*Giveaway now closed*
Bet you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you? Nope, just held off a couple days to include the giveaway with my next to last hair challenge update...Not sure what I'm talking about? Catch up on my 6-week Curly Hair Challenge.
As I enter the last week of my 6-week curly hair challenge, my mind is shifting to the reintroduction of my hair and shampoo. If the idea is to eliminate shampoos containing harsh sulfates and silicones, here is the list of ingredients to avoid (Be warned, it's going to look like a scary chemistry exam):
Sulfates (in shampoos)
Alkylbenzene Sulfonate, Ammonium laureth or lauryl sulfate, Ammonium or Sodium Xlenesulfonate Sodium, C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, Sodium laureth, myreth or lauryl sulfate, Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, TEA dodecylbenaensulfonate, Ethyl PEG 15 cocamine sulfate, Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
Silicones (in conditioners)
Cetearyl methicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Amodimethicone (in combination with Trideceth-12 & Cetrimonium Chloride), Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
I know, that list looks completely overwhelming. And when you start looking at the ingredients list on your shampoo bottle, it'll set your mind spinning. But it's worth it! Let me give you a much shorter list of ingredients that are safe (or at least safer) to use on your curly hair...
Shampoos
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocobetaine, Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamphodipropionate, Disodium cocoamphodiacetate, cocoamphodipropionate, Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Conditioners
Dimethicone Copolyol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane, Lauryl Methicone copolyol
So what am I going to use next week when I go back to shampoo? Well, I'm definitely not going back to my old stand-by, VO5
. It's got nearly every no-no ingredient on the list. I've had good luck with Biolage
in the past, but their shampoos also are high in sulfates. I read great reviews of a brand called Jason
and their shampoos follow the good ingredient guidelines fairly closely, but my research has found their conditioners to stray completely in the opposite direction.
. It's got nearly every no-no ingredient on the list. I've had good luck with Biolagein the past, but their shampoos also are high in sulfates. I read great reviews of a brand called Jason
and their shampoos follow the good ingredient guidelines fairly closely, but my research has found their conditioners to stray completely in the opposite direction.For now I've settled on Aubrey Organics Balancing Shampoo It doesn't have a flashy label and no flowery fragrance, but there are no chemical name in the ingredients list and that impresses me. Other natural hair-cleaning lines with good ingredients are: Desert Essences
, Kinky Curly, and SheaMoisture
.
, Kinky Curly, and SheaMoisture. My 6-week hair challenge may be nearly over, but I also feel like it's just the beginning of learning for me. I'm committed to using healthier shampoos and healthier styling products as well. Make sure you come back on Monday when I'll reveal our "after" photos and wrap up the hair challenge with our final thoughts!
Now, finally, today's giveaway:
Now, finally, today's giveaway:
Giveaway Items:
Curly Hair Care Package:
1 Bottle Aubrey Organics Shampoo,
1 Bottle Aubrey Organics Conditioner,
1 Bottle Aubrey Organics Conditioner,
1Wide-Tooth Comb, 1 Microfiber Towel
Giveaway Information:
1 winner will receive entire package
Contest will begin at 4:01 PM (MST) on Thursday, December 8, 2011
and end at 10:00PM(MST) on Monday, December 12, 2011.
Giveaway open to U.S. residents only
Entry Options:
~Mandatory Entry~
Browse my Curly Hair Challenge posts and leave a blog post comment here about something you've learned.
~Optional Extra Entries(Leave a comment for each extra entry)~
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