I like to have a potter around Holland & Barrett every now and then. I usually go into to pick up deodorant and on my visit in August, H&B were doing one of their Buy One Get One Half Price promotions. I didn't really need anything in particular but I saw the Dr Organic- Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum (what a mouthful!) and thought I would give it a go.
The serum comes in a 100ml frosted glass tube with quite a cleaver lid. It had a cut up the side which traps the pump, I guess so that when travelling it doesn't accidentally get... well... pumped!
My hair is quite long and very thick (frizzy curls and dry too) so I have been using three pumps and applying to the ends of my hair after washing and towelling dry. The serum feels light and after warming up in my hands, goes on smoothly and leaves the hair feeling silky and shiny. I don't think it smells particularly nice, considering all the fruit and plant oils that it has in it (I think it smells quite spicy, not something I want my hair to smell like!), but it does seem to condition my dry ends.
Now, the back of the tube shows its ingredients list. Bioactive, natural and organic ingredients it states and then lists Organic Argan Oil, Orange Fruit Extract, Clove Oil, Geranium Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Patchouli Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Rosewood Oil, Wild Mint Oil, Mandarin Peel Oil, Vanilla Fruit Extract, Spearmint Oil, Kukui Seed Oil, Moringa Seed Oil, Sacha Inchi Seed Oil.
Looks pretty good, right? Still, with all of the additional ingredients I don't know how they can label this as a "Moroccan Argan Oil" treatment but that isn't where this is going.
I went onto the Dr Organic website to find some more information about the ingredients but they don't have any listing at all; next step, the Holland & Barrett website and here I find my full listing.
Ready?
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Alcohol denat, Argania spinosa (Argan) oil, Citrus aurantium dulcis, Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) leaf oil, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) oil, Citrus limon peel oil, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) leaf oil, Aniba rosaeodora (Rosewood) oil, Mentha arvensis herb oil, Citrus nobilis (Mandarin) peel oil, Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) fruit extract, Mentha spicata herb oil, Plukenetia volubilis seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, Aleurites moluccana seed oil, Limonene, Eugenol, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral, Benzyl benzoate.
The main ingredient here is Cyclopentasiloxane. Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone and when applied to skin/hair, holds in moisutre to keep it from drying out - basically by forming an artificial barrier. It is also an irritant to eyes and skin. Dimethiconol is a silicone and works in the same way.
Dr Organic, while having "organic" in the brand name, are not actually formally accredited - no Soil Association or EcoCert logo in sight. Their statement says that they source accredited and certified ingredients but sourcing organic materials and being brand certified are very different.
I won't be buying this treatment again. I don't feel good about using something that is forming a silicone barrier to my beautiful hair!
Which hair serums do you use?
I tend to use hair oils and treatments that are at the lower end of the natural spectrum from Giovanni, but I don't think they make any major claims about natural/organic-ness. Dr Organic just screams marketing and like you've pointed out, it seems a bit weird to completely ignore the non natural elements on the bottle - I doubt many people would bother to search out the whole list to find out what is really in it :(. Xx
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