Switching to Organic Hair Care Products
If you have 900 pesos to spare and are looking for a good read, I suggest you get the book Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan. It’s an easy to read non-fiction book that will revolutionize the way you view the makeup counter and the cosmetics you currently own. The book provides compelling scientific evidence showing that many mainstream cosmetics* are contaminated by industrial chemicals that shouldn’t even be there – rocket fuel, flame retardants, phthalates (as a fragrance) and lead, to name a few. The cosmetics industry is largely unregulated and unrestricted, giving manufacturers the freedom include whatever ingredients they want. Products have to undergo certain testing procedures for immediate allergic reactions, but these are never checked for contaminants or examined for any long-term impacts simply because it’s too expensive and impractical to do so. Even if a tube of lipstick or a pressed powder compact only contain trace amounts of these harmful chemicals, these trace amounts accumulate after a lifetime of use, causing infertility, breast cancer, and learning disorders in children. Yes, babies in the womb can actually absorb the chemicals from cosmetics used by their mothers!
Since the publication of the book, many multinationals have reformulated their products to remove certain harmful ingredients. However, mainstream cosmetics still contain a number of toxic chemicals and preservatives because they are cheaper to produce than safer, non-toxic ones. After reading this book, I made a resolve to starting using more organic products (and eventually quit smoking) so I can somehow reduce the number of chemicals that enter my body, but changed my mind when I learned how ridiculously expensive they were. At Burt’s Bees, a bottle of organic shampoo is in the P500 range! Then I discovered that there are progressive and innovative Filipino entrepreneurs who manufacture organic cosmetics at really affordable prices, such as Human Heart Nature. Human Heart Nature was established to provide a livelihood for the beneficiaries of Gawad Kalinga and to promote the use of toxin-free, environmental friendly cosmetics among Filipinos. They’re the first store I ever bought organic stuff from and I was very excited to receive my package in the mail.
While it’s impossible to go completely organic, I think you can reduce your chemical consumption by turning to the organic variants of items you use everyday. For instance, it made more sense for me to start the organic switch with hair care products. I’m the type of girl who shampoos daily because my scalp becomes unbearably itchy after 24 hours without washing, not to mention that my digipermed hair needs the attention of mousse or wax to maintain their curls. Human Heart Nature had exactly what I was looking for, at around a hundred pesos per item, along with the guarantee that their products do not have any of these harmful ingredients. But are they as effective as their chemically-laden counterparts?
The first Human Heart Nature products I ever tried were the moisturizing egg white and aloe vera shampoo in mandarin for a silky smooth finish (P109.75 for 200ml), and the nourishing mango butter conditioner in mandarin for a silky smooth finish (P99.75 for 200ml). In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have gotten hair care stuff with a silky smooth finish, because curls shouldn’t be silky and smooth. :P But I can attest that these are safe for digipermed hair; I’ve been using them for almost a month and my curls are still intact. While the moisturizing shampoo is very sudsy and provides a nice squeaky-clean feel, it doesn’t really moisturize very well. However, the mango butter conditioner does an excellent job of restoring the softness and moisture of my hair. I also love the subtle mandarin scent, but I think I would’ve enjoyed the peppermint scent of the normal finish variant more. Definitely buying that one next time! Tip: make sure you squeeze the water out of your hair before applying the conditioner; the excess water seems to weaken its effects.
The mango styling cream (P87.95 for 50g) is one of my favorite Human Heart Nature products. As I said earlier, my curls require the help of mousse, wax, or any styling product to maintain their shape and bounce, and I was curious if an organic variant could provide the same hold as my V05 styling mousse. I expected the styling cream to smell more like mango, but my nostrils were greeted by an invigorating peppermint scent upon opening the jar. I’m a sucker for peppermint anything, and I suppose this is what made the styling cream an instant favorite; I can even feel the mintiness on the nape of my neck after application. The styling cream provides a gentle hold that looks natural and won’t make your hair feel like a stiff fire hazard. The downside is that the hold also doesn’t last as long as the V05 mousse; I usually reapply by around night time. Despite that, I’ll still be buying this product for as long as my curls last. I recently used my mousse for a change and got a minor headache from inhaling its chemical fumes. I used to find its salon-like scent quite nice, but now it just feels rather invasive.
I also bought the best-selling Human Heart Nature Tomato Toner, but they just phased out this product and replaced it with a Tomato and Lemongrass variant (P99.75 for 100ml). I’m definitely buying that and writing a review as soon as my toner runs out. So far, my sensitive skin is reacting well to the toner – it cleans without being irritating, and I haven’t gotten any breakouts!
You can buy Human Heart Nature products from online resellers like Earthly Delights and The Good Earth, or through the website www.humanheartnature.com. I actually prefer buying from the website because they accept credit cards, eliminating the hassle of going to a Globe outlet or bank to deposit your payment.
Expect more reviews of locally-made organic products in the future!
* The term cosmetics does not only refer to makeup. It also includes personal care products like shampoos, mousse, moisturizers, nail polish, and perfume.
Hi Lauren! Thanks for the promoting the site (teehee). I am currently using the new Tomato/Lemongrass toner and my skin is more hiyang to this than to the old formulation. I haven’t experienced a breakout or rash and my skin seems to be less oily. I also use the new moisturizing conditioner which I think is way better than the nourishing variant :)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the toner you got btw ;)
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Lauren Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
No problem. I love the toner! :D At first I was worried it’d look and smell like tomato paste, but it smells more like oranges than anything and the toner itself is a clear liquid. It does a pretty good job of removing the excess makeup and dirt on my skin at the end of the day, although sometimes I have to use it twice to really get everything out. Overall, I’m very happy with the toner and I’m definitely trying the reformulated one. :D In what way is it different?
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kira Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 12:14 am
The new one has added lemongrass which addresses oily skin with its oil-controlling and antibacterial properties :) I kinda shake mine first before I use it so I get all the lemongrass particles that has settled at the bottom :)
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Blah. I love the styling cream too, but unfortunately we’re discontinuing it. :( I guess after stocks run out, we’ll just have to purchase the cream from distributors who may still have it in stock. We’re launching some new products (and a lovely new catalog) in January though, so watch out for that! :D
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Lauren Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
NOOOOOO please don’t phase out the styling cream! I don’t want to go back to my V05 mousse. :( :( :( I can kind of see why it probably wasn’t popular though. When I had straight hair I had no use for styling cream, and most Filipinas pretty much have straight hair. If I start hoarding the styling cream, do you think some of them might go bad before I get around to using them? Also, I can’t wait to see the new products! :D
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kira Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 12:21 am
Hello! Sorry to butt in :) HN products have natural preservatives like Vit. E and Acapulco which allows them to last for a couple of years — for unsued/unopened products they may last up to 4 years, for used products, their shelf life is one year. Hope this helps :)
Please feel free to correct me, Lizz, if I am mistaken :)
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Lizz Reply:
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Well, I’m obligated to say that all our product labels have the “use 12 months after opening”, so we can’t guarantee anything lasting beyond that. :) As an insider though, I can confirm that you’re right about the 2-3 year expiration, but you also don’t know how long it’s been sitting on the distributor’s shelf. The newest batches always go to the main office and are distributed to everyone from there (i.e. purchasing from the website guarantees you’ll get newest stocks), so maybe Lauren can purchase enough stock to last her 2 years at most.
Of course, I’m not 100% sure about this because I’m not a chemist, haha. I joined HN when they hired me to give their company a design facelift, so at the very least I can say that whatever has a new label (i.e. the ones with bright colors and illustrations) will definitely have the freshest formulations inside.
Thank you for dropping by my site, Lauren. I have browsed through your then-blog Ukay Manila and was tickled by your refreshing and noteworthy fashion sense, as well as your well-written blog posts.
I have read all your entries on I Am Bourgeois and all I can say, wow. I love how different you can be.
PS
I’m a sucker for everything organic. Organic products may not be getting the attention that they deserve, but I’m certain that people will eventually see the harm that their chemical-laden beauty products do to their skin. And if I may add, I’m sure they’ll also notice how much they have been robbed by the exorbitant price tags that come with these “chemical-laden treasures.”
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Human Heart Nature lover too! The first ones I’ve tried were the shampoo and conditioner. I experienced itchiness the first few weeks but with continued use, my hair’s doing great and no hairfall for me, yes!
I tested their tomato toner too but didn’t work for me. I can’t switch to completely organic yet as for my face. Will watch out for your future discover
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Lauren Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 11:52 am
I just ordered a bunch of skin care stuff from The Good Earth, I’ll be reviewing them by January. :D
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Jill Reply:
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Hi! Which of their shampoos did you try for hairfall?
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very informative..Ü i also switched to using organic products. i tried soaps from bynaturehandmade and cyleina and some products from human heart nature. the conditioner and shampoo from human heart didn’t work for me.:( i’m still trying to look for a conditioner and shampoo (organic) that will work for my hair. so far i’m happy using organic products..Ü
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i LOVE human heart nature products!!! in fact my family’s toiletries stock is filled with all of their products!
i started joining the organic bandwagon when i had my daughter. because of that, I learned that organic shampoos don’t automatically deliver results to chemically treated hair (not necessarily salon-treated hair but those that have use commercially sold shampoos that have SLS, SLES and all those bad stuff) because it would take time to for the organic products to wash away the chemicals. on the average, you should be able to see better results in 3-6 months.
i can’t go without chemically treating my hair, so i didn’t keep using it. but i know that it works because i started my daughter with their baby shampoo and her naturally curly hair is gorgeous!
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Lauren Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 11:45 am
“I learned that organic shampoos don’t automatically deliver results to chemically treated hair”
Ohh seriously? The organic stuff worked for me instantly, and this was after I got my hair digipermed. Hmm, I guess beauty products just work differently for different people.
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sunmom Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
“I guess beauty products just work differently for different people.”
yup! it was the shampoo that didn’t work too well for my hair, but the other products in the line does. we just need to keep looking! the good earth seems to have compiled all the brands of organic products i purchase locally!
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I absolutely LOVE Human Heart Nature! Thank god it’s always available here in Baguio. The first one I tried from them is their Peppermint and Pearl Shampoo at that time, I wasn’t into organic stuff yet. I was so desperate about my hair and my dandruff. I’m glad I decided to try it and I’m proud to say I’m still using it. Most of the stuff I use now are all organic, from soap, shampoo, feminine wash and deodarant—I just want everything to be all organic! I just can’t afford to go back to those harsh shampoos and products. Di ko na kaya.
Oh yeah, by the way Lauren; you can also try Z.E.N. products and All Organics. They’re just another affordable bunch of locally-made Organic products.
P.S. Try HHN’s Moringa toner if Tomato doesn’t work for you. :D
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Lauren Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 11:43 am
Ooh thanks for the tip! Where did you get your organic feminine wash and deodorant?
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Badet Reply:
December 31st, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hi Lauren, Ilog Maria has feminine wash. =)! I tried their shampoo too, love the minty smell but they don’t have conditioners so I went back to HHN. HHN’s delivery is faster too.
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Any ideas on where to get alchohol free/ organic mouthwash?
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Tish Reply:
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
All Organics has one. It’s the lemongrass mouthwash :)
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Jill Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Hi Tish!
Super thanks! Where is the store located?
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Tish Reply:
January 7th, 2010 at 11:05 am
I’m not quite sure really, but they frequently join bazaars. Do check out http://www.allorganics.com.ph to know where you can find them :)
Wow! I am using the Organic brand of Sexy Hair. So far I love it but now I’m seeing this product that you list and I think I might try it! I was told I need to start getting away from all those chemicals and just let me hair be cleaned naturally. Thanks so much for the link!
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