Continuing my quest for a natural shampoo!

Shortly after posting about my Shampoo Saga on July 1st, my husband surprised me with products from one of his clients, Innersense Organic Beauty. Innersense, a local beauty company, had given my husband a shampoo, conditioner and hair gel to sample. Sweet! Little did they know that this mama was not only passionate about natural products, but dying for a natural shampoo/conditioner that worked well!

I was tempted to wash my hair that evening, but waited till the following morning. I used the Pure Essential Hair Bath and the Pure Inspiration Daily Conditioner and after towel drying my hair I could already feel a difference from when I was using the previous "organic" conditioner. Plus, it scored in the green on the Skin Deep website, whereas the other product I reviewed was in the yellow because of fragrance. Gone was the oil slick in the back of my hair and the dry ends. My hair felt smooth and clean. I allowed my hair to air dry then ran a flat iron though it. It looked great.

It doesn't always happen that good products just fall in your lap, but in this case it couldn't have worked out any better. I have to admit that this company is one I had known about for years, but sometimes things right under your nose get overlooked. I'm glad they wanted me (err, I mean my husband!) to try their products. I am very happy I did, and I plan on buying from them again! Perhaps the healing oil next?

The Truth about Fragrance

I have become an addict of the Skin Deep website and noticed that many of the products I buy at the natural food store have been scoring in the "yellow" category and that the biggest culprit that was keeping it from the "green" was FRAGRANCE!



By Law, the ingredients of all products must be listed on all products. Fragrance "formulas" are considered trade secrets and so the ingredients in fragrances are not required to be listed individually. The word fragrance on any product could mean there are many products used to give it an odor, sometimes hundreds!

Fragrance "Free" or Unscented:

As a consumer, I believe a product labeled as fragrance free or unscented is just that, however, many products may mask odors with other chemicals and hide these within the listed word "fragrance."

FDA Authority over Cosmetics:

FDA is only able to regulate cosmetics after products are released to the marketplace. Neither cosmetic products nor cosmetic ingredients are reviewed or approved by FDA before they are sold to the public.

FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing. If, however, the safety of a cosmetic product has not been substantiated, the product's label must read:

"WARNING: The safety of this product has not been determined."


So as a consumer, I know it is my responsibility to read the label of the products I intend to use for myself, or my family, but I wonder how many other consumers really know the truth about fragrance?

Source:
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet

February 3, 1995