One of the complaints concerning “natural” soaps, particularly shampoos, is that they do not lather up much.
Unfortunately, all those suds that we have come to love comes with a cost—and they are not necessary for proper cleansing.
Our love affair with sudsy, thick shampoos may have begun in 1950s or thereabouts, when bottled shampoo commercials boasted about the rich lather of their brand, implying that it was better for hair. (Let’s face it, it just plain feels good to our heads and hands to feel all that velvety foam swimming on our scalp and between our fingers….) I remember well, as a young girl and teen, using that green tube of concentrated Prell . . . then having to dump a boatload of “creme rinse” on to my head to help repair the resulting straw-like strands of hair. I’m tellin’ ya, that thick lather seemed to suck out every last molecule of oil from my hair!
So, the problem with all that seemingly luxurious sudsy-ness is that the detergents responsible for the bubbles (most often petrochemically derived sulfates) can be very drying to hair and skin (as with my Prell experience). They can also cause allergic responses, and they are detrimental to the environment.
(Important side note for females of ALL ages: If you are not aware, please look into the connection between bubble baths and UTIs!!! See this article on Women and Bubble Baths, as one of many on the subject.)
Having used a number of more natural products for hair and skin, I know how hard it is to get over the “where is the lather” factor. But it doesn’t take long to discover that it was never really necessary or desirable, and most such products do offer a modest lather.
Most recently, I became aware of an interesting brand and product line I was anxious to try. Actress Jessica Alba is a co-founder of The Honest Company which prides itself on selling non-toxic, safe, eco-friendly products, much of which is geared toward babies. (Where was this good stuff when my daughter was that little?)
Fortuitously, I happened to see one of their products at my local Costco, and rushing to check it out, I practically crashed my cart into the stack of body soap/shampoo sold by The Honest Company. Of course, I just had to purchase it. The box contained two 17 fl. oz (500 ml) bottles of their SHAMPOO & BODY WASH (I was intrigued to realize it served a dual purpose) . . . and it lists a “Sweet Orange Vanilla” scent.
As the box plainly reads, this versatile “soap” is natural, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, color-safe, tear-free, biodegradable, vegan, and pH balanced. That seems to cover about every possible concern, yes?
It went straight to our shower, and after giving it a test drive, I have to say that I honestly (pun intended) liked it.
Used as a shampoo, it did lather up much more than I had expected, so that was a pleasant bonus. The sweet orange vanilla scent was pleasant, for sure, and most will be happy that it is really a very light scent; I would have even appreciated a stronger dose of it, in fact.
It cleans well. That’s the bottom line. I doesn’t dry your hair out, but I did feel the need to follow with some conditioner since it did not seem to offer any real moisturizing, which is just fine with me.
I have a feeling this company will do very well. With a celebrity face as a founder, their obviously well-planned and appealing marketing, and a much-needed line of safe products, I expect we’ll see much more from The Honest Company. I’m really curious to know what new products they’ll add in, and I’m looking forward to trying more of what they have to offer, so stay tuned for further updates!
If you’d like to learn more about The Honest Company and see their impressive line-up of non-toxic products, click here
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P.S. Since I don’t have a baby around to try those diapers with, how ‘bout letting me know what you think when you’ve tried it out?
(I discovered an excellent price for 2 bottles on Amazon…)
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