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I recently bought this Love Beauty and Planet: Gentle Cleansing Conditioner from Superdrug. I was trying to find the most ethical conditioner I could, within the shops available where I was at the time. This was not a brand I had heard of before, but I decided to give it a try.
What did I think of this conditioner?
My first impressions were positive. The bottle is attractive and easy to open, and the conditioner smells lovely. I’d say it smells like coconut, and indeed coconut oil is one of the top ingredients. I wouldn’t really know what shea butter and sandalwood oil smell like, but to me this conditioner smells primarily of coconut. The scent stays on the hair, although faintly. My mum commented on the scent (when my hair was still wet) so it must stay fairly strong for a while.
How to use this conditioner
I bought this product as a conditioner, but I realised when using it that it’s more of a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner (‘cleansing conditioner’) as it says ‘no shampoo and conditioner needed’. I had already used shampoo but it worked fine as a normal conditioner.
It wasn’t very clear from the instructions whether I should use shampoo first, and whether to rinse the product out, as it doesn’t specifically state it. I had to look it up on the Love Beauty and Planet website to clarify. The second time I used it, I didn’t use shampoo first, I just massaged this in like it says to. It felt strange not using shampoo, but it seemed to work fine. My hair even seemed a bit more moisturised and soft after doing this, so it is probably good for my hair. It did get a little more greasy than normal before the next wash though. After a few washes like this, my hair didn’t feel so clean, so maybe it’s a good idea to still use shampoo, once every few washes. This is what I have been doing since.
Another thing I noticed when using this conditioner, is that I seem to lose less hair in the shower. Usually, when I wash my hair, I get quite a few strands coming out, which I clump together and throw away after. This seemed to happen a lot less, perhaps because by not using shampoo, I was more gentle on my hair – massaging rather than scrubbing too hard. Also, this seemed to be the case in the very first wash, even after I used shampoo.
Pros and Cons of the Love Beauty and Planet: Gentle Cleansing Conditioner
Pros
- Vegan.
- No Silicones.
- Paraben-free
- No Colourants.
- Ethically sourced ingredients.
- 92% Biodegradable Formula.
- The bottle is made from 100% recycled materials (but I’m not sure that includes the pump).
- Attractive bottle design.
- Easy to open – I just twisted the pump and it popped right up.
- The pump lid works well and makes it easy to control the amount that comes out.
- Lovely scent, which lasts on the hair. I got complimented on the scent.
- Slides easily onto the hair, and feels slippery.
- It is a nice thickness. Not too runny, but not too thick.
- A little seems to go a long way.
- Doubles up as a cleanser and a conditioner, which saves on shampoo, bottles, water, time and money.
- Seems to condition fine – hair feels soft and nice after using it.
- I seem to lose less hair than usual in the shower.
- It is smooth and works well as a shaving cream too.
- The price is lower than many other good quality haircare brands, and you get a good volume (500ml) for your money.
- You can get other products with the same scent, to match, such as Shampoo.
Cons
- The pump lid is not the most environmentally friendly option, as it’s harder to recycle than ordinary lids.
- Branding and instructions were not the most obvious – I only realised during my first use that it was not a regular conditioner.
- It may be difficult to find – I have only seen it in Superdrug so far. But I think it is quite new, so maybe it will spread to other stores. [Update – you can also buy it on Amazon.]
- It is under the Unilever company, which doesn’t have the best reputation for ethics.
- 92% Biodegradable Formula – which means 8% is not biodegradable.
A summary of the Love Beauty and Planet: Gentle Cleansing Conditioner
Overall, I like this conditioner a lot. The main con is that it is under Unilever, which is a controversial company, ethics-wise. But at least this brand itself is making an effort to be environmentally friendly, so it is probably better ethically than a lot of haircare brands out there. I think I would try the actual conditioner as well (rather than the cleansing conditioner) and also try their other scents. But I will also keep looking out for a solid conditioner that works well for me, as that would be even better for the environment!
