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Back in October, when I first dove in to playing around with clean beauty, I decided to start with clean hair care. I realized that while I briefly went into how I felt about the product after using it, I never really got into why I started with hair care first. I also never talked about how hair care can be a great place to start if you’re a little overwhelmed with beauty products in general.
Why Clean Hair Care is Great Place to Start
There are definitely a lot of bonuses to starting with hair care, especially if, like me, you don’t really use that many beauty (or make up products to begin with).
It’s Easy to See Results Right Away
If something goes wrong with my hair care products, I can see the effects almost instantly. Sometimes within a few days, at most. I remember once when I had to borrow a friends shampoo and it left my hair feeling like a clump of wax. It was gross. So I knew that if I tried out shampoo and conditioner, I would be able to tell if something was off right away.
You May Already Be Used to Switching It Up
With some skincare and make up products, some people find what they like and stick with it forever. But I’ve noticed that people are a little more willing to change out their shampoo and conditioner. Especially if the one you’re using stops showing the same results or starts causing build up. I had already changed up my shampoo and conditioner a few times in the last year, so this wasn’t a big deal.
You know your hair
Another thing I’ve noticed? People who aren’t as into makeup sometimes know a lot more about their hair and hair care. And there’s nothing wrong with that! It also means that again, you’ll notice if the product doesn’t work as well, right away.
Hair Grows Back
Finally, HAIR GROWS BACK. Not that anything major or disastrous is going to happen. But that bad hair cut in 8th grade? Well it grew out. Also, that product that you put in your hair three years ago? Well, when it didn’t work, you washed it out and it was fine. So I knew that if this shampoo and conditioner didn’t work, no harm, no foul. I would switch back to my old one. Plus, Beautycounter does free returns (ON OPEN PRODUCTS) for up to 60 days. So literally, no money lost on the experiment.
What I Learned About Clean Hair Care
The Products Look Exactly the Same
Seriously. See that picture above? The one on the right is the clean conditioner and the one on the left is the not clean conditioner. They look exactly the same. Okay, with the exception of the fact that I accidentally squeezed out a little more of the clean conditioner, my bad.
It’s not clean shampoo means you have to put some weird paste in your hair. Nope. It looks exactly like the products you’re already using.
It Works Exactly The Same
Yup. I’m still using the product about six months since I started and my hair hasn’t gotten worse. It’s pretty much maintained the status quo from when I switched. I even went to my hair dresser part way through and he didn’t notice any difference.
My hair is just as soft, just as shiny, and can still go just as long between washes as it did before with the help of dry shampoo. I wasn’t expecting any major shift and I didn’t want it. All I wanted was to maintain my current hair and that was exactly what happened.
I Haven’t Increased How Often I’m Buying Products
If you think this is the part where I tell you that I’m spending a lot more money on shampoo and conditioner, you’re wrong. I started using the bottles in mid-August and I haven’t had to buy new bottles yet. You don’t need to use that much product per use, so I’m not going through bottles that quickly. I’ve also been able to extend my time between washes, so I’m really only washing my hair once or twice a week.
I can’t say with confidence that I’m saving money or give you an exact amount because I don’t remember how often I was buying shampoo and conditioner. But it at least feels like I’m not buying it as often (because, well, I haven’t bought any in a while!).
So if it looks the same and acts the same…is there a point to switching to clean hair care?
YES!
The information on the internet is confusing when it comes to shampoo and conditioner.
Oh my god. You can get such clear information when it comes to make up and skin care, but when it comes to shampoo? Everything feels outdated. While clean beauty is getting big when it comes to make up and skin care, the world is moving slowly when it comes to hair care.
BUT the companies who are doing it, are providing tons of information about clean hair care.
When I tried to look up more information about the ingredients for non-clean beauty shampoos and conditioners, all they gave me was marketing language and a long confusing list of ingredients. Plus, when I went to research those ingredients, I hit that problem above.
But when I went to look up the different ingredients in clean shampoos and conditioners, those companies were willing and able to break down and explain each of the ingredients in their products. They didn’t want to hide behind a long list of products. These companies know that what they put in their products is safe for consumers. I’m all about transparencies in brands (that’s why I love Everlane) and shopping clean hair care brands makes me feel safer about what I’m putting into my hair.
Yes, I’m using Beautycounter for my hair care, but there are so many other clean brands out there that you can check out too!
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