Review: Nature's Gate Awapuhi Volumizing Shampoo

It happened again. I went to my local drugstore to pick up more Pure Clean shampoo and they were out of it. This is quickly becoming the norm around here. Either that or I'm timed exactly with all the other people who buy that shampoo and we all run out of it at the same time. Which is actually kind of cool.

Anyhow, I decided that I would just grab a bottle of baby shampoo or something at my grocery store instead later that same night. Now as with all my hair care items as of late, I've been trying to make absolutely sure that the shampoos and conditioners are paraben and sulfate free. So I tend to scour the aisles for a bit and really analyze the bottles. (And sometimes when I'm in a rush, I realize the error later and have to fix it). I did find a baby shampoo but a little bit further in the same aisle I found a whole selection of paraben and sulfate free shampoos (thank you Andronico's!). My eyes were drawn to the bottle of Nature's Gate -- specifically the Awapuhi which is Hawaiian White Ginger (read as: the flowers were pretty).

On the back of the bottle it notes that it is free of the follow: parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth/coco sulfates, phthalate, and butylene glycol. On the front of the bottle it mentions that there are "7 Healthy Hair Nutrients" which include panthenol (Vitamin B5), soy proteins, vegetable proteins, jojoba oil, borage flower seed oil, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. 

I've been using it for about a month at this point and there are a few things to note. Namely that it doesn't quite lather up the way a shampoo would (and you shouldn't expect it to either, seeing as it doesn't have the agents to do so). At times, I couldn't help but feeling like I should wash my hair with the shampoo twice before working the conditioner into my ends. But each time, I was happy that I didn't try to rewash my hair till it felt squeaky clean. This shampoo is a bit heavy it seems on the oils, which is nice because it is still cleaning my hair and not stripping it entirely. 

As for the wurls... the first day they were drab. My hair seemed weighed down and almost appeared straight which was odd but not unlike my hair. Since then, the curls have picked up a bit and my hair seems to react just fine to this shampoo as it does with any other that meet the same criteria (that would be that they are free of parabens and sulfates).

I do think that my hair appears a bit shinier and overall seems a bit healthier but there are times when the wurls (waves and curls) seem kind of lost. I have a feeling that the added oils might be a bit too heavy for my curls and waves and are ultimately weighing it down. I think that as my hair gets longer, this will definitely be a go to (based on availability though) but for now, as my hair is short, it might be a bit too much for now. 

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Product: Nature's Gate Awapuhi Volumizing Shampoo
Price:  $7.79
Would Recommend? Not for short hair, but perhaps for long.
Takeaway: While I love the idea behind it, I think that it might be a bit heavy on my hair. The wurls don't always come out as a result. I think that while my hair is shinier and looks healthy, the curls themselves look a bit drab. I think that's it seems great for longer waves but for the short curlier types, this might not be the best one to go to. I'll definitely be revisiting this one in the future as my hair grows out.