Product Review: Andalou Naturals Full Volume Conditioner With Lavender and Biotin
If you were to judge me by the current state of my shower caddy you might be inclined to call me a hoarder. Someone even said as much recently. “Aren’t you supposed to have less stuff now, not more?” he asked.
Totally. But I have an issue! I fell a little bit out of love with the shampoo and conditioner I’d been using for the better part of two years and have since been taking others for a whirl. Add to that the fact that sometimes people just send us stuff and you have a very crowded bathroom. You can tell which ones I like by seeing which ones are turned upside down. And the one that’s been turned upside down the longest is on the receiving end of a lot of shaking and slapping every morning as I try to get one more handful out of the bottle.
It’s Andalou Naturals’ Full Volume Conditioner with Lavender and Biotin.
Nothing fancy. A pretty simple ingredient list. Ten bucks at Whole Foods (but it’s on sale right now for $7.99—run!). And it’s totally and completely up my alley right now.
Regulars around here know I take my hair kind of seriously. I have moral crises (yes, plural) about the color thing, I experiment with gross non-naturals (and then freak out when things go awry), I burn it by accident then get heavily invested in my new hairdryer, and yes, I also Brazilianed it that one time.
For years now I’ve splurged on expensive shampoos and conditioners, usually from the same brand—which I’m not knocking; I still love you, John Masters! It’s not you, it’s me! I just needed a change. And of all the things crowding my shower, Andalou’s conditioner is the one I can’t get enough of.
My hair is pretty heavy so I tend to like anything volumizing. I wouldn’t say this is giving me Mad Men volume or anything, but it’s not flat to my head, and has some nice movement and body.
It’s also been very shiny, not at all greasy, and continues to look nice day in day out. In fact, I think my hair is getting nicer with repeated use. Finally, it doesn’t smell like grandma’s lavender. The scent doesn’t linger at all, actually.
Here are the ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil*, Stearylkonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Barley Protein, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba), Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) and Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Oils*, Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) Extract*, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja (Soy) Protein, Camelina Sativa and Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oils, Vitamin B Complex (Biotin, Thiamine, Pyridoxine, Niacin, Riboflavin & Panthenol), Malus Domestica (Apple), Solar Vitis (Grape) and Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Stem Cell Cultures and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) and Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Extracts *†, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) Oil*
If I’m being totally honest with myself (and with y’all) I’m not sure I buy that any of these ingredients are especially magical. There’s biotin in there so, in theory… Anyway, aloe works wonders on my hair, and that’s there at the top of the list, followed by oil and a chemical that sounds scary but isn’t. Next you have some more oils, some barley protein, and near the end we have our old nemesis ethylhexylglycerin, which I’m happy to make an exception about in this case.
Between the price, wide availability of the product and, yup, results, makes this totally worth it for me. I like the shampoo a lot, too.
Have you found another affordable conditioner you love? Because there’s still a little room left in my bathroom….
I’m still a big fan of Aubrey. I think it’s even more important than usual with the Aubrey line to choose the products created for one’s own hair type, but we should probably all be doing that anyway. It’s the same price point as Andalou (and can often be found cheaper online) and doesn’t require making excuses for the Ethylhexylglycerin that we know we should really avoid, but delude ourselves into thinking it’s ok (I tried Andalou too!). Also – haven’t tried their newer formulas yet (I did love the first wave when I tried them) – but I hear amazing things about Alaffia, which is super clean *and* helps support coops in developing countries.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that ingredient you think is safe: Stearylkonium Chloride, actually isn’t. Do you see on the Skin Deep link you provided that every category says “no information”? That’s because there haven’t been any studies on this compound entered into Skin Deep’s database. Therefore, the only reason it has a low score of 1 is because they don’t have any data on it yet. That doesn’ mean it’s safe. It’s known in the industry as a “quat.” It ensures that your shampoo or conditioner glides on smoothly. However, it has a bad side to it. Quats are known as skin and respiratory irritants as well as being toxic to aquatic life. Some are endocrine disruptors. The chemical safety database says this about quats:
“Quaternary ammonium compounds can cause toxic effects by all routes of exposure including inhalation, ingestion,dermal application and irrigation of body cavities. Exposure to diluted solutions can cause mild and self-limited irritation. Concentrated solutions of quaternary ammonium compounds are corrosive and can cause burns to the skin and the mucous membranes. They can produce systemic toxicity due to their curare-like properties. They can also cause allergic reactions.
Mild to severe caustic burns of the skin and mucous membranes can occur depending on the agent and the concentration. Other signs may include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anxiety, restlessness, coma, convulsions, hypotension, cyanosis and apnoea due to respiratory muscle paralysis; death may occur within 1 or 3 hours after ingestion of concentrated solutions. Haemolysis and methaemoglobinemia have been reported infrequently.”
If you want to read more on the chemical safety database, look here: http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/pimg022.htm#SectionTitle:2.1%20%20Main%20risk%20and%20target%20organs
And if you want a great summary check here: http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2011/8/31/quaternary-ammonium-compounds.html
The reason I’m sharing all this terrible information isn’t to rain on your beautiful-hair-day conditioner parade. It’s actually because I am having an extraordinarily hard time finding a truly clean shampoo+conditioner (that’s not soap based). And I figured with all your connections and awareness in the green beauty arena, you might be able to help! So hopefully I’ve raised your awareness too, and we can both be on the lookout for that dream shampoo+conditioner combo!
I was checking out the Andalou products at Whole Foods the other day, but that ingredient list doesn’t look particularly clean to me. I love Griffin Remedy’s Daily Conditioner, also cheap and at Whole Foods. But, I just had a freak out moment because I’m gluten free in all ways, and Griffin Remedy says on their website that their products are gluten free, but I was taking a look at ingredients to compare to Andalou, and GR lists wheat germ oil…I’m checking with the company. But if you don’t care about gluten free one way or the other I highly recommend the GR (shampoo too).
I also love Elava Botanik’s Avocado conditioner, but they are having some sort of turmoil and aren’t accepting orders. I may have a hissy fit if they aren’t back soon.
I’m currently using Nature Clean shampoo (geranium/mint) and conditioner (hypoallergenic). I had never heard of the brand before I recently spied them at Big Lots for a whopping $1.50 a bottle, and I really, really dig both products. I have loads of thick, long, fine, unruly hair and the conditioner detangles like nobody’s business. Looks like it normally retails for less than $10/bottle, which still is a good price.
http://www.naturecleanliving.com/herbal_conditioner
The ingredients are listed on the website. I’m not sure that it’s 100% clean, but it seems close… and it does a great job, especially for the price. Anyone else wanna weigh in on the ingredient list? My copy of NMDL is currently out on loan …
Honestly I tried the Alaffia curl cream for wavy to curly hair and didnt love it at all. I mean, it was better than nothign I suppose but it didnt last for very long and always starts out crunchy then ends up soft but frizzy. Fail, at least for me.
Right now Im all about John Masters, its pricey but the ONLY conditioner I have ever put in my hair that makes it superbly easy to get the tangles out and for the most part keep them out. Its seriously headache free and I love that about it. Currently Im using the Avocado conditioner but ordered the reconstructor and the styling gel in hopes it will tame the frizzies. Should get here monday, though secretly I hope it will magically appear tomorrow. My hair is in serious need of a wash but I refuse to EVER try to make my own conditioner again. Was picking banana out of my hair for like…six days.
I need help! My hair has been shedding/falling out since March, and even though there aren’t any bare spots it’s really freaking me out. During that time I graduated from college, so stress (and lack of a job) could be a culprit, but it’s now October (and my job starts next week)! I started with John Masters and things got worse, so I tried Intelligent Nutrients, which seems to help with the tangles but it’s still falling out. I even went to the doctor and everything seems to be fine. My hair is fine, wavy/curly and highlighted. Do any of you have suggestions? I love this blog and the fact that readers help each other out, I figured some of you might have some advice. Thanks!
I love Giovanni’s Root 66 Max Volume conditioner! Great price, conditions fully without weighing down, and smells divine!
@AE, I don’t know of any specific product that would help – other than sticking to as clean an ingredient list as you can, and using some nice oils that nourish the scalp. Probably the best thing is to eat clean, nutritious food and find some great stress coping mechanisms. Maybe something physical like yoga or other sport, or meditation.
@Maclyn, in my opinion the Nature Clean is far from clean.
@ae – Ive been having the same problem but there are some things to keep in mind. Do you only use conditioner on your hair? If so, it is necessary to massage your scalp every time you shower and to use a clarifying rinse around once a week otherwise the pores will get clogged resulting in more hair loss. Do you only comb your hair in the shower? If so its natural to see more hair bc your not combing it on a regular basis and it is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day if I’m not mistaken. Also, if you use a clarifying rinse like the baking soda rinse make sure your not allergic, turns out I had a mild reaction but when I stopped my hair loss lessened. Hope all that helps!
@AE, try checking your iron. A very close friend of mine has had her hair falling out so much that it is really thin now & it turned out to be that she is extremely anemic. Turns out that if your body can’t get enough iron it stops giving the extra iron to hair growth.
But, like you said, it could “just” be stress. Looks like Tyra lost a bunch of hair recently too. http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/19/8399654-stress-made-tyras-hair-fall-out-why
I’ve been using Acure Organics shampoo + conditioner for curly hair (the one in the orange bottle) and I absolutely love it. I went no-poo for a while, but my hair got too greasy and lost all lift at the roots, so I started using this and it is perfectly moisturizing without weighing my hair down and the shampoo is not stripping yet removes buildup. Also, it’s something like $11 per bottle, which is pretty good, in my opinion.
@AE: My hair was falling out all over in large quantities in my junior year of college, and it turns out I am either allergic to gluten or very intolerant to gluten. I stopped eating gluten and my hair stopped falling out and grew back some, but I had to unearth a couple of other allergies before it really started to go back to it’s previous thickness. The doctor told me everything was fine, too, but I still felt like crap and decided to try gluten-free, anyway. Not that this is the problem in every case, but if you pay close attention to your reactions to certain things, you may be unable to unearth it, or see an allergy or naruropathic doctor who may be able to help. Good luck! Ironically, it was the hair loss and not that I felt like crap all the time (it was gradual – I didn’t really notice how terrible I felt until it got better) that drove me to the doctor and to try to figure out what was wrong…
I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by Charlotte. It’s dangerous and no better than what the industry reps say themselves to say that an ingredient is safe when there is little to no research. On principle, we have got to hold our products to the highest standards–or no one will.
Hey Girls!
Try Organic Excellence: http://theglamorganicgoddess.blogspot.com/search/label/Organic%20Excellence.
xo
The GG :)
I agree you guys! I will do more reading.
I never condition my hair. It gets cut every 6 weeks and I just think I have more volume without using conditioners which make my hair soft and fly-away. I use CTonics Core Shampoo which gives me lots of body.
In regard to thinning hair, use of over-the-counter allergy meds like All Clear (Claritin) can be a problem as well as low iron stores even though there are no signs of anemia. Having your thyroid tested is a good idea.
Siobhan, I’m like you, I need an assortment of brands to pick from every morning. In my shower, I’m rotating between four brands right now—-John Masters, (my favorite, but expensive), Aubrey Organics, Alaffia, and Giovanni. Between these four I never got bored. And this helps to make the John Masters last longer, since I don’t use it daily. I’m planning on trying the unscented John Masters stuff and adding my own essential oils.
hi ..
a.e.
i have been having falling out issues as well ..it is VERY stressful .. look at your iron ,thyroid and adrenals .. mine is a bit better but still falling out .. also try meditation and work on your stress levels .. going clean has not seemed to help me . but i’m hoping it will soon
also take silica , b vitamins and biotin ..
i will let you know if anything help ..and i had fine hair to begin with ..!!
take care~
If anyone needs this info: I did get an answer from Griffin Remedy and all their stuff is gluten free – there was an error using old labels on the new gluten free products. So that’s another thing I learned from Siobhan and Alexandra – to contact companies and ask questions!
My favorite is Aubrey’s honeysuckle rose. It smells wonderful and makes my rather course curly hair really manageable.
Ever since I started using clean shampoo, my hair has been sooo dry. I’ve been using Aubrey Organics replenishing and moisturizing shampoos and even after chopping 6 inches off my hair (I had to cut it because of all the damage and breakage, even though I never blow dry or straighten my hair), it is already damaged again. It makes it look so thin and scraggly. I need shampoo recommendations! Has anyone else had these problems??
AE, I just went to the doctor for the same thing. A complete blood count, thyroid testing and hormone levels testing were the first things ordered. Also, you do lose hair more frequently at different stages of growth. If your hair is long, you notice this more than when it is short.
Carrie, I tried Aubrey too. I had been using the Nourishing Conditioner. Sadly, I have to admit that I really dislike this product. It is supposed to work well as a detangler; it doesn’t. It has a really powerful scent, which to me smells like cod liver oil and it lingers, even on my pillow. Finally, it leaves a film on my hair that feels so nasty. I also find it to be drying. It says on the bottle that it is “great for color-treated hair”, but I would swear that it lifts or at least contributes to color fading. I stopped using it about two weeks ago. It wasn’t exactly an inexpensive purchase either, ($19.99), so I will be reluctant to experiment with other natural hair products. I’m back to my old dirty shampoo and conditioner. What a huge difference/improvement.
On a recommendation from a lady who works in the health and beauty area at Whole Foods, I bought the Giovanni Deeper Moisture conditioner at is is truly fantastic for my course, curly, dry hair. The other that really seemed to change the texture of my hair into something silkier, shinier and softer was C-tonics elixir blossom. I think the only reasons for my switch would be price, having to keep that one in the fridge and the Giovanni smells much better. For inexpensive conditioners that are pretty naturals I also really like Jason Naturals 84% aloe. These are definitely my top three. EVERYTHING else I’ve ever used has literally made no difference in my hair.
So glad Siobhan! I look forward to the wonderful products you pick out (as always)!
I am loving Max Green Alchemy!
@Carrie, I’ve mentioned Griffin Remedy, Elava Botanik, and John Masters brands many times and I stand by those. There’s also a shampoo bar I like though that form is not my go-to. Check this out: http://www.roseofsharonacres.com/inc/sdetail/6162/7249. My main advice for you is try some raw coconut oil from the grocery store. Use it as a hair mask (overnight or as long as you can prior to washing with a gentle shampoo). After doing this a couple times a week for several weeks it completely changed my hair. I need it very rarely now, probably partly due to not using toxic dye anymore. You can use coconut oil as a leave-in too but just on ends and a very small amount. Also, did you make any changes to your diet around the time you changed hair products? Make sure you are getting healthy fats like omegas, and you can eat the coconut oil too!
@comagirl, I encourage you to keep trying on the clean hair care. I had a hard time finding clean stuff in this area because I can’t stand heavy/flowery scents plus the gluten issue, but now I have a few things that I love (and Griffin Remedy is even cheap, though I suppose that’s a matter of opinion – $7.99 for an 8oz bottle).
I’m not a conditioner user but I am in L-O-V-E with Shea Moisture Organic Cocount & Hibiscus shampoo. You can get 12 oz. for $9.99 at Target or Walgreens. I use it every other day and it leaves my hair shiny with lots of body. While the ingredients list isn’t *perfect*, it is mostly yummy ingredients and looks cleaner than some of the other almost-naturals in the same price range. I’ve decided to make the compromise for the price and love factor.
Ingredients: Deionized water, Decyl Glucoside (a surfectant and stabaliser: limited data on Skin Deep but Stephanie Greenwood’s blog says it is not problematic and a good alternative to harmful chems), Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Neem Oil, Sodium Laroyl Lactylate (this one I’m sure is scary but no data on Skin Deep), Panthenol (Viatmin B-5), Rosemary Extract, Silk Protein, Honeysuckle extracts. Couldn’t tell ya where the hibiscus is…Anyone know more about the scary looking stuff on the list?