At long last, I finally made a little video walking you all through the steps of my non-toxic hair care routine. I’ve spent years trying out hundreds of non-toxic hair products to finally find the ones that are the best for my hair, and these are all top notch.
As a note, ethically-sourced, super clean products tend to be pricier than run-of-mill products you find at the grocery store like Pantene, because the ingredients cost much more to source and process.
While some of these prices initially caused me a lot of sticker shock, I feel better knowing that I’m helping the environment and my own body in the long run. Plus, I use very small amounts of it, and they pretty much last forever—I’ve included information about how long everything lasts in the descriptions below, so you can get an idea of how much everything will cost you over the year.
I mention this in the video, but definitely check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep site, which is an amazing resource for finding clean beauty. You can find pretty much any product on the site, and it rates how toxic it is, and breaks down all of the individual ingredients.
Kitsch Shower Cap
The cutest shower cap, even though Zack thinks I look like a nerd in it. It keeps my hair from getting frizzy when I shower between washes.
Innersense Organic Beauty Color Awakening Hairbath
I love this whole line of shampoos. I use the conditioner very occasionally after I wash and rinse out my Olaplex, but I use the hairbath almost every time I wash my hair (unless I’m traveling or my hair is very dry, in which case I use Rare Elements). I use a quarter-sized amount and just concentrate it on the roots, and I use a bottle up about every six months.
Innersense Organic Beauty Color Awakening Hairbath — $31
Rare Elements Pure Shampoo
This is the most hydrating shampoo in the world. It’s honestly a bit too rich for my hair sometimes, but I love using it in the winter when my hair is dry, or when I travel. I use a quarter-sized amount and concentrate it just on the roots. I go through this super slowly because I use it so rarely, but I’d guess a bottle would last about 6 months.
Rare Elements Pure Shampoo — $38
Rare Elements Essential Conditioner
Hands down the most hydrating conditioner I’ve ever tried. A teeny bit goes a long way, but it almost acts as a deep conditioner that you use as a regular condition. It also smells really good. I hate the packaging—they changed it recently, and scooping it out of the tub is so tricky in the shower, and lets water get it—so I usually transfer it to my travel containers and use those even if I’m at home. I use a marble-sized amount, and a container lasts me about a year.
Rare Elements Essential Conditioner—$48
Rahua Color Full Hair Mask
My holy grail hair mask, this leaves your hair feeling like absolute silk. I recommend it even if you don’t have color-treated hair. I use one pump every time I do it, and leave it in for 15 minutes. Each bottle lasts me about a year.
Rahua Color Full Hair Mask — $62
Olaplex No. 3
This stuff is a game changer. It’s not a deep conditioner but a bond builder, meaning that it actually helps fill in the gaps in your hair and make it stronger. It’s paraben-free, but it’s not fully non-toxic, so I just use it on the bottom half of my hair, so it’s not actually touching my scalp. While the instructions say to leave it on for 10-15 minutes, the secret to having Olaplex work its miracles is to keep it in your hair for at least 12 hours. I either put it on all day or sleep it in it overnight with my hair twisted into a bun atop my head.
Rahua Leave In Treatment
This is my favorite heat protectant. I use a teeny tiny bit of it and run it through the ends of my hair, not touching the last 1/4 of it or so by my scalp (this keeps it from getting greasy). It makes your hair soft and protects it from styling without silicone. I’ve had my small pot of this for over a year and it’s still not close to empty.
Rahua Leave In Treatment — $45
Davines Alchemic Conditioner
Purple conditioner is unfortunately a necessity if you’re blonde, and this is the least toxic one I could find. The EWG ratings are pretty good given that the stuff is neon purple, and it’s 95% natural. It’s not that moisturizing, honestly, so I really only use it to help tone my hair, relying on my other treatments for moisture and repair. If you don’t have blonde hair, definitely skip this one.
Davines Alchemic Conditioner—$34
Acure Dry Shampoo
I don’t use dry shampoo—I personally prefer oil training my hair so that it doesn’t get that greasy in the first place (the more often you wash your hair, the more oil it produces, and thus the more greasy it gets). I’ve heard great things about this dry shampoo, though, and I love this brand generally for really reasonably priced non-toxic shampoos and conditioners—the best on the market if you’re on a budget, in my opinion.
Remington 1″-1.5″ Hair Wand
Using a wand instead of a curling iron is critical to getting easy going waves—a curling iron is much harder to use, and also begets worse results. I let my hair air dry until about 80% of the moisture is gone, then I rough blow dry it, using my hands to pull it straight. After that, I go in with this wand and make messy waves. I’m never too precise, which gives me far more natural looking results.
Remington 1″-1.5″ Hair Wand—$24
Wet Brush Original Detangler
The world’s best brush—and it’s $8, way cheaper than the fancy Mason Pearson brushes I read about in beauty magazines for years. You can use in on wet or dry hair, and because it’s super flexible, it will never break your hair, so your hair can grow longer and stronger. Plus, it comes in lots of fun colors.
Wet Brush Original Detangler—$7.99
AusKit Travel Bottles
I put my travel shampoo and conditioner (the Rare Elements) in these bottles, so I can bring ’em with me on the road. Easy to refill, and then you don’t need to buy the less-than-eco-friendly tiny bottles.
Aquasana Shower Filter
This filter removes chlorine from water, which can dry out hair and skin. I started filtering my shower water when I lived in London, and the water was so hard that it made my hair chunky, and it had such amazing results that I haven’t looked back. It’s also better for your general health to filter both your drinking and shower water. You buy it once and change the filter every six months or so.
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