Organic/Natural Shampoo/Hair care that WORKS?

[Blackstone]

Hello everyone!

Okay, so I admit it. I'm a vain treehugger. For the past several months I've been on a rather financially draining quest to find a new set of organic/natural/healthy style shampoo and conditioners. My trials haven't born much fruit however. Ever since switching to natural/organic haircare I've found the quality lacking - My hair is harder to wash, maybe not as soft, and tangles easier. A few products seem to be oily, and I seem to be breaking or pulling out more hair with just about all of them. Some seem to make my hair more wavy.

Can anyone suggest shampoo/condition that makes their hair silky, smooth, and untangled? For reverence I'm a white-ish male with long-ish hair (down past my collar or so). The following are a few of the brands I've tried - most all of them have been for normal hair, which is what I used to use with conventional hair products.

Burt's Bees (grapefruit) - Very "heavy", hard to lather up, and seems sticky or tacky. Hair is hard to control, becomes wavy.
Giovanni (Tea tree variant) - One of the better ones I've used. Still not "as good" as conventional.
Desert Essence (Apple variant) - Horrible. Smells nice, that's about it.
John Masters Organics - Probably the best organic line I've used. Costs a FORTUNE at Whole Foods in my region ($20 a bottle).
Dr. Hauska - Smells nice, makes my hair a bit stringy.
Dr. Bronner's Organic (unscented) - Technically this is soap, not shampoo. Makes my hair feel stringy sometimes, hard to manage, and wavy. Maybe another scent would be better somehow. The conditioning rinse seems totally ineffective, and the styling/leave in conditioner gives a greasy look.

Anyone have ideas? I'm starting to believe that all of the "nasty stuff" really is pivotal in making hair soft and manageable. If there's anything else I should consider, please let me know. Thanks.

[spring]

http://www.jrliggett.com/what/original.html

Related:
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com

[adiadasman]

Right now I am using Nature's Gate Tea Tree scented shampoo. It seems to leave my hair in the same shape as normal shampoo, but I also have much shorter hair than you, so I may not notice a difference as easily. I also noticed that there are a few ingredients on the label that look like they may be petro based, I haven't gotten a chance to google them yet. May be worth at least looking into though.

[Blackstone]

Right now I am using Nature's Gate Tea Tree scented shampoo. It seems to leave my hair in the same shape as normal shampoo, but I also have much shorter hair than you, so I may not notice a difference as easily. I also noticed that there are a few ingredients on the label that look like they may be petro based, I haven't gotten a chance to google them yet. May be worth at least looking into though.

In regards to Nature's Gate, I THINK they may be part of the faux "Oasis Certification" program. Read more here. http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycar ... ults08.cfm

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm

I have a problem when they start labeling things organic and charging accordingly, despite it still having items in it that would be banned under USDA Organic specifications

Thanks for all your ideas though.

[Applette]

I went on a similar quest a few years ago. I feel your pain, it was an expensive process for me as well.

Ended up test driving some Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioners and was sold.

They have a very wide range of shampoos and conditioners for all types of hair...you may want to give them a try.

http://www.aubrey-organics.com/spec_pro ... ir_cat.cfm

I found they were the only brand that did not cause my scalp to itch and flake.

[darchitect2]

I use "Jason" Tea Tree Oil Scalp Normalizing Shampoo. (jason-natural.com)

$7.50 by me-- it works fine. But I have short hair and wash it every other day (partly to help reduce my guilt for not getting a tankless water heater) so I would not be the best judge.

[NinaBee]

I've had the same problem.. was using Aubrey Organics but it really dried my hair out, then used Giovanni but then saw this info see link below

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycar ... 080314.pdf

My hair is looking not so good usually it's shiny and dark, but getting worse with each new product...
John Masters will be next on my list.

[Frixxy]

I use a shampoo called Yes to Carrots which I found at all places, Walgreen's. I don't think it's certified organic, but it does use natural ingredents. It's made of Dead Sea mud & water, sweet almond oil, olive oil, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, melon, orange, honey, other stuff I can't remember, and of course carrots. I love it and my hair is shiny and soft (and a little less frizzy )

http://www.yes-to-carrots.com/index.htmlYes to Carrots Homepage

[mollyh]

I just started using JASON rosewater shampoo and haven't had any downside with it. I have very baby-fine, long hair and use Biolage detangling solution on it after. Biolage is not natural in the list, but it helps me get a comb through my hair!

Don't get too hung up on lather; it's not a mark of how clean your hair will be and it comes from some nasty ingredients.

You might want to try the "no poo" solution using baking soda and vinegar. I've never tried, but if you Google it, you will find lots of passionate believers!

[s30lee]

My wife has been using this as a starting point of some of her research towards greener and less toxic shampoos, as well as other products:

First, links to other products:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/

Next, a link to discussion of what you can look for to have/avoid in shampoos and why, as well as some products to check out:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/pr ... html?id=40

If you haven't checked out the green guide website and magazine, there's some handy info available!

Hope that helps.

[ccrrccrr]

For conditioners see this instructable for instructions for making your own super cheap eco-friendly conditioner, and for a good discussion in the comments of using aloe.

[ChickenBun]

i used avalon organics in tea tree oil for a while
that seemed to work well for me
my hair wasn't dry or more frizzy than normal

curently using giovanni tea tree oil
i really like the way it makes my hair look and feel
plus, the shampoo feels like an altoid on my scalp

[Tripholiada]

Hey!

I can completely relate to you. I bought JASON shampoo (should be like 8 dollars for 16 ounces (more expensive than i would like to pay but not many alternatives)

The reasons to chose this are....

No Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates (these are the chemicals like 99% of all shampoos have (its what makes the lather stuff)

passing this link on to you, good hair care tips...

http://community.livejournal.com/longhair/815649.html

[Sandi_O]

Try the "Jason" line of products. My husband and I have both been very please with their "regular" line of products. They are reasonably priced and require only small amounts to work. We both have short, fine hair. Mine's wavy, his is straight. Available at our health food store as well as Central Market.

[lizdehart]

Lush Shampoo bars are great and almost eliminate package waste.

http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/catz ... d=Haircare