Beautynomics – The Economics of Vanity » Blog Archive » Organic Love : The Body Shop Rainforest Hair Care Range

The Body Shop’s Rainforest Hair Care piqued my interest in an instant – why? It’s because with the very sensitive condition of my scalp right now, I was advised by my dermatologist to try to pinpoint which ingredient my scalp gets the irritation from. I noticed that alot of commercial shampoos tend to make my scalp itchy and make it break out like hell, so now, my scalp is very much in peace with Physiogel – achingly expensive ( P 700+ for a bottle, ack! ), but keeps my scalp calm.

Okay, going back – my scalp cannot tolerate too much synthetic stuff ( what is happening to me!!! ), that I have also found good solace with organic shampoos. When The Body Shop sent me samples of their new rainforest hair care range, I was most interested to have them for a roadtest.

The Body Shop Rainforest Hair Care line claims that it has no silicones, no sulphates, no colourants, and no parabens. The Rainforest Hair Care range uses the pracaxi oil as its star ingredient,

Sourced from the seed of the pracaxi tree which grows organically in the Amazonian rainforest, a few drops of this oil turn even the most difficult hair into manageable, shiny strands, boosting softness when hair is both wet and dry, helping you style and comb your hair easily. Pracaxi oil is also 100% natural, bio-degradable, organic, non-irritant, and doesn’t have a ‘build-up effect’ on hair – it’s the perfect alternative to hair weighed down or coated in silicones. Using non-timber products from the Amazon region, such as pracaxi oil, can help protect trees, wildlife and biodiversity.

This hair care range is the very first from The Body Shop to carry its unique ‘eco-conscious’ product symbol. To meet ecological standards, each product has been carefully formulated and tested to be non-toxic to organisms that live in water, readily biodegradable, and use minimal packaging. So you can look and feel your best, knowing that products with this symbol meet the highest eco-conscious The Body Shop standards. You may even notice a difference versus more conventional hair care products, as you enjoy gorgeous hair without the addition of silicones, colourants, or even parabens!

The Body Shop Rainforest Hair Care Range comes in Balance ( for oily hair ), Radiance ( for colour-treatd hair ), Moisture ( for dry hair ), and Shine ( for normal to dry hair ). I deemed my hair dry and damaged, so I picked up the Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner up for a roadtest!

Organic shampoos don’t lather alot, so as indicated at the back of the bottle, it is most suggested to get some product onto your palm, and add some water as you try to lather it up ( you can only do so much haha! ) and start shampooing your hair. I actually found that technique more efficient than my regular just-dumping-the-shampoo-on-the-hair before lather-ing. As I washed it off, my hair seemed stiff and unyielding. Well, that’s how organic shampoos really work, that I’ve gotten used to it – no artificial smootheners.

After that, I used the Rainforest Moisture Conditioner on my hair. It didn’t glide smoothly on my wet hair, but I still managed to distribute it all over my hair, except for the scalp ( of course! ). Rinsing it after a few minutes, I still did not feel that my hair was softer with the conditioner, but it softened just a little bit.

Non-organic haircare users might whine and complain on why there is not much ( or worse, no ) lather from the shampoo, and not much slippery-feel on the hair from the conditioner, but this is what organic products are – devoid of synthetic fragrances and chemicals that make everything perfect for us. Going on, I only saw the full effect of the Rainforest shampoo & conditioner when my hair was fully dry – my hair was actually glossier, shinier than before, and the softness was just natural and comforting!

What’s different with The Body Shop Rainforest Hair Care products, specially the shampoo and conditioner as compared with other organic shampoos and conditioners, are that they dry into a shiny, and smooth finish, whereas whenever my scalp would break out and I’d be forced to use organic hair products, I’d have to compromise my calmed down scalp with the effect of normal organic shampoos – they’d make my hair unusually poofy and not so smooth-looking, and even make my hair lacklustre. With The Body Shop Rainforest Shampoo & Conditioner, the discomfort only happens upon rinsing, feeling that hair is still not so soft. Upon drying, it’s totally a different story – I actually love how my hair looks, above everything! Yay!

Well, for organic lovers out there, I really would recommend this line for you to try! You’d get to have soft and shiny hair without compromising with synthetic ingredients for results!