Confession. I’m not very nice to my hair. Constant blowouts and flat ironing, highlights bright enough to blind St. Peter, and a Keith-Richards level keratin addiction, and all of this over a textured, 3C curl pattern. The unhinged beauty warrior that I am, I expect her to stay loyal and deliver a silky, sleek coif at all times. She’s been dropping hints it’s time for a breakup. My blowouts are lackluster, split ends fly off and the frizz grows more voluminous every time I sneeze. Not even my fave bandaid solution – silicones – will keep us together anymore. Despite my recent rebirth as a clean beauty junkie, shutting down silicones is like breaking up with a toxic ex, you know they’re no good for you, but you’re just so hooked on their empty promises. Time for me to clean up my act before I’m the one on the rebound… from my hair.
Cue &Goodies, a relatively new clean beauty brand that is devoted to scalp health and hair growth for all – regardless of texture, type, length, color, or styling choices. Crafted by Miami master stylist Antonello Pasci, it’s formulated without all the nasties to nurture the hair instead of stripping it with sulfates and faking it with silicones. Free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate (sls), artificial fragrance, alcohol, silicone, phthalates, &Goodies is comprised of three basic collections for overall hair health – Stimulating, Invigorating, and Repairing.
The Stimulating — Rosemary Shampoo & Conditioner features rosemary to cleanse and stimulate the scalp, and antioxidants to restore the hair follicle for optimal growth. My colleague reports it was birthed by the founder upon experiencing allergic reactions to more typical, non-clean hair care.
The invigorating – Peppermint Shampoo & Conditioner is all about that mint. It detoxes the sebaceous glands while nourishing the strands with vegan proteins and herbal extracts, delivering a fresh, tingly clean scalp that will raise anyone’s spirits, the oily scalped, those who struggle with psoriasis, or anyone in need of pick me up after a long sweaty workout.
The Repairing — Lemongrass Collection, spruced up with lemongrass, the zesty root that makes Tom Yum as addictive as a keratin treatment, was tailor-made for damaged tresses like mine. Both the shampoo and conditioner incorporate amino acids, rosehip oil, and shea butter to repair the micro and macro tears left by highlights, heat, and sun exposure. Lemongrass’ robust citrusy scent delivers a bracing clean buzz that gets you pumped for the styling phase.
No hair care line would be complete without a little bit more nourishment and TLC. The star of &Goodies is hands-down the aloe-based Detangling Leave-In Conditioner. It delivers another dose of rebuilding amino acids for additional moisture, to seal the cuticle, allowing for maximum pre-styling glide.
My first few washes with the Repairing Lemongrass Shampoo and Conditioner, I was jonesing for the tiniest bit of silicone to speed up the detangling process, but I embraced the weaning period and held my ground. After a few weeks of &Goodies amino acid-enriched washing and conditioning routine, my hair was practically tangle-free. Of course, I still opted for several generous spritzes of the leave-in detangler. The silicone-free glide yielded a sleek, healthy blowout, that felt light, with no trace of oiliness. I could actually feel my hair, not products, and it felt healthy. My hair is on the mend, as is our relationship. This break-up with the nasties is for good after &Goodies.
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