Review of Beautycounter Daily shampoo and conditioner

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Finding a clean, non-toxic shampoo is hard to find! Luckily, the Beautycounter Daily Shampoo and Conditioner checks all the boxes!

This blog post is all about my review of Beautycounter’s Daily shampoo and conditioner. I have to admit, that finding a non-toxic shampoo was not one of my first swaps. It was one of the last items I had on my checklist to replace. I know natural products, let alone natural skin care products and personal care products can be one of the hardest switches to safer products. It is truly hard to find a good clean shampoo!

My favorite shampoo and conditioner back in the day would make you, your whole bathroom, and your whole house smell of a rainforest, or what one would envision a rainforest to smell of. The only downfall was that those shampoos and conditioners that made you smell like a rainforest all day were full of harmful chemicals. 

I’ll get into a more in-depth review of the shampoo and conditioner below after I explain a few things on why you want to switch over your conventional shampoo and conditioner. I think it’s just as important as what we put on our skin as our scalp is part of our skin. Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything we put onto it so we should make sure we use quality, non-toxic ingredients.

Ingredients to avoid in shampoos and conditioners

Sulfates

The big ingredient of shampoos that give the shampoo its nice foamy lather that everyone wants. Usually, the main ingredient in a shampoo is Sodium Laurel sulfate. The big problem with SLS and sulfates is that it is usually processed with a very toxic chemical, 1,4 dioxane which is listed as a probable carcinogen by the EPA. Short-term effects can induce eye, nose, and throat irritation. The scary part is, sulfates are listed as chemical cleaning ingredients in conventional household cleaning products. 

You may also notice how sulfates affect your hair after using them. Sulfates are very drying to the hair shaft and can strip color away. I don’t know about you, but if I am using my hard-earned money and using my precious time to get my hair done every 6 months, I don’t need a shampoo to strip the color away. Some other sulfate names to look out for are as follows:

• Ammonium Laureth
• Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
• Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate
• Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
• Lauryl Sulfate
• Lauryl Sulfoacetate Sodium
• Laureth Sulfate Sodium
• Sodium Lauroyl Taurate
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Sodium
• Sodium Xylenesulfonate
• Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
• Sodium Myreth Sulfate
• Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
• TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
• Lauroyl Isethionate
• Alkylbenzene Sulfonate

Parabens

If you have read any of my previous posts on non-toxic air fresheners and how to live a more non-toxic lifestyle, you know I reference parabens a lot. Parabens are big problem because they are hormone disruptors leading to all kinds of dysfunction within the body. They are highly used though, because they are used as a cheap preservative. Pub Med has great info on their website about parabens check it out here. Here are the most common parabens to look for:

• Butylparaben
•  methylparaben 
•  Propylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Isobutylparaben

Propylene and Polyethylene Glycol

According to the CDC 

“Propylene glycol is used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries as an antifreeze when leakage might lead to contact with food.

That is something I don’t want touching my scalp. This ingredient is commonly used in shampoo to create the appearance of shiny and smooth hair.

It gets better though, because polyethylene glycol is a medication used in the management and treatment of constipation. Yum! It is used in shampoos as a “deep cleaner” which to be honest with you, your hair does not need a “deep clean.” Most of us wash our hair way too much as it is. Our scalps were made to produce oil and when we wash it too much it can create an over-production of oil.

Silicones

 Do you see claims to make your hair “frizz-free” and “shiny”? Those would be claims from the usage of silicones in shampoo. These can damage your hair though by making it dry and brittle in the long term due to the buildup of the waterproof layer on the hair cuticle from the silicones.

Ingredients to avoid:

• Cetearyl methicone
• Dimethicone
• Cetyl dimethicone
• Stearyl dimethicone
• dimethiconol

Artificial Fragrances

One of the biggest offenders in my book is synthetic fragrances which are put into shampoos and conditioners. Synthetic fragrances are made from a slew of unknown chemicals that don’t have to be regulated. Phthalates are added as well, to help carry and make that fragrance last “longer.”

Synthetic fragrances can contain up to 3500 different chemicals which do not need to be regulated by the FDA. That’s pretty scary stuff. These companies want you to believe these “fragrances” and “parfums” are natural, but there is nothing natural about them. Phthalates are substances that help the fragrance cling to an object ie: how shampoos get your hair to smell for hours after you wash it. Phthalates are also known as endocrine disruptors. They mess with our hormones, and the frightening part is children are getting affected by these ingredients too.

Synthetic Dyes

If you have ever turned over and read the ingredients on the back of shampoo and conditioner(if they even disclose their ingredients) you may notice an ingredient called Red 40. They also might be named “FD&C” or “D&C” You might also notice your shampoo has a color to it as well. That would be from the synthetic dyes. These dyes are toxic to the human body, and even the environment when large amounts get dumped into our waters. These dyes are usually derived from coal tar which is a petroleum product. 

Review of Beautycounter Daily Shampoo and Conditioner

Now to the good stuff! 

I have been using Beautycounter products for over 5 years now for their skincare products, but I was late to the game in trying out their daily shampoo and conditioner! I am a big fan of their clean beauty brand and makeup products. This past year I was trying out new hair products and their shampoo and conditioner are one of my favorite products now. If you are new to Beautycounter, let me share a few details about the company.

The Never List

Beautycounter was started by Gregg Renfrew who had a vision to get safer beauty into the hands of consumers and wanted to hold companies to a higher standard. They are committed to health and safety standards that go above and beyond what is legally required. Beautycounter utilizes a “never list” which is list consisting of over 2800 questionable or harmful cosmetic products regularly used in the United States. Roughly 1700 of those chemicals and chemicals that are banned by the European Union. Specific ingredients on their “never list” that are NOT included in their daily shampoo and conditioner include coal tar, hair dye, parabens, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate(SLS), and sodium laureth sulfate(SLES). Everything I just talked about about Beautycounter goes above and beyond to not include in their products.

Personal Review of the Daily Shampoo and Conditioner

I’ll start with that I love the smell. It has a light citrus smell, “citrus mimosa” to be exact. They use a grapefruit peel oil made from essential oils and it is just so refreshing.

The ingredients are awesome. Check them out here:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Panthenol*, Coconut Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene+

* Provitamin B5

+ Naturally occurring in essential oils & natural materials as defined by the International Organization for Standardization

You will see that it is infused with moisturizing and strengthening provitamin B5. This shampoo gently breaks down buildup while strengthening the hair strands. It is certified cruelty-free, vegan, and even EWG certified. Check out EWG and its standards here!

So, it smells awesome and when I first used it I thought it had a great lather for a non-toxic shampoo, which usually you don’t get that without SLS. It also felt very lightweight. The conditioner went on super smooth as well.

I have very thick hair so usually I struggle a little bit when I get out of the shower and comb through my hair. I didn’t struggle at all and noticed how easy it was to comb my hair. When it was done air drying, I usually get frizzy dry hair but I didn’t get any frizzies this time. This had just the right amount of moisture. My scalp felt clean too, which if you ever have tried non-toxic shampoos before, you don’t always get that clean feeling. I usually use some dry shampoo throughout the week, but I didn’t have to use any this time between washes.

Benefits:

• Gentle for everyday use
• Thoroughly cleanses and refreshes hair
• Bright Grapefruit scent provides an uplifting shower experience

Recycled Packaging

A few years back, Beautycounter completely revamped its packaging, which I LOVE. Not only does it look amazing, but once you are done you can recycle your bottle-just make sure you hold on to the pump cap, order a refill bottle and screw the top back on!

The price point is great too at $29, which if you only wash your hair once or twice as I do, will last you forever! The conditioner is also $29 and the conditioner lasts me twice as long as shampoo. A lot of people may think that is a high price point, but you truly get what you pay for, especially in clean beauty. I have tried cheaper brands that did not perform well at all.

You can also get the bodywash in a trio set which is the perfect match with the shampoo/conditioner!

Conclusion

To sum this up, I highly recommend the Beautycounter daily shampoo and conditioner if you are looking to make the switch to a non-toxic shampoo and conditioner. Everything from the scent to the way it makes my hair feel; soft and clean, it’s an A+ in my books. I love the fact that I never have to worry about the questionable ingredients discussed above because Beautycounter screens for those. I hope you will give the duo a try and let me know if you do! Check out my previous post on their AHA Reflect Effect mask. I hope you enjoyed this review of Beautycounter daily shampoo and conditioner!

As a side note, Beautycounter has so many other different products that are a good option for those trying to clean up their personal care products or skincare routine. I’ll list some of my favorite products below:

Bright vitamin C Serum

Countertime tetrapeptide supreme cream

Countertime lipid defense cleansing oil