Current Hair Care Up-Date

Hello Lovelies!

I think it is time for a current hair care favourites post :) 

Here is an update of the products I currently love!

Aubrey Organics Island Naturals and Jojoba and Aloe for very dry and coarse hair

I love Island's Natural Shampoo from Aubrey organics - it is a very rich shampoo with lovely golden coloured herbal pieces in it. It moisturises the hair very thoroughly. In combination with Jojoba and Aloe Conditioner - great! - these two will be the death of dry and frizzy hair. The downside: if used too often in a row, they will weigh my hair down and leave an oily film. 

Mild clearing shampoo - Urea 5% Balea 2 in 1

That is why I use the Balea 5%  Urea Shampoo and Shower Gel. The Balea Shampoo doubles as a body wash is very mild and will remove any film or oiliness. The downside is that there are not a lot of nutrients - so I will just use this shampoo maybe once or twice a month as a clearing shampoo

Easy Gym Solution / Balea Professional

I have been going to the gym on a very regular basis every second day, since I gained some weight over the holidays :D  For the gym the very affordable Balea Professional Shampoo and Conditioner are a great easy solution. I am currently using the brown shampoo and conditioner because I love the smell of these so much - they smell like almonds,caramel and chocolate :) It is a heavenly smell. This duo also contains brown sparkling pigments and helps to intensify my auburn tones.

From the Balea Professional line I have also used the Repair Hair Care Line and the Oil Repair Line - I do like all of these three versions although I love the brown series the most. Please beware that this line will dry your hair out on the long run because it contains PEG and film-bildners that coat your hair. The reason why I like to use it occasionally is because I get very easily detangled hair which is great after a quick Gym workout. 

Now my favourite oil is the Weleda Rose Oil - it is a great oil as a leave-in and deep conditioning treatment before you wash your hair. The smell is wonderful very herbal and not too sweet or flowery. It smells like wild roses. It is a great body oil as well gets absorbed easily and will leave your skin very soft and glowing! It is a very pricey oil and I usually get it for my birthday as a gift :)

It contains mainly jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and rosehip oil. A lot of cheaper organic oils are based on sunflower seed oil and do not contain these high quality organic oils. If you buy a rose oil make sure you check the main ingredients to ensure that your rose oil actually contains rose <3 .

The ingredients are wonderful as well:
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Rosa Moschata (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Benzyl Alcohol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Eugenol*, Farnesol*.

Empties : May

Hello Lovelies,

I have always liked Empties reviews about used up products and their final verdict. A friend just told me latey that there is not too much beauty content on my blog - so why not change it a little and start a new category. I will incorporate all beauty products not just hair products because I tend to use a product for a long time. I think you will never get a better review than one of a finished product. Please let me know if you would like to read more of these monthly posts :). 

Bionike Proxera Body Emulsion for very dry skin. (20 Euro/200ml) Fragrance free, parabene free, nickel free. I did like the body lotion because it did not give me any allergic reaction like red dots and itchiness. My skin is extremely dry and this body lotion really hydrates all your skin layers without feeling sticky. It is one of the most moisturising lotions I have used so far. It does take a little time to soak in though. It is a little pricy and finishes quickly. It had no fragrance but a slight metallic smell that did bother me though. Repurchase? Maybe.

Balea Ultra Sensitive Intensive cream for very dry skin. (5Euro/50ml) This product is as well formulated for very dry allergic skin. It is very oily and does not moisturise well. Unlike most of my beauty products I was very glad when I used up the tiny tube. It is fragrance free and very neutral. After application of the product my skin felt as if there was a film on top - I have to say I did not like the product at all. I noticed more blemishes as well. Repurchase? Definitely no. 

Yves Rocher Jardins du Monde, California Almond (3Euro/100ml) This showergel has a creamy formula and lathers up very well. It did not cause any allergic reaction and has a very slight fresh smell with a little hint of marzipan. It did not dry out my skin and was very mild. Repurchase? Yes, i already got the Organic Aloe Vera Version ! :)

White Camellia Shampoo (15Euro/11oz) Review here. I simply love the white Camelia Series. The shampoo is very rich so I like to use it when my hair feels especially dry - on the beach or during winter time. I have now switched to a lighter shampoo but I love to have a bottle around whenever I need lots of moisture in my hair. Repurchase? Yes.

GBP Conditioner (15Euro/11oz) Review here. I am still in love with the GBP Series. It is heaven for dry ends and an itchy scalp and the herbal scent is great during summer. The only downside of the series is that it is so rich in protein that you need to alternate every few washes otherwise you will have an protein overload which results in dry ends and straw-like hair. Repurchase? Yes, I think this is my 3rd bottle.

Do you have any recommendations for a good face cream for dry itchy allergy-prone skin? As you can see I am still on the hunt :( .

Review: Aubrey Organic's White Camellia Shampoo

Hello Lovelies,

If your hair is as dry as my hair and curly or wavy it is like a special quest to find a shampoo that is not drying out your hair and causing frizz. Aubrey Organic's is my favourite hair care brand and the White Camellia series is especially formulated for very dry hair. I had the conditioner as well and it is for sure one of my favourite conditioners! But be warned that this series is really only something for very dry hair - I don't have european fine hair, my hair is coarse and very thick. This series would be a good choice for women of colour as well, my roommate uses my shampoo on her shoulder length afro from time to time! I like to alternate White Camellia with the GPB Series (one of my favourite's as well! But causes a protein overkill from time to time so you need to alternate anyway). I usually dilute my shampoo, but White Camellia needs to be used pure otherwise my hair does not get clean.

INCI: Aqua, glycerin, decyl glucoside, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, oryza sativa extract*, prunus amygdalus dulcis oil*, camellia japonica seed oil*, glucose, xanthan gum, simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, rosa rubiginosa seed oil*, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl linolenate, citric acid, tocopheryl acetate, pelargonium graveolens flower oil*, lavandula angustifolia flower oil*, macadamia ternifolia seed oil*, citrus grandis extract, glycine soja oil, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase, ascorbic acid, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, alcohol denat., (38b, lavender*), hamamelis viginiana water, daucus carota sativa root extract, beta-carotene.

Ingredients

Lots of almond oil, soy protein and camellia oil! Camellia oil was especially used in Japan and is a famous though very expensive hair care oil. 

Fragrance

Like all AO products the fragrances are all natural and without artificial components. Which makes them pleasant for me but it is not the soapy dove smell that comes with regular drugstore products. White Camellia does not smell floral but more herbal/mossy and it has definitely some eucalyptus like fragrance. My favourite AO smell is honeysuckle rose which is a very sweet flowery smell btw! 

Effect

My hair is heavy and takes much longer to dry. The curls and waves are defined. If I do not rinse it well it leaves an oily residue. And it is an absolute frizz killer!

Did you try any of AO Products? Did you like them or do you prefer another brand for organic hair care? 

Review - Aubrey Organics GPB

Hallo ihr Lieben!

Wie ihr vielleicht noch von dem Haarserum Ilikegreen wisst, bin ich ein grosser Fan der Pflegeprodukte von Aubrey Organics. Diese Haarserie ist für alle Haartypen geeignet und spendet sowohl Feuchtigkeit als auch Proteine, die das Haar stärken. Mein erster Post und weitere Informationen zu Aubrey Organics ist hier zu finden. Diese Serie ist eine sehr gute Einsteigerserie für Aubrey Organics aufgrund ihrer hervorragenden Wirkung und einfachen Anwendung - wer schon einmal nichts ahnend mit der White Camelia Serie gewaschen hatte und danach einen Pflegeoverkill hatte weiss was ich meine ;)

Die GPB Serie die fur Glycogen Protein Balancing steht gibt es in verschiedenen Duftversionen, ich stelle euch heute Lavendel und YlangYlang vor. Ich liebe den Geruch von Lavendel! Es gibt sie zudem in Rosemary Peppermint diese Variante stelle ich mir besonders im Sommer gut vor da Pfefferminzöl immer auch einen kühlenden erfrischenden Effekt hat. Die ursprüngliche Variante hatte ich früher ebenfalls sie riecht seifig und ein wenig krautig, sehr frisch auf jeden Fall.

Inhaltsstoffe der Spülung:

INCI: Aqua, cetyl alcohol (coconut fatty alcohol), alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil, milk protein, glycerin, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) peel oil*, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil*, brassica campestris/aleurites fordi oil copolymer, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, cananga odorata (ylang) flower oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, glycine soja (soybean) oil, glycoprotein, salvia officinalis (sage) oil*, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, equisetum hyemale (horsetail) extract, tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) leaf extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.

* Aus kontrolliert biologischem Anbau

** Bestandteil natürlicher ätherischer Öle

Vegetarisch

Die Spülung basiert auf Aloe Vera, Fettalkohol, Weizenkeimöl und reichlich Milchproteinen. Es finden sich viele ätherische Öle und Pflanzenextrakte. Die Inhaltsstoffe sind prima.

Inhaltsstoffe des Shampoos:

INCI: Aqua, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, decyl glucoside, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glucose, xanthan gum, oryza sativa (rice) extract*, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, milk protein, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)*, citric acid, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, glycerin, citrus grandis (grapefruit) extract, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, ascorbic acid, glycine soja (soybean) oil, daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.

* Aus kontrolliert biologischem Anbau

Vegetarisch

Gewaschen wird bei diesem Shampoo mit Zuckertensiden den mitunter mildesten Tensiden - direkt hinter dem Wasseranteil wird Aloe Vera Saft verwendet - der spendet Feuchtigkeit und das merkt man auch bei der Anwendung! Meine sehr trockenen Haare freuen sich darüber. Es sind diesmal neben Sojaproteinen auch wieder Milchproteine vorhanden. Ausserdem Sheabutter welche Haare und Kopfhaut von Grund auf pflegt und normalerweise ein typischer Inhaltsstoff für Haarspitzen Balsame ist.  

Bewertung:

Das Shampoo reinigt gründlich ohne auszutrocknen - es schäumt nicht sehr stark, wenn es pur verwendet wird nicht wundern, das ist ganz normal. Es wirkt am Besten, wenn man einige Spritzer Shampoo mit ca. 500 ml Wasser verdünnt - aufschäumt und über die Haare laufen lässt. Einige Minuten einwirken lassen. Der Duft ist wundervoll Lavendel und YlangYlang und zwar beides zu ungefähr gleichen Anteilen. 

Die Spülung ist sehr reichhaltig - auch hier bietet es sich an sie zu verdünnen, dann kann man sie leichter dosieren. Ein kleiner Tipp - macht vor dem Waschen eine Prewash Kur mit der Spülung einfach auf das trockene Haar auftragen und ein wenig einwirken lassen. Sie sorgt für sehr glänzende und weiche Haare und vor allem die Spitzen werden weich und mit Feuchtigkeit versorgt. Wenn man die Spülung so verwendet riskiert man auch nicht das die Haare überpflegt werden. Die Produkte von AO sind reine Pflegekonzentrate. Der Duft verbleibt im Haar.

Beide Produkte sind extrem ergiebig. Für die wunderbare Wirkung, den guten Duft und die hervorragenden Inhaltsstoffe gibt es diesmal von mir ganze

10 von 10 Punkte!

Liebste Grüße,

Louisa. 

Vielen Dank an die Firma AO die mir die Produkte zur Verfügung gestellt hat.

Edit : 

Bezugsquellen von AO : Man kann die Serie über Aubrey Organics Homepage bestellen, hier findet ihr den Link. Wenn man beides bestellt, spart man etwas bei den Haarpflegeduos. AO verschickt versandkostenfrei. 

Hello Lovelies!

I am sorry for the belated translation, I have been extremely busy with university and work. As you might still know from my review about the hair serum ilikegreen, I am a big fan of Aubrey Organics products. They have intense and very concentrated formula and will last a very long time. I have been using the GBP Series, which is a moisturising protein rich  care series. I have been using the products for two months and I am very happy with the results. They are labeled for normal hair types and I agree, they will tend to the needs of most hair types. The shampoo is a gentle cleaner, it works on coco-glucosids which are very mild. Both products contain aloe vera, which my hair absolutely loves. I tested the YlangYlang and Lavender Version, it also comes in peppermint and Rosemary as well as the original smell.

Shampoo :

INCI: Aqua, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, decyl glucoside, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glucose, xanthan gum, oryza sativa (rice) extract*, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, milk protein, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)*, citric acid, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, glycerin, citrus grandis (grapefruit) extract, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, ascorbic acid, glycine soja (soybean) oil, daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.

and here the formula of the 

Conditioner:

INCI: Aqua, cetyl alcohol (coconut fatty alcohol), alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil, milk protein, glycerin, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) peel oil*, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil*, brassica campestris/aleurites fordi oil copolymer, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, cananga odorata (ylang) flower oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, glycine soja (soybean) oil, glycoprotein, salvia officinalis (sage) oil*, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, equisetum hyemale (horsetail) extract, tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) leaf extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.

How to apply:

You will want to dilute the shampoo, about 500 ml of water mixed with a few drops of shampoo are fine, just shake the mix and leave it on your hair for about 2 minutes. It will not foam extremely, don't worry that is normal you hair will still get clean. You can also dilute the conditioner or use my favourite method : I use it as a pre-wash hair treatment. Apply on dry hair and let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wash your hair as you would usually. My hair got hydrated down to the ends and became very soft and shiny. I am happy that the fragrance also stays in my hair after it is dry!

I have rated the product with a

 10 out of 10 ! (which actually never happened before here)

reflecting the good ingredients, the lovely fragrance and the intense hydrating effect.

Do you like the AO hair care? Let me know what products you have used and if you were happy with the results.

Love, Louisa :)

Review: i like green - Smoothing Serum

Hallo ihr Lieben!

Heute stelle ich euch ein Produkt vor, das es erst seit kurzem auf dem Haarpflegemarkt gibt - das Smoothing Serum von ilikegreen NaturalHairCare. ilikegreen ist eine neue Tochtermarke der Firma Aubrey Organics. 

Was genau ist es also in diesem kleinen Wunderfläschchen?

Incis:

Arachis Hypogaea Oil, Olea Europapea Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Vitis Vinifera seed Oi, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Phytosterole, Myristyl Lactate, Linoleic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate
50 ml fuer 29,95 Euro

Die Hauptbestandteile sind..

Erdnussöl, Olivenöl, Sonnenblumenöl, Avocadoöl, Traubenkernöl - weiter ist Quinoa enthalten, dadurch hat dieses Serum auch ordentlich Proteine. Quinoa ist ein Fuchsschwanzgewächs mit hohem Eisen und Mineralstoffgehalt. Als Serumbestandteil finde ich es wunderbar - durch die Proteine wird das Haar gekräftigt. Phytosterole sind pflanzliche Zellmembranbestandteile, ähnlich Cholesterin. Weiterhin ist Rosmarin Extrakt enthalten sowie Vitamin E.

Die Inhaltsstoffe finde ich alle super. Das Haaröl kommt in einem hübschen Glasflakon mit einem Tropfverschluss daher.

Duft:

Es riecht sehr fruchtig und frisch. Es ist kein künstlicher Geruch, sondern angenehm und sehr dezent mit einer Unternote Frühlingsblumen. 

Konsistenz:

Das Serum ist nicht dickflüssig sondern hat eine leichte Konsistenz - wie eben ein Öl.

Anwendung und Ergebnis:

Laut Herstellerangaben kann man das Serum als Kur verwenden , vor dem Waschen oder aber wie ein Haaröl nach der Wäsche in das feuchte Haar einarbeiten. Die empfohlene Menge sind hier 2 Tropfen, das wird jeder bestätigen können der nach einer Überdosis Ölanwendung nochmals waschen durfte :) Meine Haare sind sehr weich geworden und glänzen. Ein deutlicher Vorteil üblichem Haaröl gegenüber - es ist komplett eingezogen und hinterlässt keine öligen Spitzen. 

Fazit:

Ein tolles Produkt für alle Haartypen unter den vielen neu auf dem Markt erscheinenden Haarseren - endlich richtig gute Öle und Inhaltsstoffe anstatt Mineralöl, Silikonen und auf der letzten Stelle Arganöl, so wie sonst  die Haarseren im Drogeriemarkt zu finden sind. Nachteil ist der hohe Preis, aber dafür das man wenn man es nicht als Haarkur anwendet eine sehr lange Zeit damit auskommt finde ich ihn gerechtfertigt. Für den  rundum gelungenen Duft und die gute Wirkung gibt es,

9 von 10 Punkten.

Erhältlich ist das Smoothing Serum vorerst über die ilikegreen Website hier. 

Über Aubrey Organics

Aubrey Organics ist eine Naturkosmetikfirma aus den Staaten, sie wurde 1967 von Aubrey Hampton gegründet. Sie ist nach dem internationalen unabhängigen Label HCS zertifiziert - und was mir besonders am Herzen liegt : seit Gründung völlig tierversuchsfrei. Wer sich schon einmal intensiver mit naturkosmetischer Haarpflege beschäftigt hat, wird schon früher von AO gelesen haben - im Haarpflegebereich eine am meisten geschätzte Marke. Ich bin ein grosser Fan der White Camelia und Honeysuckle Serie und der Haargele auf Aloe Vera Basis B5 und Magic Mandarin, die ich schon seit Jahren zur Lockenfixierung verwende.  

Ich glaube nicht, dass meine von Natur aus sehr trockenen Haare das halbe Jahr an der Universität Barcelona, ständige Schwimmen im Meer und Waschen ohne den White Camelia Kondi gut überstanden hätten :o) . Die Spülungen und Kuren sind so reichhaltig wie mir noch nie auch irgendeine Haarkur untergekommen ist, es sind hochkonzentrierte Pflegeformeln. Gerade die Shampoos kann man gut etwas verdünnen. Man kommt sehr lange mit den Produkten aus.

Grundsätze:

• keine Silikone
• vegan (Achtung - die meisten jedoch nicht alle Produkte)
• 100% Naturkosmetik BDIH
• keine Tierversuche
• Pflanzenöle und natürliche Duftstoffe

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Hello Lovelies!

Today I want to review a very new hair product which has been on the market just about a few weeks. The company is ilikegreen, its a branch of the huge natural cosmetics company Aubrey Organics. 

Incis:

Arachis Hypogaea Oil, Olea Europapea Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Vitis Vinifera seed Oi, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Phytosterole, Myristyl Lactate, Linoleic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate

50 ml for 29.95 Euro

So basically the base of the serum is peanut oil, followed by olive oil, sunflower seed oil and grape seed oil. Then they added quinoa extract, quinoa is a kind of corn and rich in protein, minerals and iron. Phytosterol is a cell membrane part in plants like cholesterol, more over they added linoleic acid and rosemary extract. I love the ingredients and am especially happy about the extra protein!

Fragrance: 

The fragrance is on the fruity side and has some light floral undertones. It is a pleasant smell and not too strong and overwhelming. 

Consistency:

Basically it has the consistency of a light oil. It is not sticky.

How to apply and results

I have been using it as a leave in in my entire hair after washing when it is still damp. I also used it instead of my usual coconut oil on my ends before I sleep and in the morning after combing. It is a very light product which completely vanished into my hair unlike coconut oil :) It does not leave the hair oily happily. ilikegreen also recommends you to use it as an overnight treatment, maybe on a special occasion it would be worth it though : o)  I would not do hot oil treatments with my hair simply because of the price o the product and the amount of my hair which would need to be coated. If you use it as indicated I know you will enjoy this product quite a while because of the small amounts you will need on a daily basis.  I am very happy with the softness and shine this product provides. 

 If you do live in the states you can buy AO Products in wholefood stores, if you live in Europe you can try this link  or the ilikegreen webpage. 

Summary:

 9 out of 10 :) 

Liebste Gruesse,

Louisa :)

Vielen Dank an die Firma Aubrey Organics, die mir das Produkt zum Testen zur Verfügung gestellt hat. 
I am grateful that the company Aubrey Organics provided me with the product for a review.