i love avalon organics conditioner!

i switched to avalon organics conditioner a couple weeks ago, and i’m so glad i did! i found their shampoos and conditioners on sale at whole foods, and decided to give them a try. i don’t know if i’ll be able to use the conditioner at its regular price ($8-$9, depending on where you get it), but i also have a feeling that i won’t be using up the entire bottle too quickly. the product has such a thick and creamy consistency, and it has worked wonders for my hair. EXCELLENT for co-washes, especially during winter and/or in dry climates.

i specifically purchased the revitalizing shampoo with peppermint and nourishing conditioner with lavender. i am interested in the olive and grape seed oil conditioner as well.

the verdict: auromere

remember when i tried auromere’s tulsi-neem soap for the first time? i just thought i’d give a quick update on how well it’s been working after two months: it’s great! the neem soap definitely helps with controlling dandruff and itch.

i’ve been using it sporadically (usually when i notice more itchiness than normal), and sometimes i’ll massage the soap on my scalp with my regular shampoos (elucence moisture benefits / dr. bronner’s castile soap). i have also tried a sample of auromere’s neem plus 5 shampoo, which did a good job clarifying my hair without completely stripping it. i’d definitely suggest either the soap or the shampoo, but if you want an effective cleanse, go for the shampoo. i’ll be sticking with the soap, because its moisturizing properties are working well with my dry scalp.

update on the challenge: end of phase one

the first month of the “does it really work?” challenge has ended, so i’ve got the “after” pictures posted up in my fotki. check them out!

overall, i’m not completely sure if i notice a dramatic difference in my hair’s length. it’s always hard for me to tell, but you can check out the fotki album and decide for yourself. as i’m starting the second month of the challenge, however, i found my scalp to be itchier without the rosemary spritz. my dandruff also seems to be more noticeable, especially around my front hairline. so, regardless of whether the rosemary has made a difference in my hair growth, it definitely is good for my scalp.

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side dish: about a month ago, i went to trader joe’s to get my favorite conditioner, trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner. unfortunately, they were all out and only had trader joe’s essential conditioner. i decided to just get that instead. so what’s the difference? the essential conditioner is much lighter, and doesn’t moisturize that well. however, it gets the job done for co-washing, and smells really good. if i had to pick between the two, i’d definitely choose the nourish spa conditioner, but any no-pooers who are in need of a lighter conditioner should check out trader joe’s essential conditioner.

auromere tulsi-neem soap

so far, auromere tulsi-neem soap is the product for dandruff and dry scalp. neem oil, one of the many beneficial ingredients in this product (along with fenugreek and holy basil), has a lot of anti-bacterial properties and is great for skin and scalp issues like eczema and dandruff. so i picked up a bar of this soap for $1.99 at a local health food store to try it out, since i’ve never found anything that is very effective for my dandruff. here’s an excerpt from the product review i recently posted up on the black queen message board:

So, I washed my hair yesterday. Initially, the soap confused me. It
left my hair much heavier, and very moisturized. It was the first time
that a soap moisturized my hair, and although my hair didn’t feel very
clean immediately after using it, it definitely was clean. This is a
plus for when I want to clean my hair and scalp without drying it out.
As for the dandruff issue, I had my sister check out my scalp and she
said it looked really clean. I usually have a lot of dandruff around
the front of my hairline, and I noticed that it was looking slightly
better. I’m not sure if this soap is really cleansing for my hair, but
it definitely seems like it might do some serious good for my scalp.
However, I can’t say for sure whether this stuff will make a
difference until I use it a couple more times. I’ll keep using it over
the next couple of weeks and see if it’s a keeper.

i’m not 100% sure yet, but i think this may be one of the most valuable purchases i’ve made for hair and skin care. neem has a LOT of beneficial properties for the entire body, so even if i don’t end up loving this product for my hair/scalp, i know it will probably be a good pick-me-up for my face. and it’s only $1.99!

Ingredients: Coconut oil, Palmyra oil, Water, Alkali,
Castor oil, Hydnocarpus (Cactus) oil, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Neem oil,
Rice Bran oil, Rose petals, Zedoary, Tumeric, Fenugreek, Psoralea
corylifolia (Babchi seed), Peepal (Badhi tree), Alangium salvifolium,
Costus, Indian Sarsaparilla, Shiva Neem, and Hibiscus.

{i purchased my auromere soap from sunflower farmer’s market. you can also find auromere products at drugstore.com and amazon.com, along with many health food stores.}