MyPure Choice – Alva Caffeine Shampoo and Conditioner

If you remember my Christmas Wish List, I was after some new hair care products… I picked caffeine shampoo and conditioner for thinning hair from Alva to satisfy my need for something new.

Alva Naturkosmetik is a range of certified organic skin care products made in Osnabrück, Germany. Alva was established in 1988 and is now one of Europe’s leading natural skin care brands. The Alva range is split into several categories offering skin care items such as deodorant, shower gel, body lotion, hair care products as well as make up and a whole range of anti-ageing skin care, products for sensitive skin and acne prone skin. Their range is extensive and I am sure everyone would be able to pick something to suit their needs.

As an introduction to the brand I picked the Alva Caffeine Shampoo and Conditioner for Thinning Hair. Both these products are formulated with organic caffeine to stimulate circulation to the scalp, helping to strengthen both the roots and the hair follicles. Both, shampoo and conditioner are:

• Natural product
• Certified organic product
• Not tested on animals
• Suitable for vegetarian
• Suitable for vegans
• Paraben Free

Now let’s take a closer look at them.

Alva Caffeine Shampoo for Thinning Hair with Organic Caffeine

Ingredients: aloe vera, aqua, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate, cocamidopropyl betaine (plant derived surfactants), citrus aurantium dulcis (orange fruit) water, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (plant derived emulsifier), caffeine, fragrance (natural), sodium hydroxide (pH regulator), citric acid, sodium phytate (antioxidants), limonene, linalool

Price: £15.00; currently on special at £13.50

Packaging: 250ml plastic bottle shaped container with top opening. The open-close mechanism is very secure and it doesn’t open as easy as one might want. I personally like it as it means that someone must really want to open it in order to get to the contents, but I can imagine this being a problem for elderly people especially those with arthritis. The bottle contains all relevant information including product description, direction for use, ingredients, manufacturer, measurements and best before date.

In use: I must admit it is totally different to all my previous shampoos. Alva Caffeine Shampoo comes in the form of a see-through watery like liquid. It is very runny and its texture is more like water than a gel, which I would expect from the shampoo. On the first wash it does lather, on the second wash it lathers slightly. Intellectually I know that less lathering means less chemicals in the product, so I am totally fine with this lack of “foam”. The shampoo must be left for 2 minutes before rinsing, which is not a problem but it helps to read the instructions 😉

Final thoughts: Water like texture takes a little time to get used to. I like the gentle orange fragrance, which doesn’t stay on your hair for long but does make the whole bathroom smell lovely when the shampoo is in use. The two minute leave in time possibly makes it unsuitable for that quick morning shower routine. It is however perfect for an evening bath time routine, when you really want to pamper yourself.

Alva Caffeine Conditioner for Thinning Hair with Organic Caffeine

Ingredients: aloe vera, aqua, citrus medica limonum (lemon fruit) water, jojoba oil, cetearyl alcohol (stabilizer), fragrance (natural), glyceryl stearate citrate (plant derived emulsifier, caffeine, galactoarabinan (larch extract), xanthan gum, pca glyceryl oleate (plant derived conditioning agent), citric cid, limonene, linalool

Price: £14.35; currently on special at £12.92

Packaging: 250ml plastic bottle shaped container with bottom opening. It is the same style of bottle that the shampoo is sold in but this time it stands upside down. This is actually very clever as the conditioner has a much thicker texture and the upright position helps with getting the contents near the exit thus helping with the dispensing of it. The bottle has the same secure open-close mechanism and it contains all the relevant information including product description, direction for use, ingredients, manufacturer, measurements and best before date.

In use: Again, something different to what I was expecting. The conditioner comes in the form of a pure while gel (it really reminds me of an old style toothpaste) but with one key difference – it is extremely light. It is a pure pleasure to use. I am not really sure how to describe it… maybe Jojoba Oil or Aloe Vera gives it this “magic” texture… whatever it is, I really like it.

Final thoughts: I am unable to fault it in any way. It spreads with ease, it smells lovely and it leaves my hair well nourished and smooth (which isn’t the case with every conditioner). Again it has to stay on your hair for 2 minutes but I would expect that from a “healing” conditioner.

So would I buy it again?

Yes. I would definitely buy both shampoo and conditioner. As a team this products work really well. I remember feeling the difference after just one use. My hair felt somehow stronger and they had much more life in them. After weeks of using it (which actually amounts to 6 uses, as with my dry hair I do not have a need for daily wash) I can see less shedding for sure. My brush doesn’t pick up so many “loose” hairs and my pillow is no longer covered with them in the morning.

Would I change anything?

If I could, I would make both products smell the same. I know that this might not be an option as they aren’t made from the same ingredients but I like harmony and different fragrant are not ideal for my nose.

Would I recommend it?

Yes. If you experiencing increased hair loss due to thinning hair this duo might be perfect for you. Their price isn’t outrageous and in my humble opinion they really work well, so it is worth paying.

Have you ever used any Alva products?

Do you have any experience with hair care products designed to strengthen your hair?

I would love to hear about any other recommendations you might have.

* Products featured in this post were provided for free by MyPure for review purpose.

My Personal Beauty Wish List

As a blogger from time to time I get to try something nice… and all is good in the world but then comes the time when I want to try a bit more… or maybe try them all… or even try a slightly different variation…

Last week as it was Black Friday I was browsing various websites in search of the perfect “something” for myself and thus I bookmarked a few things that I would really love to try.

So with no further delay, in no particular order, this is my very own Personal Beauty Wish List!

This might be considered a little bit greedy but I would as I said really love them all! I was lucky once enough to try some Botanicals Balm and I totally loved it… now I am hooked and want them all. So lucky for me, they have a special Christmas gift selection, which I think actually represents good value for money; especially with their current special offer of “Purchase any two gift collections and get a facial collection for free”.

To make the offer complete there is also the Footcare Trio and Handcare Essentials set 🙂

Next on my list is a Madara set. In the past I’ve tried a few face cleansers from this brand and I was very pleased with them. I would really like to try the whole dry skin range; I wonder if I used all the products together if it will make a major difference.

Natural perfumes? I’ve never tried any, so I am intrigued and would love to give them a go. I like the patchouli scent so Pure Patchouli from Acorelle seems to me like a good starting point for a journey into natural perfumes.

Lately I have been having some problems with my sleep pattern… again… I have had some Deep Sleep Dream Cream before and I really liked it, so the whole collection of therapeutic products, designed to enhance a peaceful sleep sounds perfect to me right now.

Finally…I need something for my hair. They are still dry and I am still looking for the perfect “something”. Until last Friday I didn’t even know that a company like Rahua existed, but I really liked the description and now would love to try it. 100%, free from gluten, synthetics, parabens and sulphates – sounds perfect on paper.

Have you tried any of these products?

What’s on your beauty wish list?

MyPure Choice – Naturtint – Permanent Hair Colorant

To be honest I have never thought about environmentally “green” hair colorant before. For some reason I was under the impression that they simply didn’t exist. Naturtint Permanent Hair Colorant is the closest you can get to having natural hair colorant. The Naturtint Permanent Hair Dyes contain no parabens, phthalates, ammonia or resorcinol. The only chemical present in the mix is the minimum amount of ppd (p-phenylenediamine) necessary to make them work well and cover grey hair permanently. So you can have a permanent hair colorant with a minimum of ppd or if you prefer none at all you can pick the Naturtint Semi-permanent Hair Dyes.

I went with the permanent option. The Naturtint Permanent Hair Colorant comes in a selection of 30 shades. I picked Fireland and Fire Red. The first shade to be tested was Fire Red 🙂

Let’s start with what’s in the box:

• – Naturtint Colorant
• – Naturtint Nutrideep, which is a conditioner
• – Naturtint Shampoo
• – Colour Developer
• – Protective gloves
• – Instruction leaflet

So basically you get, more or less, the same things as what most other hair colorants offer. The shampoo was a first for me as I’ve never had a hair colorant with a shampoo before, so one difference from my usual. There was also something else I liked about the contents – the active colorant comes in an actual bottle and not in a tube like every other hair dye I’ve used before. This is a huge plus for me – it makes the mixing process much easier and you don’t have to worry about getting every last drop out of the tube, which is on most occasions virtually impossible.

In use thoughts:

The first thing which you may notice (after you mixed everything and shaken it) is the lack of smell. You actually have to want to smell it and stick the product under your nose in order to do so; otherwise weirdly the smell seems not to be there. If you get a brief “whiff” of it, it smells very herbal, almost medicinal like, but you actually have to want to smell it. The consistency of the mixture is jelly jam like – it is quite thick but still spreads with ease. I actually made much less mess using it then I normally do. My hair is quite long at the moment (at least for me) as they are just past shoulder in length and I had no problem with the amount of mixture – it was more then enough to cover all my hair.

Once the time was up and I started rinsing it my hair felt quite nice. The use of the provided shampoo made them worse, meaning they felt really rough and lifeless, but once the conditioner went on everything changed. Even during putting the conditioner on you can feel your hair getting smoother and softer; after two minutes, this feeling just gets stronger and stronger. After rinsing my hair for the final time I was left with smooth and silky feeling hair.

So what about the colour itself?

I don’t know you tell me… do you like it?

Naturtint Permanent Hair Colorant is priced at £9.99 (currently you can buy it at £8.99), which is actually only a few pounds more than most superstore brands. For these extra few pounds you get a natural product (or at least as close to natural as possible) which is cruelty free and can be used by both vegetarians and vegans. I would rate it 5 out of 5. It is rare for me to find a product which I actually like completely, most of the time I can always pick something to change or that bugs me, but this time I didn’t, not a single thing.

Did you ever try Naturtint?

What’s your favourite hair colorant?

* Products featured in this post were provided for free by MyPure for review purpose.

Typical Causes of Hair Loss

No one is immune to hair loss and it can take place when you are having your morning shower, when you are drying your hair with a blow dryer or even when you give your hair that daily brush or comb. On average, a person disposes of between fifty and hundred hairs each day! Fortunately, for most of us what we lose is soon replaced. This is not always the case and sometimes hair loss is not natural but due to other issues which include telogen effluvium and hereditary hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia an alopecia areata.

Baldness caused by unnatural stress

Telogen effluvium takes place following pregnancy, after major surgery, after substantial weight loss, or as a result of undue stress. In any of these four situations a large amount of hair may be lost, especially whilst shampooing, brushing or styling. In certain circumstances it can be due to an after effect of particular medications which include antidepressants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and beta-blockers.
When inflicted with telogen effluvium, the hair moves faster than it usually does from its growing stage to what is called its “resting” stage, before it begins to fall out. This condition generally affects women more than men. Hair loss begins 6 weeks to about 3 months following a stressful event. When it is at its peak, handfuls of hair maybe lost.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicle. It can result in the temporary or permanent loss of hair in men and women. When the infection has been treated, if the hair does not grow back naturally, it may be because the hair follicles have been damaged too severely and hair transplants can be considered.

Inherited male pattern baldness

There is another reason for hair loss and that is androgenetic alopecia and this is due to an inherited gene originating from your mother. This type of baldness almost only affects men. It is quite possible for a woman to go bald as a result of inheriting the genes for baldness, but it is much rarer. She would have to inherit a gene from both her mother and her father. Also, the baldness is typically due to a sensitivity of the hair follicles to male sex hormone, which is much less common, although not absent, in women.
Temporary baldness can be caused when the immune system lets the body down
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition which can cause hair loss. Normally if an infection is present the immune system controls it is but with alopecia areata it causes damage to the hair follicles. Usually, this is not permanent but it can result in temporary hair loss. It is likely to be more common and permanent in people who already suffer from another type of autoimmune disorder.

Cancer treatment and baldness

Some types of cancer treatment may cause temporary or even permanent baldness. The loss of hair is not really the main worry for the cancer patient, but it can be an added negative change that can affect the patient emotionally as they struggle to cope with their affliction. Not all cancer treatment leads to hair loss. It may be more common with certain chemotherapy treatment. If the cancer is beaten, then the hair may grow back again naturally. Otherwise, hair transplants will be considered by the NHS for free surgery.

Find out more @anyclinics

* Guest post in collaboration with AnyClinics.

Review – Silicea Direct by Hübner – Beauty in the box

What is Silicea Direct?

Silicea is a food supplement that can help maintain healthy skin, hair and strong nails, preventing (to a degree) the signs of ageing and it keeps hair, skin and nails looking beautiful. It can also play a role in the maintenance of healthy muscles and bones.

What’s inside the pack?

Silicic Acid gel (90%), fruit mix from fruit concentrates: Grape, Elderberry, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Raspberry; Fructose, Thickening agent; Pectin, Xanthan gum; Acidifier Malic acid, Natural Flavour, Selenium and Biotin.

This means that the product is 100% natural. Silicea contains silica, one of the body’s essential nutrients, which is used by all the connective tissue. Our body uses up silica on a daily basis as flakes of skin, hair and nails are discarded, so this is an easy and convenient way of replacing it. Silica is one of our most valuable minerals and one of the most important ‘beauty’ nutrients: it helps to support the formation of collagen and elastin which strengthens skin, hair and nails by encouraging the body to hold on to water and other vital nutrients.

And what’s inside the pack for real?

The answer is still the same; just as above 😉 It comes in the form of delicious red berry ‘smoothie’ shots that are providing mineral silica in a highly available form for better absorption. Hübner’s convenient silica shots provide a measured dosage in a sachet form and because they do not require refrigeration, are ideal for people on the move.

Suitability:

• 100% natural
• Dairy, lactose, wheat and gluten free
• No preservatives
• GM free
• Not tested on animals
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

Directions:

Take one sachet (15ml) daily between main meals.

Treatment Time:

The recommended treatment time is 3 months at least twice a year.

It might sound like a long term project, but one finger nail needs around 6 months until it is fully re-grown, skin needs around 28 days to regenerate and hair grows just over one centimetre per month… so no rush there…

Price:

£12.95 for 15 x 15ml sachets

Availability:

Hübner Silicea Direct is available to buy from health stores nationwide and at Healthy2U online.

My thoughts:

Interesting product, this was the first thought that came to my mind. I know there is a huge range of beauty supplements sold as pills or tablets or even a powder which you mix with water but I’ve never seen or tried anything in the form of a gel. If I had to describe the product in just one word it would be weird. You might ask if it is a good weird or a bad weird … Actually neither…it is just weird. The reason for this is the texture. It is a bit like watery jam, but what is the weirdest part is that not all of the shot has the same consistency; so some portions within one sachet are thicker than others. It really is quite surreal experience. Taste wise it is fruity and you can’t miss the berry flavour but it also has quite strong metallic taste. I guess this is how silica tastes 😉

As I received only one pack and used it for just over two weeks I can’t really comment as to the visible benefits of it.

As food supplements go, I like the idea of this one. I think helping our skin, hair and nails from the inside are important. I will get myself a bigger pack for a longer test but I think I will try the capsule version. Yes, they have it in a capsule version too.

Did you ever try Silicea Direct or any silica based products?

* I received one pack of Silicea Direct for free for review purpose. All opinions about the product are honest and my own.

MyPure Choice – Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner

This month MyPure choice was Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner by Grahams.

They are suitable for normal to dry hair but particularly developed for those with a sensitive skin. A gentle blend of organic and natural ingredients it is supposed to relieve and protect a dry and sensitive scalp.

Both, shampoo and conditioner are hypo-allergenic, sodium lauryl sulphate and propolene glycol free and they both contain no petrochemicals or mineral oils. They come in a 250ml / 8.4 Fl oz bottle and are manufactured in Australia.

Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner can be purchased from MyPure at a cost of £14.99 each.

I do not suffer from dry hair. I would classify my hair as normal, but I do suffer from dry skin. Sometimes, especially close to the hairline it’s getting extremely dry to the point of flaking (no it is not dandruff if you are wondering). I chose this product as I wanted to test if they can help with this problem and to my pleasant surprise they did… a bit too fast if you ask me as I wasn’t able to take any pictures of my dry hairline before I used the product… I just wasn’t expecting that they would clear it up after just two uses.

Both shampoo and conditioner are green in colour; the conditioner being a bit thicker as you would expect. They both have a wonderful coconut scent, which is not overpowering but you are not able to miss it.

So how are these products in use?

Hmmm, they are different to your standard shop bought shampoo and conditioner. If I was to compare them to most superstore shampoos they wouldn’t get a great review but I shouldn’t really do this as Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner are not your standard superstore products, so I will just tell you about my feeling whilst using them.

First step: shampoo… as per directions: massage into the hair and scalp working into a lather… and here is where I hit the wall… no matter how much and how long I was working it in it didn’t want to lather on the first wash, it wasn’t budging at all… on the second wash it lathers, a little. I hear that this is a good sign as too much lathering isn’t really needed. However the point is it is not so easy to get it to lather at all. After you rinse thoroughly your hair is left feeling soft but messy… at this point I couldn’t imagine not using a conditioner or I would never get a comb through it.

Step two: conditioner… as per instructions: massage well through scalp and hair ends; leave for 1 minute; rinse thoroughly. No problems here. I am able to follow all instructions without hitting the wall, but… after I rinse it thoroughly my hair aren’t left smooth and silky… they are still a tangled mess… I am still feeling like a need a conditioner to finish the process, but apparently I have already used it 😦

So you see, this is why I stated that they shouldn’t be compared to a supermarket product. Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner will take care of your problem (aka dry scalp) but they might just leave you in a bit of a disappointed state as to the final condition of your hair.

I resolved this problem by applying a leave in conditioner afterwards.

Will I repurchase this product?

I would, but only because Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner took care of my flaky dry skin on the hairline. I have struggled for a long time to find a product which will “cure” it. I have tried using a cream to make my skin moisturized but this just made my hair look greasy, I have tried several shampoos and conditioners for dry hair but they didn’t seem to work either… Grahams Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner did the job, and did the job well.

I did find something which doesn’t match up and it is bothering me… the box states that the product is suitable for all hair types whilst the bottle itself states “for normal to dry hair”… so which one is it? Or it doesn’t really make any difference?

Do you have any hair must haves product, you would recommend?

*Products featured in this post were provided for free by MyPure for review purpose.

How to take control of your damaged hair

There are 100s of different reasons why our hair is not in perfect condition.  Dry air, air conditioned rooms, too high temperature (especially if we use a blow drier or hair straighteners often), too many hair salon visit, too often a change of colour, too tight hair bands, going to sleep with wet hair, etc etc… The list can go on and on… If you hair is starting to look matt, to dry and kind of lifeless, bad hair days are becoming the norm or it just doesn’t want to form a perfect hair style preferring to just hung down with no purpose… then our hair is probably damaged and need some TLC.

There are a few easy steps you can undertake in order to bring some life back into your hair.

1. Find the reason your hair is damaged

I know that this task might not always be easy and there will be conditions overlapping, but ideally we should get rid of all “bad” habits and replace them with hair friendly one.  If you blow dry your hair every morning, try getting up earlier and letting your hair dry naturally or invest in a hair dryer with a cold air stream option. If you plan on going to sleep with wet hair, don’t; let them dry as much as possible before going to bed in order to avoid further damage. Finding the reason your hair isn’t happy should be your main priority. Your hair deserves better so find out what is hurting it and fix it.

2. Visit the hair salon and cut your hair, at least a little bit

If you hair is damaged, dry and dull a trim will do wonders for its health. You will need to have the ends of each hair follicle cut off. This is the part of the hair which is most likely un-fixable. I don’t suggest you get a short hair cut unless that is desired, all though this would be ideal as short hair is so much easier to keep in good health. Just have a trim and remove the split ends.

        3. Brush your hair

Many of us forget about brushing our hair… I know I do.  Brushing your hair is very important as it helps with oil distribution, the most essential part of glossy healthy hair. Also make sure you have a good hair brush preferably or a comb if all else fails. Do not brush your hair whilst it is wet… yes, I know it is easier to brush when wet but it is also much easier for your hair to get damaged, which we want to avoid at all cost. The only exception to this is the old Chinese method of combing using a piece of silk. Place the silk over your hands like a tea cloth and then run your hair between your hands gently, it takes an hour and its very boring but it does work wonders.

           4. Dry your hair in a reasonable way

We have already covered the fact that letting your hair dry naturally is a much better way than using a blow dryer. But there is also a second, very important component of drying… that is happening straight after your bath or shower. When using your towel be gentle. Do not rub your hair too much, do not press and move to quickly from left to right. Ideally just gentle place the towel over your head in order to collect excess water through gentle patting… Alternatively why not invest in a hair turban, which will protect you from dripping water and will soak up all the unnecessary moisture.

5.      5. Change the way you wash your hair

What is important is the way you wash your hair believe it or not. Try doing it slowly; use only your fingertips to gently massage the skin on your head. Do not rush, do not use very hot water and do not forget about the conditioner!

Invest in good quality product for damaged hair – The “Full Repair” collection from John Frieda is a great choice. They offer a Hydrate + Rescue Shampoo plus a Conditioner plus a Repair Oil Elixir which will help with your damaged hair in no time. I have been using these products for the last 4 weeks and I can really see the difference. My hair is much softer and has a healthy shine. No more do I have dull looking, matt hair.

Hopefully with these tips you will be able to get your hair back under control. It worked for me and I am sure it can work for you too.

Do you have any other tips about how to deal with damaged hair?

* I was provided with a selection of John Frieda Full Repair products so I can try them out.