During my trials of looking for and experimenting with different shampoos, one of my journeys has lead me to discover and try the line of “natural” haircare products called Avalon Organics.
The name sounds great, the product was found in a health food store, so the product is safe to use, right? Wrong. I was actually gravely disappointed with this one and found it to be nothing more than a “natural wannabe” product out there.
Avalon Organics is a company that was founded in 1989, and according to them they “have worked hard over the years to create exceptionally pure and effective personal care products.” In fact if you get to know this company by reading their history, mission and all that they seem to stand for where the environment and all life is concerned, sounds perfect! In fact it sounds so nice and so good that if I was the average consumer I would want to just rush out and purchase their products. So I wish I had better things to say about the shampoo I tried from them, but somewhere between this wonderful write-up and the product, something just doesn’t add up.
I decided to try the Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo, which claims on the bottle to: “Remove dulling build-up and gently cleanse, as Shea Butter replenishes moisture to restore natural highlights, shine and color.”
The shampoo claims to contain no parabens or other harsh preservatives, which is always welcomed to hear, and a must in the world of natural personal care products today.
So how was it? Well for starters the scent of this shampoo seems way too strong. It starts off like a natural lemon smell, but as you work it in and it lathers, it just becomes too chemical smelling. It does not contain fragrance or parfum, but “lemon oil and other essential oils”, which we are not told what they are. The scent is not horribly overwhelming but for a natural shampoo it is way too strong, and I can see sensitive people being irritated by it.
In terms of ingredients it is not bad. The company seems like it is trying, but it is far from a superior natural product, and there are many better alternatives on the market today.
So while some of the ingredients are fantastic, I have a big problem that the second most abundant ingredient (after water), and hence the basis for this shampoo is cocamidopropyl betaine – a synthetic chemical that has been identified as an irritant/allergen, and it is rated 5 (moderate hazard) by the Skin Deep Cosmetic Data Base. Secondly, with a name like “Avalon Organics”, you would think that this was an organic product, yet only 4 ingredients are actually certified organic, with the overall ingredient list not looking organic at all. Overall, the shampoo gets a score of 3 (moderate hazard) from Skin Deep.
In terms of how it worked, well here was the tipping point. It lathered great, naturally thanks to the cocamidopropyl betaine, but left my hair completely dry feeling and in tangles, so that I actually had to use some conditioner, which is something I never do, except in cases like this one. There was nothing special to its cleaning ability, or hair manageability.
So although the makers of this shampoo seem to have all the right intentions at heart, this shampoo could be formulated so much better. After all there are products on the market today, which do not include this chemical. Perhaps this company has other products, that can better stand up to the true “natural & organic” label, but it definitely is not this one.
Hence if you are looking for a good natural shampoo, I do not recommend this one. I know I will not be using it again either. So again, the onus really comes down on the consumer – read your labels, and do not be afraid to question the ingredients, and by no means choose a natural product, based on its name, or where you buy it from.
Ingredients (Plant ingredients are italicized)
- Purified Water
- Cocamidopropyl betaine – (5* moderate hazard)
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate – (1* low hazard)
- Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate – (2* low hazard)
- Coconut acid – (0* low hazard)
- Babassuamidopropalkonium chloride – (0* low hazard)
- Organic Citrus limonum (lemon) peel
- Organic Calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extracts
- Organic Chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extracts
- Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)
- Vegetable glycerin
- Bisabolol (chamomile) – (1* low hazard)
- Ethylhexylglycerin – (1* low hazard)
- Arginine (amino acid)
- Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
- Tocopherol (vitamin E)
- Organic citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil
- Other Essential Oils
* Safety Rating based on Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
Packaging
The shampoo comes in a dark, olive green, plastic #1 bottle, which is recyclable once product is finished. The regular size is 325mL (11oz).
Price (as of this posting)
- $7 – $10 CAD per bottle at stores across Canada
- $8.49 CAD or $7.80 US per bottle at Well.ca
- $7.03 US per bottle from HerbsMD.com
- $5.33 US per bottle at Amazon.com
Price: $9.70
(120 customer reviews)
36 used & new available from $3.49
Availability
- Widely available at grocery, pharmacy and health food stores across Canada and the US
- Widely available at many on-line stores for Canadian, US and international shoppers
The Good
- Some natural ingredients
- Some certified organic ingredients
- No parabens
- No harsh preservatives
- No grapefruit seed extract
- No artificial colors
- No SLS or other sulfates
- 100% vegetarian
- No animal testing
The Bad
- The second ingredient is cocamidopropyl betaine (synthetic and a possible allergen/irritant)
- Leaves hair tangled and dry
- Too many “chemical-like” ingredients and too few organic, plant based ingredients
- Too strong of a scent
6 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.
10 Comments to “Review: Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo”
A clarifying shampoo is meant to strip the hair of product buildup it shouldn’t be used as a regular shampoo, a lot of other reviewers seem to like Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying shampoo.
@ HAIR CHEMIST – Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback.
I appreciate your opinion and this may indeed be so, however from a natural perspective, which is from where these reviews are written, it is quite misleading in terms of being “natural” and “organic”.
But also I wonder if the average consumer would know not to use a shampoo like this everyday.
Thank you for your review! I always appreciate thorough reviews like yours. I’m a little bit confused about something, though. Well, I went to the Avalon Organics website and had a look at their big glossary of ingredients. They say that their cocamidopropyl betaine is derived from coconuts. So then does this mean it isn’t toxic???
I’ve already ordered this shampoo and conditioner, so I’m going to try them. I’m curious to see how they work for me.
Hi Melanie
Thank you for your comment and feedback, and great question.
Saying that something is derived from a natural product, like coconuts, for example, is all too often a clever marketing gimmick.
The thing is that almost all natural cleaning companies claim the same, as most natural cleaners today come from coconuts, but in now way are these products something we would eat, or drink or still even put on our skin or body.
The thing to know and get empowered with to make great decisions where any products are concerned is that the safety or toxicity of any natural ingredient depends on how it is processed. This is key.
In how these companies manipulate chemicals and compounds, they can turn a completely natural and edible substance into something that is toxic. So it is all in what is done to the natural ingredient – again, how it is processed.
Ultimately this shampoo is better than any commercial shampoo perhaps, but it does not qualify well as a truly “natural” shampoo. So give it a try and see how you like it, but there are definitely better options out there.
To give you another view of this shampoo, the CosmeticDatabase.com rates the Avalon Organics shampoos between a 4 and 6. This means that they are considered moderate hazards.
On top of this, Avalon Organics company was recently announced in a list of “Organic Cheater” brands and a product to be boycotted. You can read the in depth story of it here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028500_organic_products_shampoo.html
Hope all that helps – thanks again for your input and it is always great to see people who are conscious about their health and wellness that includes picking good natural products :)
Hi Evita,
Thank you so much for your reply! I will definitely read the story about the “cheater brands”, and educate myself further. I do know that there’s a lot of “green washing” out there (in health/beauty products, food, etc.), but I’m still learning how to detect it.
I hope Dr. Bronner’s gets high marks… They certainly seem to me like one of the most earth friendly, ethical businesses out there. Do you have an opinion?
Thanks again!
Hi Melanie
Yes, Dr.Bronner’s is regarded as a trustworthy company and source for natural soaps/shampoos. They rate excellent on the cosmeticdatabase.com – normally coming in at a 1, which is excellent! (The top best is to have a rating of 0 for the smallest risk ever associated with any of the chemicals.)
I am currently using a bottle of Dr.Bronner’s and it lathers amazing for an all natural castile soap. I am hoping to have a review of it next month.
Cheers!
I agree – it’s way too strong a scent. I’m allergic to perfume chemicals and while it doesn’t send me into a reaction it’s bothersome. Too much essential oils are not good for one either. I don’t like the way it leaves my hair – almost as if it’s marketing to make sure you use the conditioner with it. I think ‘clarifying’ shampoo is an overused and vague term that really no one thinks is not for regular use. You certainly won’t get an explanation from the companies nor advertising.
Hi Peggy
Thank you for sharing your experience with this shampoo.
And you nailed it right on about how it leaves the hair – that is exactly what I found – it was unmanageable, unless one uses a conditioner.
Excellent points too about the marketing and use of labels and claims…. too misleading on so many products…
I used to buy Avalon because it was made 50 miles from where I live. Then it was made in Canada, but inertia prevailed. My last bottle said “New, more essential oils” and had a quite different ingredient list – more aloe and glycerin than cleanser:
Aqua (Water)
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice(1)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
Glycerin
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Stearic Acid
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)
Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil(1)
Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil
Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract(1)
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract(1)
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract(1)
Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract
Arginine
Bisabolol
Sodium Citrate
Sodium PCA
Panthenol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Alcohol(1)
Benzyl Alcohol
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Citral
Limonene
Linalool.
(1)Certified Organic Ingredient
I guess Avalon (now part of Hain Celestial) heard the “too strong” message. I had to use twice as much for it to even seem like shampoo, and it still didn’t get my oily hair anywhere near clean. Maybe better for other people, though.
Guess another home-grown natural product has evolved away from its roots…
As for leaving your hair rough and tangled, especially if you have hard water, that’s what an acid rinse is for. In scientific terms, a good drenching with food-grade vinegar “protonates the amino acids, providing the hair with positive charge and thus more hydrogen bonds between the keratin scales, giving the hair a more compact structure”. Suddenly it is silky and manageable, for almost free.
Loren
Hi Loren
Thank you so much for including this list and update on Avalon Organics. That is what often happens with many companies, in that they change the formulation. While this is good, when the product is not so great, it isn’t so good when the product was good, and they make it worse. But I guess they play around with things, and see what works for them and the people, both financially and in terms of efficacy.
And I agree about the hard water aspect having very different results on each person’s hair…. the only thing with me, was that other shampoos did not act like that, in the same water. This one was especially hard to deal with, in terms of leaving my hair unmanageable.