First we tackled deodorants, then toothpastes, and now Terri and I have submitted our follicles to endless rounds of essential oil-scented lather in order to bring you this review of natural shampoos. All shampoos were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with points awarded in four categories: user experience (i.e. texture, lather, and fragrance) was worth up to 2 points, hair appearance post-use (no conditioner or other products allowed!) was worth 4, natural/organic street cred (environmental impact plus safety of ingredients) was worth 3, and there was 1 point that could be added for good value, recycled packaging, exceptional ingredients, and the like. All 15 below scored 6 or better, which means we liked them!
1 Alterna scored 2 + 4 + 2 +1 = 9. Not 100% natural but free of sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, it smells great, and my hair looked pro-styled even though it was just shampooed and air dried. ($20 for 8.5oz)
2 Pratima scored 2 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 9. Loved the minty tingle, it's made 100% natural botanicals, my hair looked great, and the packaging is recycled/recyclable too. ($16.00 for 6oz)
3 Erbaviva scored 2 + 4 + 3 = 9. It's tear-free for babies, but this adult was also a fan of its mild scent and all-natural formula. ($17.00 for 6oz)
4 Davines score is 2 + 3 + 3 = 8. It's 98% natural, smelled clean, and gave a nice shine to my hair. ($27.95 for 9.47oz)
5 California Baby scored 2 + 3 + 3 = 8. As the name suggests, it's tear-free and 100% natural to make it safe for babies and sensitive adults. ($11.49 for 8.5oz)
6 Phillip B scored 2 + 4 + 2 = 8. Not all natural, but it's fragrance free and packed with high-quality natural ingredients that made my hair feel silky smooth. ($27 for 7.4oz)
7 Burt's Bees scores 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 8. It's a 99% natural alternative to conventional shampoos at a nice price, with eco-friendly packaging to boot. ($8 for 12oz)
8 Organix scored 2 + 4 + 2 = 8. Great performance for a good price, but though it's sulfate and paraben free, it does have some artificial ingredients. ($6.99 for 10oz)
9 Collective Wellbeing's score is 1 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 7. Not totally natural, it's free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates and packed with organic oils, plus the company is focused on sustainability. ($11 for 10.5 oz)
10 Eufora's score is 2 + 4 + 1 = 7. It lathers great, smells fresh, made my hair look great, and has organic ingredients, but it also contains Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and parabens. ($20.99 for 10.1 oz)
11 Glossy Locks scored 1 + 3 + 3 = 7. It smells good enough to eat - and the ingredients sound like I could! Only complaint was that all-natural meant a runny texture was messy to use. ($16 for 8 oz)
12 Tammy Fender scores 1 + 3 + 3 = 7. It's 100% natural and gave me a glossy head of hair, I just wish it was slightly less Patchouli-scented. ($38 for 8oz)
13 One scored 2 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 7. How cool is it to pack a bar of soap as a travel shampoo? It worked well and it's inexpensive, but it does have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and fragrance. ($6.99 for 2oz bar)
14 Korres score is 1 + 3 + 2 = 6. It's 93% natural, it smells great, but it does contain sulfates, phthalates, and fragrance. ($18 for 8.45oz)
15 Kiss My Face scored 2 + 2 + 2 = 6. Its price and performance make it a good everyday shampoo. ($7.99 for 11oz)
If you missed the full explanation of our reviews on today's show and you want more information to guide your shopping, read on for some tips and links to more resources.
- For a quick primer on the ingredients found in shampoos, Terressentials has a great breakdown.
- While nearly all terms on personal care product packaging are unregulated, the USDA Organic seal does ensure that a product is made with 95 percent organic ingredients and applies strict limits on what's in the other five percent.
- Even if you don't shop there, it's worth consulting Whole Foods industry-leading requirements for personal care products.
- Get more information from the fun and fact-packed blog No More Dirty Looks and the Environmental Working Group's comprehensive Cosmetics Database, which allows you to look up any product or ingredient and read about its safety.
If after all this you're tired of shampoo altogether, consider following No More Dirty Looks co-author Alexandra Spunt's lead and don't wash your hair at all. She keeps her curly hair healthy with baking soda rinses, just one tablespoon to a glass of water. It doesn't get more natural, or cheaper, than that.
More natural product reviews:
Detox Your Dental Care with Our Natural Toothpaste Roundup!
Detox Your Deodorant - A Review of Natural Brands and a DIY Recipe
From: Lisa Sivak | 12/15/10 at 2:06 pm
I was listening to your discussion this morning about natural shampoos. Our salon just recently switched to two new brands. Our favorite is Colure- which is sulfate free, paraben free ,color safe and packaged in PET bottles.One of the original founders of Pureology developed this amazing line.We can hardly keep on the shelf. My hair has never felt or looked so good. They are based in Vista, CA . They are definitely worth checking out ! The other brand is Unite - which is also wonderful and mostly sulfate and paraben free as well.They are out of Carlsbad ,CA.
From: Jamie | 12/15/10 at 2:25 pm
Eufora DOES NOT CONTAIN Parabens...they have changed their formulas to be free of parabens six or more months ago. However, the packaging does not reflect this since they are still using the old packaging labels. As for sulfates - the only products that still contain sulfates are: Moisture Cleanse & Volumizing Shampoos. THE AMOUNT OF SULFATES IN THESE TWO SHAMPOOS IS SO INSIGNIFICANT THAT IT WON'T PERMEATE THE HAIR SHAFT WHICH IS WHY IT WILL NOT STRIP HAIR COLOR OR TOUCH A CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENING PROCEDURE. Pure Cleanse Shampoo and Urgent Repair Shampoo, all styling, finishing, and body care products are SULFATE FREE!!!!!!
From: Jennifer | 12/15/10 at 5:13 pm
Lisa, we didn't try Colure for this test, so thanks for the tip - next time we talk hair I'll be sure to seek out their line as well!
Jamie, we use public information and listed ingredients when researching products. I did just double check the bottles, which could carry old labels as you suggest, but there's also no information on Eufora's website indicating this change. I'll look into it further and if it is appropriate to correct our information, we will do so here and on the air as well.
From: detox products | 12/17/10 at 12:13 am
You are very much right.Detoxification products are very much safe to use.
From: Detox Your Deodorant – A Review of Natural Brands and a DIY Recipe to Boot! - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 1/11/11 at 4:48 pm
[...] Detox Your Shampoo - We Give You the Score on 15 Brands Detox Your Dental Care with Our Natural Toothpaste Roundup 3 Comments [...]
From: Artifical Mint Leaving You Not So Fresh? Detox Your Dental Care with Our Natural Toothpaste Roundup! - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 1/11/11 at 4:54 pm
[...] Detox Your Shampoo - We Give You the Score on 15 Brands Detox Your Deodorant - A Review of Natural Brands and a DIY Recipe 33 Comments [...]