Shampoo to lather up too much because the only reason other Shampoos do is because of all the chemicals within them. 
The Body Shop Shampoo and Conditioner were easy to use. When using the shampoo I found it easiest follow the instructions on the bottle and squeeze it into your hand, add water to it and rub between your hands to create a little lather before putting it into your hair. I started using these products on the 26th of January and have been using these until the present day (8th March). Here are the Pros and Cons of using these particular hair products;
Cons- 
  • The shampoo in particular is very thick and the nozzle is only small, the consistency like syrup is quite tricky to squeeze out. 
  • I found the shampoo (I am assuming it was the shampoo as I worked this into the roots of the hair) did tend to build up a bit and leave the hair occasionally a bit thick with a greasy texture even after washing it out a couple of times
  • The Body Shop Shampoo and Conditioner cost £4.50 each. My normal Dove Shampoo when it's not on offer, costs £3.99 which isn't a huge difference but it is cheaper. Especially when my normal Dove Shampoo is on offer which is frequently is, for £1.97. However, I had to use more of the Dove product to try to add moisture to my hair and so I would have to frequently repurchase these products. This ends up costing more than the amount of The Body Shop products I would buy (and achieve a better end result with).
Pros-
  • I love the smell of these but of course, it is down to the individual whether or not they like the scent as I can't speak for everyone's smell preference.
  • Within a couple of weeks I found a noticeable improvement in the quality of my hair, I had less frizz and the products increased the shine in my hair.
  • My hair is now looking and feeling much more healthy.
  • My hair is now much more manageable and I even enjoy styling it! 
  • I actually ended up spending LESS money on my shampoo and conditioner because of the consistency of the shampoo in particular. It is very thick and so is quite a challenge to squeeze out a large amount. Therefore, I only used and needed a small amount which has meant I haven't had to re-purchase as many times as my usual drugstore brands. 
  • Now I am a Body Shop member I get 10% off anything I buy in store so I can save 10% on these hair products. However, becoming a member involved paying £5 for the year. I am hoping the savings I will make over time and the freebies and offers (I was informed I will receive) will be worth this.


These pictures may not seem that ground- breaking to many but for my hair to look this shiny and not covered in a wall of crazy frizz is so refreshing for me

A bit of life has been injected back into my hair, it looks and feels healthier and is easier to style. I will continue to use these hair products but I may have to use a clarifying shampoo from time to time to try to avoid product build up.

I hope this has been useful for you, if you have any affordable but effective Shampoo or Conditioner recommendations, please share! Everyone likes to save money and still have delicious hair. Likewise, if there is another product you'd like me to review over the course of a month I would be happy to give it a go!

Thanks,

Rosie xx