Plaine Products Shampoo and Conditioner

**skeletonous** · September 15th, 2020, 10:52 AM

Has anyone tried this brand?

I have heard a lot of great things about it and may give it a try. I would like to be more sustainable with my self care products and although they are more expensive, they are cruelty free, organic, SLS and silicone free, biodegradable, and come in aluminum bottles that you send in for refills.

https://www.plaineproducts.com/

**lapushka** · September 15th, 2020, 01:07 PM

Why does this all always have to cost an arm and a leg. I'm out due to pricing. No. Just no.

**florenonite** · September 15th, 2020, 02:10 PM

One thing I notice is that the shampoos are true soaps, made from saponified oils, rather than synthetic detergents. This means they won't be pH balanced, which can cause damage to the cuticle and irritate the scalp, especially in harder water. That said, there are plenty of users here who use soap-based shampoo bars with good results so it might not be a deal-breaker for you. Honestly, I would recommend those over a liquid soap from an environmental perspective, as you're not wasting fuel to ship water and they typically come packaged in paper.

**skeletonous** · September 15th, 2020, 02:45 PM

@lapushka Yeah I definitely get it. I ordered their little sample sizes to see if I truly like it before committing.

@florenonite Interesting...I am not very keen on using shampoo bars partly because I am not sure I could keep them dry in the shower but I'll see if there are any I want to try. Also I did notice that they are carbon neutral so the shipping isn't much of an issue for me.

**curly girl fla** · September 15th, 2020, 06:17 PM

It doesn't look like these shampoos act as shampoo bars based on reviews. Conditioners, ingredients look wonderful. And reviews say the products last a long time and that they are actually quite cost-effective. Looking forward to your reviews of whatever you ordered. Love the ingredients and recycle concept.

**MusicalSpoons** · September 15th, 2020, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by lapushka

Why does this all always have to cost an arm and a leg. I'm out due to pricing. No. Just no.

Usually because they use much more expensive ingredients (especially if they are ethically sourced), a lot of these types of thing are only offered by relatively small start-up businesses who really do need profit margins to survive (and don't have the huge bulk-buying power that larger companies have to drive down the price of ingredients per unit), and plastic-free containers and packaging are more expensive than plastic.

That said, I completely understand where you're coming from and I do think it's sad that the price makes more sustainable, truly eco-friendly options inaccessible for so many people. We want to make good choices but often it's just not doable for people, at the moment.

I also really dislike how many of these things use actual soap, because I just cannot reconcile the claims of being gentle and good for your skin with the knowledge that the pH of soap is way too high. This range does use aloe vera instead of water which should in theory bring the pH down a bit, but I doubt it's enough to bring it down anywhere near to ideal for skin or hair.

(Not wishing to be down on this brand in particular! It's a common theme in this area of toiletries.)

Edit: actually I have to say, soap aside, the ingredients do sound amazing, better than a lot of salon ranges I've seen.

(Edit 2: just seen the actual prices - okay, I should hope they're amazing ingredients at that sort of price!

)

**Nightshade** · September 16th, 2020, 07:52 AM

I wouldn't under-estimate the cost of their subscription and refill / recycling program that they're baking into the overall price either. I've had people ask if they can return the bottles for oils for refilling to save money, and the reality is that by the time you pay postage both ways, it's several times more expensive than the cost of the bottle.

**Dark40** · September 20th, 2020, 09:10 PM

I wouldn't either because of the cost. It's too expensive.

**skeletonous** · September 21st, 2020, 09:31 AM

Just an update so far, I received my trial sizes and tried both the shampoo and conditioner on my hair last night and my hair feels great. It feels light with volume but also moisturized.

It also says in their FAQ that the ph of each is around 5.5, from what I understand that's good. Still debating if I can justify the price though...