Living Libations Organic & Synthetic-Free Haircare. Here Are My Thoughts!
I’ve always found it quite a challenge to find haircare that’s plant-based, not chemical-based, that’s organic, and also synthetic-free. I’ve used “natural” haircare for about 3 years now... but every natural shampoo bar, conditioner, or treatment I’d use would still have some weird chemical in it that I didn’t feel comfortable applying to my scalp or hair. This area of my personal care/hygiene was honestly something I ‘swept under the rug’ for a while because it truly is so difficult to find 100% clean hair products — that WORK. These “natural” haircare products that I used to use also left my hair feeling brittle and stripped of its healthy oils. However, if I swapped back to the haircare my hairdresser recommended to me (which is fully synthetic), my skin would be irritated, and the fragrances were just too strong & toxic to handle! Even if they did make my hair feel slightly better, these synthetic shampoos and conditioners were not compatible with my body in the long run.
Then, I came across the Living Libations haircare line! I am very familiar and in love with their skincare, dental care, suncare, essential oils, beauty products, and perfumes, so I was super excited to give their hair products a shot too, especially since their haircare is the first bunch of hair products I’ve seen on the market that are:
Raw
Organic & Wildcrafted
GMO free
Microbiome friendly
Synthetic free
Gluten free
Food grade
Beyond fair trade
Reef safe
Leaping bunny
Before trying the Living Libations haircare products that I’ll be reviewing in this blog post, I was told that their hair range is truly a work of art. And I could not AGREE more. 👏🏻
These libations are created with only the highest quality, clean ingredients, and they have done absolute WONDERS for my hair. I didn’t even have a proper ‘haircare routine’ beforehand… I just washed every second day or whenever felt necessary. Now I love taking the time to look after and nourish my hair, and I can say with confidence that these products have truly rejuvenated my locks and brought back the hydration and shine I’ve been always chasing after.
I started out by using the Seabuckthorn Shampoo & Shine On Conditioner Duo. I would firstly like to say that these two products would suit all hair types. The formula for both are designed to clarify oily hair, cleanse deeply, keep hair elastic, smooth + shiny, dissolve build-up, create bounce & movement, build body for fine hair, and strengthen & hydrate weak or damaged hair. This Shampoo & Conditioner also is safe and supportive for colour-treated hair, it’s very gentle (even children can use this), and they can also double as a body wash!
I found that my hair needed a transition period between using my old hair products and this duo, the more I washed with it the more my hair got used to the nourishing botanicals and fully felt strong and hydrated after the first few washes. I love to do a double shampoo and I find that on my 2nd shampoo the product foams up a little which I like. The mild sudsing of this shampoo comes from the combination of coco-protein and yucca root. Coco-protein is derived from the sugars, proteins and fatty acids of organic, virgin coconut oil. Yucca root is very high in saponins, the soap making ingredient, which causes the lather in the shampoo.
I use a small amount of the conditioner (a little goes a long way) after my 1st application of shampoo and massage it into my ends and leave it in for a few minutes to allow all of the herbal goodness to infuse while I go on to apply the 2nd shampooing. After this, I apply some of the Honey Myrtle Deep Conditioner Hair Mask, and let this marinate into my locks for a few minutes. After I rinse everything out and let my hair air dry, my hair feels nourished, clean, healthy, and smells so good! I adore the scent of this duo and I really appreciate how it’s subtle and not overpowering like most hair products on the market.
This duo has truly changed the game for me and my hair no longer feels like it’s been stripped of its natural oils, nor does my hair look oily either. Thank you Living Libations!
The ingredients of both products are as follows:
Seabuckthorn Shampoo: Jojoba, Seabuckthorn, Coco-Protein, Yucca, Bladderwrack Seaweed, Orange Wax, Calendula, Red Clover, Oatstraw, Horsetail, Coltsfoot, Comfrey, Stinging Nettles, Chamomile, Grapefruit, Peppermint, Vetiver, Lime, Sage + Rosemary.
Shine-on Conditioner: Jojoba, Aloe Vera, Rosewater, Apple Cider Vinegar, Tamanu, Orange Wax, Chickweed Herbal Infusion, Marshmallow Herbal Infusion, Slippery Elm, Alfalfa Herbal Infusion, Bladderwrack Seaweed, Lime, Lavender, Sage + Rosemary.
I am beyond stoked to announce that this Honey Myrtle Deep Conditioner Hair Mask is my FAVOURITE hair care product from the Living Libations range, and my favourite hair care product I’ve ever used, period. This is a thick, rich, luxurious rinse-out or leave-in conditioning mask that is soothing for dry hair, a dry scalp, damaged or over-processed hair, and all hair types desperately seeking a strengthened state of hair-homeostasis. I might also add that the scent of this mask is heavenly, if you could encapsulate sweetness & spring into a jar, this would be it.
I love how this mask is diverse. It’s amazing for a quick conditioner, as a leave-in mask, or as a styling agent.
To use as a quick conditioner; apply after shampooing, leaving on as long as possible. To use as a leave-in hair mask; apply after shampooing and leave in for 15 minutes covered with a shower cap or towel or leave in overnight and rinse in the morning. And to use this as a styling agent; apply to hair strands and tips anytime for scented languid locks.
I believe that using this mask consistently as a ‘longer leave-in conditioner’ after using the Shampoo & Conditioner Duo I mentioned above, is truly what has repaired my sun, salt, & wind damaged ends. I do spend a lot of time outdoors and in the ocean, even in the winter months. So my hair definitely has been exposed to harsh conditions and wasn’t receiving the love and nourishment it needed when I was using those old “natural” hair products. Since using this Honey Myrtle Deep Conditioner Hair Mask, my hair has never felt so fortified, protected and deeply hydrated.
The ingredients in this mask are as follows:
Coconut, Jojoba, Aloe Vera, Sorbitan Olivate, Seabuckthorn, Bladderwrack, Coltsfoot, Horse Chestnut, Oatstraw, Horsetail, Stinging Nettle, Wild Rosehips, Honey Myrtle, Jasmine Grandiflorum, Sandalwood, Calendula, Lemon, Ylang, Sage + Rosemary.
I would happily rate this mask an 11/10💛
I’ve never used a styling serum before and I must say I’ve been missing out! The Seabuckthorn Styling Serum is an ultra-thin, highly conditioning liquid gel that’s a lightweight, non-sticky styling serum made to maintain your mane. I have always had a lot of crazy baby hairs around my forehead that just sit in any and every direction, so I love to use a pump or two of this serum to smooth them back when I’m styling my hair into a high bun, ponytail or braids. I also found that using this when brushing my hair enables me to pull off a set of braids without having all my fluffy baby hairs popping out lol!
My hair is naturally quite wavy and I love to use this serum in wet hair to help accentuate my curls. To do this, as you’re applying the product, work to smooth it through the hair so it coats all strands and then scrunch the excess water out. Basically, cup all the sections of hair in your hand and squeeze. If you hold the squeeze a few seconds each time, it helps to define the curl even more. I like how this serum doesn’t weigh my hair down or make it greasy, instead, it makes it feel thicker and helps me achieve the style I’m going for.
Of course, the Seakbuckthorn Styling Serum is created with the highest quality organic botanicals.
The ingredients in this serum are:
Jojoba, Aloe Vera, Seabuckthorn, Acacia Gum, Wild Harvested Bladderwrack Extract, Coltsfoot, Horse Chestnut, Horsetail, Stinging Nettle, Wild Rosehips, Peppermint, Rosemary, Patchouli, Grapefruit, Sage, Rosemary.
As you can tell by the title of this serum, Seabuckthorn is a key ingredient! The Latin name of the berry producing Seabuckthorn bush means “tree that makes the horses shine” referring to the berries’ benefits of making horses healthy and have shiny hair. The seabuckthorn berry oil used in this serum is a super-critical extract that has an affinity for strong, shiny, lustrous locks.
This Crowning Glory Hair Oil is particularly nourishing for hair that is dry or has experienced damage. Its foundational ingredients include pumpkin seed oil and stinging nettle which are full of bioactive nutrients that help to encourage hair growth. I love to massage this oil into my scalp, as healthy hair grows from nourished roots! Our scalp has more than 200 blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and 1,000 nerve endings and it is, of course, the mother to our hair. Depending on our hair color, we have between 90,000 and 200,000 hair follicles nurtured by the scalp, and beautiful hair grows from healthy scalps. You want the pores to not feel ignored or plugged with polymers and stuffed with silicone and surfactants from synthetic hair products, so for me, this is a must-have.
Oiling the hair and scalp with this oil delivers nourishing essential oils to hair roots. The bioactive botanicals in this blend are created to attend to dry, flaky scalps, renovate damaged hair, smooth split ends, strengthen strands, restore shine, cleanse scalp pores and maintain the mane.
Besides massaging this into my scalp, I also love to apply this to my ends to strengthen the tips after washing my hair. After ocean swims in the sun my ends can sometimes get a bit brittle, and I’ve found that this Crowning Glory Hair Oil has made a significant difference. This product is great to use both before bed and in the morning to start your day :)
I found the scent of this hair oil invigorating, I would describe it as astringent, earthy, and inviting.
The ingredients in this blend are as follows:
Pumpkin Seed, Jojoba Oil, Stinging Nettles, Rosemary, Lemon Petitgrain, Vetiver, Spikenard.
Back in the day, I remember when I was in primary school I used to drench my hair in the most toxic aerosol dry shampoos that were super strong in chemical fragrances. Yikes. I haven’t touched dry shampoo for probably a decade now as I had NO idea that organic, natural, synthetic-free dry shampoo even existed! Well, friends, let me tell you about the Living Libations ‘Flowers in Her Hair’ Dry Shampoo. I’ve found gold with this one. Just like all other Living Libations products, each botanical ingredient contains a world of benefits. There’s not 1 ingredient in this product that would cause your body any harm (unlike every single ingredient on the back of a drug-store aerosol dry shampoo). Flowers in Her Hair Dry Shampoo even has PROBIOTICS in it! Like what? Can it get any better?!
Many dry shampoos on the market are packed with polymers, parabens, corn, rice and aluminum starches, toxic talc and flammable isobutene, propane and alcohols that inhibit healthy hair growth, dry-out hair, attract residue and block the breathability of the scalp. Each ingredient in Flowers in Her Hair Dry Shampoo is masterfully mixed to optimise hair health and beauty.
“Balancing baking soda absorbs excess oil. Kaolin clay works like a magnet to draw residue and cleans oils out. Silk peptides create a silky sheath around each hair follicle to lock in moisture and detangle strands. Bursting in blossoming botanicals, Flowers in Her Hair also includes a fragrant floral wreath of whole chamomile flowers, whole lavender flowers, Roman Chamomile essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Jasmine sambac, Ylang Ylang, and Magnolia Blossom to soothe scalps, lift dry locks, and saturate strands with sweet sensuality. Arrowroot powder supports absorption, while our rosemary supercritical concentrated extract naturally provides optimising plant power.”
— Living Libations
This is a lightweight power blend that I love to use in between washes to absorb any excess oil. It also adds a beautiful floral scent to my mane. To apply this, I sprinkle a small amount into the palm of my hand and massage it into the roots of my hair working away from my natural part. I then move from the roots to tips, and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb and activate all the nourishing plant botanicals. With a comb or brush, I then comb through the hair to evenly distribute the shampoo and stimulate the scalp. I would say that I use this about 3x a week :)
The ingredients in this blend are as follows:
Arrow Root, Kaolin Clay, Silk Peptides, Rosemary, Baking soda, Probiotics (L. plantarum, B. bifidum, and B. longum), Chamomile Flowers, Lavender Flowers, Jasmine Sambac, Ylang, Magnolia Blossom, Chamomile, Alpine Lavender.
Thank you for reading!
I hope this blog post inspires you to start taking better care of your beautiful hair using clean, organic & minimalistic plant botanicals!
Living Libations has brought so much healing, knowledge about health & fun into my life - I entrust their beautiful products will do the same for you.
Share this blog post with someone you know who would benefit from these haircare products mentioned, and if you decide to try out any Living Libations products mentioned here, be sure to tag me @olivia.harper ♡
I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
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Wishing wellness & vitality to each and every one of you.
With love,
Liv x
