As soon as January rolls around and I've finally polished off the rest of the Celebrations, gotten rid of the leftover bottles of wine that have seen too much love in the past few weeks, given into the fact that I can't watch 14 episodes of Grey's Anatomy a day without moving anymore and generally just decided that work mode is on and Christmas mode is well and truly switched off... I, like 99.9% of the population, decided to detox my life.
Now, if I'm being totally honest, I've slacked off a lot this year - I spy you in the corner family size bar of Galaxy chocolate and complete lack of gym membership - but generally, the January detox began and I'm doing a lot better. One thing I never ever considered though, was my hair. I have always taken my hair for granted and used any products that I could get my hands on but after really seeing the repercussions of the festive season's excessive styling, shocking diet and caffeine/alcohol consumption (think breakage, weighed down, straw-like hair with not a speck of glossiness or shine) I just knew that something had to change.
I just needed to make changes. In fact, my poor hair needed a complete and utter overhaul.
For January I decided to go organic to see if it made any difference. To really test out these super friendly, gentle products that so many rave about and to see if they actually worked. I opted for Avalon, a brand I'd heard a lot about amongst blogger friends and one that came highly recommend.
So do we actually need a hair detox and what are the benefits in going organic?
Here's the thing, everybody's hair is different. Yours might be in tip top condition in which case (I'm totally jealous) you may not need it but for me, I had so many tell tale signs that it was just what I needed. My hair had become dull (no but seriously.. dull as dishwater does not do justice to how lifeless my hair was) and completely lacking in any shine. It was incredibly difficult to manage even with all the conditioner known to man, drier than the Sahara, weighed down with product and basically was just limp and lifeless (soz Chezza, I know that's your line). So yeah, I needed a hair detox.
Going organic isn't just about the benefits of the organic ingredients, it's about the benefits of not using certain other ingredients. SLS and SLES (Sodium Lauryl and Laureth sulfates) for example are the chemicals that produce the rich lather in most shampoos and body washes, they're also a strong detergent which can really irritate, inflame and itch the skin. But this is just one example of many chemicals that we don't even realise are in our products.
So let's talk about Avalon. Formulated with organic botanicals and essential oils, Avalon Organics are gentle, safe and incredibly effective plant-based shampoos and conditioners designed to bring luminosity and nourishment to your hair without the use of any harsh chemicals. There are absolutely no synthetic fragrances or colours, no harsh sulphates/parabens, they are eco-friendly (as everything is biodegradable), Vegan, certified organic and they contain no GMO's.
I know, pretty darn impressive, huh?
I've been switching between two ranges, the Volumizing Rosemary which is insanely incredible and the Strengthening Peppermint and I have to say, I have been completely blown away by both. My first thoughts before I tried them was that they would barely lather because of the lack of sulphates and chemicals but I was so, so wrong. Yes, they don't lather as much, but it's still enough to easily distribute the product and get an amazing deep cleanse. The volumising Rosemary genuinely give more volume to my hair than so many non-organic brands that I've tried recently (oh, and did I mention that it also smells absolutely divine too?!).
The Strengthening Peppermint range however is the one that really makes a difference to my hair. The shampoo contains Aloe Vera to soothe, Vitamin E to strengthen and prevent further damage and quinoa protein to rebuild for growth, protection and strength. I know sometimes all of these ingredients can be slightly daunting, so what you really need to know is that the shampoo completely cleanses your hair of any build up but also strengthens it, making it look and feel so much healthier and stronger and just full of life.
The Peppermint conditioner is equally stunning. With Arginine, an amino acid which is essential for healthy hair growth and improving blood supply to the roots. As well as the Biotin, in the Biotin B complex which is one of the most important nutrients to help preserve hair texture... this range just has you covered. You can find the Avalon range in Holland and Barrett (all prices based at £5.99 which is just out of this world considering the ingredients).
Basically, what I'm trying to say is, the benefits of going Organic and getting these incredible nutrients into your hair, as well as leaving behind nasty chemicals and sulfates is absolutely incredible. My hair feels stronger, cleaner, full of volume and thicker than it has in years [insert all of the hand clapping emoji's here], so I couldn't be more chuffed that I took part in Detox your hair Jan, and I couldn't be any more over the moon that I discovered Avalon! Don't get me wrong, am I saying that I will exclusively only use organic products for the rest of my life? Of course not. I think in this age and with my job it would be impossible, plus I have some non-organic styling products that I am yet to find an organic replacement for because they're so good, but the organic detox did me the world of good and it's definitely something I'll do whenever I possibly can!
Have you ever tried Avalon Organics before? Would a hair detox be something you'd ever indulge in? I would love to hear your thoughts on this :)
As always, thanks so much for reading!
This post was sponsored by and in collaboration with Avalon Organics but all thoughts, photos and extreme love of products that make my hair feel like a goddess, my own.
Labels: Beauty
