Soul Tree Travel Size Samples Preview

Before starting the post, I would like to state that this is just a preview post as I know many of you are waiting to hear my views on the Soul Tree shampoo. Also, these are only sample sizes which I have tried out so I am not doing a full review. So, let's start :)

Soul Tree Indian Rose with Cooling Vetiver Shower Gel

I totally liked it. It smells really nice in sort of a natural way. I don't think I really felt any cooling but it didn't leave my skin stretched or dry. The sample was small so I could get only 4-5 uses out of it. My dad also tried it once and said it was ok. Worth trying out!!

Soul Tree Triphala with Conditioning Henna Hair Repair Shampoo

I have a full size product of this so a detailed review will come sometime in first or second week of October. But, for now, I would say that it does leave the hair soft and shiny and doesn't let it frizz much. But, I think this shampoo is for oily or normal hair and not for dry. 

Soul Tree Licorice, Shikakai & Bhringraj with nourishing Coconut oil Shampoo

This I thought would be more suitable for dry hair. But, otherwise, pretty much the same. 

Now, a small point on both shampoos which I am not yet clear of - the triphala one didn't remove oil at all when I used it for the first time but the trick I found out eventually is that leave the shampoo on for 2 minutes and it cleanses really well. Since they do not have SLS/SLES, the product probably takes a little time to cleanse the oil (totally my theory!!). So, if you are a beauty who loves to oil her hair regularly, make sure you keep the shampoo on the hair for 2-3 minutes before washing off. And, don't worry, that doesn't dry out the hair at all :) 

Rest of the details, you can ask in the comments section and I shall definitely try to put more detail and experience in my detailed review. This post has been put up only because I have finished up all the samples.

Use SLS-free shampoo for hair growth {Tip of the Day}

This is a tip from a lady I came across recently. She told me about her hair story - how she had excessive hair fall and she consulted two doctors one after another and had been on various medicines and nothing worked out for her. And, finally, she simply changed her shampoo to Meera hair powder and her hair is now a lot healthier than it was. She also said that since she has switched, her hair has grown out a lot on its own. So, is it that may be the SLS shampoos are actually impeding the hair growth? Sounds too paranoid!!

Anyways, I have ordered the Soul Tree shampoo. I am yet to receive it. I did place quite a large order this time and shall be sharing it when I receive the products!! And, I am desperately waiting for the products to be delivered. The Kamini shampoo is good but I don't really appreciate the fact of not knowing the actual ingredients. And, also, that shampoo dries out my hair  and scalp sometimes. So, I would like to switch to a more comfortable brand. I am just hoping that this would be the shampoo for me :)

Image Courtesy:copperlotuscosmetics.com

SLS / SLES in Lush {Ingredient}

If you are a brand conscious and ingredient conscious consumer, you would have noticed that the solid shampoos of Lush have SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) as one of their ingredients. I was a little disappointed with this revelation as I had put hopes on Lush for being a SLS-savior on the shampoo front for me. Then, later on, in one of the sites I had read a comment by the reader. She said that she was told by the Lush sales girl that the SLS used in Lush products is natural. Now, I was boggled by that statement and did some research on that.

SLS and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulphate) are chemical products and not vegan or organic ingredients. Though both SLS and SLES are derived from coconut or palm oils, they have to be reacted with sulphuric acid and ethylene oxide respectively. So, comparatively SLES is a gentler ingredient of the two but when ever SLES is used, you would generally find another ingredient in the list called 'Cocamidopropyl Betaine' which is used to make the SLES even more milder so as to reduce irritation due to the ingredient. (source) 

I have checked two or three products which list SLES as their ingredients and have found Betaine to be another of their ingredients. And, regarding the usage of SLS / SLES in Lush, I had sent a mail to the US office regarding my concern and this is their response:

Thank you for writing to us.  We use sodium lauryl sulfate in our solid shampoos, and we do not consider this ingredient to be a natural one. Although it does originate from coconut materials, it does undergo some changes which deem it a synthetic material by our view.

We do list our full ingredients on our website, in our stores, and in our catalogue, and we aim to be as transparent as possible so that our customers can select products they feel comfortable with. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I’d be glad to help!

So, next time you go to a Lush store and find these ingredients, please note that there is nothing natural about SLS / SLES and not all products in Lush are vegan coz they have parabens and other chemicals too. And this is not a bad thing at all.

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo {Product Review}

I am a big fan of the skin care line by Biotique but the hair care line is more of hit and trial. I have used the Biotique Musk Root and it was fab. I have bought the Henna powder but did not use it yet. And, I also have the Watercress Conditioner which is amazing and I also bought the Mountain Ebony Hair Serum which I am not sure I like or not. The shampoos overall have not impressed me at all. I have used the Green Apple, Walnut Bark, Soya Protein and Kelp (which I am reviewing). And, none of the shampoos have really impressed me. The reason I bought Kelp was that it doesn't have any SLS as opposed to all other shampoos which has SLS.

Price: 159 INR for the bigger bottle

Ingredients

click for enlarged view

My Experience

This is probably one of the few shampoos in the market which doesn't have SLS in it. So, I was very much attracted to the product. But, unfortunately, my experience with the shampoo wasn't so great. It did clean my hair thoroughly but left it feeling squashed and limp and I wasn't at all satisfied. It felt a little rough and dry too. I am not sure it will suit oily hair coz I think it will leave it looking completely limp. So, overall a disappointment!! I also wanna get rid of the shampoo (any takers :D).

My Recommendation

I would not recommend any of the Biotique shampoo to any one. Their masks and scrubs are amazing but the shampoos are not at all good. A sad thing for me to say coz I really love the brand!!!