CRUELTY-FREE HAIR CARE

I have always struggled with my hair. It's never been an aspect of my appearance that I've been proud of and when I went vegan, and my selection of good quality shampoos and conditioners quartered, I thought there would be no hope left for my ugly mop.

Fast forward a few years and I've tried every vegan hair care product on the market, and I'm happy to say I've found my favourites, ones that actually work and might even give the non-cruelty-free world of hair cosmetics a run for their money.

Shampoo
I have to admit when I first saw the prices for Lush shampoos I was hesitant to try them. They're almost £18 for 500ml and before this, I was happy to spend a little less money on a mediocre product.

However, when I first tried Lush shampoo (my choice was I Love Juicy), I realised how superior this product was. You only need a very small amount, roughly half of what you would need from another brand and you're done. Not only does this product feel and smell amazing, it helps strengthen your hair and over the time span of a couple of washes, I really noticed a positive difference in my hair.




Conditioner
For the sake of matching, I also purchased Lush's Veganese shampoo, only slightly cheaper than the shampoo. However, I did not love this product like I loved the shampoo. It was okay, it did the job, but it didn't completely excel above all the other conditioners in the vegan market and for me, it was not worth the price. The main reason for this is that you have to use a large amount of the conditioner to see a difference, more than double the amount you're using for the shampoo.

However, I wanted to stay loyal to the brand I loved, so I decided to go all out and buy the super expensive conditioner, Happy Happy Joy Joy, over £30 for 500ml. I have to admit, it's worth the price. Like the shampoo, you only have to use a small amount and in the long run, you'll be saving money from how little product you're using.

Coconut Oil
It's no secret that coconut oil is amazing for your hair. And your skin, and your health, and your stir-frys, and your homework. It's the saving grace of the beauty industry, and it's naturally completely vegan. The way I like to use coconut oil on my hair is by spritzing a light coat in various place on my hair while it is still damp after washing. Then, massage it into your hair and leave to dry. It makes your hair super shiny and luxurious. Having said this, it can make your hair go greasier sooner, so I only use coconut oil on days when I need my hair to be extra pretty, for example, parties or other photo ops.

Other
My last piece of advice for hair care is to only wash your hair once ever three days. Over-washing can damage your hair in the long run. On the first day, your hair will look the best. If you're new to the sparse hair washings, your hair might start to look grim or grotty by the second day, but this is only temporary. If you're worried, put your hair up in a bun or braids and no one will notice. Over time your hair will start to look better and second day hair will look similar to first day hair.

If you're not planning on leaving the house or doing anything exciting, you can also leave your hair unwashed for another day if you choose and greasing out your hair will strengthen it in the long run.