100% Honest Review: Maple Holistics Shampoo and Conditioner
*This review contains a giveaway! Enter at the end of this post for your chance to win a free shampoo and conditioner!*
The bane of my existence is my freaky scalp; it's oily and yet I'm plagued with dandruff. I can make snow appear on any dark surface, just by scratching my head. My scalp smells and feels oily by 5PM every day. My hair sucks too; it's super dry because I've dyed it so much. It's also wavy without real definition. I HATE MY HAIR. All this gross stuff I've shared, I know so TMI eew, but hey, I'm human. So are you, dear reader. I'm sure that many of you out there suffer like I do and want to find the best shampoo and conditioner out there.
I was excited to be able to try products from Maple Holistics because they use organic and natural ingredients. After watching all these documentaries on Netflix about how chemicals are killing us, I only want to use organic, natural products. (Netflix documentaries will turn you into a hypochondriac!)
Rachel sent me the Tea Tree Special Formula Shampoo for dandruff and the Natural Solution Silk 18 condition for all hair types to review.
Tea Tree Special Formula Shampoo for those with Dandruff (13.95 USD for 8 oz) and Silk 18 Natural Conditioner for all hair types (12.97 USD for 8 oz)
Packaging: 3.25/5 Pandas
The shampoo does not come in a box, but the conditioner does (I'm not sure why that is, other to distinguish between shampoo and conditioner). Screw off the lid to remove the seal, otherwise, you can squeeze the bottle to death and nothing will come out. The bottles are tall and thin, and I notice that it takes just a bit more effort to squeeze the bottle. Only the middle of the bottle is easier to squeeze. Also, bottles shaped like these are extra slippery in the shower; I prefer my shampoo bottles flat with a flip lid covering. The Maple Holistics bottles are admittedly pretty, and each special formula has its own distinct bottle design.
Shampoo and Conditioner Consistency: 4/5 Pandas
Shampoo on the left, conditioner on the right. Felt bad I had to waste some of this lovely product!
I like how both the shampoo and the conditioner aren't runny. I actually feel bad that I had to waste some of the product for the shot above (this is not cheap stuff!). The conditioner is very creamy, almost like a lotion that you put on your face. The shampoo has tea tree (oil I'm assuming?) and tea tree works great on acne and I was tempted to wash my face with this shampoo. (Don't do it, LOL. Don't put these products on your face!)
Smell: 3.5/5 Pandas
Straight out of the bottle, both the shampoo and conditioner have strong scents. You can't mistake the tea tree shampoo for anything else. It's not unpleasant, but it will hit you in the nose for a split second if you're not used to the smell of tea tree. The vanilla scent of the conditioner is a bit stronger than I'd like, at first at least, and my husband could smell my hair from a foot away after I washed it, LOL! Neither the shampoo nor the conditioner smell like chemicals though! By the next day, however, I sniffed my hair (literally planted a fistful of hair against my nostrils) and the smells were gone. My hair smelled neutral.
TMI, yes, but here's a speck of dandruff. I'm brutally honest!
Feel of the product on hair and scalp: 4/5 Pandas
Conditioner: The conditioner immediately, and I kid you not, makes the hair feel softer while you're still in the shower. My one qualm is that I don't know when I should stop rinsing the conditioner off. My hair felt so soft and different, that it was as if conditioner was still on it after around three minutes of rinsing.
Shampoo: The shampoo, leaves the hair feeling as if there's a subtle layer of wax on it. It's a tad odd. Even after rinsing, my hair feels heavier, but that changed right away after applying the conditioner.
With both formulas, you should leave on your hair for at least two minutes prior to rinsing.
Do they work and do what they claim to do? Conditioner: 4/5, Shampoo: Score to come after longterm use
I've used the shampoo and conditioner for three days straight now. I do notice less flecks of dandruff on my hair and my scalp is less itchy these last three days. Maple Holistics claims to reduce dandruff, not cure it, so it's okay that I still notice dandruff! I'm optimistic that I will have less dandruff as I continue to use the shampoo!
I can't stop raving about how wondering the conditioner is. Within seconds of applying the conditioner to my hair, while still in the shower, my hair becomes soft and smooth. It doesn't get tangled even after drying with a towel. It's noticeably softer and smoother all day long. It feels airy and light!
It isn't less frizzy, but I notice that my hair is straighter and easier to brush after conditioning. It also looks darker and healthier!
BEFORE PICTURE
AFTER WASH
Price: 3.25/5 Pandas
Priced at almost $13 for the conditioner and almost $14 for the shampoo, and both are eight-ounce bottles, you're pay three to four times the price of shampoos you can find at your local drug store of supermarket (Pantene Pro-V, Herbal Essences). Maple Holistics justifies their higher prices over the fact that you're paying a higher price for natural and organic ingredients. The Natural Tea Tree Shampoo for Dandruff contains "98 natural compounds" to fight dandruff. (Not ingredients, lol.) I've found a comparable organic tea tree shampoo online from another company that costs around the same price, so I think Maple Holistics has priced the products fairly; it's just that I'm a frugal mama.
AFTER AIR DRY. My one qualm is that all this softness tends to de-volumize my hair, just a bit
Am I am Fan of Maple Holistics?
I am definitely a fan of the conditioner. The shampoo, I'm not in love with yet. I'm not sure that it can cure my dandruff affliction, and that's not its claim. Once again, it only claims to reduce dandruff. I'll use the shampoo for the entire month and update this review if I notice any new changes.
The shampoo and the conditioner do not foam up a lot. You do have to spend more time in the shower if you're using these products together. I let the shampoo soak on my scalp for at least two minutes. I leave the conditioner on my hair for at least three minutes. You just want all these great and natural ingredients to work their magic on your scalp and hair.
Final Score: 3.67/5 Pandas!
The price is not ideal, though not unreasonable. My dandruff affliction is not cured, but I do notice a reduction in scalp itchiness. The packaging isn't the best. The conditioner is OMG-amazing. My hair is soft and smooth and I think it that it may have some straightening properties! I might also have become a little addicted to Maple Holistics' conditioner!
Giveaway: Enter to win Maple Holistics Winter Blend Eucalyptus & Mint Shampoo with Bergamot Oil and Natural Argan Oil Conditioner! (US Residents Only)
The Giveaway has ended and the winner is Bernadyn!
Back story and disclosure:
Thank you Maple Holistics and Rachel for sending me the shampoo and conditioner samples to review. Other than receiving the samples to review, I was not financially compensated for this 100% honest post. The opinions I've published are completely my own, based on my experience.
You too can review Maple Holistic products for free!
Be sure that you disclose that you've received products free of charge in exchange for honest reviews though, and make sure your review is as brutally honest as mine!
