a natural deep conditioner?

i have found a fabulous new deep conditioner! i have so many in line to try, but this is a more natural formula, so i thought i'd give this one a go in time for earth day. Botanics 5 Minute Deep Conditioning Hair Mask is a Boot's brand product. i have recently had a great experience with their Vitamin Mask, so, as many brands want, i decided to try another product.

they describe this product:
this rich creamy hair mask intensively hydrates the hair where it needs it most to leave hair shiny and strengthened with added protection from environmental damage. rice bran protein extract, shea butter and pro-vitamin B5 combine to enrich and moisturise the hair to give it real softness. grape extract protects the hair from the damaging effects of free radicals generated by sunlight, heat styling and environmental pollutants. your hair will radiate softness and shine which lasts.

i have to say that this comes in a big 15.2 ounce container, which is great! after one application, i know i have plenty left for the months to come. this is environmentally friendly because that means less waste!

the consistency of this product is quite odd, though. it feels like a soft, fluffy marshmallow melted. it felt a little lumpy as i stirred my fingers in the product. i was so surprised by this that i had to dip my fingers and stir the product around again to make sure it wasn't my imagination! but as soon as i rubbed it into my hands and applied it, this product melted into my hair, coating each strand (i try to imagine it this way!). i left it in for five minutes--while i shaved my legs, turning the water off to conserve!-- and rinsing it out was so easy. my hair felt soft, but not like anything had been left in it.

after styling my hair, it was left feeling and looking like i really gave my hair a treat! i am so happy with this product. i almost feel guilty that i love it because i have to confess: being made more aware of the environment and living a more green lifestyle, especially lately, i remembered that i hadn't checked the label before i bought and tried this treatment. uh-oh...i had to do some research...

so many times products market themselves as being a natural product, and for the most part, they are. however, sometimes, for the sake of preserving ingredients, brands (like Botanics, as it turns out) will add things called parabens.

so what are parabens? well, they are a group of chemicals that are widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. they can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels and personal lubricants. parabens have been found to cause skin irritation, contact dermatitis, or allergic skin reactions. there was also a study showing parabens present in breast cancer tissue samples, this was linked to use of underarm deodorants, but many say there needs to be more research carried out before a causal link between parabens in cosmetics and breast cancer. you might not see the word parabens, but that does not mean they are not there, as these chemicals might be listed as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben or butylparaben.

so, i guess i can safely say that this ia not an all natural conditioner. and since the word natural is not regulated, there really is nothing i can do. this is a fabulous conditioner, but don't be fooled. it does contain natural ingredients, but there are still unnatural ingredients in it as well.


xo