19 April 2011

Product reviews: Avalon Organics and Soft & Beautiful

Time for this much awaited product review! Here goes...

So, I finally decided to purchase a shampoo from Jenn's Health and I settled on the (drum roll please) - Avalon Organics Tea Tree Mint Scalp Treatment Shampoo. I then went to a second beauty supplies store, Diamond Girl where the Soft & Beautiful 3-in-1 Botanical Oil came highly recommended  by one of the assistants, Marcia, who is also a hairdresser.

Soft & Beautiful - Beauty...but with Paraffinum Liquidum



Target group: women and men with dry hair

Description: provides brilliant and lustrous sheen to dull, dry hair or severely damaged hair. The natural and refreshing oil: Helps control frizz, revitalizes hair without weighing it down, for beautiful results every time. This oil can also be used for moisturizing dry skin. Also, recommended for manicures, pedicures and massages.

Ingredients: Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Lanolin Oil (Lanolin), Tocopherol, Cetyl Dimethicone Copolyol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bht, Fragrance (Parfum). 

Cost: $12 


Length of use so far: Just over 3 weeks

Insight: This product line is not new to me. When I had relaxed hair, I used on a repeated basis the Soft & Beautiful Botanicals 3-in-1 dry scalp Treatment. Not because of any real problem, but I liked it lightness, scent and manageability on my hair.

Reasons for purchase: To keeps locs moisturized and to add shine.


Even as I stood with the bottle in my hand, my mind took me back to my post on Mineral oil. But, the more bottles of hair oil I looked at, the less convinced I became that I'd actually find one without Mineral oil. What sold me in talking with Marcia, the assistant in the store, was when she said that it would not stay on my locs the way other oils will; and, that she used it PERSONALLY! So, I took her at her word. This has been just over three weeks now since I began using this product and I am pleased with what I see. 

Likes: It does not sit on my hair like the JML Sproil does. I like its light sweet scent. The Botanicals 3-in-1 Oil may not tingle like the JML - which I had been using for sometime - but, I don't have that "greasy hair" feeling I had with the  JML. Nor, have I been having as excessively oily pillowcases as before.


Decision: Will complete this current bottle.




Avalon Organics Tea Tree Mint Treatment Shampoo


Target group: Men and women with itchy scalp

Description: Fortified with a vitalizing elixir of tea tree, peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary to clean and treat the scalp, as well as to help protect against dry, itchy or flaky scalp.

Ingredients: No parabens, no sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate.
Purified water, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium cocoyl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, vegetable glycerine, organic malaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, jojoba oil, organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil, eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, panthenol (pro-vitamin B-5) and the list goes on.


Cost: $14


Insight: This product really sold itself to me as it has an extensive and natural cast of ingredients which promote healthy hair. For example: tea tree, rosemary, jojoba oil and aloe.


Likes: The deep cleaning feel from the mint and eucalyptus.
            The smell - was invigorating actually.


Dislikes: Sadly, it left my hair too dry. Way too dry. I thought it would have done more to help me with my very itchy scalp, as I used it two weeks after I'd gotten my hair relocked. To me, it has not. I did not like the way my hair felt. I did not follow up with a conditioner, but, personally I don't think it should have mattered. I am aware that sometimes the combination of EO's maybe too much for some hair textures. And also that overuse might have adverse effects. But, I know the latter does not apply in this situation for me. I'm not even too sure if to bother with a second try - I mean money doesn't grow on trees, and in these trying times, it's going to be a sin for me to toss this. Think I'll put in the bathroom cupboard :) until I decide if to take it to the shop and have my loctician us it on my hair. Or, just give it away to someone else who may have better luck using it. 


Have you ever tried this product? How was your experience?
Leave us your comments.
Gracias, chicas y chicos!


Besos,


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2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this review I think I'll try the soft and beautiful botanicals I've been considering it for a while this tipped me over to actually doing it! What shampoos do you recommend for natural hair that is also natural in ingredients...? Could you do a review on a few? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi! You are most welcome, glad that I could help.

    There are many products out there that are free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, mineral oil and petrolatum.

    I wish you had left more information about yourself like your name and which country you reside in. If you do reside in Barbados, sadly, many of these products are not sold here.

    When I do a review, I purchase the products with my own money (except the TROPICAL ROOTS LINE AS I WAS SPONSORED/SENT BY THE COMPANY FOR ME TO REVIEW). I prefer to try the products so I can truly inform persons of what the experience was really like. But, don't fear! :) :) I will see what I can do for you.

    But, Ai, if you see this, please drop me a comment or let me know where you live and depending on that information, I will work to suit. Thank you very much though for your feedback, I really appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete

Hi there! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I enjoy having your feedback. Please check back to see how others have shared on this post.

Besos,

Tasha