L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

I have found a drugstore oil shampoo and conditioner set that is just as nice as my "luxury brands": L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (from $4 to $8 each, depending on store). I like oil products for my skin, so when I saw the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare products at the Giant grocery store, I decided to try them. They were on sale, so I had little to lose. To skip to the end, I love the shampoo and conditioner, and I continue to purchase them. They have become my go-to hair products.

Here is what L’Oréal has to say about them...
Dry, lifeless hair? Transform it. Renourish and rejuvenate hair with the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil system. Strands go from dry and lifeless to soft and lustrous in just one wash. Experience the power of L’Oréal Paris Extraordinary Oil with Oil Complex - coconut, argan, chamomile, amla, soja, and sunflower oils. Deep nourishment without the weight for incredibly lustrous, touchably soft hair.

Truth!  The shampoo thoroughly cleanses my hair of mousse and hairspray with one wash. That saves me time in the shower in the morning. The conditioner detangles my hair quickly and leaves it soft, moisturized, and bouncy. Unlike many conditioners, I don't have to use more conditioner than shampoo, so I run out of both around the same time. What more could I want? I think it even reduces frizz from humidity and split ends - and extra added benefit.

L’Oréal keeps changing the packaging, which confused me at first. The last set I purchased looked like the photos here. The container sits flat on it's snap-on top. I have to ensure that it snaps shut or it may leak a little since the fluid flows to the top. I've learned. I see online that L’Oréal may now be calling it 6 Oil Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner. It's the same product.

The shampoo and conditioner were designed for use on all hair types. They are safe for color-treated hair. You can see the ingredients here. There is a problem with the list, though. The ingredients list on my containers does not include propylene glycol. I tend to trust the container rather than the Web site. The light fragrance is enjoyable while I am using the products in the shower, but I don't smell it after I've styled my hair. I've left a set at my hair stylist's salon so that they can use it on me when I visit. I prefer these beauties to their house brand. I've invited my stylist to try it, and she loves it too.

You can find L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner at mass market drugstores and grocery stores. Watch for sales; they happen often. There are plenty of online sources too, such as Target. I think you'll be pleased with these frugal treasures.

Photos courtesy of L’Oréal Paris

Suave Professionals Natural Infusion Seaweed and Lotus Blossom All Day Body Shampoo and Conditioner

How I love it when my hair has body! It looks good. It feels good to the touch. I like my reflection in the mirror. Suave sent me their new Suave Professionals Natural Infusion Seaweed and Lotus Blossom All Day Body Shampoo and Conditioner (each about $4-$6, depending on retailer) to try. I am in love.

I was astonished when I used this duo for the first time. Both the shampoo and conditioner have a pleasant, natural scent, which disappears after the shower. They both have substantially thick textures. After using both, my hair had body - body that lasted not only through the day, but into the next. Need to go a day without shampooing in the morning? Suave may provide the solution.

Enriched with special exotic natural ingredients, such as seaweed and lotus blossom, and free from parabens and dyes, Suave's Seaweed All Day Body Shampoo and Conditioner products gently cleanse while adding body from root to tip leaving uniformly voluminous hair. There seem to be no traces of product left behind, so I really can't figure out how they did it. These new products leave my hair with body and without any weight or coated feeling. My hair bounces with life.

Despite their luxurious effects, these are mass market products. You can find them at drugstores. I am looking now at a price on drugstore.com of $3.99 for the conditioner. Four dollars? Why would I ever buy a $35 shampoo or conditioner again? I've spent way more than that - behavior that I've now sworn off.

Shampoo and conditioner aren't magical. There are some awesome luxury products. I enjoy using them. I've learned through experience that Suave offers me the same luxury at a fraction of the price I've paid in the past. I have become a Suave junkie. I've been using Suave hairsprays for years. Now I'm a convert to the company's extensive hair care line, including its wonderful shampoos and conditioners. Give this new set a try and please let me know what you think.

Photo courtesy of Suave

Marc Anthony Oil Of Morocco Argan Oil Shampoo

Knowing how popular argan oil is, I've tried and tried to find argan oil products to use on my hair. Given how fine my hair is, something has always been wrong with them. They would be too heavy, or the in the case of one hair spray, too fragranced. Then, out of the blue, Marc Anthony sent me his Aragan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. I'm smitten! It took Marc Anthony to unwrap argan oil's secrets for me.

“We often look to beauty secrets of the past as inspiration for today. One of the greatest ancestral beauty secrets comes from Morocco - Argan Oil. It is really a 'super oil’ because it has so many benefits: strengthening, moisturizing, shine, damage relief, and the list goes on. When you buy Argan Oil for your hair you’re getting one of the best natural resources for healthy looking hair,” says Marc Anthony's team.

Argan oil is the foundation for Anthony's Oil of Morocco Collection. The powerful Moroccan oil, with an added boost of strengthening keratin, has been infused into each product to create a full system for high moisture and unbeatable strength. It starts with your wash to rid hair of impurities while gently moisturizing; then to your condition for super hydration, shine, and restoration. Finally a daily lightweight oil treatment to impart strength, add shine, and control frizz. 

Everything claimed is true, but there's more. Argan Oil Shampoo ($7.99) is contains the argan oil and keratin, but also grape seed oil. The sulfate-free shampoo lathers nicely and cleans thoroughly. It smells fresh and nice without any overt perfume scent.

The Arman Oil Conditioner ($7.99), containing the same treatment ingredients, seals the deal. I have a hard time finding conditioners that condition my hair well, leaving it shiny and bouncy, without weighing it down. Any hair products that are heavy leave my hair limp. If I try lightweight conditioners, I find they won't detangle my hair after a vigorous wash. I can rely on this duo to leave my with clean hair, and easy comb out, and two full days of life and volume. How great is that?

Check out this link for retailers. Supposedly, Marc Anthony's hair products are available at CVS, but I've never seen them here. I will look more thoroughly, particularly at Ulta. If they aren't there, I will most likely restock at drugstore.com, one of my favorites.

Photo courtesy of Marc Anthony

Rahua Shampoo

Rahua Shampoo ($32) is stupendous! That's the best adjective I can use. If you look up the definition, stupendous means astoundingly excellent, marvelous, amazingly great, astonishing, and wondrous. On Twitter, I called it Rahua Rapture, although that may have described my state of mind, rather than the product itself, the first time I used it.

Bloggers aren't supposed to find themselves at a loss for words, but I can't think of enough superlatives to use in describing Rahua Shampoo. Awesome...impressive...luscious...these adjectives apply, along with effective, which doesn't sound terribly exciting, but actually means a lot in beauty parlance. Earth-friendly, green, and animal friendly are also applicable. "Wow" works for me. This is one amazing shampoo.

Recently, I told you about Rahua Conditioner. I had purchased it to see if I liked it, intending to buy Rahua Shampoo if I did. Before I could say more than "What an amazing conditioner," the generous folks at Rahua offered me the opportunity to try the shampoo. Naturally, I used it as soon as it came - and every day last week.

This shampoo does it all. It lathers generously without sulfates. As you massage it into your hair and scalp, it grows in luxurious volume, adding a rich feel to every shampoo while it cleanses and conditions. Using Rahua Shampoo is an olfactory trip to the rain forest, but no residue or fragrance are left behind. When you're done? Your hair will be shiny, bouncy, and have volume - all without stripping. It's perfect for all hair types, including color-treated hair. The superfine Rahua molecules penetrate the hair's cortex to repair and rebuild damaged strands while cultivating healthy hair. I love it! Just apply all the superlatives. I am close to babbling with my delight.

The ingredients read like a botanical garden who's who. The organic and 100% natural ingredients include camellia leaf extract, honeysuckle flower extract, raspberry leaf extract, aloe barbadensis, shea and coconut betaines, sea salt (for scalp circulation), vegetable glycerin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, vitamin E, oenoccarpus bataua, rahua nut oil, lecithin, palo santo oil, panthenol, hydrolyzed oat protein, and citric acid. There are no sulfates, parabens, silicone, animal products, or synthetics in Rahua products.

Someone is going to tell me that Rahua Shampoo is pricey at $32. Here's my take. Your appearance is the first thing others notice about you. You make an immediate impression with your appearance, and your hair, skin, and makeup play a leading role in your appearance. Why not target your spending to ensure that you look great? Rahua can help you. There's another thing you should consider. A year's supply of Rahua hair products will cost far less than a year's supply of high-end makeup. Would you spend $32 on the latest eye shadow palette? If so, you owe it to yourself to spend $32 to try this shampoo - or conditioner. If you are on a strict budget, then use the Rahua products for special occasions. Just use them! A portion of every purchase is donated to educate tribes in the Amazon about ways to protect their jungles and rivers from deforestation and contamination through sustainable use of natural resources. That should give you an additional reason to consider Rahua!

For many years, I have had an exclusive set of the best brands for my hair in my shower. They are, in my opinion, the best of the best, and all are a bit pricey. They make such a difference, they are worth every penny. I'm adding Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner to that exclusive set. I don't want to be without these amazing products - ever! My next task is to make sure my McLean salon starts to carry Amazon Beauty's Rahua line so that I can pop up there to get more when I run out.

Check out the incredible organic, natural, and vegan Rahua hair products from Amazon Beauty. There is a store and salon locator at this link.

Photo courtesy of Amazon Beauty/Rahua

Philip B Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo

I have been using Philip B's Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo ($40 for 11.8 oz) for about 19 years! Is that loyalty? This shampoo used to be my daily shampoo. However, after discovering other shampoos I liked, I started a rotation. Most winter days, I use another Philip B shampoo. When my hair starts to feel like I have some product build-up (from post-shampoo products), I reach for my Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo.

The Peppermint & Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo is a good choice when I need a good cleanse. Formulated with 16 pure plant extracts, eleven essential and carrier oils, and a potent, active dose of 2.3% pure peppermint oil, the shampoo works to soothe scalp tension, stimulate circulation, and leave my scalp feeling tingly fresh and clean. Fabulous!

When you use this shampoo, you awaken in the shower. No kidding! The peppermint is cooling, and as you wash your hair, the peppermint scent, cooling sensation, and cleansing action are stimulating. Not only that, it's exciting to know what the outcome will be: incredibly clean, weightless hair with volume. Both the shampoo and result are invigorating.

I would have named this Peppermint and Avocado Invigorating Shampoo. Of course, someone probably trademarked the name "Invigorating." Trademarking names can be lucrative. I sold one I had actually used for years, but when I didn't need it anymore, someone else was ready to buy. I have living proof that the practice is lucrative. Do I digress? Now you know I have a mind that free associates with ease. :)

Here's how Philip B describes the shampoo.

One of our most acclaimed products, this is a clarifying cleanser and powerfully active aroma-therapeutic scalp treatment in one...The shampoo works as a local anesthetic to soothe scalp tension, stimulate circulation, and leave your scalp feeling tingly fresh and clean. Philip B Peppermint and Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo also lifts away product residue - restoring your hair's natural shine and vitality without without compromising its precious moisture and elasticity. Safe for color-treated hair. Feel the amazing difference on your scalp and hair from the very first use.

I have to give you an enthusiastic ditto! Sometimes, shampooing and conditioning seems like a time consuming drag (there's that comb-out and blow dry too!). I'm in a hurry, and the necessity becomes "10 extra minutes." We all know that 10 minutes for busy women can seem like an hour. This shampoo will make those minutes pleasant - turning a chore into a treat.

You can read about all of the the Philip B products and more on the Philip B Web site, the best source of information on this terrific line. I have found that I can usually get a discount at Hello Gorgeous! or another site. So, rather than ordering directly from the Philip B site or purchasing in a retail store, I go for the discount. SkinStore, Amazon, and other online sites carry Philip B products, and SkinStore often has discounts too. This shampoo comes in four sizes, so make sure to compare size when you compare price.