March 20, 2008

A Round-Up of Natural-Based Volumizing Sprays

For the past half-year, I've been on the hunt for a fab eco-friendly volumizing hair spray. The requirements: It must be alcohol-free (no alcohol denat) and it must provide texture and volume without weighing down my hair like an anchor by the end of the day. I have tested:

- JASON Kiwi and Apricot Root Boost: Provided slight texture but absolutely no body and too much stickiness

- John Masters Organics Sea Salt Spray: Gives amazing body and texture, but the large amount of sea salt is too drying and color-stripping for highlighted hair (However, this product is significantly better than Bumble and Bumble's over-priced, water-y Surf Spray.)

- Ojon Plump and Hold Root Lifting Spray: Contains too many chemicals at the top of the ingredients list to be included on Eco*Pretty

- MOP (Modern Organic Products) Glisten Volumizing Spray: Slightly drying but *the runner-up*, $16

- Aveda Brilliant Damage Control™: the winner, surprisingly!

Damage Control
isn't even a "volumizer." It's a heat-protecting pre-blowdry spray. But its impressive, body-building ingredients lead me to buy it.

Pretty factor: PVP copolymers cling to hair and fatten the shaft, while wheat protein, wheat starch and panthenol (vitamin B5) foritify. Certified organic aloe moisturizes fine or thin hair without weighing it down. Organic chamomile soothes locks and scalp and brightens blonde highlights.

The key to using it as a volumizer is to spray onto dry hair. It gave body, light texture and shine—my locks look like I was standing in the sun when I was in fact in dismal NYC apartment lighting.

Eco factor: Aveda's manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy. Its cosmetics contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. ("Fair trade" means that workers were paid decently and worked in humane conditions.) Most products come in 80 to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons. Also, the company has removed parabens from its products.

To buy: $14 at Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but it's still packaged in plastic. So, maybe forgo volumizing??

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sanita said...

Anonymous: read this http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/responsible_packaging.asp

I have this spray and I love it too! The bottle lasts for such a long time. I'm looking forward to buy aveda hair shine products! :)
Cool blog.

Virginia Green said...

I may have to break down and try the Aveda spray.

You may want to take down the comment from kazilar, since it isn't relevant and links to a suspicious website.

Sanita, thanks for linking to Aveda's Packaging policy!

Unknown said...

I've come in contact with some AVEDA products recently that still have parabens...

Lindsay B. said...

Thanks for your comment, Jacqui. That stinks about the parabens.

I know that Aveda began phasing out all parabens from their products a few years ago and not one of the products in the newer lines that I've reviewed (the Green Science anti-aging line and the Enbrightenment line) have a paraben in them. So maybe you were looking at older products (especially makeup)?