Shampoo, Conditioner, Toner

I tended to use whatever shampoo/conditioner was on sale. Usually it was Garnier Fructis. On EWG Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners fall in the yellow zone with a 4, but if you look at the ingredients 7 of them are in the yellow zone and two are in the red zone.

I tried to go all-natural and make my own shampoo with castile soap, water, and a tiny bit of olive oil. I gave it a couple of weeks before my greasy, nasty, unmanageable hair declared it a total disaster. Too bad because it would have been dirt cheap! I settled on the same shampoo/body wash I was using on my eczema-prone kids: California Baby.

I really like this shampoo, but it is fairly expensive. I might see if I can water it down in the future. It is SLS-free, scores a 1 on EWG, and I do like that I can buy one bottle for the whole family to use. Because it's SLS-free it doesn't suds up as well as regular shampoo, but it's not too bad.

For conditioner I have switched to Beauty Without Cruelty. I have been using the Moisture Plus version (scores a 2 on EWG) only because I haven't located the Daily Benefits one yet (scores a 1). It costs about $6.50 for a bottle, but it lasts me a couple months and I don't need to use much. It has a really amazing honeysuckle scent, and I don't feel any difference in my hair from the conditioners I used before.

For toning (I tend to use toner in the morning before putting on my face lotion or as a make-up remover) I used to use Neutrogena Alcohol-free toner (scores a 5 on EWG). It is filled with parabens, so that's a no no. I switched to Dickinson's 100% Natural Botanicals Witch Hazel Daily Toner. It contains no parabens and scores a 1 on EWG. I can't tell a difference in quality, although the scent at first bothered me. I read a lot of reviews from other users who said the same thing. Shockingly, I adjusted to it and almost forgot to mention it here because it doesn't bother me anymore, but other girls said they just put a few drops of their favorite essential oil in to fix that issue. It is super cheap on Amazon compared to Neutrogena toner, too!

Okay, that's it for now, kids are up. I have plenty more to review, maybe one day I won't be a slacker?