Low-tox and Organic Haircare I Love as an Ex-Hairdresser and Curly Girl
Something I was EXTREMELY hesitant about when becoming a naturopath was whether beauty products would ever meet my expectations. I was a makeup artist and hairdresser, styling hair and glamifying the faces of women from all over Melbourne's South-East. I spent nearly a decade working for Mecca Cosmetica and MAC Cosmetics, as well as cutting in colouring with the team at New Sensation, meaning my beauty career spanned Toorak to Narre Warren, Caulfield to the CBD, Fountain Gate, Melbourne Central and Chadstone, before throwing it in and going back to university.
I've spent many years luxuriating in expensive (and toxic) cosmetics that have incredible pay off on the outside, but drastic drawbacks to my health internally. Little did I know that it WAS possible to have a healthy haircare (and skincare, but that's a whole different blog post) routine that minimised my exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and still have gorgeous hair.
In fact, I would go as far as saying that I have the best hair I have ever had right now, after making the switch. Which is absolutely crazy to me. I had 110% underestimated what clean and truly nourishing hair products had over silicones and artificial fragrances.
This list of products have been a godsend for my curly hair; my curl pattern has become tighter, it's much easier to manage, and way more shiny. Between washes my hair would routinely become matted in the back, and it would take a long time to detangle before I could wash it. It's also worth saying that I have experimented with no-poo methods and making my own home make flax seed curl gel, but in the end, neither were for me.
PPC Herbs Wild Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner
It all starts with this shampoo and conditioner combo - PPC Herbs are an incredible herbal extract company based in Tasmania, Australia, where they grow and extract their own herbal extracts in house. Much of my practitioner dispensary is made up of their fresh plant tinctures which are wonderfully potent and taste fantastic. Their haircare products are insanely good - The Chamomile, Calendula & Lime Flower in the shampoo helped calm down my itchy, irritated and flaky scalp through the winter months, while the Horsetail, Nettle and Burdock in the conditioner gave me some of the strongest, shiniest strands I have ever had. That's after years of expensive high-end salon grade treatments might I add!
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Horsetail is particularly interesting for its naturally occurring silica content, a mineral compound associated with connective tissue structure and strength. Traditionally used as a nutritive tonic for hair, skin and nails, horsetail also contains antioxidant flavonoids, including quercetin and kaempferol derivatives.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Best known for its soothing and skin-supportive properties, calendula is a lovely addition to botanical scalp-care formulations. Its flowers contain triterpenoids, flavonoids and carotenoids, compounds associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Traditionally used to calm irritated skin and support tissue repair, calendula may be particularly useful in preparations intended for dry, sensitive or uncomfortable scalps.
Burdock (Arctium lappa)
Burdock root has a long history of traditional use as an alterative herb, particularly for skin conditions associated with inflammation and irritation. Rich in inulin, phenolic acids (including chlorogenic acid) and lignans such as arctiin, burdock exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory research. Traditionally incorporated into hair tonics and scalp treatments, burdock is thought to help maintain a healthy scalp environment, particularly where dryness or irritation is present.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or Matricaria recutita)
Widely recognised for its calming properties, chamomile has a long history of traditional use in both herbal medicine and hair care. Its flowers contain flavonoids such as apigenin, alongside volatile constituents including α-bisabolol and chamazulene, which contribute to its anti-inflammatory activity. Chamomile essential oil is traditionally used to soothe sensitive or irritated skin, and the azulene content that makes the essential oil blue, doubles as a botanical hair toner to subtly enhance blonde strands.
GIOVANNI Smoothing Castor Oil Leave-in Conditioner
This leave-in treatment right here is where it all began for me; I knew that castor oil is wonderfully nourishing but there was no way it was going to be a useful leave-in treatment beyond a pre-shampoo hair oiling ritual - it's just too heavy and sticky!
Adding this step to my haircare routine brought softness and shine back to my stressed out curls. It's a great detangler for sensitive scalps, and makes hair manageable when applied to wet hair after washing. I recommend this treatment to everyone who asks for my recommendations for dry and damaged hair.
Castor oil (Ricinus communis)
Rich in ricinoleic acid, a unique fatty acid with moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil has long been used to condition the hair and scalp. Its thick, viscous consistency helps coat the hair shaft, improving shine, reducing friction and protecting against breakage.
Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
Despite its name, jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax, composed predominantly of long-chain wax esters. These have similarities to components of our skin's natural sebum, making jojoba an excellent emollient for both the scalp and hair. Lightweight and relatively stable, jojoba helps soften hair, reduce moisture loss and improve manageability without the heavy, greasy feeling of some other oils. It's particularly useful for dry hair ends and scalp conditioning.
Argan oil (Argania spinosa)
Often referred to as 'liquid gold', argan oil is rich in oleic and linoleic acids, vitamin E (tocopherols) and antioxidant compounds. Traditionally used in Moroccan hair care, this nourishing oil helps lubricate the hair shaft, smooth the cuticle and enhance shine. Its emollient properties make it particularly useful for dry, coarse or frizz-prone hair, helping reduce friction and improve manageability.
GIOVANNI Curl Defining Hair Styling Cream
I am constantly being asked what styling products I use to tame my curls, and this product right here is the key to bouncy, soft, managable curls.
It's a heavy cream, which made me nervous when I fist used it; for YEARS I had always relied on lightweight mousses and gels to lift and trap my curls in a crispy cast. So this product felt like the complete opposite. The weight of the cream helps build the foundation of tight curls by giving them structure while it's wet. This is due in large part to a rich combination of Shea butter and Coconut oil. As the hair dries, it leaves curls touchable and nourished.
Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera)
Unlike many other plant oils, coconut oil has been shown to penetrate the hair shaft, thanks largely to its high concentration of lauric acid. This gives it a particularly interesting benefit: reducing protein loss from both damaged and undamaged hair. By helping protect the structural integrity of the hair fibre, coconut oil may reduce breakage and improve resilience. It's a particularly useful choice for dry, porous or chemically treated hair.
Shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa)
Extracted from the nuts of the African shea tree, shea butter is rich in stearic and oleic acids, alongside smaller quantities of tocopherols and other bioactive compounds. Its rich, emollient consistency makes it particularly valuable for dry, coarse or curly hair, helping soften the hair fibre, reduce friction and limit moisture loss.
GIOVANNI Shine of the Time High-Gloss Hair Mist
Even though I sleep on a silk pillowcase, I find that tossing and turning throughout the night can make my hair look a little dull and lifeless as the days wear on. This little bottle is the newest addition to my hair care routine; it's great for day 2 or 3 curls that need a bit of life and va-va-voom pumped back into it.
It's a wonderful lightweight oil spray that's fortifies with hair-loving Rosemary, Nettle and Rosehips to strengthen, replenish and revitalise dull tresses. All you need is just a few spritz from 15-20cm away from the head for gorgeous, glossy hair.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary has a long history of traditional use in hair and scalp care, and modern research is beginning to explore its potential benefits. Rich in compounds including rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and 1,8-cineole, rosemary exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. It acts locally as a circulatory stimulant, bringing blood flow to the scalp to promote hair growth by way of increasing nutrient delivery and oxygenation to the hair follicle.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
A staple of traditional Western herbal medicine, nettle has long been valued as a nutritive tonic. Its leaves contain an assortment of micronutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium and various antioxidant polyphenols, making it a popular addition to herbal preparations intended to support general health and vitality.
Transitioning to natural haircare is a worthwhile venture, I promise!
The reality is, we spend so much time considering what we put into our bodies, but how often do we stop to think about what we're putting onto them?
Moving away from conventional haircare minimises your exposure to harsh chemicals, some of which have documented evidence that they are harmful to health, and others we simply don't know if their suitable for use on humans to begin with. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. It's a semipermeable barrier that absorbs everything that touches it. Our scalp is skin, and it deserves the same consideration we give the rest of our body. Choosing gentler formulations, reducing unnecessary fragrance exposure and incorporating nourishing botanical ingredients can be a simple way to care for our hair while being more mindful of what we're exposed to each day.
If you would like some help identifying which natural haircare product best suit your hair type, with a naturopath who actually understands the fundamentals of a great hair days, book in for a consultation so we can discuss your options. There's a LOT of new movers and shakers in this space, and there's never been a better time to switch to low-tox and organic beauty products.
Be well, Holly Kate The Naturopathic Perspective
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