Supplies for UK LHC-ers!!

[RedRose]

Hi UK-ers!

Just thought I'd start this thread so that those of us in the UK can swap details on brands and products available here, since so many of those american products we can't get.

Anyway, this afternoon, I was in Superdrug and found 100% solid coconut oil for 99p for 125ml! I've been looking for solid for ages (could only find the refined liquid expensive stuff for aromatherapy massage before) so was very excited!! I haven't seen in before in the Superdrug I normally go to, but it's a Superdrug own-brand hair care range and has some styling products and a shampoo and conditioner too (but they were out of the conditioner so I didn't get to ingredient spy on that sadly!).

I've tried it out already and to me it seems fine....but never tried coconut oil before so I don't know much! But much cheaper than the only other source I've found which was like £12 per 100g (Neal's Yard) so I'll give this a go first.

Hope that helps anyone else whose been looking :)

Does anyone know any cheap conditioners which work well for an SMT?

RedRose

[Kelpie]

This is a good idea for a thread. I've been reading about a lot of products that I don't think we get here or are branded differently.
I'm still not happy with the stuff I use on my hair at the moment so I havn't got anything to add. But when I get something that seems to work well I'll post again.

[kettle]

Ooh, I didn't realise this thread wasn't up and running again yet! Well done RedRose :bluesmile
Is it the Superdrug's own coconut oil conditioner you saw? Because if it is, I have it and use it sometimes as a CO conditioner - it is cone free. It's okay for me if I use it very occasionally - makes my hair lovely and soft. Any more than one wash with it though, and it seems to make my hair go a little crunchy - only because coconut oil doesn't really agree with my hair! Silly silly kettle. I don't know why I bought it really! But if your hair likes coconut oil I'm sure it'll be fantastic.
I can add a few more as far as cone-free UK conditioners are concerned. The rest of Superdrug's own is all cone free. Can recommend them. And Boots' own cammomile conditioner is also cone free... they seem to have stopped doing the 32p bottles, at least where I live. If it's just my local Boots, then I can recommend that one too.
And as for a cheap SMT conditioner - I've used Boots' own Cammomile Deep Treatment one before, and liked the results. I can't remember how much it is now, but it's definitely cheaper than the other cone-free deep conditioners I've found. If it's cone-free you're after!
Should there be a separate "UK cone-free conditioners" list? I've done a search and can't see one going yet. There used to be a really great one on the old LHC.

[jojo]

what a great thread! coconut oil i get from here, it takes 2 days for delivery and last ages
http://www.coconutoilcompany.com/

cone free conditoners ive tried and liked;

Asdas own Cammomile less than a quid!
Boots, coconut conditioner, tea tree conditioner
Wilkinsons 39p marine conditioner, tea tree
superdrug-tea tree, coconut

look for the cheapest makes, shops own brands they are nearly always cone free!

[wendyg]

Tesco's sells solid coconut oil by the very large jar for 99p.

wg

[Gemma]

Does anyone know any cheap conditioners which work well for an SMT?

RedRose

I like the Boots basic conditioners, and the Original Source ones. Both are cone-free. :)

For oils, the following sites are quite good:

http://www.anitagrant.com
http://www.gracefruit.com/scripts/prodlist.asp?idcategory=1334
http://www.justasoap.co.uk

This place has coconut oil as well as SLS and cone free hair products: http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/natural_creams_butters_hardoils.php

[Melein]

Anyway, this afternoon, I was in Superdrug and found 100% solid coconut oil for 99p for 125ml!

I bought that a couple of weeks ago, it works great for me. My hair seems to like Superdrug's coconut & almond oil intensive conditioner, too, though I didn't think it was cone-free. I haven't any at the moment, but I'll check next time I get some.

Does anyone know of a UK site for all-natural shampoo bars? I've ordered some CV ones from the US, but I'm not sure international purchases are a good thing to keep up long-term!

[kimki]

I like the Boots basic conditioners, and the Original Source ones. Both are cone-free. :)

For oils, the following sites are quite good:

http://www.anitagrant.com
http://www.gracefruit.com/scripts/prodlist.asp?idcategory=1334
http://www.justasoap.co.uk

This place has coconut oil as well as SLS and cone free hair products: http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/natural_creams_butters_hardoils.php


Are all the Original Source conditioners cone free then?

[Masara]

I love the superdrug almond and coconut oil conditioners (both the normal and the deep) They smell wonderful, I use either of them in SMT's. Melein the deep conditioner is cone free too.
My parents' local superdrug only has coconut oil in winter because it's near the sea and people use it to sunbathe in the summer.
Their Tesco's doesn't have coconut oil at all and the only one they have in Boot's is refined and perfumed.
Last time I bought coconut oil I got it from akamuti (http://www.akamuti.co.uk/) which someone on LHC suggested.

[Red Jezebel]

For oils, the following sites are quite good:

http://www.anitagrant.com
http://www.gracefruit.com/scripts/prodlist.asp?idcategory=1334
http://www.justasoap.co.uk

This place has coconut oil as well as SLS and cone free hair products: http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/natural_creams_butters_hardoils.php
Lol, I was just about to post about Hand Made Naturals - looks fabulous site, doesn't it? I'm rather tempted to try the Natural SLS free HAIR CLEANSER - NORMAL/OILY HAIR Shampoo with Ylang-Ylang & Lime. I'm certainly going to get the after-shave balm for my DH.

Some other sites to add to the list:
www.baldwins.co.uk (http://www.baldwins.co.uk/)
www.aromantic.co.uk (http://www.aromantic.co.uk/index.htm)
For (Fair Trade) Shea Butter: www.akomaskincare.co.uk (http://www.akomaskincare.co.uk/section.php/11/1/shea_butter)
For Coconut Oil: http://coconutty.co.uk/ (http://coconutty.co.uk/index.php)

[Marianne]

Hi UK-ers!

Anyway, this afternoon, I was in Superdrug and found 100% solid coconut oil for 99p for 125ml! I've been looking for solid for ages (could only find the refined liquid expensive stuff for aromatherapy massage before) so was very excited!!

Ahhh, I've been looking for coconut oil lately, so this is a great help, thanks. :inlove:

[Alaia]

For oils and butters, I go here:

http://www.akamuti.co.uk

I've got shea butter and coconut oil from there, they come in cute tubs and last ages.

Erm. To answer someone's question about Original Source, as far as I'm aware they are not all cone free. I can't remember whether I was avoiding SLS or cones when I used them but the one I found was best was the Almond and Coconut one.

More later. When I remember.

[Gemma]

Are all the Original Source conditioners cone free then?

I'm not sure.

I know that the tea tree & mint shampoo and conditioner are cone-free, and that the almond & coconut conditioner is as well. I'd recommend checking the ingredients before buying, basically. :)


Lol, I was just about to post about Hand Made Naturals - looks fabulous site, doesn't it? I'm rather tempted to try the Natural SLS free HAIR CLEANSER - NORMAL/OILY HAIR Shampoo with Ylang-Ylang & Lime. I'm certainly going to get the after-shave balm for my DH.

It does look good! I spent quite a while browsing their site and then had to persuade myself that I couldn't afford frivolous purchases, right now. ^^;;

[Lillian]

I use Akamuti for shea butter and coconut oil, too, and I am very happy with them!

[Red Jezebel]

For oils and butters, I go here:

http://www.akamuti.co.ukWow, that's a nice website - I am tempted to try the Mango Butter and the Murumuru Butter... they're a change from the usual cocoa/shea/coconut butters.

[kimki]

[quote=Gemma;30353]I'm not sure.

I know that the tea tree & mint shampoo and conditioner are cone-free, and that the almond & coconut conditioner is as well. I'd recommend checking the ingredients before buying, basically. :) quote]

Thats not a bad idea! :D

[Gemma]

I'm not sure.

I know that the tea tree & mint shampoo and conditioner are cone-free, and that the almond & coconut conditioner is as well. I'd recommend checking the ingredients before buying, basically. :)

Thats not a bad idea! :D

You can be like me! I stand in the chemist for ages peering at the backs of shampoo and conditioner bottles. People probably think I'm nuts. ;)

[florenonite]

You can be like me! I stand in the chemist for ages peering at the backs of shampoo and conditioner bottles. People probably think I'm nuts. ;)

I did this today in Superdrug because I'm trying out cone-free, and there was a woman who works there right beside me putting price tags on stuff as I stared at the backs of bottles. I then asked her if they have coconut oil which, unfortunately, they don't (it's a small town with a small Superdrug).

[Faepirate]

Ahhhh, the Superdrug Coconut and Sweet Almond intensive conditioner is my favourite thing EVER.

I use it for deep conditioning and recently in SMT too and it smells like HEAVEN. Good enough to eat.

And yes it is cone free. And my hair adores it.

(I also tried the chamomile and honeysuckle shampoo and regular conditioner - also cone free - but my hair didn't get on so well with those. Oh well.)



As for coconut oil, I get mine from Holland and Barrett. It's not at all cheap but it's unrefined and comes in a huuuuuge tub... refined coconut oil (like the superdrug one) doesn't really do anything at all for my skin or my hair, unfortunately.


Btw, Holland Barrett aloe vera gel is on offer at the moment, I believe. It's good stuff. :)

[kimki]

You can be like me! I stand in the chemist for ages peering at the backs of shampoo and conditioner bottles. People probably think I'm nuts. ;)

Heehee I did this today and got a lot of odd looks!! I only looked at about 3...or maybe 10 :D

[kimki]

Faepirate thats brilliant, I was just going to ask if anyone had any good suggestions for a Cone free conditioner for SMT. Thank you for answering my question before I even asked it! :D

[Anlbe]

On the old LHC there was a link to a UK hairtoy website which sold straightforward stuff like french twist combs. Does anyone know the one I mean?

[Choccielocks]

http://www.incensemagic.co.uk

This is great value place to order cassia if you use it and prompt delivery.

I have used the superdrug coconut oil, but agree that it doesn't seem to work as well as the virgin stuff from Holland and Barrett, but is so much cheaper so it has its benefits!

As for SMT conditioners, I like Tesco's own coconut or citrus conditioners, both cone-free and well cheap. Both smell yummy too!

This website is also fab for shea butter, jojoba oil, castor oil and other cool stuff. Again, great service and fairly good value.
http://www.thesoaptub.co.uk/

[kimki]

Thank you Choccielocks. There are soo many coconut cone free conditioners to choose from...good job I lurve coconut. :D

[jojo]

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=nature+knows+best+shampoo&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB257GB257&um=1

another good site!

[kimki]

I just found some Vegetable Glycerine in case anyone looking for it: https://www.shopholistic.co.uk/

[Marbles]

A good site for Indian herbal hair care like amla and Shikakai and quite a lot of other stuff is www.spicesofindia.co.uk. Go to health and beauty in the menu on the left :) over £30 gets you free delivery the last time I ordered, it is quick delivery and everything well packed.

[jel]

I've used The Soap Kitchen (http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/index.htm) for all my kitchen witchin' supplies - oils, butters and EOs. Very reasonable if you like to play with your ingredients :D

[kimki]

I've used The Soap Kitchen (http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/index.htm) for all my kitchen witchin' supplies - oils, butters and EOs. Very reasonable if you like to play with your ingredients :D


Right, everyone...completely ignore my link. :) The Soap Kitchen beats the prices hands down. Veg Glycerine there was £2.90 instead of £6.50. Doh, going to see if I can cancel my order. :(

[pinksquiff]

Hi another UK person checking in, I am so glad that this thread is up and running as I was always checking out the one on the old LHC.

I am also pleased that there are other people in the UK who spend more time looking at the ingredients in their shampoo rather than food! I have had some very weird looks lately when in Superdrug.

I use Lush products to wash and condition my hair at present, specifically the Blonde Shampoo and American Cream conditioner. My hair seems to like it and changing down from washing every day has really helped the condition.

I have the coconut oil from Superdrug, was astounded at the price. I like it especially putting some on the end of my braid before I go to sleep and feeling it all soaked in the next morning.

On the subject of websites I did buy some stiff from Glitz4Girls while LHC was done. I goe free delivery becuase I spent over £12.00. I would not say that the quality is great but the headscarf that I bought is brilliant and a very fetching shade of pink. :o

[far_away]

Any idea of good places in Britain to get body art quality henna? I've decided to try a change from my usual LUSH henna.

[FaeryTails]

I buy all my Giovanni and Jason products from www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk,
and you can try www.henna-boy.co.uk for henna and cassia.

[FaeryTails]

Me again... I also recently bought a flexi-8 from the US website, and they
were delivered within a week.

[jel]

and you can try www.henna-boy.co.uk for henna and cassia.


I second that for henna, I've been using them for over 2 years and am very happy. However, cassia is much cheaper on the incense magic site posted above. They call it neutral henna on the site, but they give the Latin name too, and it is cassia obovata.

[far_away]

Thanks for the advice! Good thread...

[Choccielocks]

Does anyone know any cheaper places to get Giovanni stuff? I usually get it from healthfood shop but it costs £8 and I recently went to NYC and they sell it in high street chemists for $8!! Roughly 4 quid!! Did stock up, but not enough! I'm begrudging paying this knowing it's being sold for half price somewhere else, maybe a letter to Mr. Giovanni is in order!!

[kimki]

Not hair related I'm afraid but...http://www.glasswearstudios.com/webpages/home.html Great for glass earrings, plugs/spirals etc. Very reasonable shipping and arrived in just over a week. :)

[Rosamaria]

Culpepper's Herbal sell jojoba oil - large bottle - about £10 I think. Beware of Superdrug. I once bought some coconut oil from them that was completely rancid!:sad

[Faepirate]

Any CO-ers in the UK?
What conditioners work best for you in a CO wash?

See, I've been very happily using the Honeydew VO5 Moisture Milks which I found by a stroke of luck in a Pound Shop, but I know this is not available in normal UK stores. Unfortunately, the local Pound Shop seems not to be stocking it anymore for now..... and I'm running out! I knew I should've bought more than one while I had the chance. :P This could be a crisis! :O

[willowcandra]

I use Aussie 3mm for smt. It's not cone free though. It's the only thing that works well in mine.

[mew]

For liquid (!) Henna i usually raid Fresh & Wild stores. It's a french product that comes in handy applicator bottles. The possible downside for some might be that it is allegedly non-permanent but it stays in my hair pretty well and is easy to apply and (almost) mess-free.
The same shop also got 'Faith in Nature' shampoos and conditioners which i find fairly mild and pleasant on the hair, while being affordable and without animal testing etc.

[jel]

Any CO-ers in the UK?
What conditioners work best for you in a CO wash?

See, I've been very happily using the Honeydew VO5 Moisture Milks which I found by a stroke of luck in a Pound Shop, but I know this is not available in normal UK stores. Unfortunately, the local Pound Shop seems not to be stocking it anymore for now..... and I'm running out! I knew I should've bought more than one while I had the chance. :P This could be a crisis! :O

I don't CO exclusively, nor that regularly, but I found V05 Juicy Green Apple and Free Me Freesia (available in Asda) really good. Also the citrus and marine minerals versions of Wilko own brand, citrus and aloe vera versions of Superdrug own brand, and Sainsbury's value brand.

To me, the most important things are that the conditioner is light, thin (though it can be diluted with water) and not rich (especially not with protein or extra oils).

[levelek]

Yay! This thread is up again! Thanks so much for starting it, RedRose.

I'm looking for recommendations for sulphate free shampoo that can be bought in the UK. I've only tried my SO's Burt's Bees so far, which costs more in pounds than it does over the pond in dollars! and Mother Goose, which is a baby shampoo and I had not realised it probably should not be used in adult hair.
I also know Dr Hausska is SLS free but I'd really like to find a cheaper product.

Has anyone had experience with other sulphate free shampoos, and where did you find them?

Cheers! :flowers:

[Anlbe]

I'm also looking for areasonably priced sulphate free shampoo for my boyfriend. At the moment he's using Allergenics Hair Gentle Medicated Shampoo from Holland and Barrett which costs £5.50 and he still reacts too, but it's better than the others we've tried.

p.s. I've just found the website I lost and needed for combs and french hair pins http://www.jaffahair.co.uk

[RedRose]

Oh wow, I go on holiday for a couple of weeks and look how this thread has grown! :-D

Thanks to everyone for the great advice with the SMT condish, now just need to go choose one...decisions decisions!!

And for the person who asked about shampoo bars, I was given one from Lush a while ago, but I don't know what the ingredients were...but the Lush staff are always so helpful that I'm sure if you went in they could sort you out!

[Loviatar]

The products I use a lot are:

Lush shampoo bar in Squeaky Green (has sodium coco sulfate)
Natura organics shampoo - available here http://www.theorganicsalon.com/filterbrand.php?brand=Natura+Organics&brandcat=Hair+Care
I use the daily use shampoo. It has no sulphates.
Kiehls Amino Acid shampoo, sulphate free. (I dilute this as it is a little oily for me.)

Conditioners: Superdrug henna and horsechestnut, any VO5 I can find in the Pound Shop, Superdrug aloe vera, Superdrug jojoba, Nicky Clarke Take it as Red (from TJ Hughes).

I am so going to try the Coconut and Sweet Almond. It sounds lovely!

[Faepirate]

Thanks for the advice on CO conditioners :)
I didn't realise ASDA had those VO5 lines! Are they both cone free? My local Tesco only stocks the ordinary VO5 stuff with neither exciting names nor ingredients, and they have cones so I wouldn't really want to use them for CO.

I actually do have the Aloe Vera Superdrug condish somewhere. Hmmmm, for some unknown reason I don't think I've ever even tried using this for CO! (Well maybe once, but that was my first ever attempt at CO which I didn't do very well at all and it ended up all bleeeeeeh and sticky-feeling and not washed properly so still greasy underneath... yuck!)



I bought the Superdrug intensive Honeysuckle and Chamomile conditioner today. I figured since I had such great results in SMT with the Coconut and Sweet Almond one, I should give this a whirl! Plus, maybe it will make my blonde more striking. Or maybe not. But it might!

[ChloeDharma]

I'm going to sound really negative, but here goes anyway.....

Superdrug coconut oil....i brought this a few times and never liked the result except on my nails. It's 99p for a fairly small tub....if you go to an indian grocers you can get 500ml of edible (but refined) coconut oil for 99p.

Lush i find has some good stuff, but can be a bit misleading and not always very good at making sure product ingredient lists are very visible.....and the staff often talk crap, you know that blatant memorised spiel the company gives on the product without actually having much background knowledge. So i wouldn't take their word for much.
Their henna i found good, but very expensive.

On a more positive note....Sainsburys sell cold pressed unrefined hemp seed oil....500ml for about £3.99 but it's labelled "so good" and you have to read it more closely to notice it's hemp seed.

Lots of tesco's with a world foods section sell rosewater for 99p....i think a liter of it, but no less than 500ml. They also sell KTC Sweet Almond oil for £1-something a bottle.

Sainsburys sell The Grove Avocado Oil for £3.99 for 250ml (cold pressed unrefined) and i think tesco and asda do their own version even cheaper.

I'm not sure if this site has been mentioned, but www.baldwins.co.uk is a really good sourse for herbs, butters, essential oils etc....they even sell soapwort and things like Cassia, Indigo and Henna....but listed as Red Henna, Black Henna and White Henna.

Thats about all i can think of off the top of my head....but if i think of anything else i'll post it later :)

[far_away]

I'm quite excited about www.shopholistic.co.uk. They seem to have all sorts of raw ingredients at very reasonable prices. Has anyone used them before?

[ChloeDharma]

I've never seen the site before.....but i'm enjoying looking around it.....sooo tempting!

ETA.....bloody hell! Has anyone seen the price of Melissa essential oil?!! Nearly £60!! Sorry, had to vent that :p

[Kelpie]

I got a big tub of coconut oil from Holland and Barrett. It was £9.99 for a 453g tub. This is the first coconut oil I have bought so I don't know how it compares with others but I like it. It is pure coconut with nothing else added and is unrefined which I think is good as it's been through less processing. It is in the food section.

They also have nice aloe vera conditioner and gel which my hair is definetely liking.

[Pegasus Marsters]

I dunno if anyone already posted this but Morrisons are selling turbie towels for 99p!! Go get em whilst they're there! ;)

[jojo]

I bought that a couple of weeks ago, it works great for me. My hair seems to like Superdrug's coconut & almond oil intensive conditioner, too, though I didn't think it was cone-free. I haven't any at the moment, but I'll check next time I get some.

Does anyone know of a UK site for all-natural shampoo bars? I've ordered some CV ones from the US, but I'm not sure international purchases are a good thing to keep up long-term!

sure hun here you go
http://www.kernowharvest.co.uk/store/so-soapy/luxury-handmade-soap/shampoo-bars-lemon/showitemSOSHAMP@1.aspx
http://www.hedgewitcheskitchen.co.uk/page28.htm

ive just ordered the Samsons stout poo bar, not a bad price either.

There are some cheaper ones on ebay but they contain sulfates

[levelek]

Faepirate et al, this site sells some VO5 lines like Free Me Fresia, as well as Jason. I don't have personal experience with them though. http://www.auravita.com/

[Gemma]

Just wanted to say that I ordered from the soap kitchen, and absolutely love it! Great customer service, really good prices, and they shipped my items very quickly.

I bought liquid oils for OCM, solid coconut oil (a HUGE bag of the stuff; I was so shocked), and some of their base conditioner. I added vanilla and rose EO to it, and just love it.

A+!

[Minx]

Where do you all get Aloe Vera gel?

I used to get mine in a little health shop but I've moved away and can't get to it anymore.
Do you know if there are any chain type shops in the UK that stock it?

[Masara]

You can get aloe vera gel in Holland and Barratt

[shrimp]

My Aloe plants :D

[Stevy]

I ordered some jojoba oil from gracefruit.co.uk on the 23rd and it arrived today. I'd recommend them heartily.

[Faepirate]

Faepirate et al, this site sells some VO5 lines like Free Me Fresia, as well as Jason. I don't have personal experience with them though. http://www.auravita.com/

Ooooh!
Thank you for this :)
It's slightly annoying that you have to buy 5 at a time. But this is definitely good, as my hair seems to get on really well with VO5.

(The Jason products are little out of my price range though! Ah well.)


Can anyone recommend a good shea butter? Like coconut oil, is unrefined better...? I don't really know much about shea but I would love to see if my hair and skin could benefit from it.

[Saranne772]

Lovely lovely lovely thread :D:D:D

I have been using the coconut oil from holland and barrett and love it although was expensive! (large tub though)

On the mention of shampoo bars are there any shops that sell them? Not online ones though- I cant order from online currently. I might just wait til I can order from abroad if not and check out the cheap cone frees in sainsbury's :D

***Bookmarks thread***

[levelek]

Well! Would you guess where I found some more of the fancy Vo5/Alberto conditioner today?
Boots! Small town, large Boots: no delivery costs! I could swear it wasn't there the last time.

On a somewhat amusing aside, I took a look at their own range products for sensitive and dry, itchy scalp. The number two ingredient is SLS. :rolleyes:

[Faepirate]

Well! Would you guess where I found some more of the fancy Vo5/Alberto conditioner today?
Boots! Small town, large Boots: no delivery costs! I could swear it wasn't there the last time.

Are they the Alberto Balsam varieties?
I think they have cones, so unfortunately I don't dare try them for now, but yes I've seen them in supermarkets etc. and they look yummy :)

[Newniepg]

Hi, can any of you Asda shoppers tell me if there are cones in the Asda's own henna and plum conditioner? I am a bit thick when it comes to long, sciency sounding words and I don't want to get it wrong!

At the moment I am using superdrug Henna and Sweet chestnut conditioner and the smell lingers on my hair for days (I found out from this thread that it was cone free) I love it.

Thanks in advance for your help, although reading this thread has already been REALLY useful.

[kimki]

Newniepg off the top of my hair I don't know. But if you post the ingredients someone could tell you. :)

[levelek]

Are they the Alberto Balsam varieties?
I think they have cones, so unfortunately I don't dare try them for now, but yes I've seen them in supermarkets etc. and they look yummy :)

I saw in your blog that you already found your conditioner in the pound shop, but just to answer the question: they are the Free me Freesia, Strawberry and Cream, Raspberry and whatever and the Tea Tree varieties (I seem to recall an apple scented one too). So they aren't the standard VO5 balsams that are around in most supermarkets, and from the name I thought this is what you are after.
However they also say "alberto balsam" on the top, and list cyclomethicone third on the list of ingredients.

[savi]

HI, I'm just popping in to give you yet another webstore adress. The Organic BodyCare Shop (http://www.theorganicbodycareshop.com/), I bought some aloe vera from them (I was contemplating on whether to order from baldwins, but the cheaper shipping rates won in the end). The delivery was quick and aloe was well packed. Anyways, just wanted to drop by. :waving:

[Newniepg]

Thanks Kimki I didn't buy the asda stuff in the end, so I will have a gander next time I am in the shop, I found a list of cones in the articles section that I may print off and take with me to compare.

Thought the rest of the brits might like to know that superdrug are doing a special offer on their shampoo's and conditioners, something like 2 for 1.49 when they are normally 99p each. It may not be any use but I love bargins! I hope it helps someone!

The other thing I found is that (after trudging round several cities looking for EO's to experiment with) I discovered lots of cheap ones in a shop that sells Yankee candles...just down the road from me!

Off topic, but if i could put the smell of the sweet violet Yankee candle in my hair I would!

Also, I know I have said this before but this thread is GREAT!

[kimki]

Thanks Kimki I didn't buy the asda stuff in the end, so I will have a gander next time I am in the shop, I found a list of cones in the articles section that I may print off and take with me to compare.

Thought the rest of the brits might like to know that superdrug are doing a special offer on their shampoo's and conditioners, something like 2 for 1.49 when they are normally 99p each. It may not be any use but I love bargins! I hope it helps someone!

The other thing I found is that (after trudging round several cities looking for EO's to experiment with) I discovered lots of cheap ones in a shop that sells Yankee candles...just down the road from me!

Off topic, but if i could put the smell of the sweet violet Yankee candle in my hair I would!

Also, I know I have said this before but this thread is GREAT!

Thanks thats brilliant I like the Superdrug conditioners for when I CO. :D

Haven't spelt the Yankee candles though. :)

[Lilla My]

Anyone used the Green People range of shampoos/conditioners? I'm about to take the plunge and put one of the shampoos on my shopping list. The price puts me off but it says you need to use less than normal shampoo ... ??? Hope they haven't made a huge hole in the top of the bottle then, like all the other manufacturers seem to ... :D

[Loviatar]

If anyone has any idea where I can get hold of Inecto Botanicals strawberry, lime or peach conditioners, I'd be very grateful.

I have bought a lot of the coconut ones already from Bodycare and from Superdrug but the other scents are evading me!

Thank you!

[boukje]

I just wanbrted to add that I have tried several brands of conditioner, but I like the ASDA own brand Henna and plum conditioner best.

It is cone free (nice smell, I think it smells more like magnolia:p) and it does moisturize a lot, without weighing the hair down and or making it greasy.

It also doens't colour the hair (in my opinion). As I don't live in the UK I also take loads of bottles from the asda home when I visit my family in the UK:D

[boukje]

Hi, can any of you Asda shoppers tell me if there are cones in the Asda's own henna and plum conditioner? I am a bit thick when it comes to long, sciency sounding words and I don't want to get it wrong!

At the moment I am using superdrug Henna and Sweet chestnut conditioner and the smell lingers on my hair for days (I found out from this thread that it was cone free) I love it.

Thanks in advance for your help, although reading this thread has already been REALLY useful.

sorry just read this, there are NO cones in them, that is why I love this conditioner.

[BeeLady]

I'm still voting for mypure.co.uk for Akin products. They are pricey, and I wait until I want enough stuff to justify their free shipping (£50) but I reckon I order like that twice a year and it lasts well. They sell other stuff - skincare and all things as well.

I will have to go looking for coconut oil in H&B and other local places. The batches I have my Dad had to send me from the oriental supermarket where he lives.

[florenonite]

I got 200mL of Aloe Vera gel in a health food store for 4.99, and was wondering if there's anywhere that's cheaper? Bear in mind that I live in a small town, we have a Tesco Metro, an H&B, a Boots, a Superdrug (which is small) and a couple of health food stores.

[levelek]

florenonite, is Holland and Barrett one of your health stores? They do an own brand AVG that is frequently priced down to 99p at 100 ml (I can't remember what the full price is, I always buy it on sale).

[florenonite]

Yeah, we've got Holland and Barrett, I'll look in there next time.

[Minx]

Boots are doing Alberto Balsam condish & shampoo 2 for £1.49.

[Saranne772]

Is there a place that you can get shea butter in a STORE in the UK? Im not too keen on ordering from online at the moment.

Ive seen it in the bodyshop but it isnt unrefined

[Jorchet]

Not sure if I'll be hijacking the thread with my post, but since it's a UK thread, I thought you'd be able to help me with this.

I'm in need of some help from UK curlies. I arrived in Newcastle about a month ago and I'll be staying here for about 6 months. I brought my products, of course, but I couldn't bring the total amount I might need for the whole stay so I thought I could use this time to experiment with other products and rotate my routine therefore making my own fave products last me a while longer.
What I'm looking for is:

*A good detangler.
*A gel (something with strong hold, preferably)
*Some leave-in (I use Pantene leave-in cream, but I haven't found any like that on the Pantene line over here, only seen something similar at some pound shop but it's not even the one for curls that I get in Argentina anyway)
*I also want to try Shea butter but I don't where to buy it - other than online - and which kind to get.

I went to Boots the other day and bought Boots Camomile & Lemonbalm Conditioner and Boots Essentials Conditioner daily care for dry and damaged hair. I haven't tried the Camomile yet, and the Essentials one I tried only once (it felt it wasnt going to leave my hair smooth or anything - same feeling I get with their curling creme) but then, after detangling it went smooth. I still prefer my own conditioner though, but I do need a backup plan, so I need to find a substitute for it!

Also, I've tried the Boots Curling Creme, and although I like the clumping it gives, I find that it leaves my hair a bit dull...not as shiny as with Pantene leave-in cream. Any ideas or tips? Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Jorchet]

Wow! I was the last one to post on this thread and it was months ago! I'm still looking for a detangler...I don't know what I'll do when I'm out of my own fave!

[mhiap]

Does anyone know where I can buy distilled water for honey lightening?
Also have Superdrug stopped selling their little tubs of coconut oil? Cos I've looked in my 2 local ones and they haven't had any for weeks.

[anna1850]

Does anyone know where I can buy distilled water for honey lightening?

I would have thought you could find it in large supermarkets. I know it's the kind of water that people use to do things like put into their car rather than to drink. We use it to put in our iron that makes steam. So you won't find it next to the Evian normally ;)

[Masara]

Also have Superdrug stopped selling their little tubs of coconut oil? Cos I've looked in my 2 local ones and they haven't had any for weeks.

My parents live on the Devon coast and their local Superdrug never stocks coconut oil in the summer because they found people were using it as sunoil. Maybe that's the same thing where you live?

[mhiap]

I would have thought you could find it in large supermarkets. I know it's the kind of water that people use to do things like put into their car rather than to drink. We use it to put in our iron that makes steam. So you won't find it next to the Evian normally ;)

hmm I've never noticed it in any supermarkets before. Although it's possibly because I've never looked! I will now though. I don't have car so I didn't know it was for cars either.


My parents live on the Devon coast and their local Superdrug never stocks coconut oil in the summer because they found people were using it as sunoil. Maybe that's the same thing where you live?

I suppose that could be possible, I live quite close to the coast. I think I'll just buy some online.

[TambourineDream]

Also have Superdrug stopped selling their little tubs of coconut oil? Cos I've looked in my 2 local ones and they haven't had any for weeks.

I went coconut oil shopping today and had a HELL of a time finding any! All I wanted was a tub of simple unrefined oil but anything that came close was either mixed into a conditioner or some kind of branded 'deep replenishing moisture treatment'.. I had heard Superdrug carry coconut oil but I couldn't find anything other than coconut oil shampoo, condish and 'shine spray'.. I might not have been looking in the right place though...

HOWEVER, just as I was about to give up and buy online, I went food shopping in Tesco's.. and found some tucked away in the 'World Food' section next to the incense sticks and the biggest vats of cooking oil i have ever seen :D for 95p!!!!
YAY
I already love the stuff, my hair looks so much less dry. I can't wait to see how it responds to regular oiling!

[Celebrian]

Does anyone know where I can buy distilled water for honey lightening?
Also have Superdrug stopped selling their little tubs of coconut oil? Cos I've looked in my 2 local ones and they haven't had any for weeks.

I found some in my local garage, by the name of Deionised Water! Apparently it is very similar, and Ktani (honey lightening thread?) said it was fine to use.

[Arfed]

I want to try trimming my own hair, does anyone know a place where I can buy a good pair of hair scissors online, located within Ireland/UK?

[Jorchet]

Hi! Where do you get your Sweet Almond Oil and your Aloe Vera Gel from? I've seen both on Holland & Barrett (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/) But not sure if they are the right thing:

This is the oil http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/th_HB060103_R_H080W000.gif (http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/HB060103_R_H080W000.gif) and the label sayshttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/aloeveragel.jpg

The gel says 99.9 % Aloe Vera Gel on the front, what does that mean? Is it as good as 100%? This is the tube, btw (didn't have label available on site or bigger pic!)http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/th_HB002672_R_H080W000.gif (http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/HB002672_R_H080W000.gif)

I'm also looking for Distilled Water for a lightening treatment with honey, anyone knows where to get it? I don't know any garages where I am...is it sold in pharmacies, perhaps?

[Tai Shan Fan]

Jorchet I like H&B almond oil. Sweet almond oil tends to go reasty relatively quickly compared to say coconut or jojoba oil. the vitamin E content will retard that tendency a bit.

HTH

[Jorchet]

Tai Shan Fan, thank you for your reply! I think I might go for it. I'm running out of my Sweet Almond oil that I brought over from Argentina, and I feel at a loss about where to get stuff around here! Do you use Olive oil? I was thinking of buying some to try since so many people seem to like it. Thing is, I don't like the taste of it and the bottles you find in supermarkets are huuuuuge if you don't use the oil for cooking as well as for haircare. Have you any idea where to get small bottles/samples of oils, btw? I've been to the local whole food store, but I haven't seen any...it's a small shop, so maybe that explains. I do have a H&B really close to me, and I've seen they have different types of oil, but I don't know if you can actually use them on your hair! :hmm:

[anna1850]

The gel says 99.9 % Aloe Vera Gel on the front, what does that mean? Is it as good as 100%? This is the tube, btw (didn't have label available on site or bigger pic!)http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/th_HB002672_R_H080W000.gif (http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l143/Jorchet/Curls/HB002672_R_H080W000.gif)

I use that.

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis, Acrylates/C10-30, Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phanoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid.

It's supposed to go on the skin but it seems fine for hair. I haven't had any problems with it.

[sexyjacksparrow]

Ooh I might try that on my hair too then, if it's ok for you Anna. I have the AVG and use it on my legs, but maybe I could try it on my hair too.

[Jorchet]

Anna, I was considering buying the H&B AVG, since many people seem to like it, but I was put off by its ingredients! No that they are harmful or anything, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to find 100% AVG with no added ingredients, but I haven't got a clue where to look for it! I might go for it anyway...any idea if it works for SMT?

[anna1850]

Ooh I might try that on my hair too then, if it's ok for you Anna. I have the AVG and use it on my legs, but maybe I could try it on my hair too.

For some reason it doesn't work for my skin, it seems to make it drier :confused: It does work reasonably well to control my hair though, not as good as a commercial gel but it doesn't leave my hair crunchy either so swings and roundabouts :)


Anna, I was considering buying the H&B AVG, since many people seem to like it, but I was put off by its ingredients! No that they are harmful or anything, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting to find 100% AVG with no added ingredients, but I haven't got a clue where to look for it! I might go for it anyway...any idea if it works for SMT?

Yeah, I was expecting to find 100% stuff too but after looking in several shops it seemed to be the purest stuff actually (even though I was looking in various natural-obsessed shops like Culpeper and a couple of health food stores). I think the added stuff might be to stop it going off (I'm pretty sure potassium sorbate is a preservative at least). If you're really wanting pure stuff then I know some people just get a plant and cut it open but it's too much hassle for me. I am too lazy :p

I don't think I really use enough of it to be able to see any very subtle negative effects that the added ingredients would cause though (I usually use it mixed 2 parts AVG with 3 parts water in a mister as a hair gel with some EOs) and I haven't ever tried anything purer to compare it to, but my feeling is it seems fine.

I did try it once with an SMT and the SMT didn't do much for my hair and the conditioner went kind of lumpy and I got white conditioner bits stuck in my hair that were hard to wash out. But I've never done SMT before or since so I think this is more likely caused by technique or conditioner brand than the AVG. :shrug:

[Jorchet]

Thank you Anna for your reply! I think I'm going to get the H&B AVG and see what happens, I've been meaning to do an SMT (my scalp is really itchy for some reason, and I want to mosturise to see if it's only dryness or if it could be something else. As for the Sweet Almond Oil, I don't know what to do. I saw two different brands at Tesco (cheaper than H&B) but they don't have the dropper, so it might not be as easy to pour (I only use some drops on condish on my ends when CO washing). I also wanted to get some EVOO but I don't like the taste of it, so it I don't like it on my hair, it would go to waste. Any idea where to get it in small bottles?

[Monsterkitti]

I have a pump dispenser huge pot of AVG from H&B but cant remember for the life of me what else is in it but dont remember it having all that much except AV in it. Will have a look when I get home..

[Monsterkitti]

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=850

That one :) I like it but it is a huge pot so depends how much you think you'll get through :)

[Jorchet]

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=850

That one :) I like it but it is a huge pot so depends how much you think you'll get through :)


http://images.vitaminimages.com/hb/vf/productimages/HB/H080W000/HB082139_R_H080W000.gif Product details for Aloe Vera Gel Pump Bio Active Skin Treatment

Holland & Barrett Aloe Vera Gel Bio Active Skin Treatment is produced from 100% pure Aloe gel, capturing the maximum activity of the Aloe Vera Barbadensis plant. This Bio Active treatment gel can help soothe, moisturise and soften dry skin. It can be applied to stretch marks, dry or chapped skin and skin irritations.

Hmmm...:hmm: I didn't notice that one when I was at the shop. Is it for for the hair as well as the skin? Is it good? Seems to be 100% AVG...maybe I'll go for that one instead. Do you use it for SMT?

[levelek]

Jorchet, I don't think aloe vera gel comes in varieties only good for the hair or the skin. It's the same stuff, so it should be just fine for your hair and in SMTs :flower: For the record, not everyone's hair reacts well to aloe vera gel (regardless of the brand) - it works fine for me when I use it as a hair gel, but it doesn't moisturise when I add it to SMTs at all. So instead, I just do honey and conditioner for deep treatments.

About the EVOO in smaller bottles, you can get it but usually only for the luxury EVOO brands. You may end up paying as much for it as for a cheaper, larger bottle. I've seen smaller bottles in Sainsbury's in any case, and in gourmet stores. You could also try splitting a larger bottle with a friend who does cook with it.

You can buy sweet almond oil from the essential oil/massage sections of various shops. I think the Body Shop may sell some, the specialist shops like Neil's Yard do (though it's very expensive there). You could also try ethnic shops, or ordering on the internet if you have a UK credit card.

[Jorchet]

Jorchet, I don't think aloe vera gel comes in varieties only good for the hair or the skin. It's the same stuff, so it should be just fine for your hair and in SMTs :flower: For the record, not everyone's hair reacts well to aloe vera gel (regardless of the brand) - it works fine for me when I use it as a hair gel, but it doesn't moisturise when I add it to SMTs at all. So instead, I just do honey and conditioner for deep treatments.

About the EVOO in smaller bottles, you can get it but usually only for the luxury EVOO brands. You may end up paying as much for it as for a cheaper, larger bottle. I've seen smaller bottles in Sainsbury's in any case, and in gourmet stores. You could also try splitting a larger bottle with a friend who does cook with it.

You can buy sweet almond oil from the essential oil/massage sections of various shops. I think the Body Shop may sell some, the specialist shops like Neil's Yard do (though it's very expensive there). You could also try ethnic shops, or ordering on the internet if you have a UK credit card.

Thank you Levelek! I've used AVG before (seemed to work as SMT, and also on the skin, it was really good for me), but I bought it while in Argentina, and the label said 100% AVG, nothing else, no Vitamin E or anything, so seeing these labels makes it a bit confusing and I don't really know anybody over here who can give me a hand with this stuff. As for the oil, I guess I'll pass until I go back to Arg. and I can share a bottle with one of my sisters - she's the only one who likes EVOO in the whole family!

[Jorchet]

I'm still looking for Distilled water, I've looked in supermarkets, but the ironing water has other stuff in them as well as perfume, I don't think that's the right kind. :( I found a site online, but it's really expensive!

[magpielaura]

I found distilled water by asking at the Pharmacy in superdrug - she came out with a bottle saying that they only had the small size in stock....a 2 litre bottle!!

Take a wheelbarrow if they only have economy packs in your local pharmacy.

This is my first post! I've been lurking for months and had to sign up to a new email to get here! yey!

[Stevy]

I found distilled water by asking at the Pharmacy in superdrug - she came out with a bottle saying that they only had the small size in stock....a 2 litre bottle!!

Take a wheelbarrow if they only have economy packs in your local pharmacy.

This is my first post! I've been lurking for months and had to sign up to a new email to get here! yey!

Welcome! Hope you like it here. :flowers:

[magpielaura]

I do like it here... a little too much, I've become such a hair geek the past few months of reading all your posts! I've always had long hair but now I'm a Longhair. My hair care routine has totally changed, my DH is waiting to see what eccentric thing I do next.

Oooh by the way in reply to and earlier post - I've seen little bottles of olive oil with things like calamine lotion and witchhazel in some chemists. I definately saw some in Wilkinsons the other day.

[Jorchet]

I do like it here... a little too much, I've become such a hair geek the past few months of reading all your posts! I've always had long hair but now I'm a Longhair. My hair care routine has totally changed, my DH is waiting to see what eccentric thing I do next.

Oooh by the way in reply to and earlier post - I've seen little bottles of olive oil with things like calamine lotion and witchhazel in some chemists. I definately saw some in Wilkinsons the other day.


Thank you Magpielaura! I'll take a look at my nearest Wilkinsons. I know I saw olive oil in a smallish, thin bottle somewhere or other, amongst baby products, I think it was, but I don't think it was Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so...:shrug:

I haven't found distilled water, but since Ktani said deionised water worked for the honey lightening treatment, I bought the deionised water from Tesco.

[Loviatar]

Does anyone know where I can find Inecto coconut oil conditioner in London? Or US versions of VO5? I have no idea where there are any decent pound shops near me, and my usual store for Inecto - 'Bodycare' - doesnt seem to exist down here.

Thanks!
Lovi

[bunnii]

Does anyone know where I can find Inecto coconut oil conditioner in London? Or US versions of VO5? I have no idea where there are any decent pound shops near me, and my usual store for Inecto - 'Bodycare' - doesnt seem to exist down here.

Thanks!
Lovi

I think poundshops are the only place to get VO5 :? they're the only place I know of to get them :(

ETA - have you tried looking in bazaars? sorry my reply isn't very useful, my brain hurts lol.

[magpielaura]

I know I saw olive oil in a smallish, thin bottle somewhere or other, amongst baby products, I think it was, but I don't think it was Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so...:shrug:


Ah- You could be right. It may not have been "extra virgin" olive oil that I saw. It might work though.



Does anyone know where I can find Inecto coconut oil conditioner in London? Or US versions of VO5? I have no idea where there are any decent pound shops near me, and my usual store for Inecto - 'Bodycare' - doesnt seem to exist down here.

Thanks!
Lovi

I'm not in London, but I've bought Inecto Coconut Condish in Superdrug. Have you tried there yet?

Whatcha do to your poor brain bunnii?

[Boudicca]

Bodycare shops sell Inecto stuff - lots of it.

[bunnii]

Whatcha do to your poor brain bunnii?

I tried thinking too much - ouchie! :D

[magpielaura]

I tried thinking too much - ouchie! :D

No No No!!!!
Thats bad for your hair. You will starve your follicles of oxygen. Sit down with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit and watch nonsense on the box. Ahhh - much better.

[Jorchet]

Anyone knows where to buy a Goody Brush. I missed my opportunity to buy it at Bodycare in Metrocentre - I'm in the North East, btw - and I don't know if I'll be able to go back before leaving the UK. I looked for it in Boots and in Superdrug but it's nowhere to be seen! Any clues?
Thanks in advance!

[Kaeri]

This probably belongs somewhere else but I'll hijack this thread and hope it isnt too far out of place.

Does anyone know what cone free clarifying shampoo I could get in the UK. I've only really got Boots, superdrug, normal supermarkets and Holland and Barrett (Tho I don't expect them to have anything) I know if I have to go stand in Boots and ask one of the assistants they'll give me the same strange looks I got last time (was trying to find cone free conditioners and an assistant came up to ask me if I wanted any help as I'd been stood there a while. Not my fault she thought it was an odd request - she came to see if I needed help - I didn't go ask her)


I've only managed to find about 4 threads to do with clarifying using the search on here and none of them helped much and I can't seem to get ingredients lists up on conditioners on the net.


Oh and to be slightly on topic I like the boots coconut and almond conditioner thats in the clear tubs (costs about £1.99 for a tub.. 300ml I think - I'm crap with sizes sorry. According to the UK CO thread where I linked the ingredients its Cone free too.) I go through tons of the stuff tho.

[Kaeri]

EDIT: I hate double posts. sorry all.

[levelek]

This probably belongs somewhere else but I'll hijack this thread and hope it isnt too far out of place.

Does anyone know what cone free clarifying shampoo I could get in the UK. I've only really got Boots, superdrug, normal supermarkets and Holland and Barrett (Tho I don't expect them to have anything)

There's a cheap shampoo range called Simple that's available in Boots (at least in my store, and they could order it in for you I'm sure). It's quite decent.
There's also Burt's Bees, which I personally can't stand.
And I found something called Mother Goose in the baby shampoo section in a Superdrug. My SO loves it.

[Masara]

Boots do their own "anti build up (http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=34628&callingViewName=&langId=-1&catalogId=11051)" shampoo in their "expert" range. I can't find it in my parents' Boot's but I've found it in many others (both bigger and smaller) Some shops put all the "expert" products together, others don't. I would assume they would be able to order it for you if they don't have it and asking for "anti build up shampoo" shouldn't get the same looks of incomprehension as talking about "cone free"

[Loviatar]

Kaeri I use Tresemme deep cleansing shampoo to clarify. It's a shampoo with Ammonium Laureth Sulphate and citrus extracts.

It's also gentle enough (odd for a clarifying shampoo I know) for me to use on my damaged hair and not bother to condition after, although I only do this once in a blue moon.

Other good shampoos for clarifying (for me) include Neutrogena Clarifying anti build up shampoo and Boots Naked Detox with Sorrel shampoo. This last one has no sulphates and yet manages to get my hair really clean.

[Boudicca]

Has anyone tried the Body Shop shampoo and conditioners? I read that the shampoos are sulfate-free (hurrah) - but don't know if they're any good other than that.

[Unofficial_Rose]

I really like the Olive shampoo - it gets hair clean without stripping. But it has SLES.

The Olive conditioner is a good, but light, conditioner - it does have amodimethicone in it, though.

Nettle conditioner smells rank (to me at any rate) but is coneless. Breaks my heart to throw it away, so I am using it as a part-mix in henndigo glosses ;).

[Comfrey]

Has anyone tried the Body Shop shampoo and conditioners? I read that the shampoos are sulfate-free (hurrah) - but don't know if they're any good other than that.

nope. I went in very recently and asked and they all have SLS. In fact most are cram packed full of rubbish :(

[helen2806]

quick revival of this thread. Holland & Barrett's 'Skin, Hair and Nails' supplement is on offer at the moment - today I got 240 tablets (80 days worth) for around £10, when the usual price for 90 tablets is £5, so I think usually 240 is maybe £15 or more

[helen2806]

also I think they had some Aloe Vera reduced as well, but I don't use it so didn't pay much attention
- might be worth having a look though

[magpielaura]

quick revival of this thread. Holland & Barrett's 'Skin, Hair and Nails' supplement is on offer at the moment - today I got 240 tablets (80 days worth) for around £10, when the usual price for 90 tablets is £5, so I think usually 240 is maybe £15 or more

Have you been using this supplement for a while? Is it any good? I've started to consider taking one of these type of things to get a growth boost if possible...it seems such a frivolous reason to take vitamins though since I don't feel the need otherwise!

[helen2806]

I've only been using it for 3 days so far, but I think I've definitely seen an improvement in my skin already so I have high hopes for my hair!

[magpielaura]

I've only been using it for 3 days so far, but I think I've definitely seen an improvement in my skin already so I have high hopes for my hair!

That pretty quick for results! I better get some. I could be a babe by Christmas!

[helen2806]

That pretty quick for results! I better get some. I could be a babe by Christmas!

that's what I'm hoping for! :p I'm not sure if I'm imagining it or not but the last few days my skin seems to have had less of its usual winter dullness so I'm feeling happy with my bargain purchase, will report back when there's been more time for it to (hopefully) work its magic on my hair

[Stevy]

I really like the Olive shampoo - it gets hair clean without stripping. But it has SLES.

The Olive conditioner is a good, but light, conditioner - it does have amodimethicone in it, though.

Nettle conditioner smells rank (to me at any rate) but is coneless. Breaks my heart to throw it away, so I am using it as a part-mix in henndigo glosses ;).

I haven't used any of their shampoos because I prefer solid shampoos, but I like their conditioners - I alternate between the honey and olive ones, and the brazil nut deep treatment is great for flyaway winter hair. They are not cone-free, though.

[Newniepg]

Hello People.

Not sure if you know about it, but apparently Superdrug is having a big sale as of boxing day (Christmas eve online). Amongst the rumoured bargains is frizz- ease serum for 50p. There may be other (less coney!) discounted hair stuff as well.

Hope this is useful for someone!

[Loviatar]

Speaking of Superdrug, does anyone know if their 65p-or-so conditioners (aloe vera white, jojoba pink, citrus yellow, apple green) conditioners are being discontinued? I cant seem to find them anywhere. I can see lots of bottles of the shampoos still out (although only the aloe and jojoba) but no condish.

Ta!

[ladyluck]

Anyone knows where to buy a Goody Brush. I missed my opportunity to buy it at Bodycare in Metrocentre - I'm in the North East, btw - and I don't know if I'll be able to go back before leaving the UK. I looked for it in Boots and in Superdrug but it's nowhere to be seen! Any clues?
Thanks in advance!

I saw a Goody brush in my larger local branch of Boots at the weekend. Also John Lewis do a large selection of hair stuff.

[ladyluck]

Can anyone recommend a good, gentle SLS free shampoo in the UK?

[janeytilllie]

Does any one know where I can buy hair sticks in the uk? thank you :D

[Sissy]

I bought that a couple of weeks ago, it works great for me. My hair seems to like Superdrug's coconut & almond oil intensive conditioner, too, though I didn't think it was cone-free.

Superdrug's Coconut & Almond Oil Conditioner does have cones. I know because I own it.

[Sissy]

Hi UK-ers!

Just thought I'd start this thread so that those of us in the UK can swap details on brands and products available here, since so many of those american products we can't get.

Anyway, this afternoon, I was in Superdrug and found 100% solid coconut oil for 99p for 125ml! I've been looking for solid for ages (could only find the refined liquid expensive stuff for aromatherapy massage before) so was very excited!! I haven't seen in before in the Superdrug I normally go to, but it's a Superdrug own-brand hair care range and has some styling products and a shampoo and conditioner too (but they were out of the conditioner so I didn't get to ingredient spy on that sadly!).

I've tried it out already and to me it seems fine....but never tried coconut oil before so I don't know much! But much cheaper than the only other source I've found which was like £12 per 100g (Neal's Yard) so I'll give this a go first.

Hope that helps anyone else whose been looking :)

Does anyone know any cheap conditioners which work well for an SMT?

RedRose

Very good thread Redrose. I now live in NY but I will chime in and say that I own the pure Superdrug Coconut Oil (own a few canisters of it). However, someone told me on a thread earlier that it didn't work nearly as well on their hair as Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil. I'm still going to use up the remainder of my cheapie Superdrug Coconut Oil but then I'm going to look into getting something higher quality. The girl who told me this showed me before and after pictures of her hair and WOW... she's made some major improvement and her hair looks awesome!

Edited to say: I didn't read the whole thread here but noticed the girl I'm speaking of is already posting on this thread. It's JaneyTillie who posted above that I'm referring to. Stunning hair!

[helen2806]

Speaking of Superdrug, does anyone know if their 65p-or-so conditioners (aloe vera white, jojoba pink, citrus yellow, apple green) conditioners are being discontinued? I cant seem to find them anywhere. I can see lots of bottles of the shampoos still out (although only the aloe and jojoba) but no condish.

Ta!

I had similar trouble today with the shampoos - they're massive bottles for only 49p but the 2 Superdrugs I went into didn't have any and it isn't available online either :(

[helen2806]

ooh as for an update on the H&B supplements I've been taking, I haven't measured my hair so I'm not sure what it's done for my growth rate but it's definitely been making my nails grow faster and stronger so hopefully it has sped it up a bit at least

[Loviatar]

Can anyone recommend a good, gentle SLS free shampoo in the UK?

Ladyluck, I'm a big fan of Boots Naked range (check the ingredients though as I think the Shine version has cones). Mildness and Softness versions do not.

I also love Natura Organics which you can buy online.

[ladyluck]

Ladyluck, I'm a big fan of Boots Naked range (check the ingredients though as I think the Shine version has cones). Mildness and Softness versions do not.

I also love Natura Organics which you can buy online.

Ooh thank you, I haven't looked at their poo's/conditioners. I do like the smell of the rest of their range though.

[pdy2kn6]

Hey could some one tell me what SLS and SMT are?

[ladyluck]

SLS is Sodium Laurel Sulphate and SMT is Snowy's Moisture Treatment (a conditioning recipe that contains aloe, conditioner and honey. :)

[Loviatar]

Superdrug's Coconut & Almond Oil Conditioner does have cones. I know because I own it.

The henna intensive one thankfully has no cones. :)

What I do is add a drop of coconut oil and a blob of honey to the regular coconut & almond conditioner, and leave it on for an hour. I get good results but dont have to use cones.

[pdy2kn6]

i saw someone posted the link to this site, and was just wondering if anyone has tried the african black soap SLS free shampoo? i am in a debate whether to get this one or the natural herbal aloe vera SLS FREE one. has any one tried either? recommendations? heres the link: http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/shop/shop.php?action=full&id=194

im a bit unsure about how well the black african soap shampoo would be at thoroughly cleaning my hair...at least the other one ( herbal aloe vera ) says it has the mildest kind of 'detergent'

[Magenta]

I had similar trouble today with the shampoos - they're massive bottles for only 49p but the 2 Superdrugs I went into didn't have any and it isn't available online either :(

I've been trying to hunt these down too as I loved the conditioners to CO with, I'm sorry to say they've been discontinued as I asked a member of staff today the only own brand stuff they stock now is the 'naturals' range. I can't find those 99p tubs of coconut oil they used to sell, I hope they're not discontinued as well!

[Loviatar]

LUckily I've been able to switch to the Naturals (the henna one and the coconut). I can't use the tea tree mint as it dries my hair out something terrible. My local Superdrug has started carrying Inecto coconut again which is my HG.

I just read the back of the Superdrug coconut and almond intensive conditioner by the way. No cones. Sorry.

[Arfed]

i saw someone posted the link to this site, and was just wondering if anyone has tried the african black soap SLS free shampoo? i am in a debate whether to get this one or the natural herbal aloe vera SLS FREE one. has any one tried either? recommendations? heres the link: http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk/shop/shop.php?action=full&id=194

im a bit unsure about how well the black african soap shampoo would be at thoroughly cleaning my hair...at least the other one ( herbal aloe vera ) says it has the mildest kind of 'detergent'
I haven't used either, but I've been using this (http://www.mypure.co.uk/akin_b2/mandarin_shampoo_p6) for a while now (same price as the stuff you linked), and it's quite good; that site is generally a good source for any SLS/Cone-free stuff.

[Elphie]

A question for any UK members: I'm looking for a bottle of Timotei s&c and I have a friend who travels and visits frequently, so getting it isn't the problem. Would anyone know what store I should direct him to?

[annie09]

great thread i will check back here from time to time.... its good to know where to get stuff

[drynkinky]

Do any UKers know of a real-time place to buy good horn combs? (Or failing that, an on-line shop)

If in need of glycerin (a few recipes on this site require it), it can be obtained cheaply by asking at the pharmacy counter of Superdrug.

[florenonite]

If you've got a Matthew's Food Store (it does Chinese and Asian stuff) they've got 500g of coconut oil for £1.50. I was excited to find this as it's £20 from Holland and Barrett, so even with the £5 return bus ticket to get there it's still a fraction of the price of the stuff from H&B.

[magpielaura]

Do any UKers know of a real-time place to buy good horn combs? (Or failing that, an on-line shop)

If in need of glycerin (a few recipes on this site require it), it can be obtained cheaply by asking at the pharmacy counter of Superdrug.

I want a horn comb too! I'd prefer to see and handle before buying, so have not bought off the internet. I have never seen them for sale in a shop though....

[Sydney]

Hello everyone

I've got a silly question about coconut oil. I've started using some which I got from Boots - it's perfumed and it's got a couple of other ingredients in it, which I've researched and I'm ok with, but I just wanted to know, out of interest, how do I know if it's refined or not? It's solid and white and melts really easily. Does it make a difference being refined or unrefined? How can I tell for future reference.

I LOVE this thread by the way (i've only just found it) it's so hard finding products and accessories in the UK.

[drynkinky]

Hi Sydney,
Welcome to LHC from a fellow newbie.
If your oil has any other ingredients in it, then you can probably assume that it's not virgin and it's not unrefined. Ideally, the stuff you want should say 100% Coconut Oil. You can get it cheaply in Superdrug or your local Indian grocery store if you have one. Failing that, Holland and Barratt sell it as well (at about ten times the price!).

[Sydney]

Thanks for that! Yeah I don't really want to go to H&B when I know it is so cheap in other places, I'm having trouble finding it still though, I can't even find any local asian stores which sell it :(

[magpielaura]

You will probably find that much of the cheap stuff is refined coconut oil. I've bought the superdrug stuff, and a cheap asian food store one and both are refined. They are certainly usable, but when I bought a jar of virgin unrefined oil from a health food shop (not H&B, an independant one) for around £8 I could definately tell the difference. It smells (and tastes!) of coconut and I think the results were better. I found it easy to over-do the oil with the refined ones and end up with greasy hair. I can put more of the virgin one on (more absorbed? maybe.)

I still have (and use) my superdrug jar of coconut oil since its a convienient size, and at 99p you can't go wrong! The virgin stuff is good though, a jar goes a long way, and you can always eat it! The Asian food shop one is just for cooking now.

[shrimp]

Re horn combs - I managed to buy one in the Lakes from a Chinese shop. Not reccomending that everyone trek up here of course :lol: But if you have any kind of chinese store or China town near you it may be worth a try.

[magpielaura]

Re horn combs - I managed to buy one in the Lakes from a Chinese shop. Not reccomending that everyone trek up here of course :lol: But if you have any kind of chinese store or China town near you it may be worth a try.

No Chinatown near me... I'm just picturing a Chinatown on the shores of Lake Windermere....!

I've looked at horn combs on ebay, and they seem to mostly come from China. Do you think its a Chinese thing? I wish I'd found LHC a few years ago, I spent a month in China and didn't know to stock up on combs.

[drynkinky]

Re horn combs - I managed to buy one in the Lakes from a Chinese shop. Not reccomending that everyone trek up here of course But if you have any kind of chinese store or China town near you it may be worth a try.

Thanks for the info, Shrimp. I'll try that.


I've looked at horn combs on ebay, and they seem to mostly come from China.

Yes, I checked out the ebay combs, too. They're supposedly hand-made, but I wouldn't bet on it. And if they're not properly polished I can imagine they'd be really rough on the hair. Like you, I'd prefer to be able to handle before buying.

[shrimp]

I think all of my horn combs (except Heavenly Harvest) have come from China (via ebay). I've honestly never had a problem with any I've bought, no matter how ridiculously cheap they have been.

At the moment I'm only wet combing so the combs just sit on my dressing table looking pretty.

[magpielaura]

If I don't see any horn combs in the shops I think I'll ask DH to buy one fron the internet for my birthday. If there are rough edges I can always file them down. I bet one of those 3 stage nail buffers would do a good job.

[Loviatar]

virgin unrefined oil [...] smells (and tastes!) of coconut and I think the results were better. I found it easy to over-do the oil with the refined ones and end up with greasy hair. I can put more of the virgin one on (more absorbed? maybe.)

I have to agree with Magpielaura here. Virgin solid coconut oil never makes my hair look or feel greasy, no matter how much I use my hair drinks it up, plus the smell and taste is much better. Liquid coconut oil, however, is like putting chip fat on my head. I also much prefer the solid virgin unrefined stuff for my skin. I can't bear fake coconut scents and the H&B stuff I have is spot on. It's on sale at the moment in my local H&B (Holborn, London) so have a scout and see what you can find.

[RetroKitten]

Does anyone know any cheaper places to get Giovanni stuff? I usually get it from healthfood shop but it costs £8 and I recently went to NYC and they sell it in high street chemists for $8!! Roughly 4 quid!! Did stock up, but not enough! I'm begrudging paying this knowing it's being sold for half price somewhere else, maybe a letter to Mr. Giovanni is in order!!

I would like to know that too, where is the super cheap shop you are hiding from us :eyebrows:? ;-)

[LILBERT]

Hiya, just wanted to add if anyone lives near nottinham theres an indian supermarket called medinas that sells 500g coconut oil for £3. they also sell henna, alma oil, sweet almond oil etc.

[Sydney]

I can't seem to find any of these shops where I live! I really don't like buying things online but it's difficult to get supplies. Loviatar gave me a great site for shea butter but again, I don't want to buy it online unless I really can't buy it from a real live shop.....anyone know anywhere?? any ideas where I can look?

Thanks

[enfys]

I saw 100% Jojoba oil in Holland & Barrett today. No price tag, but it's the first actual shop I've seen it in - the one I use a friend bought me in Spain.

[neon-dream]

I saw 100% Jojoba oil in Holland & Barrett today. No price tag, but it's the first actual shop I've seen it in - the one I use a friend bought me in Spain.

It's £9.99.
This is the one I use, they also sell Wonder oil which is amazing, and the same price.
They sell coconut oil too, a giant tub is £9.99 too.

[enfys]

What is the Wonder Oil made of? I'm a sucker for names like that! Wonder/magic/miracle - always want to know why haha. £9.99 isn't bad, the bottle shold last about a year based on how long mine has lasted.

[crikey]

Can any of you recommend a really good but not bank-emptying moisturising conditioner that doesn't include coconut? (I am revoltingly allergic to the stuff.)

I was using organic surge conditioners (yes, they have some cones, but not that much) which my hair loves, but it's quite horribly expensive--best part of a fiver for 150ml--particularly when I'm going through it at the rate of knots from washing four times a week after swimming. My hair's in pretty good nick, but oh, it gets thirsty.

[levelek]

This thread has been quiet!

I came across a new (to me) S&C range that I wanted to recommend here. I picked it up at random in Holland & Barrett. The range is called dr.organic and it seems to be a UK brand.

I am using the Organic Manuka Honey Conditioner which is SLS and cone free. It's one of the best conditioners for my hair that I've tried so far. Pretty moisturising - it actually seems to work better than Aubrey Organics (I still haven't figured out exactly why my hair never took to the Honeysuckle Rose moisturiser). I am also a sucker for honey scents :)

It cost me about £4.50. I bought the Boots Henna Chestnut conditioner for brown hair the same day, for a pound-something, but it does nothing to my hair - might as well just be applying water.

[rach]

sainsbury's basic conditioner (no added frills) "25p"

Cone free. smells nice in the "Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream"

[magpielaura]

ooooh I had forgotten about this thread. Well done for reviving!

I bought Asda'a citrus condishoner for CO washing. Less than a pound for a big bottle, super zingy lemon wake-up scent (quite good for mornings, not so good if you prefer a subtle smelling product!)

[janeytilllie]

This thread is great :D

Boots are selling for half price Jojoba oil for £2.49 for 95ml! Its organic too :D

It has rose, geranium and bergamot oils and thats it :)

It works great on hair and smells lovely :) great bargin

ETA You can find it in the skin care/body care section :)

http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=11051&productId=51242

http://boots.scene7.com/is/image/Boots/10072162?wid=200&hei=250&op_sharpen=1

Also has anyone used Faith in Nature shampoos and conditioners?
http://www.faithinnature.co.uk/

I'm thinking of buying the chocolate, aloe vera , jojoba and seaweed conditoners anyone tried them? I love the hemp and meadowfoam conditioner it smells divine and works great! :D

[enfys]

Also has anyone used Faith in Nature shampoos and conditioners?
http://www.faithinnature.co.uk/

I'm thinking of buying the chocolate, aloe vera , jojoba and seaweed conditoners anyone tried them? I love the hemp and meadowfoam conditioner it smells divine and works great! :D

I haven't tried them, because I thought ammonium laureth sulphate was the same basic thing as SLS and all that gang.

I quite like the Naked range in Boots at the moment and it looks like they've brought out a new one for us:

http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/Naked%20Smooth%20%20Silky%20Shampoo%20-%20straight%20or%20longer%20hair-pid7994.html

http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/Naked%20Smooth%20Silky%20Conditioner%20-%20straight%20or%20longer%20hair-pid8001.html

Apparently if you sign up to their newletter you get discounts! I'm signing up now.

[shrimp]

Not sure how straight hair and longer hair are somehow equivalent :ponder:

Which bits of the conditioner switch on or off when they figure out that my hair is longer but not straight? :wink:

[Arfed]

Am in Ireland, but I ordered some stuff of this site the other day:
http://www.healthstuff.co.uk/

They do some s/c very cheap (the Jason ones specifically), compared to other online stores and retail shops (and they have a very wide selection of stuff as well).
EDIT: Oh and they also do free delivery over a certain order size as well, for both UK and Ireland; so good for stocking up with batch deliveries!

[enfys]

Not sure how straight hair and longer hair are somehow equivalent :ponder:

Which bits of the conditioner switch on or off when they figure out that my hair is longer but not straight? :wink:

I don't get that either, but maybe it's because longer hair gets straighter because it's heavier...I'm racking my brains to think of what I've read in the magazines about long hair. :rolleyes:

[magpielaura]

Not sure how straight hair and longer hair are somehow equivalent :ponder:

Which bits of the conditioner switch on or off when they figure out that my hair is longer but not straight? :wink:

Only straight hair is allowed you know. If its not straight naturally it is illegal not to possess straightners and use them daily.:D

[janeytilllie]

I haven't tried them, because I thought ammonium laureth sulphate was the same basic thing as SLS and all that gang.

I quite like the Naked range in Boots at the moment and it looks like they've brought out a new one for us:

http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/Naked%20Smooth%20%20Silky%20Shampoo%20-%20straight%20or%20longer%20hair-pid7994.html

http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/Naked%20Smooth%20Silky%20Conditioner%20-%20straight%20or%20longer%20hair-pid8001.html

Apparently if you sign up to their newletter you get discounts! I'm signing up now.

The shampoos look really good :) but the conditioners that suit my hair type have cones in them.
I might try a shampoo and see how it goes. The price is pretty good and the size :D

Thanks for links :flower:

[rach]

http://www.faithinnature.co.uk/
wow - super sized shampoo

i'm interested in the deodorant .

thank you, all these links are very useful , keep them coming :D

[shrimp]

Only straight hair is allowed you know. If its not straight naturally it is illegal not to possess straightners and use them daily.:D


Oops, time to run from the hair police! :run:

[Jenny.Wren]

These people do some nice natural stuff:

www.handmadenaturals.co.uk (http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk)

[Elettaria]

Here's what I use. I'm vegan, so I don't use anything with animal products or animal testing, plus I have super-sensitive skin.

http://www.houseofmistry.com/shop/hair-care-c-9.html I've been using Mistry's hair products for fifteen years now. I've never found anything that comes anywhere near them for quality, and they're made purely from herbs (Indian ones mostly), so they're entirely free from cones, SLS and so forth. I prefer the Ginseng Herbal shampoo and conditioner, and sometimes use the Neem 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner when I'm in a hurry. Avoid the Neemee 2-in-1 if you have sensitive skin, though, it's got a much higher proportion of neem oil and irritated my scalp. Also don't be put off by the poor marketing, they're a small firm, they're used to Indian marketing which is evidently different, and they just don't seem to understand that calling a shower gel "Mustee" in an English-speaking country is not a very good idea. Bless them. I buy the products from http://www.greenlife.co.uk/, it's the best deal I've found for P&P.

http://www.essentiallyoils.com/ - good aromatherapy supplier, with free P&P for everything. I've used both their solid and their liquid coconut oil, and I haven't had any problems with either. That said, I've now got some food grade organic virgin coconut oil (probably from Goodness Direct) which I use on my face; I'm still using the liquid coconut oil on my hair, it's more convenient.

Kent wooden hairbrushes are great things, sort of a cross between a brush and a wooden comb.

[Darscilla]

All hair toys, brushes, combs etc. are on 3 for 2 at Tesco all this month! :cheese:

I can personally highly recommend their black octopus clip [/enable ] ;)

Maybe a good time to stock up on basics like elastics and pins methinks.

[Unofficial_Rose]

Not sure how straight hair and longer hair are somehow equivalent :ponder:


If I straighten my hair (which I rarely do) it looks a couple of inches longer. :shrug:

[papillion]

Simple shampoo and conditioner is back in Boots! Thank goodness for that. :cheese:

[Darscilla]

Simple shampoo and conditioner is back in Boots! Thank goodness for that. :cheese:

And I've just seen it in Sainsburys, too! :agape: Wonders will never cease.

[disoriented]

I am using the Organic Manuka Honey Conditioner which is SLS and cone free. It's one of the best conditioners for my hair that I've tried so far. Pretty moisturising I've got to try this! Thanks for the info. I go nuts when it comes to Australasian ingredients, like manuka honey and tea tree. So far my favourite is Australian Bodycare hair conditioner (tea tree oil in it) I buy regularly from P2U.co.uk.

[Jenny.Wren]

Another vote here for www.handmadenaturals.co.uk (http://www.handmadenaturals.co.uk) :cheese:

You can also get henna/indigo from these guys. Free P&P and next day delivery (usually):

www.thespiceworks.co.uk (http://www.thespiceworks.co.uk)

[rach]

https://www.naturalgrocery.co.uk:443/natural-grocery-store-products.aspx?cat=1171
some nice things on here.
i got the aubrey honeysuckle rose conditioner from here and yes, i eeeked at the price but it's such a good product. (cone and protein free- super nice conditioner).

[pixiedoo]

This company is good and they do free delivery on any order over £7.95 http://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk/
They stock a really good range of cone free & organic shampoo's and conditioners and loads of other goodies!!

[Lilla My]

Also has anyone used Faith in Nature shampoos and conditioners?
http://www.faithinnature.co.uk/

I'm thinking of buying the chocolate, aloe vera , jojoba and seaweed conditoners anyone tried them? I love the hemp and meadowfoam conditioner it smells divine and works great! :D

Not tried those exact ones but I can personally vouch for the Lavender and Geranium conditioner. My hair is addicted to it! :)
I'm currently trying out the chocolate shampoo and quite pleased with it so far. It smells delicious and you only need a very small amount so it should last a while. (I know the Faith in Nature shampoos contain ALS but I prefer shampoos with sulphates anyway.)

[Elettaria]

I get quite nasty contact dermatitis from Faith in Nature shampoos, unfortunately, and also find them too strongly scented for my taste. They're still relatively mild compared to most commercial products, it's just that I have very fussy skin. The results on my hair were passable but still nowhere near as good as Mistry's stuff. They also seem to have been designed by one person who hasn't yet grasped that people have different tastes in scents, and they're all fairly strong sweet smells (geranium, lime, that sort of thing). I haven't tried the chocolate one, which looks like it might be a bit less sweet.

[magpielaura]

I recently bought the Rosemary Faith-in-nature Shampoo for DH to try to wean him off his H&S 2in1. He seems to like it, and I've tried it a few times. My sense of smell is a bit iffy at times but I thought it was quite nice - I chose rosemary as I thought this would be the one he would least object to smelling of! I found of all the more natural things you could buy this was the most moderately priced - not that I mind paying for a good product, but it is really annoying paying a lot to find you don't like it! DH has a history of crazy skin reactions to unexpected things so we are always wary of new things.

[Jenny.Wren]

Can anyone recommend a clarifying shampoo for occasional product build-up use? Something that doesn't have sulfates?

Or does it need sulfates to remove all the gunk :confused:

[levelek]

Can anyone recommend a clarifying shampoo for occasional product build-up use? Something that doesn't have sulfates?

Or does it need sulfates to remove all the gunk :confused:

Baking soda. :) (search this site - lots of LHCers use it. I mix it with my regular shampoo and wash the length too.)

[Loviatar]

For those who used to use Superdrug's cheapy 69p conditioners for CO washing (aloe vera, jojoba, and citrus - were discontinued early this year) the citrus conditioner is now back in shops. However, it now contains Paraffin (mineral oil).

Sigh.

[magpielaura]

Aussie products are half price in Morrisons until the 2nd of August, which makes most of them £1.70. I thought I'd try CO washing in something that costs more than £1 for once! Oooh the luxury! "luscious long" condish is cone-free, but I thought I would try some coney ones too for a change. Washed nicely, I'll try another and might stock up.

I posted a while back that I had bought an asda cheapie citrus condish. I don't like it much for CO as it takes ages to rinse out and my hair feels claggy when wet, so it's hard to know if I've washed/rinsed enough. My hair seems be ok when it dries but I won't get it again.

[florenonite]

For those who used to use Superdrug's cheapy 69p conditioners for CO washing (aloe vera, jojoba, and citrus - were discontinued early this year) the citrus conditioner is now back in shops. However, it now contains Paraffin (mineral oil).

Sigh.

I have the jojoba, but I'm sure it cost over £1 when I got it about a year and a half ago :shrug:

I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but I love Tesco's coconut conditioner. 50p for half a litre, 'cone-free, and the smell doesn't clash with my coconut oil leave-in. They do a TTO one, too, but the matching 'poos for both of them contain dimethicone, for some reason.

[nicolina]

Hi-

Does anyone know where to get hairtoys (particularly sticks and forks) in the UK, either shops or online? I've run a search but can't find anything.

[magpielaura]

Hi-

Does anyone know where to get hairtoys (particularly sticks and forks) in the UK, either shops or online? I've run a search but can't find anything.

Claire's sell some sticks, though they were not that good last time I looked. They might have better ones now. I have yet to see any forks in a shop in the UK! There must be some somewhere though. Ethnic/handcrafted type markets and shops are always worth a look if there are any near you. I wear some chopsticks I bought in Muji a lot - they are shorter than most chopsticks and lacquered a glossy black. Strong and smooth, last for ages, go with everything and were something like £2.50 for a pair.

[Darscilla]

Hi-

Does anyone know where to get hairtoys (particularly sticks and forks) in the UK, either shops or online? I've run a search but can't find anything.

Have a look at www.hairdecoration.co.uk OOOOH, the pretty!

To be honest, everything I own it that department has come from Ebay, though :lol:

[jel]

Tribu (http://www.tribu.co.uk/ecart/control/materialsummary;jsessionid=F9DE8D95846F692BEC3473E CADCF34C3.ajp13?CURRENT_CATALOG_ID=FASHION&productCategoryId=HAIR-STICKS&category_id=HAIR-STICKS&viewAll=N) sell hairsticks and forks. They have several stalls in Camden (London) as well.

[nicolina]

Thanks magpielaura, Darscilla and jel! Those sites look really useful. But oh how I wish there was one huge shop I could wander around in with sticks and forks and things...!

[Elettaria]

I just wanted to report in on the Spice Works, who supply henna, cassia, indigo, amla, and various other things that can be used on hair (I'm experimenting with powdered liquorice, but some people might want to try the powdered beetroot to see if it gives a redder colour when used with henna). Good prices, lovely guy who runs it (also a herbalist, which is handy), very fresh produce, great quality.

[atina]

now i'm intrigued whats the liquorice meant to do ? i have only just found the uk thread and am pleased i can buy cheap conditioners here i actually thought the dear ones were better ( yeah i know was born stupid lol ) but i just used up an old tea tree basic from boots was only about 30p and no cones and my hair loved it :) unfortunately ran out now but will try more cheap makes in future. can i ask has anyone tried the beetroot powder with henna or fresh beetroot ? i did see something about it on lhc but cant find it again.

[atina]

i used to buy distilled water in boots as maqpielaura said ask at the pharmacy.

[bunnii]

Has anyone been buying Wilkinsons conditioners? The last couple I got stank of mould :( I threw out one bottle of coconut and tried another and it was the same, and the tea tree one stinks too, I can't see any changes in ingredients though :confused:

Sainsbury's have their jojoba conditioner, the pink one, at half price - YAY!

And in TJ hughes I found the 750ml bottles of Tigi shampoos and conditioners for £9.99. I got Moisture maniac conditioner, it's cone free and is great for deep conditioning :cheese:

[magpielaura]

Is that sainsbury's condish good for CO washing? I'm running low on a cheapy CO one and want to try something new.

[bunnii]

I use the apple one for washing and the jojoba one on the ends and sometimes as a leave in, it's not too good on my scalp, I think it has castor oil in so it gets greasy really quickly.

[kayes]

Thanks for this thread! I've been living in the UK for a few years now and it so difficult to find stuff that I like (some of the shipping costs from the US are insane...) .

've been trying to switch to less chemical filled products, so I'm experimenting. I tried the a few types from the "Naked" line from boots, but I wasn't impressed, the results weren't as good as my normal shampoo and conditioner.
I've tried the Dr. Bronner's baby mild Shikakai hand soap and Shikakai rinse on my hair with excellent results (free delivery from lucyrose.biz), and I found a site where the aubrey organics chamamille shampoo and conditioner were two for one, which actually made it comparable to the price in the US... maybe a little less (http://www.aubreyorganicsuk.co.uk/product-183-camomile-luxurious-shampoo-and-conditioner-set.html). I am completely impressed with the results, better than my normal shampoos and conditioners I've used. Definately a keeper. I'll be back on here for ideas, though :)

[janeytilllie]

Today I bought a lovely cone conditoner from Morrisons supermarket for only 99p for a 500 ml bottle! :D
I tired it today and my hair is very shiny and silky so far It's my favourtire condioner :) It's no animal testing or ingredients.

It's called Natures Organics Fruits peach delight conditoner. Its for kids and adults and smells of peaches! :inlove: The bottle is orange.


Ingredients list

Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Lecithin,Macadamia nut oil, Hydroxpropyl Guar Hydroxprpyltrimonuim Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Penthenol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum,Citric Acid, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat ) protein, Propylene Glycol, Peach extract, Laureth - 23, Laureth-3, Succinoglycan Gum, Magnesium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Diazolidinyl Urea, DmDM Hydantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 15985, CI 19140.

[Tabitha]

Someone visiting London looking for coconut oil in another thread has tipped off that Holland & Barrett's coconut oil (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=690) (453g, unrefined) is on special offer at £7.29.

I just went and nabbed a pot, but hurry! the offer is only on until Wednesday after which it will revert to the recently increased price of £11.99 :eek:

[janeytilllie]

Someone visiting London looking for coconut oil in another thread has tipped off that Holland & Barrett's coconut oil (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=690) (453g, unrefined) is on special offer at £7.29.

I just went and nabbed a pot, but hurry! the offer is only on until Wednesday after which it will revert to the recently increased price of £11.99 :eek:

Thanks for information :flower:
I bought a couple of tubs in :D

[cherryblossom]

the last time I looked, you can find hair forks - plastic ones in a natural pattern, in John Lewis - it's really hard to find though. The one in Kingston, it's near the makeup section and between the perfume/clothes section, next to the elevator. I think they may be quite expensive though...

[freckles]

Is anyone else using Naked Body Car Products (http://www.nakedbodycare.co.uk/products.html)?
I've fallen a little bit in love with the Repair & Renew hair treatment and plan on buying more stuff. They're against animal testing, many of the products are vegan, they are made in the UK, they're SLS-free, cone-free (I BELIEVE). This might be very old news to the rest of you, but I' very much in love!

[jel]

Regarding coconut oil, I recently purchased several 460g tubs from this website (http://www.coconoil.co.uk/buy/index.html), and am very happy with it. I got the organic virgin oil. The delivery charges are included in the price, at least for my part of the UK.

BTW, I use coconut oil not just for hair and skin, but food/cooking too, so buying in (reasonable) bulk is useful for me.

[kayes]

I've been thinking of trying SMT. Has anyone tried using any of the "Naked" conditioners for SMT (one of the cone-free ones, presumably) or the aloe gel from Holland and Barrett?

[cherryblossom]

you can find sulfate-free shampoos in waitrose - there is Duchy's brand, and Waitrose Organic brand.

Ingredients for Waitrose Organic Moisturising Shampoo is:

Aqua(water), Decyl Glucoside, Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) oil, Coco-Betaine, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (sweet Almond) Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera), Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol

[jel]

I've been thinking of trying SMT. Has anyone tried using any of the "Naked" conditioners for SMT (one of the cone-free ones, presumably) or the aloe gel from Holland and Barrett?

I haven't tried the Naked conditioners, but I use the aloe vera gel from H&B. A little of it goes a long way, otherwise my ends get crunchy!

[wiggleit76]

you can find sulfate-free shampoos in waitrose - there is Duchy's brand, and Waitrose Organic brand.

Thanks cherryblossom, I'm going to try either one of those (depends how much money I have when I get there!)

[freckles]

I found a two-pronged wooden hairfork in H&M! It's my new favourite thing! :)

[RedRose]

The Beauty Bible have been testing hair masks...

http://www.beautybible.com/tried_tested_hair_masks.html

Quite interested in the Louise Galvin one as it's conefree.

[kimki]

The Body Shop have a sale on at the moment including free delivery :D

[Sammich]

I haven't read the whole thread, and I'm just bumping but...
ASDA sells international hair stuff now! :D Amla, Vatika... etc. It's very cool, I feel like such a LHC'er staring and looking at ingredients whilst I shop now! :D

[Hana]

bumping the thread.

[janeytilllie]

I was browsing on the Holland and barrett website. The dr organic range of shampoos and conditioners are on sale for £3.74 :) http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/categories.asp?cid=59

the vit E conditioner and honey shampoo looks really tempting! :crush:

I might go in Holland and barrett today and buy some :D

[*Aoife*]

Has anyone tried Boots conditioners? They look alright and all but the coconut one are cone free.

[FaeryTails]

Fans of 'Faith in Nature' products, all their shampoos and conditioners are currently marked down in price. http://www.faithinnature.co.uk/Hair-Care/C/2

[BelleBot]

Has anyone tried Boots conditioners? They look alright and all but the coconut one are cone free.

I use boots essentials conditioner for dry and damaged hair. It's light pink and only 58p. It's fantastic for CO washing.

[*Aoife*]

Thank you! I didn't see a pink one there. They had white, green, yellowish, brown and maybe another one.
And did it really only cost 58p??? The ones I saw were €1.99 a bottle!

[chopandchange]

Thank you! I didn't see a pink one there. They had white, green, yellowish, brown and maybe another one.
And did it really only cost 58p??? The ones I saw were €1.99 a bottle!

I haven't been able to find the pink one on the Boots online store. The blue one is there, but the pink one is not showing up (unless I'm searching wrongly). I am a bit worried, because it's a stable for my CO washing, too.

Hope it hasn't been discontinued. :(

ETA: am checking again, and the blue one isn't showing up either! There's only that two-in-one version there. Am I searching wrong? Surely they can't have discontinued that range?

[*Aoife*]

I feel a bit thick now. It didn't even cross my mind that boots had an online store :o
The conditioners I saw were all in the shop.

Edit: I can't see the pink one. Only a two in one and the others that I saw in the shop.

[chopandchange]

Oh no, don't feel thick! I shop online a lot because I don't drive and I live in a village, that's all. Sometimes I do get the bus and go into Boots.

Can anyone else find the conditioner on the Boots website? I've searched under "Boots conditioner" and "essentials conditioner" and neither the blue nor the pink one are showing up. :(

ETA: oh, so you can't find them either. Glad it's not just me...but not glad that my CO wash product seems to have gone.

By the way, shopping in an actual Boots shop is better than doing it online anyway, for LHC purposes, because if you want to be able to look at ingredients (cones, etc) they don't list product ingredients online. They do have a tab saying "ingredients" but when you click on it, there's nothing there.

[*Aoife*]

I search everything online. It just honestly didn't cross my mind to see the Boots site.

Is it just me or do they not seem to have a great selection online? They have several aisles of shampoo and conditioners and they just don't seem to have the same amount online.

[chopandchange]

Hmm. So maybe the fact that it's not on the website doesn't mean it's not available in the shops?

I had assumed the opposite - that some shops would only have a limited selection but that their online shop would stock absolutely all of their products.

I hope you're right and I'm wrong!

[*Aoife*]

I think so :) That was a complicated sentence :D

They don't seem to stock some of the products I use online. They don't sell my deodorant or toothpaste which I bought instore last week. That is acutally so weird, it's the exact opposite of most shops.
I'm glad they at least sell some of their own brand here. Usually we get a watered down version of shops from the UK (and America, but that's a whole other story)

[enfys]

I think the Boots site is lacking in completeness. I haven't been able to view all shades of make up that they stock online, for example.

Tesco has their 900ml Tresemme bottles of shampoo and conditioner half price at the moment.

[janeytilllie]

I bought the Holland and baretts dr organic shampoo and conditioner. My store had it has a buy one get one half price. So 2 for £7.48 :)

I got the tea tree shampoo and vit E sunflower and shea conditioner.

I haven't tried them out yet. I will on tuesday my wash day.

I'm not keen on the tea tree shampoo smell. It's a very medicated kinda of smell however the Vit E conditioner smell is wonderful.

The conditioner smells of flowers and lemons. It's lovely I can't wait to try it out. :D I will update :)

[BelleBot]

I think the conditioner I use is only available instore. They still had it the other week, I doubt it'd be discontinued.
Boots.com is very limited I've found, they don't seem to have a lot of products that are normally sold in their stores.

[*Aoife*]

I bought the green Boots conditioner. I can't remember what's in it and I'm too lazy to find the bottle. I used it for CO today. It seems nice, but it's really hard to get it out of the bottle! I ended up unscrewing the lid and whacking it off my palm...

[janeytilllie]

Just an update on the dr organic vitamin E conditioner and tea tree shampoo.

I really like the conditioner :inlove: it smells lovely. The only concern is it contains guar hydroxpropyltrimonium and protein.

I'm worried that they might cause build up over time. Over than that I really like the conditioner. My hair is very soft, shiny and bouncy :bounce:

The shampoo was ok. It washed well. The smell however for me is yuky. I can't stand it :puke:

I might buy the aloe vera one next week.:)

[*Aoife*]

Sorry to keep on about the Boots conditioners :D but they're on special now. They're €1.50, normal price €1.99. Not sure what the £ price is

[Fayjoi]

Are all the Boots conditioners without cones?
I'm on a short holiday in the UK next week, I wanted to do some shopping. I can always use conefree conditioners. :D
I wanted to take a look at Superdrug too. We don't have those shops here....

[BelleBot]

I think most of the boots ones don't have cones. I think the coconut and almond conditioners do though, so avoid that one. Just check on the labels.

[Svenja]

Hello ladies!

Is there a list available with cone-free poos and condis? Would it be an idea to create one? Might be easier than rifling through 20-odd pages of thread ;-)

[bunnii]

There's a cone free list in my siggy, doesn't have shampoo though :(

[Fayjoi]

BelleBot, thanks! Will check the labels, I hope I don't forget my glasses ;)


I think most of the boots ones don't have cones. I think the coconut and almond conditioners do though, so avoid that one. Just check on the labels.

bunnii, thanks! I will print out the list and take it with me :)
I don't use shampoo much, usually shampoo bars or CO.


There's a cone free list in my siggy, doesn't have shampoo though :(

[KarpatiiSiv]

For those Flexi 8 lovers in the UK and Europe, I have just found out that Flexi 8s are now available on E-bay from a legitmate distributor for the UK and European market (I checked with John at Flexi-8 in the US and its all legit). They are called Simply Charming Flexi 8 Europe (UK).:)

[Purdy Bear]

For those Flexi 8 lovers in the UK and Europe, I have just found out that Flexi 8s are now available on E-bay from a legitmate distributor for the UK and European market (I checked with John at Flexi-8 in the US and its all legit). They are called Simply Charming Flexi 8 Europe (UK).:)
:cheese::cheese::cheese:

OH HAPPY DAYS!

:cheese::cheese::cheese:


Thanks for the heads up!

PS search for flexi8 and they come up.

[melusine]

Hello lovely uk-lhcers :) Just thought I'd say hi, this looks to be a really interesting thread, will have to read through it all. I'm currently on the look out for an sls-free and cone-free shampoo in the UK.

I found burt's bees shampoo in Waitrose the other day but at 8 pounds it's outside my price range. I recently bought J/A/S/O/N's apricot shampoo and then discovered that I'd somehow missed that it had cones :( but I'm going to look into the Naked shampoos mentioned a few pages back, they sound like they could be good. I've tried their Naked Rescue Repairing Hair Treatment. I wasn't too sure about the smell but it made my hair feel quite nice so *hopeful*