Best Drugstore Eco-Beauty: Hair Care
Love the curls, lose the chemicals.
You use shampoo and conditioner every day; do you really want to be responsible for all the chemicals you’re sudsing down the drain? We didn’t think so. Luckily, we found the perfect sustainable switch in Everyday Shea. The cost-conscious brand is the brainchild of Togo native Olowo-n’djo Tchala who founded his companies to generate funds for community-enhancement, poverty-reduction and gender-equality projects in his home country and other West African nations. Which would be reason enough to buy Everyday Shea’s certified fair-trade line of shampoos and conditioners—plus body washes and lotions—which ring up at roughly $15 for a gigantic 32-ounce bottle in the Whole Body eco-drugstore section of most Whole Foods markets. But imagine our delight to find how healthy, lustrous and flyaway-free this emollient-rich, antioxidant-packed shampoo and conditioner left our normally frizz-prone hair. This shampoo is so hydrating, you can even use it without conditioner—and it won’t leave your hair greasy, even if it’s oil-prone. Seriously, even our hairdressers are asking us what magic pill we’ve been taking. No magic, just a daily dose of shea.
Everyday Shea Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner ($14.95)
But what about styling? Veteran celebrity hair guru (his clients have included Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie O., among others) Peter Lamas was one of the first beauty experts to recognize that what you put on your body goes in your body. His line of 100%-vegan hair products—sold at Duane Reade and Pharmaca, among others—is free of parabens, petrochemicals and SLS, although some products do include phenoxyethanol, a preservative that scores as a moderate hazard on the Skin Deep Database.
Now before you get all high-and-mighty on us—yes phenoxyethanol is also on our Big List of Things That Suck—consider the context: Unlike specialty retailers, which typically don’t inventory huge quantities of product, national-chain drugstores require that the stuff on their shelves—and in their massive stockrooms—stand the test of time. Lots and lots of time. Drugstore shelf-life requirements mean that powerful preservatives are par for the course in hydrous products—meaning those that contain water. To meet drugstore reqs, some eco-minded brands opt for small amounts of phenoxyethanol as a safer alternative to parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer and reproductive disorders. So while we’re not fans of the stuff, we’d like to cut Peter and his amazing Chinese Herbs Revitalizing Styling Cream some slack—even though it does show pheno on the label. The amazingly versatile, lightweight cream is formulated with organic nettle, yucca and licorice root extracts; it smells like heaven and protects against the hellish heat of thermal styling.
Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs, including Revitalizing Styling Cream ($20)
Want more? We found the best drugstore eco-beauty for makeup, hair, skin and spa—plus more than $800 in giveaways. Check back here next week!
Natasha Garber is a contributor to numerous lifestyle publications, where she covers green events and event planning, sustainable catering and cuisine, and fashion and design trends. A passionate proponent of eco-conscious living, Natasha lives, writes, plays and parents in Los Angeles.
