In my endeavor to keep this website fresh and relevant I have enrolled some group testers to review a more diverse range of products.
I am often asked to review items that are not suitable for my skin, hair or age group. Hence seeking out experienced writers and beauty fans to be my guinea pigs.
This week we welcome PR professional, Natasha Rice. Natasha, a fitness fanatic and busy mother, takes centre stage to review the latest chemical free hair products for curly hair.
Natasha says ‘My hair type was long, fine but thick, curly and a bit too frizzy. But following treatment for breast cancer last year it’s now very short, although the regrowth is similar to what it used to be’.
Natasha reviews the latest products that are not just created specifically for curly hair but are environmentally friendly and free to harmful chemicals.
Noughty Care Taker Range from Noughty Haircare
Noughty Care Taker, Scalp soothing conditioner
‘Noughty’ by name, nice by nature. There’s a lot to love about Care Taker, with a formula packed with a trio of nourishing olive oil, oatmeal and bisabolol extracts. What’s more, it’s free of any nasty chemicals, vegan and vegetarian friendly and comes in a recyclable, easy to use flip-lid container.
The first thing that struck me was the packaging. Its bold, clean typography is presented in eye catching, calming colours that complement its fantastic smell – a smell that’s reminiscent of the sweet smell of Playdoh.
And the contents are even nicer. It’s got a lovely, creamy texture, absorbs and washes out easily, leaving my coarse hair, which is also prone to being dry and frizzy, feeling nicely nourished.
The only downside is that while I’ve used this product on a few occasions, it’s yet to make much of a difference to my itchy scalp. Although, it has helped to ease my dandruff.
It smells so good, moisturises my hair well and looks great in the shower due to its neat design, so I will be keeping an eye out for this product in store.
Noughty Care Taker, shampoo
Like Noughty’s Care Taker conditioner, this shampoo is packed full of great, natural ingredients and has a fantastic smell. I love the way it’s branded and am even more impressed with the shampoo’s extensive ‘free from’ list, including no petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates or silicones.
With being 97% natural, it’s very kind and gentle on the scalp and hair. Although I think it does help with dandruff, it’s possibly too gentle to make any difference to an itchy scalp. That was the case with me, but my hair and scalp have taken quite a battering over the past year due to chemo and radiotherapy, so that could have something to do with it! I’ve used it in combination with the conditioner but unfortunately both products haven’t really helped improve this.
I was expecting the texture to be comparable to the conditioner but it’s actually quite watery and runny. As the packaging states, you will need to use more water to build up a good lather and feel like you’ve washed your hair well. Two washes are also definitely better than one when using this product.
Shea Moisture available in Boots.com
Fruit Fusion Coconut water weightless crème rinse
The vitamin-rich properties of pure coconut water, imbe oil and fruit extracts makes a super, fresh formula that combined with shea butter, which I love in most hair and beauty products, refreshes and moistures hair brilliantly.
I’m not usually fond of fruity smelling hair products but this crème rinse, which has a deliciously unique mix of fresh dragon fruit, lychee berry and green apple extracts is divine. I really do think they’ve hit the nail on the head in creating a gorgeous formula.
It does leave a weightless feel but, as I suppose you’d expect from a crème rinse, it takes a while to rinse out properly. Maybe that’s because of the shea butter, but still, it’s a small price to pay to have the benefit of the properties of shea butter in the mix. It also works its magic best if left on for at least a good couple of minutes, so my recommendation would be to save this product for those times when you can put time aside for some hair pampering.
I went into Boots today and happened to see the wide range of Shea Moisture products they hold and am looking forward to trying some of the other ones. There’s quite a variety of products which offer various benefits for curly hair and of course, they’re all chemical free; a nice added bonus.
Shea Moisture, Superfruit complex 10-in-1 multi-benefit shampoo
This delightfully scented shampoo is made with marula oil and biotin and is brimming with anti-aging, antioxidant fruit extracts that help protect the hair from environmental stresses and other damage.
In my search for gentle hair products that can help support healthy re-growth following the radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments I’ve had, this product really does deliver.
Amongst its ingredients, the blend of red raspberry ketones, acai and guava extracts not only smell amazing but also help to nourish my new hair. It leaves it feeling cleansed, nourished and soft.
I do seem to be getting my old hair back, it’s coming through curly and is starting to feel stronger – I’d like to think that the marula oil and biotin have a role to play here!
This is a great shampoo. Its fruity scent is an absolute treat. It’s got the right consistency, lathers well as it cleans without stripping the hair of anything and, thanks to its friendly, non-chemical ingredients, it’s the complete package. I’ll be looking out for it now that I know it’s available in Boots and online.
Only Curls cleanser, conditioner and curl enhancing gel
I used this range on a number of occasions when my hair started growing back after chemotherapy. The products are free from sulphates, silicones, parabens and paraffin. It is 100% vegan and CG Friendly.
On top of all that it smells delicious with hint of coconut.
As the name suggests, the range is for curly hair and is designed for the unique requirements of styling different types of curls. The shampoo has a light texture and is non sticky which is good for curly hair as it can get matted.
It is also good for finer and fly-away hair because of its light texture and it rinses well while still conditioning the hair.
What makes it so good for curls? It’s the mix of ingredients, in particular the natural oils with jojoba, coconut, kukui, argan and macadamia. These help to hydrate untangle and reduce fizz.
As well as the shampoo and conditioner the range also includes a curl enhancing gel. It is good for shine and moisture and a nice boost for the hair.
https://onlycurls.com/
Benecos Natural Hair Shampoo and Conditioner
Benecos are the homes of natural cosmetics. The Treatment Tester has previously tried the cosmetics range and loved it. But it is not all they offer. They also do a small range of hair care, skincare, nail and men’s pamper range. The focus of all the products is the organic ingredients, paraffin and paraben free, with natural colour and fragrance.
They have a choice of 3 shampoos currently and one conditioner. My favourite is the Apricot and Elderflower shampoo which is made of plant extract including kernel oil for moisture.
The shampoos are mild and free of harmful ingredients. I found the shampoo runny in consistency but it lathers well and the ingredients smell amazing. It was also perfect for a sensitive scalp.
The only conditioner in the range is made from Melissa. This has a lemon sherbet smell, delicious. It easily combs through the hair and hydrates.
Products are also vegan friendly.
https://www.pravera.co.uk/