Sometimes I really don’t represent being a female very well.  I honestly find getting myself ready in the morning and before bedtime such a bore.  I’m not someone who can spend hours in front of a mirror perfecting her makeup and enjoying the process.  I’d honestly rather be using my time more wisely.  To blog, make money or exercise usually.  I tell Ben ‘time is money’ and he tells me I sound like some crazed entrepreneur.  It’s perhaps why I’ve spent less and less time getting ready since becoming a parent and even adopted wearing no makeup at all in recent months; true natural beauty, or rather one very tired and haggard looking mama.  The days I do bother to put makeup on will be the only days Ben says I look really good (even though he’d usually ask me why I put all that rubbish on my face and tells me I don’t need it, ha!)

With all that being said, there is still one thing I do enjoy when it comes to getting ready in the morning.  That’s a long hot shower!  There’s nothing quite like it.  Not just for getting clean, but for having ten minutes to myself kid- free in a relaxing enjoyable environment.  And to make my showers as pleasurable as possible, I choose to use the most natural based and scrumptious smelling products I can get my hands on.

Why I choose natural beauty products

I choose the most natural based products I can find for both my protection and our environment.  Everything we use on us ends up in the environment and many mainstream products are filled with nasty toxic chemicals that pollute the water, kill marine life and end up contaminating our own water supply.  Not only are these toxins causing damage to the environment, but we’re smearing them all over our skin and hair allowing them to seep into our skin and around our bodies, causing who knows what damage.  I’ve written before about the dangers of parabens: Why I'm mad at Calpol

There are numerous articles online suggesting the average woman applies 168 artificial chemicals to her body every day.  This just cannot be good.  I know many companies argue they use ‘safe’ amounts of these toxins (if there ever is such a thing as a safe amount), but even if it is safe in one product used once in a while, most women use several products several times a day.  I’m sure the build-up of these chemicals in our systems and the constant use cannot be good.  It’s also interesting to note that companies who do independent testing of ingredients in beauty products, such as Whole Foods, will refuse to sell anything containing anything from a list of over 100 ingredients because of their potential harm.  Yet these ingredients will be widely used in cosmetics elsewhere.  If their studies are finding these dangerous, why are other companies allowed to use them?  It seems to me the beauty industry and its ingredients are not regulated properly at all.

For a few years now I’ve refused to use anything containing parabens or SLS and actively search for products with high natural based ingredients such as natural Wild deodorant.  The extra searching and extra cost for high quality natural safer products is totally worth it in my opinion.  Every now and then I get an amazing opportunity to try a natural beauty product to review for my blog.  It’s a great chance for me to sample a product I’ve never tried before and to learn of a new inspiring brand.

Natural Beauty Product Review: NEEM Sweet Orange and Cedarwood Shampoo from Tri-Dosha

A couple of weeks ago I was kindly sent a shampoo to try from a website called Tri-Dosha.  The shampoo is from their NEEM collection and promises to be a soothing blend of sweet orange and cedar wood.  It’s in a 250ml sized bottle with a handy pump dispenser.  Pumps are always great for making sure you only uses exactly how much you need and don’t waste any by pouring lots out accidently!  It would be good if it came with a screw top version too as I’d love to take it to the gym.  I can’t seem to lock the top again to be able to take it with me.  Though this may just be me…

The first thing to hit me was the delicious sweet smell.  It’s an all year round smell - citrusy for refreshing summer showers, but the orange is also the perfect Christmas scent too.  It smelt delicious and built up as the shampoo foamed up in my hair.  Yep, it foams up!  Many of the natural shampoos I use seem to disappear into my hair with no foam so I have to use more, but this Neem shampoo foams up more and more creating a stronger aroma and meaning less is needed than many other brands.  A few pumps is plenty enough for my mid-length hair.

When the shampoo’s rinsed out, my hair feels instantly squeaky clean.  I know this can be a sign of shampoo still in the hair, so I wondered this at first, but I’d rinsed for plenty long enough and my hair still had that amazing clean feeling just by touching it in the shower.  I was right and it was all washed out properly and just amazingly clean hair!

I’ve been using it a couple of weeks now and my hair looks in great condition.  I have oily hair and usually after 1-2 days it looks pretty greasy around the roots, but it’s been looking healthier and less like it needs washing so quickly. 

What are the benefits of neem seed oil for hair?

The shampoo is from their NEEM range and contains neem seed oil.  The oil comes from an evergreen tree in India not surprisingly called neem.  It’s rich in anti-oxidants and is well known for its anti-bacterial properties.

Here’s a roundup of neem’s benefits for hair:

• Improving scalp health
• Treating dandruff
• Increasing hair strength
• Promoting hair growth
• De-frizzing hair
• Conditions dry and damaged hair
• Relieves eczema

Please note, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive you should avoid neem containing products.

Why buy from Tri-Dosha?

One of the best things about buying from natural beauty companies are the values they hold.  They actually care about the ingredients you use and what you’re putting on your skin.  Many large conventional companies seem to only care about using the cheapest ingredients and making the most profits.  I feel much safer buying from smaller independent companies who are trying to do good.  Tri-Dosha seem to feel the same way I do about products and they say:

‘We really care about what goes on your skin. We know it’s a bit of a cliché but you are what you eat - and it’s the same for the products you use.’

It’s exactly how I feel.  I believe it’s so important what we put in our bodies and on our bodies.  It can affect our health now, but over time it will affect our health in the future.  Thankfully all of the products sold at Tri-Dosha contain no nasties.  They are free from animal testing, artificial fragrance, petrochemical, SLS/SLES, and parabens.  The shampoo I used contains 65% naturally dervied ingredients.  The essential oils used are ethically sourced and are an important holistic ingredient affecting not only the body, but the mind and soul too.

*I was sent this product in exchange for my honest review

 

Sources:

http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-benefits-of-neem-oil-for-skin-and-hair/#gref
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/about-our-products/body-care-quality-standards
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=168+chemicals+a+day
http://www.hairbuddha.net/benefits-o­­­f-neem-oil-for-hair/