Thursday, August 27, 2009

Product Review: Giovanni Hair Care

I have started experiencing itchy red bumps along my hairline, particularly a few days after I go to my salon. Not sure what I'm reacting to, but figured I should switch to something that is all natural hair (no chemicals) and gluten free. Is it possible that I was reacting to gluten in my hair care products? I don't know - most of the health care professionals that I have spoken to believe that gluten is not absorbed through the skin. Even dermatitis herpetiformis is believed to be a result of ingested gluten only. Since the ingredient lists on the products are a mile long with lots of words I can't pronounce, it could be anything!

A key component to my search for organic hair care products was not breaking the bank! I happened upon products from the Giovanni Cosmetics line. From their website: "Giovanni Cosmetics uses formulas that incorporate vitamins, herbs, minerals, proteins, nutrients and the purest of essential oils. The patented Giovanni PureOrganic Technology™ represents an exquisite blend of exotic organic oils, ripe-harvested from renewable plants at the peak of their freshness. The oils are cold pressed and refrigerated immediately to ensure maximum purity."

I was skeptical, since they are cheaper than other products they are next to on the shelf...by far actually. But, I gave them a try:

1. Tea Tree Triple Threat Shampoo ($5.99 at Whole Foods, about $4 on Amazon*): I'm loving it! It's light and invigorating without weighing my hair down - I tend to have normal to dry hair. So far, so good!

2. Tea Tree Triple Threat Conditioner ($5.99 at Whole Foods, about $4 on Amazon*): Loving this one as well! I don't need conditioner every day, but when I do, it does the trick without being too heavy. A definite winner!

3. Natural Mousse Air-Turbo Charged Hair Styling Foam($7.99 at Whole Foods, about $6 at Amazon*): Fantastic! It looks like water in the clear bottle, but it dispenses as foam. I need about 4 or 5 pumps for my hair, but that's ok...it's cheap enough! It provides hold, though perhaps not as well as it's chemical counterparts. It's doing the trick during this humidity! Has a nice smell, too. I brought it to my last hair appointment for my stylist to check out and use on me (my salon doesn't carry GF products). She was amazed at how it did for the price! She said she will be recommending it to other gluten free clients.

4. LA Hold Hair Styling Spritz ($7.99 at Whole Foods, about $6 at Amazon*): Pretty darn good! Again, I need to use a few more squirts than I'm used to, but I'm ok with that. I also brought this to my last hair appointment and my stylist like it as well.



No itchy red bumps since I've made the switch! YAY!

* There are a few different sellers of these products on Amazon. Check around for the best deal on the cost of the product plus shipping.



2 comments:

  1. Hi Kim
    I love their products too! We have spent quite a bit of time swimming this summer and my and my daughter's hair has become rather dry and brittle from the pool. So, I bought both the Giovanni deep conditioning treatment and the hair reconstructor - both are amazing. And you need so little I can see my bottles are going to last quite a long time. Sadly, I have had reactions to the Tea Tree Shampoo so I can't use it anymore - but I absolutely love the smell. Anyway, glad to hear your bumps are no longer!

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  2. I'm one of those folks who doesn't believe in using gluten in any products. And, it's especially prudent to avoid gluten in skin care products when you experience any type of skin issue as you just demonstrated. Glad these worked out so well for you! I'm pretty basic when it comes to beauty care ... no makeup kind of girl, but I want to check out that tea tree shampoo for sure--thanks, Kim!

    Shirley

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