What: Plaine Products Natural Shampoo + Conditioner
First, it took me a while to transition out of conventional shampoos and conditioners. Frankly because I bought those family size products from Costco even though it's just me using them so they took awhile to finish. I'm also a Pantene and Head & Shoulders girl so I don't spend a lot of money on hair products. My hair is long and thick, but you will never see it like that because it is always up. I rarely blow dry my hair and will occasionally iron it. If the weather is good and there isn't a lick of humidity, my hair will dry fairly straight, thought with a bit more humidity, it will poof up like crazy, hence I always put it in a bun or pony tail. I've tried using J.R. Liggetts a few times and regular bar soaps as shampoos along with a leave-in-conditioner and argan oil. While those worked for me, my hair felt heavy and it felt like there was lots of residue on it.
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosures for details. This product has been independently reviewed. No compensation has been received from the maker for this product.
Fast forward to using Plaine Natural Shampoo + Conditioner for a full three weeks, washing my hair every other day, and hitting the beach at least once per week and I can honestly say that this may be hair product for me. First of all, I found Plaine through one of the accounts I follow on Instagram. A few zero wasters promoted the product and of course I got curious. I waited until I was out of my existing shampoos and conditioners to purchase and try it. I'm so glad I did. My hair feels so soft and light. I don't even use a brush or a comb most days because it is that good on my hair. My hair feels so nice that I actually leave it down most times and its summer in New Jersey so that says a lot. The price initially felt steep for someone like me who spends less than $10 for Costco size shampoo.
Background
Plaine Products is a company that makes natural shampoo, conditioner and body wash. They adopted a circular, earth friendly business model and provide a subscription service for their products. Once you finish a product, you can sign-up to get a refill of their products in their aluminum packaging. The only plastic that is provided are for the pumps and the pumps can be used over and over again. This is a great way to reduce single-use plastic.
Scent
Rosemary Mint Vanilla - Smells more vanilla to me with a hint of mint. I didn't get a strong sense of the rosemary. Smell dissipates pretty quickly so it's not too overwhelming.
Application Type
Pump style
Ingredients (straight from the Plaine Products site)
Shampoo: Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Saponified Oils of Coconut and Safflower Seed, Guar Gum and Irish Moss (Red Algae Extract – Carrageen). Organic Camellia, Sunflower and Ricebran Oils. Extracts of Chamomile and Quillaja Saponaria. Papaya and Pineapple Pulp Extracts. Rosemary Oleoresin, Vitamin E Complex, Organic Green Tea, Geogard Ultra and Potassium Sorbate. Mint Arvenis Essential Oil. Essence of Rosemary, Mint and Vanilla.
Conditioner: Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vegetable Emulsifiers and Glycerin, Alpha Hydroxy Acids from Sugarcane and Fruit Extracts of Bilberry and Olive. Shea and Mango Butters, Guar Gum, Irish Moss (Red Algae Extract – Carrageen), Organic Camellia, Sunflower and Jojoba Seed Oils. Papaya and Pineapple Pulp Extracts, Rosemary Oleoresin, Vitamin E Complex, Organic Green Tea, Geogard Ultra and Potassium Sorbate. Mint Arvenis Essential Oil. Essence of Rosemary, Mint and Vanilla.
Product Packaging
Both shampoo and conditioner are in aluminum containers including the cap. If you are ordering for the first time, the package will come with plastic pumps that you can keep when you decide to get a refill.
Cost
Around $55 for both shampoo + conditioner. I used a 35% off discountcode for participating in their Plastic Free July promotion. Total I paid with discount + $5.00 flat was around $40.00.
Where to Buy
Currently on their website, plaineproducts.com
Shipping Packaging
For my shampoo and conditioner, both came in one box packed with shredded paper and one piece of paper with subscription instructions. No plastic here! I started composting the shredded paper and will re-use the box for some items I am selling on eBay on my quest to declutter.
Verdict
This is a buy for me. My hair is so soft with it. The fragrance isn't that strong and it really dries my hair quickly and keeps it less frizzy.
One thing I noticed too is that with conventional shampoos and conditioners, I get towelhead quickly, but this doesn't seem to be the case.
Love the fact that it's also sulfates, parabens and phthalates free with vegan and non-GMO ingredients.
You can't go wrong with plastic free packaging and a circular business model.
6 Month Update (Dec 2017)
I just finally re-ordered my new supply as I am 2-3 uses from finishing the product. The 16 ounce bottles have lasted around 6 months for me with an occasional use by my husband. I think that's pretty good. I would suggest following them on Instagram to get promotion codes, but I think the price is very good for a product that's actually being used for 6 months and making my hair better, plus it's better for the environment.
January 2018 Update
For full transparency, I just started using my new bottles, but have not returned the old ones yet. I have also convinced my sister to try it after I gave her the travel sizes to trial for a week. With that being said, I'm very happy with this product and decided to join their affiliate program. So if you are interested in purchasing, buy it here. I'll get a small commission which helps keep this site running.
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