I Tried Vegan Hair Care Products For 30 Days & Here’s What Happened…
Sustainability blogger Eleni Mai shares her first impressions of Love Beauty and Planet's vegan haircare range.
The Backstory:
I’m Elen Mai, a sustainability blogger and human biology student from Mid-West Wales. As a naturally curly-haired girl, I can often struggle to find products that will a) provide enough moisture and b) not leave my hair flat and lifeless. I’ve also got colour damage from bleach, which has definitely impacted my hair’s health.
While I didn’t quite fancy taking the plunge with only sticking to vegan food for Vegnuary, I did throw myself head (or rather hair) first into a trying a new vegan hair care routine…
First Impressions: A Review of Love Beauty and Planet’s Range
What Went Down:
Love Beauty and Planet’s haircare range tick all the boxes for me – it’s vegan, cruelty-free, paraben and silicone-free, as well as being ethically and sustainably sourced and packaged in 100% recyclable bottles. So, with my “new year, new me, new hair” mindset, I decided to create a new routine for myself to tackle my hair issues (dryness and flatness!) with some picks from LBP’s haircare range.
First up, the Love Beauty And Planet Volume & Bounty Shampoo and Conditioner! I’ve been shampoo and conditioning every three days using this amazing, volumising duo.
Next, the Love Beauty And Planet Hope & Repair 2 Minute Magic Masque, which I’ve been so excited to try. The consistency of this feels very thick, buttery and nourishing, which is everything my dry hair needs. I love to curl up with a good book while I’m masking, it makes the whole experience feel like a pamper session.
Between wash days, I’ve been relying on dry shampoo. On days where I feel my scalp needs a bit more TLC (I suffer from psoriasis), I swap out the usual shampoo for the Love Beauty and Planet Blooming Colour Shampoo Bar. Not only does this provide a natural, healthy gloss to the hair but it’s also super handy when you’re on the go. Not to mention a really simple eco-conscious swap.
Something I’ve noticed gradually changing over the past few weeks has been the level of frizz in my hair. Although it’s not completely frizz-free, it’s certainly starting to improve. I usually wake up to a static mane that sticks up at all angles, but it’s become much more manageable and my hair looks a lot healthier. I also feel confident with letting my hair air dry, which is something I felt self-conscious with before (because of the frizz!).
Final Thoughts:
My final verdict? I’m going to be following my LBP routine just a little longer! I have started to notice my curl pattern coming back. I’ve been struggling with this for ages, so my curls and waves are becoming more prominent, thanks to the help of these vegan hair products. The nourishment my strands have felt since using plant-based products has also made my mane feel less dry.
As for the hair mask? I’m obsessed! Although my hair’s thin, there’s a lot of it and I was able to use the mask sparingly. I still have plenty left over to use beyond Veganuary (yay!). This is definitely now my holy grail deep conditioner.
I’ve nearly finished using the Love Beauty And Planet Volume & Bounty Shampoo and Conditioner. I’m sad to see them go, as I love the consistency and the way they leave my hair feeling fresh and bouncy immediately after washing — a real win for my flat strands. Post-Vegunary, I’m planning on trying the Love Beauty And Planet Happy & Hydrated Shampoo and Conditioner.
The best thing about trying a vegan hair care routine is knowing that none of the products I’ve used will go to landfill. Once fully empty and clean, they can all be sorted into the recycling collection (apart from the caps which are not yet recyclable).
I plan to upcycle the hair mask tub for homemade body scrubs, and the shampoo and conditioner bottles will make the perfect home for some cleaning solutions. One of Love Beauty and Planet’s five goals is to reduce waste – and they certainly make it easy! So, you can consider me an official vegan haircare convert.
*As told to Amra Markic
