A couple of years ago I decided to chop my boob-length hair off to a long bob and dye it red. I think it was a sign of wanting to make a change in my life but not knowing how, but maybe that’s a story for another day. I kept this hairstyle for a year or so, enjoying how freeing it actually felt to not carry a hairband around my wrist all the time.
When Andrew proposed in October 2014, I knew that I had to start growing my hair again because I wanted it long and blonde for the wedding day. So I ditched the packet hair dye, vowed not to dye my hair for a year and get regular trims, all in the time of long, luscious locks. It’s amazing what we promise ourselves in the run up to getting married!
I read a few reports online about sulfate free shampoo being the best thing since sliced bread. Huffington Post gave them a go back in 2012 because they have fewer chemicals in, and anything that exposes us to fewer chemicals is a good thing. Right? Women’s Health (my new absolute fave) wrote an article more recently saying that sulfate free shampoo gives you healthier, shinier hair. And who doesn’t want that?
So, while I was last in New York, I was browsing my local CVS for some new shampoo when I came across a L’Oreal Sulfate Free option. I always assumed it would cost a fortune (and my budget is certainly more Boots own than Bumble & Bumble) but both the shampoo and conditioner were $15 (about £10) so I thought I would give it a go. What did I have to lose?
I started straight away – washing and conditioning every other day with the set – the same amount I normally wash. The first thing I noticed was that the shampoo doesn’t lather up very much, which meant I found it difficult to get the shampoo to run all the way through my thick, shoulder length hair. I had read other blog posts that advised me to only shampoo my roots and to only use a 50p coin size amount of shampoo. I swear a 50p-sized dollop of shampoo would barely cover the top layer of my hair so I ploughed on using my usual amount and struggled to get that all the way through to the base of my head.
Rinsing the shampoo out, I conditioned the ends as normal. Once my hair was dry, I noticed that it smelt pretty good and held the pleasant smell for at least a couple of hours (which is unusual as my hair doesn’t normally hold smell AT ALL!). I persevered with the product for about a month but I must admit I’ve not noticed any difference! If anything, my hair is feeling greasier next to my scalp – I think that might be because I can’t get the shampoo right through to my roots there. It’s disappointing because I was hoping to see my hair become softer, shinier and cleaner. But the Women’s Health article DID point out that maybe it’s better for curly, coarse or dry hair as the milder detergents (with fewer chemicals) might not actually clean greasier hair all that well. SHAME.
Maybe it’s just not for me, but I’d love to hear what other people have used. Are there other brands that make a better version of a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner that I should try? If so, let me know in the comments below and I’ll put another on trial!
♥ JH