John Master’s Organics Sweet Orange and Silk Protein Styling Gel

photo courtesy of John Master’s Organics

I think I’ve said this a few times before, but I don’t like to use product in my hair.  I like my hair to feel clean to the touch, and I have enough experience with different products that I know that almost all of them leave my hair feeling slightly heave and gritty.  I dislike product so much that my cosmetologist knows not to use anything in my hair after a cut.

For JMO’s Sweet Orange and Silk Protein Styling Gel, I will make an exception.

I tried a sample of this over the course of a few days earlier this summer.  My bangs were getting too long, but my next hair appointment was only a week away, so I didn’t want to cut them myself.  Unfortunately, the extra length was dragging them down enough to get in my eyes – never a good thing during allergy season.  I’d had the sample of this gel hiding in my drawer for about a year, so I busted that sucker out and applied just a little bit to my bangs before drying.

No, no angels sang, but my bangs actually held the style I determined using nothing but a round brush and blow dryer.  And isn’t that all we really want out of our styling products?  You know, unless you’re miss picky pants like me, and want all the style but none of the feel.

The texture of the gel is very smooth, almost like a serum instead of a gel.  It’s not oily or tacky, and while it’s a little sticky upon application, it didn’t make my hair feel gritty or sticky after it was dry.

I also used this on one of those really humid days that I knew would make drying my naturally curly hair straight worthless.  I applied it and left my hair to dry on its own.  My curls were defined, less frizzy, and soft, not stiff.

Plus, the smell is amazing!  I kept thinking, “JMO needs to make a perfume in this scent.”  It’s definitely a soft sweet orange scent, more floral than citrusy, and not at all overpowering.

If you use styling products, I highly recommend this.  I think you’ll be pleased.

Sweet Orange and Silk Protein Styling Gel, $17.50, 8 ounces

 

 

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera leaf juice) gel,* aqua (water), cyamopsis tetragonolobus (guar) gum,* sorbitol, sclerotium gum, silk protein, panthenol, acacia senegal (arabic) gum,* hydrolyzed soy protein, citrus nobilis (mandarin orange) peel oil,* juniperus mexicana (cedarwood) oil,* sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract

John Master’s Organics Honey and Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing Shampoo

photo courtesy John Master’s Organics

Normally, if I see “reconstructing” in a shampoo name, I think it’s some kind of hydrating shampoo, but that’s not really the case for JMO’s Honey and Hibiscus Hair reconstructing shampoo.  Unlike typical hydrating shampoos made for dry and color treated hair, this one doesn’t leave a slight film behind.

This shampoo is pretty concentrated; a little bit goes a long way, and the addition of water after applying to hair will help it lather up well.  You aren’t going to feel like you’re skimping on bubbles.

And while this is a gentle shampoo, it cleans very well.  Your hair and scalp won’t feel squeaky clean, but squeaky clean usually indicates that your hair has been stripped.  Based on my own experience with this shampoo, I think this is not only good for dry and color treated hair, but it’s good for those of you who have an oily scalp but still have dry hair:  It will clean the scalp and hair, but strengthen weaker hair.

Even having really healthy hair, I noticed a difference on the days I used this instead of my regular shampoo.  My hair seemed a lot bouncier and shinier.

As for the smell – it’s not my favorite smell in the product line, but it’s light enough that your hair won’t held the scent all day long.

Honey and Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing Shampoo, $26, 6 ounces

Ingredients:Aqua (water), aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice,* decyl glucoside, sodium lauroamphoacetate, sodium cocoyl sulfoacetate, babassuamidopropyl betaine, panthenol, guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed rice protein, hydrolyzed oat protein, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, honey,* carnuba wax, chondrus chrispus extract, hydrolyzed rhodophycea extract, carrageenan, hydrolyzed wheat protein, linum usitatissimum (flax) seed oil,* borago officinalis (borage) seed oil,* helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil,* simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil,* soy tocopherol, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil,* sulfur, soy lecithin, hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) flower extract,* sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) seed oil,* cananga odorata (ylang ylang) flower oil,* citrus bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil*

John Master’s Organics Zinc and Sage shampoo with conditioner

photo courtesy of John Master’s Organics

If you are traditionally a fan of shampoo and conditioner combinations, I think you’ll really like JMO’s zinc and sage shampoo.  For a shampoo and conditioner, I thought this worked really well.  It doesn’t have that slimy feeling that some of these 2-in-1 products I’ve tried in the past have, and feels mainly like a shampoo.

Not being a 2-in-1 connoisseur, I don’t know how more recent 2-in-1s work.  I don’t know how well they clean, how well they condition, or how they lather.  So please bear with me as I compare this to the last 2-in-1 I used over 20 year ago, Pert Plus.  Zinc and sage shampoo lathered better than Pert, by far, though it still wasn’t up to my expectations of how well a shampoo should lather.   Then again, why would it?  The conditioner in this will keep it from lathering up that well.  But for the small amount I used (it was a sample), it did a pretty good job.

It cleaned fairly well.  My scalp and hair weren’t squeaky clean, but neither felt dirty after washing.

The downside is that I felt like I needed to use an extra conditioner after washing, and I think I may have.  Unfortunately, I can’t give you a good idea of how well it detangles or conditions because of this.

The smell!  It smells like Christmas cookies.  Do I really have to say more about how amazing this smells?

So here’s what I say:  if you like 2-in-1s and find that they’re the answer to a busy morning or a post-workout shower at the gym, I think this is definitely a product for you to try.  If you are not a fan of 2-in-1s, then get sample and see how you like it.  It’s worth trying it once just to smell it.  Seriously.

Zinc and Sage Shampoo, $20, 8 ounces

Ingredients:  Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera leaf juice) gel,* aqua (water), babassuamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, glycerin, zinc gluconate, zinc salt, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf/stem extract,* urtica dioica (nettle) root extract,* chamomilla recutica (chamomile) flower extract,* salvia officinalis (sage) leaf/stem extract,* equisetum hiemale (horsetail) leaf/stem extract,* lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf/stem extract,* salix alba (willow) bark extract,* carica papaya (papaya) extract, yucca schidigera (yucca) leaf extract,* panthenol (vitamin B), allantoin (comfrey-derived), wheat amino acids, chlorophyll, riboflavin, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, vanilla planifolia (bourbon vanilla) fruit oil,* rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil,*salvia officinalis (sage) leaf oil*

John Master’s Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo for Normal Hair

I know, I know, it’s been a bit since I’ve posted.  I’m decluttering my house and trying to focus on some other things while the longer daylight hours are still here.  I’m WAY behind in posts, but here begins the John Master’s Organics series.

I tried JMO’s Lavender Rosemary shampoo at the beginning of 2010 when I was still switching all my personal care items over.  I was searching for a shampoo that had great ingredients, lathered well (without using a whole handful of shampoo), and smelled nice.

As Meatloaf said, “Two outta three ain’t bad.”  Right?  Well, maybe not.

This does smell nice, very herbally from the lavender and rosemary.  Since it’s been so long since I’ve used it, I can’t remember exactly what it smelled like, but if I remember correctly, it was more to the lavender spectrum than rosemary.  The fragrance comes from essential oils, so it isn’t terribly strong and fades throughout the day.

The ingredients are great.  John Masters focuses on using as many organic ingredients as he can when formulating his products, so there are a lot of extracts, essential oils, juices and gels in the products.  Yes, there are going to be the ingredients that only a chemist can pronounce, but these are made using plant ingredients, like coconut, instead of petroleum products.

Now for the bubble factor:  It doesn’t lather as well as I would have liked.  With hair as thick as mine is, I felt like I had to use way too much to get enough lather, or even to get it all over my scalp and into my hair.  The 8 ounce bottle only lasted about three weeks for me, which is disappointing.  Despite that, it cleaned my hair really well, leaving it clean without feeling stripped or dry.

Overall, I would encourage everyone to try this shampoo.  I think if you have short or medium-bodied hair, you’ll really like it.  Long- and thick-haired girls, see if you can get a sample first, or make sure you get it from a place with a good return policy.  Just in case.

Lavender and Rosemary Shampoo, $16, 8 ounces

Ingredients:  Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera leaf juice) gel,* aqua (water), decyl glucoside, sodium lauroamphoacetate, sodium cocoyl sulfoacetate, babassuamidopropyl betaine, panthenol (vitamin B5), lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil,* rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil,* hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat amino acids, sorbitol, symphytum officinale (comfrey) leaf extract,* chamomilla recutica (chamomile) flower extract,* lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf/stem extract,* urtica dioica (nettle) root extract,* equisetum hiemale (horsetail) leaf/stem extract,* achillea millefolium (yarrow) extract,* camellia sinensis (white tea) extract,* salix alba (willow) bark extract,* lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, linum usitatissimum (flaxseed) seed oil,* borago officinalis (borage) seed oil,* helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil,* simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil,* tocopherol, sulfur, glycerin

Battle of the Oil Cleansers: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil vs. Villainess Datura Slick!

        vs.  

photos courtesy of DHC and Villianess

Putting the word “oil” with the word “cleanser” seems like an oxymoron.

Back when I was 16 and using harsh cleansers and toners on my face, I would have laughed at you had you suggested I use an oil cleanser on my oily skin.  And then run the other direction.  Because putting more oil on an oily face just doesn’t make sense.

Right?

Then about 10 years ago or so, when my !!OMG!! TRY ANYTHING!! phase really got into full gear, I talked with some women (who are now close friends) online about what they used as cleanser.  Many of them, who also have oily skin, had tried DHC Deep Cleansing Oil with great success–meaning it didn’t cause breakouts, removed all of their makeup, and cleaned well.

I tried a couple of samples that got floated my way, and liked it. A lot.  But I was also a Mary Kay Consultant at the time and felt I should really be using the product I was trying to sell.  It wasn’t until about four years ago, when I was no longer a consultant, that I bought a bottle of the Deep Cleansing Oil.  I quickly went from “This stuff is nice” to “I never want to use another cleanser ever again.”  Yes, it’s that good.

Oil cleansers, in general, don’t lather up (or at least not the ones I’ve ever heard of).  While I like bubbles, I have a different philosophy for my face, which is I’ll use whatever works.  It doesn’t matter if it foams or not.  I just want my face to feel clean when I’m done cleaning it.

Oil cleansers like these are applied to dry skin–you don’t want to get your skin wet before application, or they won’t work.  Seriously.  Apply and massage into dry skin for one  to two minutes, then rinse with warm water.  Your skin will not feel oily after you use an oil cleanser; in fact, it will probably feel cleaner than it’s ever felt in your entire life.

I tend to get little blackheads all over my nose and chin, but for the 6 months that I used Deep Cleansing Oil, I noticed that I had fewer blackheads in both places, and my skin never looked dull.  The ingredients don’t contain anything that would be helpful for exfoliation, but my skin always felt smoother after using it.

Deep Cleansing Oil has a light scent.  If you open a bottle of olive oil and smell it, you pretty much know what DCO smells like, though it’s not quite as heavy as that.  But you won’t have the smell of fruit or flowers lingering on your skin all day long from it, nor will your face smell like oil.  I always found the scent to be quite relaxing, which led to a five minute face massage when I used it.

So why, you might ask, did I quit using DCO if it is SO fabulous?  Good question.  When my bottle ran out, I had already started a master’s degree in environmental studies.  I was switching every cleaning product in the house, from dish soap to shampoo, over to environmentally friendly products.  As much as I love DCO, it has some questionable ingredients.  Phenoxyethanol, a preservative, isn’t suspected to be an environmental toxin, but it is limited in its use and exposure levels in Japan and the European union.  Stearyl glycyrrhetinate, which has a low risk, is still limited in its concentration for cosmetic applications.  In all, Deep Cleansing Oil isn’t a horrid product for the environment, but it’s also not the best out there.

Since then, I’ve been searching for a facial cleanser that works as well, with mixed results, many of which you can read about by searching for cleansers in the archives here.  But you know how it is when you find the perfect cleanser: nothing can ever compare to it.

A few weeks ago, another friend tipped me off to a small company called Villainess.  I was searching for ec0-friendly face masks, and she told me that their masks worked great.  Off I went to explore the Villainess site, and lo-and-behold, there was an oil cleanser!  Excited, I searched out some reviews (there weren’t any) and asked a couple of people if they’d used DHC and Villainess’s oil cleanser, Datura Slick!  Only one person had used both, and she said they both worked about the same.

About six days later, my box from Villainess arrived with Slick! and the mud mask sampler (which I’ll review later).  I whipped out Slick!, applied and massaged, and gloried in the feeling of clean, clean skin.

Yes, Slick! works just like DCO, and just as well.  I’m alternating between it and a foaming cleanser right now, and I can tell a difference between the two.  The foaming cleanser is also for oily skin, but my face feels so much cleaner, and looks brighter and fresher, on the days I use Slick.  Even though I’m only using it about twice a week right now, I am already starting to see a difference in the number of those tiny blackheads on my nose and chin.

Slick doesn’t contain olive oil, but uses other fruit and flower extracts/oils to cleanse, so the fragrance, while still light like DCO, is a fruity smell, instead of slightly savory like DCO.

And finally, the ingredients are better.  The two non-fruit/flower oils/extracts (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate) don’t rank on the Skin Deep database as showing any environmental or health concerns, though I think it’s because there aren’t any studies on those two ingredients right now.

Slick costs more than DCO, but again, it contains better ingredients.  Chemicals are cheap; oils and extracts aren’t.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, 6.7 ounces, $26

Ingredients:  olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

Datura Slick!, 2 ounces, $18

Ingredients: Jojoba Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Rosa canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Prunus (Cherry) Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (and) Tiare Flower, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Cymbidium Grandiflorum (Orchid) Flower Extract, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (and) Plumeria Rubra (Frangipani) Flower Extract, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

GoodGuide’s Best Shampoo Ratings

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine pointed me to GoodGuide’s Best Shampoo Ratings.  GoodGuide’s scientists rated 1768 shampoos (to date) and gave them scores based on health, environment, and society.

The best shampoos, according to GoodGuide are:

1. Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
2. Aubrey Organic’s Men’s Stock Ginseng Biotin Shampoo
3. Nurture My Body Shampoo
4. Miessence Desert Flower Shampoo
5. Lavera Neutral Hair and Body Shampoo

The worst shampoos:

1. CVS Color Protect Moisturizing Shampoo
2. St. Ives Swiss Formula Papaya Plus Shampoo
3. Nexxus Simply Silver Color Toning Shampoo
4. Alberto Vo5 Vanilla Blossom Shampoo
5. Freeman Papaya Pro-Vita Shampoo

Of the best rated products, I’ve only heard of Burt’s Bees and Aubrey.  This may take some investigating.

Burt’s Bees Extra Energizing Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash

photo courtesy of Burt’s Bees

I’ve mentioned how difficult it is to find a shower gel that smells good but isn’t full of junk ingredients in a couple of posts.  Usually I just use Beauty Without Cruelty Shampoo as a shower gel and be done with it.  But a few months ago, I really, really wanted an actual shower gel.

Allow me to ramble for a minute:  one of the reasons I switched to shower gels from bars soaps so many years ago is that bar soaps, while they cleanse well, leave my skin feeling tacky or filmy.  Shower gels, on the other hand, leave my skin with the slick, clean feeling, and my skin is softer for it.  One of the most difficult parts of finding an eco-friendly shower gel has been finding one that leaves my skin with that slick, clean feeling.  Many companies like to use castille soap as the base, which, though in liquid form (like Dr. Bronner’s liquid castille soap), leaves that same tacky feeling on the skin.  I don’t like it.  I’m picky that way.

So finding a shower gel has been difficult.  I grabbed this one because it doesn’t have castille-type ingredients in it and it smells good.  Out of the bottle, it smells more like ginger than citrus, but while in use, the citrus becomes more pronounced.  It is a strong scent, but pleasant, and is good for women or men (Jeff uses this and really liked it, and he’s even pickier than me when it comes to shower gels).

It lathers well, though the gel itself is a little thin for my tastes, so I felt like I had to use more than I wanted to.  It rinses cleanly, which is a plus.

One caveat:  this body wash contains perfume.  Personally, I always assume that any “perfume” in an ingredients list is made in a lab and is not an essential oil, so it may or may not be OK for the environment or your health.

Burth’s Bees Extra Energizing Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash, $8, 12 ounces.

Ingredients: water, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, sucrose laurate, coco-betaine, betaine, coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, zingiber officinale (ginger) oil, citrus grandis (grapefruit) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (sweet orange) peel oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, parfum (fragrance), glyceryl oleate, glycerin, citric acid, glucose, sodium chloride, hydroxypropyltrimonium honey, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase.

Crunchy Betty

I was surfing yesterday during a break in my daily routine, looking for something interesting to read.  I really like well-written blogs, especially blogs that have anything to do with beauty.

I came upon the Crunchy Betty blog, a beauty blog that promotes homemade skin care–and hair care, and household, and and…– using ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already.  While I love trying new beauty products, it’s always fun to make something that doesn’t have an ounce of man-made chemical in it.  And people have been using homemade treatments for years because they work.

This blog is well-written and funny to boot.  Get the over to Crunchy Betty and have a good read.  You’ll thank me.

Beauty Without Cruelty Moisture Plus Conditioner

Beauty Without Cruelty Moisture Plus Conditioner

I’m kicking myself for not reviewing this sooner.

I mentioned in my last post that BWC was purchased by Lotus Brands in 2009, and the company is now located in Wisconsin.  But you know what usually happens when companies get bought and locations change?  Products change.

The last bottle of this conditioner I finished wasn’t my favorite conditioner in the world, but it was pretty darn close.  It didn’t have many, if any, of the bad ingredients in it, it made my hair soft and tangle free, and had a light lavender scent that wore off about two hours into the day.  I liked it.

When I needed more, I ordered it from Vitacost about three weeks ago.  The first time I used it the new bottle, it felt different, but it worked the same, so I chalked it up to it just being a new bottle.  The next morning, it still felt different, so I checked the label.  Sure enough, it felt different because the formula had changed.  The old formula didn’t include any cones, but the new formula contains dimethicone and amodimethicone.  There are a few other bad ingredient changes, but those were the two that jumped out at me, because I’ve been avoiding the use of products with silicone ingredients.

Other than the fact that it’s not eco-friendly anymore, how does it work?  First of all, the fragrance is the same.  That’s a plus.  My hair is still soft, and the inclusion of the dimethicone allows for better slip when combing, so fewer tangles, which is always good.  It takes a little longer to rinse out than it used to, but not as long as other conditioners that have silicone products in them.  It conditions well and my hair looks nice.

I think BWC’s biggest draw is that it is a cruelty-free company, so for those of you who are vegan or vegetarian, BWC’s products are critter-friendly.  Even with the company and formula change, this has stayed the same.  But for those of you who are looking for eco-friendly alternatives, I can’t in good conscience recommend this product anymore.  This will probably be the last time I purchase this conditioner.

Beauty Without Cruelty Moisture Plus Conditioner, $10.95, 16 ounces.

Ingredients:

Purified water, Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, cetearyl alcohol,
glyceryl stearate, glycerin, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, panthenol, soy
protein, dimethicone, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, behentrimonium
methosulfate, sodium pac, inositol, Anthemis nobilis (chamomile() extract,
Salvia officinalis (sage) extract, Equisetum arvense (horsetail) extract, Urtica
dioica (nettle) extract, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract,
amodimethicone, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, soy lecithin, ascorbic acid,
citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ethyl hexyl glycerin, Cananga
odorata (ylang ylang) oil*, Lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil*, 20% Organic

Dear Beauty Without Cruelty: What did you DO?!?!?

For those of you who use Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) products, here’s something you may or may not have known.  I didn’t know it until recently:

Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) North American Rights and Distribution Bought by Lotus Brands, Inc.

TWIN LAKES, WI, December 03, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ — Beauty Without Cruelty, also known as BWC, has been one of the leaders in providing natural body care and cosmetics products without relying on animal testing or animal ingredients.
The original Beauty Without Cruelty brand and products were developed in the UK in 1963 as part of a passion to move society beyond the torturing of animals to create personal care products. The brand continues its active role in the cruelty-free movement in the UK.

In 1989, Beauty Without Cruelty was introduced in the United States. Based on the principles of high quality, fair pricing, and environmental sensitivity, BWC cosmetics quickly became one of the industry’s leading brands. Later that year, a natural skin care line was developed to compliment the color line from England. Its cruelty-free, vegetarian ethic was embraced by American consumers making it one of the most respected and recognized lines in the marketplace.

Today, Beauty Without Cruelty has a full line of cruelty-free, vegetarian skin, body, and hair care products made with the finest natural ingredients and organic aroma-therapeutic essential oils, and a full line of colour cosmetics to meet the needs of every woman.

Lotus Brands, Inc., a majority woman-owned, family business, has been a leading provider of high quality personal care products in the natural products industry since 1992. After discussions with the US-based owners of the North American rights to the BWC brand, the parties agreed that there was a great fit between the principles and values of the two companies and that Lotus Brands could provide the platform to expand the brand and its message in the future. The acquisition is effective for all orders shipped after January 1 2010. Lotus Brands will work in coordination with the Beauty Without Cruelty company based in the UK to support their mission and the colour cosmetic products sourced from there.

Scott Egide, President of Natural Resources Group stated: “I am pleased that the Beauty without Cruelty brand has found a home with Lotus Brands. This represents a positive step forward for the brand and its important message to humanity, that Beauty does not require the torture of animals.”

For more information, visit the website at http://www.beautywithoutcruelty.com or contact Shanta at Lotus Brands. Inc.

Shanta Krinsky, PR Director
Lotus Brands, Inc.
shanta@lotuspress.com
262 889 8561 ext 168

http://www.beautywithoutcruelty.com

The reason I didn’t know this until about two weeks ago was that I didn’t check the labels.

Now, that might sound silly, because usually, once we find a product we  like, we don’t tend to read the labels anymore.  I’ve been using BWC shampoo (and conditioner, on and off) for almost three years now.  I used to get it at a local store, but when they ran out and didn’t have shampoo in stock for almost two weeks, I ordered it from Vitacost.  It wasn’t until my second Vitacost order three weeks ago that I noticed the conditioner (which I’ll review in a bit) felt different.  So I read the label.  Sure enough, the company location had changed, and the product ingredients changed too.

Boo.

So, to whoever at Lotus Brands who might be making these decisions:  Hey, it’s nice that BWC is now in the Midwest.  However, the new product formulations, while they might be vegan still, are less eco-friendly.  In the long run, that’s cruel to the animals you claim you love.