One of my pet peeves with cosmetics is synthetic fragrance. I love a good natural perfume, but I don’t want different perfumes in everything I wear. I love chocolate, but I don’t want to wash my hair in it. So I was happy to try one of the best fragrance free shampoos & conditioners on the market – Carina Organics.
Off the scent
When pregnant, I suffered from really bad morning sickness. Strong smells would make me retch. Some still do. So I really wish I’d discovered this fragrance free shampoo & conditioner duo sooner.
I haven’t had COVID, but I’m guessing they would make a welcome treat for anyone experiencing smell distortion, too.
Of course, this fragrance free shampoo & conditioner does have a natural smell, just like everything in life. However, there’s no pungent whiff of fake chemical chocolate, roses or red berries.
My hair care, or lack of
Besides the smell, artificial perfumes in shampoo seem to irritate my scalp psoriasis and make my brittle hair even dryer than when I started out.
I have hair so dehydrated it frizzes. I do use some great masks, a fabulous serum and treatments which make my hair a lot better, but if I let my guard down I’m back to square one dry, brittle hair very quickly.
Bargain basement
Recently I moved back to the UK with zero cosmetics so I stocked up on the nearest products in the supermarket. And since then my hair and scalp have been suffering.
I’m not dissing supermarket brands. I love a bargain. Not all supermarket shampoos are bad, just the type with sulphates and strong artificial scents.
Natural vs pointless
The main difference with these type of natural products is the lack of artificial nasties. There are plenty of other brands out there that do something similar, but the issue is, they don’t always work that well.
They take bad stuff out, but don’t replace it with anything that works. A bit like ordering vegan in a greasy steakhouse… enjoy the lettuce!
And at $10.99 USD per bottle, it’s not drugstore cheap, but it’s still better value than many luxury haircare brands out there.
Carina Organics – tired and tested
If you’re used to drugstore shampoos, you might not like this natural, fragrance free one at first. It doesn’t lather like a ‘normal’ shampoo. That’s normal. You don’t need a head of bubbles for a clean head.
The conditioner is the same. It feels very lightweight, but it’s actually really hydrating. As a newbie to natural healthcare, I’d wrongly assumed that the thicker the product, the thicker my hair would become.
Long term hair health
There is an urban legend that switching up your hair care is good for your hair. I reckon it’s not so much about switching it up, but using products that help your hair and scalp over the long term.
After the first wash my hair felt good, but it was after a few washes that I really noticed a difference. I feel the conditioner made an instant difference, whereas for the shampoo it’s been more about gradual, steady improvement.
I still need a haircut and a natural, fragrance free conditioner won’t magically mend my split ends. However, my hair definitely feels softer, shinier and stronger.
The Mum test
I got my mum on the case too, and she concurred – this shampoo made her hair feel softer and stronger. The trouble was, she took a liking to it. So, one morning I had to make do with supermarket best again, and I’m back to rubbish hair.
My ends are knotted, my hair feels like it’s coated in chemicals and my psoriasis is itchy, itchy, itchy! Carina Organics hadn’t cured my psoriasis (it’s a chronic condition), but boy, I forgot just how itchy my scalp would normally get with sulphate shampoos.
Hair care goals
I move around too much and I know there will be times where I’ll have to go for a random shampoo with sulphates and a sickly smell. There is more to life than stressing about packing cosmetics.
But I’ve decided to invest in a few more bottles of Carina Organics fragrance free shampoo and conditioner. For now at least, my hair is enjoying its toxin-free holiday. I might even make it a sabbatical.
Carina Organics unscented daily moisturising shampoo and unscented deep treatment conditioner, Cruelty free, vegan, paraben free, synthetic free and biodegradable (environmentally safe in our ocean) $10.99 USD each (or £11.50 GBP at Live in the Light)
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