A Hair Update And A Review Of Some Hair Care Products From Naturalmente*

It's probably been pretty obvious by my sporadic posting and disappearing acts this year but at the moment I'm having a few more health problems than usual. As well as not having the energy or inclination to blog, ill health and medication are playing havoc with my body and with my skin. The thing that's suffering above all else though is my hair - it's breaking around my hairline leaving wispy ends and every time I brush it I'm losing enough to stuff a cushion. It could always be worse though and whilst it's definitely thinner than what it was I still have full coverage. As a result I'm being careful with it, I've been limiting the use of heat tools, products and colourants and to be honest a good haircut is long overdue!

Talk about sods law though, since Christmas I've received lots of hair things to review from extensions, to wavers, treatments and masks and of course shampoos and conditioners. Understandably I've been a little bit scared of trying out new things but in the last month, I've reached the stage where I'm thinking hell why not! I'm debating a haircut and I'm starting to have a play with some of the goodies I've been sent. So over the next month or so I'm going to start reviewing some of my hair care things. The easiest place to start was shampoo and conditioner, so today I'm going to review a couple of hair care products from a brand called Naturalmente.

Naturalmente are an Italian hair care brand originally founded in 2004 that only launched in the UK last Autumn. They produce a wide range of shampoos, conditioners and styling products containing natural plant ingredients that are grown to strict organic and bio dynamic standards. This range is free from synthetic fragrances, preservatives, parabens, DEA, MEA, TEA, Formaldehyde, Mineral and Petrochemical oils, and SLS or SLES. The range also comes packed in recyclable and biodegradable plastic bottles.

I was very kindly sent a small bottle of shampoo and a small bottle of conditioner to try out. They have several different varieties of shampoos and conditioners in the line so I chose the ones that were most suited to my hair type at the time.

Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo 

The shampoo that I went for is described as the most detoxifying and purifying one in the Naturalmente range. Specifically designed to treat a dry scalp, this shampoo is also recommended for hair that needs a deep clean, and hair that suffers from a lot of product build up. It also contains a lot of ingredients that can help to stimulate the blood circulation in the scalp and therefore encourage new hair growth -bring it on! 

Obviously that was the major selling point for me but I do sometimes suffer from a dry scalp and up until recently I was a total product junkie, dry shampoo, serums, oils, heat protection spray you name it, it went on, so there was no question that this was the one that I should try.

This shampoo contains extracts of lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon and sandalwood, all of which are designed to cleanse, detoxify and stimulate the hair and the scalp. As you would expect the smell of this was amazing. Even before I'd opened the jiffy bag it came in I could smell a strong, natural, eucalyptus aroma. I have to say it took all my strength not to use this as an great, morning invigorating body wash but I was good and just used it on my hair.

The shampoo itself was colourless, and had quite a viscous texture. As you would expect from a SLS /SLES free shampoo, you didn't get lots and lots of lather, but it produced quite a creamy foam, that was easy to work though and rinse from the hair. This shampoo left my hair and scalp feeling squeaky clean but not stripped or dry. My hair was left feeling fresh and bouncy but I personally felt that I did need a little bit of conditioner on the ends.

I can't say in the long term whether or not this shampoo helped with hair growth but it certainly left my hair and scalp feel refreshed and comfortable and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is feeling a bit meh about their own shampoo or who wants to switch to a more natural brand. The main reason I would recommend this product surprise, surprise is because of the smell, the scent was so invigorating I can imagine that this would be the ideal product to use when your feeling a lit bit fluey or under the weather, or if your need a bit of a wake up call in the morning. For a natural and organic product I don't think that this shampoo is priced too badly either. The Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo retails at £2.60 for a 50ml bottle which easily lasted me a couple of weeks and its just £9 for a 250ml bottle.

Naturalmente Conditioner with Fruit Acids

There are about 4 accompanying hair conditioners in the Naturalmente line and again I went for the one that was most suitable for a dry, itchy scalp. The Naturalmente Conditioner With Fruit Acids is also their most versatile and the one that's generally recommended for all hair types.

It's designed specifically for detangling and moisturising and contains extracts and essential oils of both mint and orange, and well as mango, lemon and menthol, to moisturise and revitalise the scalp.

The smell on this one is a little bit strange at first you definitely get a bit of the citrus but you also get a bit of mint and quite a big hit of  menthol. I've been thinking about what the smell reminds me of and I've finally decided that it reminds me of some cough medicine that I once had when I was tiny. Odd I know but there would definitely have been a bit of menthol in there and some fruit to make it a bit more child friendly so I guess it kind of makes sense :)

The conditioner itself is quite thick and the further and further I get down the bottle the harder it is to get out without adding a little bit of water. That said though despite being quite thick it's also very creamy and quite lightweight and it takes hardly any effort to massage it in to damp hair. It instantly feels quite cooling on the hair and scalp probably down to the menthol.

It rinses away easily and the hair is left feeling fresh, clean and dare I say it a bit more revitalised. I don't think that this conditioner would be suitable if your hair was very dry or very damaged, there are probably better conditioners in the range for that but if you want a good everyday, natural, conditioner that detangles and leaves the scalp and hair feeling clean, moisturised, and refreshed then this could be something to try. Again the prices are good with the Naturalmente Conditioner with Fruit Acids retailing again at £2.60 for a 50ml bottle which will easily last me about a month, and just £9 for a 250ml bottle.

I've really enjoyed using both of these products, and in particular the shampoo. To be honest I think this range was just what I needed at the moment, the all natural ingredients were gentle and did the job without causing any more damage or irritation to my poorly locks. I know a lot of people are leaning towards SLS and SLES free shampoos now and if that's you, then this new natural brand on the block could be a one to try. You can find more about the brand on their own website here and the salons in which it's stocked, and you can buy online here via the Gentle Bodycare website x Do your prefer to use shampoos without SLS or SLES? Leave me a comment and let me know x 

(*Press Sample)