Organix Teatree Mint

I rarely write a really bad review, but I'm afraid there's a first time for everything.

I tried the shampoo and conditioner from this collection a few years ago. And I still remember how much I hated it!

I bought this shampoo and conditioner because it said "hydrating". Well, that was not the case for me.

Let me start by saying it smells good. I think Organix has created a lot of products that smell really nice, and I have to give them credit for it. I used the shampoo and conditioner 2 or 3 times before I threw it away.

It dried my hair out! I didn't think it was possible for my hair to be any dryer, but with this shampoo and conditioner, it was! It stripped my hair of ALL moisture. UGH. My hair was also extremely tangled and frizzy afterwards.

Don't buy this product! Yuck!

Organix Brazilian Keratin Treatment

I saw the Anti-Breakage treatment long before I saw Moroccan Oil. I definitely needed a serum and wanted to try it! It was $7.99.

The Anti-Breakage treatment is great. I don't like it as MUCH as I like the Moroccan Oil Penetrating Oil, but that's because of the smell!

I definitely noticed my hair was smoother and the frizzies were much flatter after using it. I used it especially on the ends, and split ends were less noticeable.

If you like cocoa butter, you'll like this oil. That's what the scent of this oil is.

They also offer a 30 day smoothing treatment. I definitely want to try it! At $15, it can't hurt. A lot of reviews on Facebook say it works, so I'm willing to see if it works for me. I'll do a before and after photo when I try it!

Organix

The tag line of Organix hair care products is "Beauty Pure and Simple". Well, finding out if we can use it? Not so simple.

Researching this company was a bit of a headache. Sulfate free? Yes. Animal free? Well, sometimes. The FAQ's on this site are a bit annoying and confusing. So I went to the Facebook page to ask them directly, ARE THERE ANY ANIMAL BYPRODUCTS????? This is the response I received:

Yes, some of our shampoos and conditioners do contain animal by-products such as keratin derived from sheep wool and whipped egg white proteins. Our products also contain silk amino acids, but the silk is extracted naturally. This is a very tedious process of unwinding the cocoon by hand. For an animal free product I would recommend the hydrating teatree mint, renewing Moroccan argan oil, Brazilian keratin therapy or the rejuvenating cherry blossom ginseng shampoos and conditioners, but please keep in mind that while they are animal by-product free, they still contain the silk and then that would be a matter of your personal preference. In addition, please be assured that none of our products, nor its' ingredients are tested on animals. We are very proud of that fact and will not change.

 

Well, what does this mean???? I'll break it down for you. If you are looking for a completely vegan product, this isn't the brand for you. If you are looking for a HALAL product, go ahead and buy it! Since there is no whey, gelatin or anything derived from a pig, you can use it. I will classify this product as VEGETARIAN. This is my personal recommendation.

 

Organix makes countless shampoos, conditioners and stylers, which I have seen in many mainstream drugstores. I will review the ones I have tried next. There are also body products available, but I have not come across them. I definitely want to try them.

 

MoroccanOil

I don't even know where to begin with MoroccanOil. I've seen it in my local salon, but I never asked my hairdresser what it was and how much it is. I regret that now! Get ready for a rave!

From the MorrocanOil website:

None of our products use animal ingredients. Our products and ingredients are not animal tested.Whenever possible, we use recycled packaging materials.


I love, love, LOVE the MoroccanOil Treatment. It's the original and founding product of the entire line. It is a finishing oil and it is absorbed into the hair instantly! No more of the greasy look while trying to make your hair look healthy! It also smells great! You only need to run a dime sized amount of oil throughout your hair for it to work!

MoroccanOil also makes different types of products, such as curl cream and styling cream. Check out the website for the full list!

I spent $10 on a 0.85 oz. bottle at my salon.You might think that's crazy, but since you don't need to use so much, and you don't need to use it everyday, I think it's a great investment. I don't know if it is sold in regular stores, so you might want to do a quick search before you go looking for it. The MorrocanOil website also has salon locations that sell their products.

http://www.moroccanoil.com/

L'oreal EverPure

L'oreal is not a brand that comes to mind when thinking of vegan beauty products. They have a long history of testing on animals and putting animal byproducts into their products.

Not anymore! The new L'oreal EverPure line is cruelty free AND 100% VEGAN!* It's also Sulfate free and specially designed for colored hair.

The L'oreal EverPure line includes:

Moisture Shampoo

Moisture Conditioner

Moisture Restorative Masque

Moisture Leave-in Conditioner

Smooth Shampoo

Smooth Conditioner

Smooth Deep Control Masque

Smooth Frizz Free Serum

Volume Shampoo

Volume Conditioner

UV Protect Spray

I'm really excited to see all of these options! I can't wait to try the "Smooth" line, especially the serum.

It's nice to see that a company like L'oreal is finally realizing the need for vegan products. I hope they keep this up and find alternative ways to make ALL of their products vegan!

*This information was confirmed by the L'oreal website and PETA.

The Body Shop

How did I not know this???? The Body Shop website states the following:

We also ensure all our products are suitable for vegetarians and seek out alternative sources of ingredients that do not contribute to the destruction of habitat of endangered animals, or cause animal suffering. We just think it's what everyone should do.

It's a vegetarian friendly company!!!!!! WOW, I am so out of the loop! And they do good work by using sustainable resources.

Some of the products contain beeswax, so be sure to check the label when purchasing!

P.S. They have lip products too!

Giovanni Hair Care

I came across Giovanni hair care products a few weeks ago in my local fruit store! (Suddenly, that place has been my "go to" to find new products!) Apparently, Giovanni is a salon owner in Beverly Hills. The website says:

Giovanni pioneered his hair care with the concepts of:

• No animal testing
• Products with no animal by-products
• Biodegradable formulas
• Products using Certified Organic ingredients

I must say, I'm really intrigued. I haven't tried it yet, but I think I just might. If you come across this and try it, let me know how it works out! From what I understand, you can find it in Walgreens and The Vitamin Shoppe.

I'm always looking for the perfect shampoo that doesn't make my hair dry or sticky. Let's see how this one works out. I'll review soon!

Burt's Bees Vegan List!!!

OK, So I emailed the company for a vegan list, but it turns out they had one available for download already! Silly me! I removed one product from the list, because it contained Carmine. The products listed in bold contain Bee by-products, such as honey and royal jelly. Just print out this list and take it along with you when you shop!

Baby Bee
Baby Bee Apricot Baby Oil
Baby Bee Dusting Powder
Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash
Baby Bee Bubble Bath

Face & Body
Carrot Seed Oil Complexion Mist
Citrus Facial Scrub
Garden Carrot Complexion Soap
Garden Tomato Toner
Vitamin E Bath and Body Oil
Wild Lettuce Complexion Soap
Citrus Spice Exfoliating Shower Soap
Grapefruit Complexion Mist
Lavender Complexion Mist
Cucumber Chamomile Complexion Mist
Deep Clean Cleanser
Deep Pore Scrub
Therapeutic Body Butter
Richly Repairing Body Butter
Radiance Eye Cream
Radiance Day Cream
Radiance Night Cream
Radiance Body Lotion
SPF-15 Sunscreen
SPF-30 Sunscreen
Radiance Body Lotion
Thoroughly Therapeutic Hand Lotion
Thoroughly Therapeutic Foot Lotion
Naturally Ageless Day Cream
Naturally Ageless Night Cream
Naturally Ageless Serum
Radiance Body Wash
Radiance Soap Bar
Citrus & Ginger Soap Bar
Healthy Treatment
Parsley Blemish Stick
Pore Refining Mask
Rosewater and Glycerin Toner
Repair Serum

Men’s Grooming
Bay Rum Aftershave Balm
Bay Rum Cologne
Bay Rum Shaving Soap
Burt’s Bees Natural Body Wash

Natural Remedies/Outdoor
Doctor Burt’s Blemish Stick
Doctor Burt’s Herbal Deodorant
Doctor Burt’s Lavender Mint Toothpaste
Doctor Burt’s Cinna-Mint Toothpaste
Herbal Insect Repellent
Peppermint Breath Drops
Peppermint Shower Soap
Poison Ivy Soap
Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
Therapeutic Bath Crystals
Peppermint Foot Lotion
Bug Bite Relief
Miracle Salve
Muscle Mend

Lip
Medicated Lip Balm

Hair Care & Cleansing
Super Shiny Grapefruit Shampoo
Super Shiny Grapefruit Conditioner
Ginger Citrus Body Wash
Color Keeper Shampoo & Conditioner
More Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner
Deep Repair Conditioner
All-in-One Wash
Citrus & Ginger Hand Wash
Green Tea & Lemongrass Hand Wash
Deep Repair Conditioners

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

I heard about Lush through an old friend. I had never heard of it before, but I decided to take a look at the website.

"We specialize in making highly effective, 100% vegetarian (and over 70% vegan!) products for bath, hair and body that are loaded with fresh, natural ingredients and minimal preservatives. "

First of all, BRAVO! It's nice to see that a company is clear about their vegetarian/vegan status. I wish more companies did that! Each product that is vegan is labeled as such on the website!

They also sent me the following email:

"Thank you for your email. We do not use carmine as a colorant in our products, but we do use lanolin. The lanolin that we use is removed from the wool of the sheep without harming it. There are a few ingredients that we use that are not vegan, but all of these are collected without being harmful or painful for the animals. These include honey, yogurt, fresh eggs, beeswax, and lanolin."

I think it's really cool that Lush sells Henna Hair Dyes. I have never seen another western retailer sell something like that. They also have all sorts of bath and body products, which seems like a great alternative to Bath and Body Works.

They represent their company as "Fresh Handmade Cosmetics", but when I think of cosmetics, I automatically think make-up. This company specializes in bath and body products such as shampoos, conditioners, bath salts, bath bombs, perfume, etc.

I haven't personally purchased anything from them, but they do have actual stores all over the country (3 in NY!!!). If you have purchased anything from them, please tell me how you like it!

http://www.lushusa.com/

White Rain

White Rain makes shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, gel, mousse and body wash. They state on their website that they DO NOT use animal products in their products.

I personally like the body wash the best. The hair products really do nothing for my hair. The best thing about White Rain body washes is they are inexpensive and very easy to find. You will find their products in every major store.

The Ocean Mist body wash is my favorite right now. It smells fresh, but not too flowery or fruity.

www.whiterain.com