I often read articles from the web site NaturalNews.com, which Mike Adams, the editor, founded. The web site’s purpose is to bring information that empowers individuals to make positive changes in their health, the environment and to make informed choices as consumers today.
That is why I was delighted, when last month, June 2009, Mike announced that along with the help of a couple of product formulators in the natural products industry, he had formulated a completely natural shampoo – Valley of Longevity.
The product states that it is 100% natural and 98% organic. As consumers today, we know that no claims can be taken seriously unless we examine the ingredient list. So I did, and I have to tell you one cannot find, even one slightly negative ingredient in this list. As you will see below, it is impressive and the best part is, anyone can read it and understand what it is that they are putting on their body, as there are no unknown chemical names.
Next, I was interested to see what the scent was going to be, and if it would be too strong or overwhelming in any way. I opened up the bottle and as I smelled the product, a delicate aroma of citrusy herbs came alive. I cannot state how delicate this smell is. If you are looking for your whole bathroom to smell like an artificial rainforest, then this shampoo is not for you. And this is to no surprise, as the shampoo does not contain any fragrances or parfum, just the natural scents of the herbs used.
Okay, so I went ahead and washed my hair, and to tell you the truth, I was not expecting much. I was already happy enough that this was all natural and it was going to clean my hair. I had tried enough shampoos in my life, both so-called natural and heavily synthetic, from all different price ranges, and no matter what the claims were about this or that, I never ever saw any noticeable, positive differences, where my hair was concerned.
So when I first washed my hair, I thought it was a fluke that I felt like I had more hair. I have long, straight and fine hair so the word “volume” or “body” do not exist in my hair vocabulary. Also, I wash my hair every second day. Usually by this time, it does start to get a tiny bit oily, such that I would not feel comfortable on the third day. Hence, when I went to wash my hair the second time with it, I actually waited till the 3rd day, as my hair was still clean.
The shampoo lathers gently, given that there are no lathering or sudsing agents used, but enough that no conditioner is needed on my hair and it brushes easily after washing.
Since using this shampoo for a couple of weeks now, I can tell you the volume was not a fluke, nor was the clean hair effect. Ever since I have started to use this shampoo, I now wash my hair every three days, and I am amazed, no, make that flabbergasted at what it is doing to my hair. It is as if, seriously, my hair is alive.
Now, with my scientific background I was not going to just leave this one alone. I needed some answers, as up to this point I had been skeptical to say the least that any shampoo out there would have changed my hair. So I started to think, “was it possible that all these natural plants and no chemicals, had really made that much of a difference on my hair and this quickly?” It was indeed. And while I do not have a personal science lab in my home, I do have some pH paper testing strips, that anyone of us can buy at our local health food store. So I decided to test this shampoo and compare it to a couple other bottles I had at home. And the result?
This shampoo is slightly alkaline. I cannot give you the exact number, but it seems to fall somewhere between a 7.5 and somewhere just over 8 (with 7 being neutral, anything below acidic, and above basic). And the other shampoos? They are all acidic. Now anyone, who has ever done some research on shampoos, knows that normally shampoos are acidic and fall on the pH scale between a 5 and 6.
So in the end, between the different pH, absence of chemicals and composition of naturally derived products, this shampoo made a huge difference on my hair. It no longer hangs thin and limp, but actually has substance!
The price of the shampoo itself may seem like a lot if you are used to buying what is on sale at Wal-Mart, but I hope you also understand and appreciate that there is no way you can compare this shampoo with what they sell. It would be like comparing a Mercedes to a Chevy (no offense to Chevy drivers ;) It is a high quality shampoo and not outrageously priced if you compare it to salon brands or other natural wannabes out there. The cost for putting something natural, that you can really feel good about on yourself, to me are completely justified.
So do I recommend this shampoo? You bet! Now here comes the tough part, being outside of the US (in Canada) the shampoo can be ordered, but comes with some not so small shipping charges. So if you live in the US, lucky for you, as this shampoo will be really easy to obtain, as the company who is distributing it, even offers free shipping within the US, with a minimum $75 purchase. However, if you are an international customer, the shampoo will cost a bit more, so now it just depends on how much you love it, to pay the extra shipping charges as well.
Ingredients (Plant ingredients are italicized)
- Purified Water
- Saponified Organic Oils of Cocos nucifera (Coconut Oil), Organic Helianthus annuus (Sunflower), and Organic Castor Seed
- Kosher Vegetable Glycerin
- Guar Gum
- Panthenol (Vitamin B5)
- Organic Equisetum arvense (Horsetail/Silica)
- Organic Urtica dioica (Nettle)
- Organic Astragalus membranacus(Astragalus)
- Organic Coriandrum sativum (Cilantro)
- Triticum vulgare (Wheat Germ Oil)
- Pelargonium gravolens (Geranium Essential Oil)
- Organic Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
- Organic Matricaria recutita (Chamomile)
- Organic Aloe barbadensis Leaf (Aloe)
- Citric Acid
- Rosemary Seed Extract
Packaging
The shampoo comes in a #1 plastic bottle, that is fully recyclable after use. According to Mike’s report on this product, he actually considered packaging it in glass, but after weighing the options in terms of the environment, safety and versatility, found that these bottles were the best options.
Price (as of this posting)
- $14.95 US for an 8.5oz (250mL) size from BetterLifeGoods.com
- $ 39.95 US for a 36oz (1.1 L) size from BetterLifeGoods.com
Availability
The Good
- Very delicate citrusy/herbal scent
- Excellent cleaning ability
- Suitable for all hair types
- Likely to increase or boost hair volume
- Helps strengthen fragile hair
- May protect hair from damage
- 100% Natural
- 98% Organic (in the process of being certified)
- No parabens
- No SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) or other “hidden” forms of SLS
- No fragrance chemicals
- No artificial colors
- No chemical preservatives
- No sudsing chemicals
- No harsh chemicals that destroy hair fibers
- No petroleum byproducts
- No testing on animals
- Fair Price
The Bad
- Only available through one supplier and outside of US shipping costs, may not make it an economical buy for people all around the world
10 OUT OF 10
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
11 Comments to “Review: Valley Of Longevity Natural Shampoo”
My daughters and I are using the shampoo and can definately say it gives our hair more body and volume. But, we have noticed that our locks lack shine and looks dull since using Longevity. Any suggestions?
Hi Suzanne
I have noticed the same with using Dr. Bronners – which to me is very similar to Valley of Longevity. It works great at first, even better than one would ever expect, but it has a drying effect after that. It shouldn’t being all natural, however, as I mentioned above, I think it has something to do with it being basic instead of acidic, as most shampoos.
So the question is…. is this just a phase of detox from the “bad” shampoos we have been using all our lives, or is it just not good for shampoo to be basic? I don’t have an answer on this yet, but when I do, I will definitely write about it.
Ultimately, I don’t recommend adding in conditioners, short term, once or twice maybe (a natural one of some sort), but overall more products should not be the answer.
Would this be a good product if you have psoriasis on your scalp?
Hi Judy
It is hard to say in my opinion. One would think as, as it is completely natural, but because this product is slightly alkaline, where as most shampoos are acidic, I am not sure if that would make your condition better or worse?
If you can afford to, I guess trying it would be the best way to know for sure.
I am very particular with my hair, I have a long rich red henna colored beauty on my head and I take care of that very well, and in last 42 years I looked for the best. When this Shampoo came on the market, I ordered from Mike Adams the 36 oz size, for shipping reasons, and I was disappointed after 3-4 washes, my hair got heavy, oily, the same with Dr. Broner’s.
But I continued to use it, I paid to much to give up, and after 2 weeks I had the most beautiful hair I ever had. I concluded that heavyness was from toxins, chemicals, and needed time to clean. A pleasure to use it in pregnancy, after pregnancy, I never lost one single hair after using this Shampoo, I recommend Valley of Longevity from new born to everyone.
Hi Maria
Wow, that is an awesome experience!
I am so happy you shared it, because a lot of people don’t understand the symptoms of detox, whether from their body or hair! And it is so true, often times our bodies need to clean out first and things may get worse, before they get better.
Wonderful to have you share this – thank you!
Regarding loss of shine & dull locks using basic shampoo…would rinsing with apple cider vinegar mixed with water restore the shine? I haven’t tried this shampoo yet as I just heard about it (& recently placed an order with another company). Would be interested to find out if it was just a “detox”…please post again after a period of time. Thanks!
Hi Danara,
That is a great idea and something I will look into trying with the apple cider vinegar. I guess since it is acidic, it could help as our hair/skin is in the acidic pH, so maybe this works well with it, especially next to an alkaline shampoo.
Since having finished the bottle, I have not ordered another one due to the economical reasons with me being in Canada, but have tried Dr. Bronner’s on and off as it is alkaline/basic too and I found it works very similar on my hair. No need to wash for 3 days. But I also found that after finishing the bottle of VOL or Dr. B’s my hair tended to dry out, which was odd as I have never experienced dry hair before. So would be interesting to know if that was just my hair, or a similar experience for others?
Do share your feedback if you get a chance as to how you liked it :)
Hi-
As I live in dry Az, my hair went dry.
I also use organic hair coloring at age 60.
Has anyone used it with organic hair color?
Hi Joan
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts about it. I don’t color my hair, so can’t help – perhaps someone else will answer with their experience.
I imagine the drying effect will be more pronounced based on environment and hair type, etc., for sure.
Being a person who has used nutritional supplements, organic products and studied natural healing for 25+ years, I was excited to hear about Valley of Longevity shampoo. My expectations were extremely high. When I received it, I used it right away. My hair has been shiny & healthy although it is fine and thinning. After shampooing, I rinsed well with water but felt my hair was seemingly coated and found it hard to completely rinse out, and it just didn’t feel clean. There was a noticeable difference … it feels dirty, heavy and icky, doesn’t move easily and is extremely dull. If these are the effects of detoxing, how long does this go on? Detoxing to me is removing and cleansing. This feels quite opposite of that, like this product has somehow coated my hair with a dull substance and doesn’t feel clean at ALL.
Please advise.