Months ago I picked up a bottle of Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo, as well as a 2 ounce trial size bottle of their matching conditioner.
My hair is above my shoulders, and quite fine without a lot of body. I have to use products like mousse, root lifters, and the like to give it the body it needs. The of course I spray a heat styling spray to help it hold the curl, before finishing off with my hairspray. That’s a lot of product on my hair, and it tends to build up over time.
When I saw this Lemon Clarifying Shampoo, I thought it might do a good job of removing that build-up from my hair, and I trust the Avalon name.
Description
This shampoo comes in an 11 ounce green plastic bottle. The black cap pops open when you press one end. Some bottles have caps that have to be removed, so I appreciate that the Avalon Organics company took the effort to make their shampoo with the easy to use cap.
The shampoo itself is a dark yellow color, and it really smells strongly of lemons. The label says it’s a clarifying shampoo, and that it will remove dulling build-up and gently cleanses as Shea Butter replenishes moisture to restore natural highlights, shine and color. It also claims to benefit all hair types.
Ingredients
Purified water, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, coconut acid, babassuamidopropalkonium chloride, organic citrus limonum (lemon) peel(1)), calendula officinalis (calendula) flower(1) and chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower(2) extracts, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), vegetable glycerin, bisabolol (chamomile), ethylhexylglycerin, arginine (amino acid), panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), tocopherol (vitamin E), organic citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil(1) and other essential oils.
1) Certified by Quality Assurance International
2) Certified by BCS Oko-Garamtie
My Experience
This shampoo lathers up nicely and quickly gives me a head full of suds. I didn’t think the lather felt as silky soft as Avalon’s Lavender shampoo, however.
It was very easy to rinse out, and did leave my hair feeling squeaky clean. I used the matching lemon conditioner, as my hair felt a little stripped, so I’m certain that it did remove all the build-up from my hair care products.
My hair has chemical highlights throughout, and when I was drying my hair, I noticed that the hair on the top of my head, especially my bangs, were noticeably brighter! Now, I didn’t remember reading that when I checked this out in the store, but the bottle does say that it will restore natural highlights. That was very true in my case, and I was thrilled to see it. I have even purchased special shampoo containing henna, which was supposed to bring out the natural highlights, but nothing has worked as well as this lemon shampoo. I also saw a visible difference in the shine of my hair. I’ve always had very shiny hair, but it has become just a little less shiny the past few years.
When I was 24 years old, my roommate was in beauty school, and she used to come home with some very helpful hints. I remember living in Goleta California, and taking her advice by laying out in the sun with lemon juice in my freshly washed hair. I’d let the sun dry my hair, and by the end of that summer my dirty blonde hair was really lightened by a few shades! So I know that lemon does have a bleaching effect on the hair.
I wasn’t thrilled with the Avalon lemon conditioner, which I’ll review later on, but I need to mention it now because my hair didn’t feel very soft when I was finished styling it.
Although the Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo claims that it’s shea butter replenishes moisture, that was not my experience. I need a good moisturizer after shampooing with this one and if you want to keep the scent the same, use the matching Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Conditioner.
Closing Thoughts
When I have a lot of product build-up on my hair, or I want to give my highlights a boost, I will definitely turn to the Avalon Orgaincs Lemon Clarifying Shampoo. If you have doubts about this shampoo, it is also available in a 2 ounce trial size, and this a great way to see if you’ll like the shampoo before shelling out a lot of money for the full sized bottle. The travel sizes are great for overnight stays, and are perfect for air travel, since you can’t carry large quantities of liquids these days.
I love the quality ingredients in the Avalon Organics line, and they pledge that they are safe, effective, and organic, without artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, or parabens.
