Product Review: Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner - Is it Worth the Price?

Having made my own soaps for a couple years, I know the benefits of more natural ingredients going into bath and body products. When I saw Organix line of hair products contained organic active ingredients, I decided to see if it was worth the higher price. I purchased their Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner.

The Cost: Organix shampoo and conditioner each cost $6.99 for thirteen fluid ounces at my local drugstore. At the time, I justified the higher cost with the fact that they were currently offering a rebate for up to $6.99. I basically would be trying it for free. That's always a good thing. Unfortunately, it was a mail in rebate, and being a procrastinator, to date I have yet to mail in my rebate. But the offer was still there.

The Ingredients: Organix hair products have organic active ingredients. Their Coconut Milk line has organic coconut milk to nourish, whipped egg whites to strengthen and coconut oils for hydration. They are also sulfate free. Sodium Laurel Sulfate, or SLS, is a surfactant commonly used in many bath and body products because it is cheap to use, which keeps the cost of the products to a minimum. It is also a foaming agent, and almost everybody associates bubbles with being clean. Rumors were circulating at one time that sulfates were causing cancer. According to snopes.com, SLS does not cause cancer. But it can be an irritant if left on the skin. So Organix has avoided using this ingredient.

However, Organix does contain Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate. It may sound similar to SLS probably because they are both surfactants. Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate is listed as their second ingredient. For those that don't know, ingredient labels have to be listed in order of volume. This means that Organix shampoo has more Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate in it than any other ingredient (including those organic ones) with the exception of water. Water is the ingredient listed first. As for the conditioner, water is listed first with Cetyl Alcohol coming in second.

For both the shampoo and conditioner, there are a lot of other less than organic sounding names listed before you actually get to the organic ingredients. But the organic ingredients are in there. And to be honest, you are probably not going to find a shampoo and conditioner that is completely organic and without surfactants on your store shelf.

The Scent: Organix Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner has a wonderfully subtle coconut smell. I love the smell of coconut. Organix is not overpowering like other coconut scented bath products tend to be. It has a scent reminiscent of that which you would find in high end salon products. The scent was impressive.

Performance: I decided to use Organix a week before I made my final decision. After reading the ingredients, the soap maker in me wanted to be able to scoff at this product. But I can't. The first few days, I was less than impressed with how it worked. It wasn't that it didn't work, it was just that in the beginning I couldn't see much of a difference between using Organix and a less expensive brand. But after using it for a week, I have noticed a difference. It left my hair feeling clean and soft, without weighing it down. My hair has body, and it is manageable. The conditioner is thick, not watered down, and you can feel a difference in your hair while using it. I have had no "bad hair days" since using it, which is uncommon for me. I have also noticed less breakage and hair loss since I started using it.

The Bottom Line: Despite the presence of those less than organic ingredients, Organix Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner truly is a great product. The old saying "you get what you pay for" is evident in the results you will see while using Organix. The price you pay compared to other less expensive brands is worth it if hair care is a priority. You will notice a difference. And unless you are buying a natural handmade shampoo bar from a soap maker, I doubt you will find a more organic option for your hair. My bottom line...Organix is definitely worth the price.

http://www.organixhair.com/
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/shampoo.asp
http://www.inspiredliving.com/organic/skincare/a~skincarechemicals.htm