Out of the several “natural” shampoos now that I have tried – the ones from the Green Beaver company are my number one choice.

I support and promote the products from this company for many reasons that you can read here, in my overview of the company and what they stand for. Mainly though, I like that their products are local, work well, use no harsh chemicals and I am satisfied with their ingredients. It is also fantastic that the shampoos are made from wild and organic Canadian ingredients.

Their shampoos are biodegradable, vegan, gluten-free and are not tested on animals. They include no parabens, sulfates, artificial fragrances, aromas or dyes, phthalates, glycol or petroleum.

I have up to this point tried 2 of the 3 varieties available. Those being the “Volumizing Lavender Shampoo for fine or thin hair” and the “Rejuvenating Cranberry Shampoo for dry, damaged or colour-treated hair.”

The third type in this line is the “Shine Enhancing Apple Mint Shampoo for dull-looking hair“.

Even though each of the shampoos is specified for a particular hair type, I have to be honest with you when I say that I almost never care about those claims. I am more likely to pick a shampoo based on its scent, as I really don’t see much, if any difference in shampoo doing anything more than cleaning my hair. Perhaps I just have the type of hair that is not picky, and responds the same to almost all shampoos.

The cranberry shampoo worked very well. It lathered just enough to build it up well through my hair (remember don’t expect extreme lathering, as it is SLS free). It left my hair feeling clean, smooth, silky – just what I would expect from a shampoo. I am not looking for miracle hair transformations, in terms of some of the claims that are made on commercial shampoos. Also, my hair is not colored, dry or damaged, so perhaps that is why for me it made little difference to my hair. The scent was invigorating and pleasant, gentle enough to feel “natural”.

The shampoo states:

“From our family to yours – We offer you a biodegradable, certified organic product that is safe for you, your family and our environment. Wild P.E.I. Cranberries, indigenous eastern Canadian carrots and organic Prairie seed emollients will rejuvenate dry, damaged or color-treated hair.”

The lavender shampoo was the same way. Aside from their scents, I did not see any difference in how my hair turned out whether during washing or after. I really liked both of these shampoos equally.

I can see both of these shampoos working well for every one’s hair type – but of course one needs to try it, to really know for themselves.

In terms of the ingredients, they are great if we are talking high quality natural. It is rare to see a product have an almost perfect record in “0″ low hazard ratings from the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. However, I would still love to see no sodium benzoate in this product. It is a low hazard food grade preservative, but one I would avoid eating.

I highly recommend this line of shampoos to anyone who is serious about optimizing their health on every level, conscious of the personal products they use and serious about high quality natural products.

Ingredients for Cranberry Shampoo (Plant ingredients are italicized)

*The Lavender ingredients are very similar.

• Aqua
• Sodium Cocoamphoacetate* (0 – low hazard)
• Glycerin (plant derived)* (1 – low hazard)
• Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate* (0 – low hazard)
• Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate* (0 – low hazard)
• Lauryl Glucoside* (0 – low hazard)
• Myrica gale Flower Water (organic)* (0 – low hazard)
• Cocoglucoside* (0 – low hazard)
• Inulin* (0 – low hazard)
• Aroma** (organic)
• Sodium Benzoate* (2 – low hazard)
• Potassium Sorbate* (1 – low hazard)
• Vaccinium macrocarpon (Cranberry Seed Oil – organic)
• Ledum groenlandicum Water (organic)
• Daucus carota sativa (Carrot Root Water – organic)
• Anthemis nobilis Flower Water (organic)
• Daucus carota sativa (Carrot Seed Oil – organic)
• Achillea millefolium Extract (organic)
• Helianthus annuus (Sunflower Seed Oil – organic)
• Comptonia peregrina Water (organic)
• Borago officinalis (Seed Oil – organic)
• Citric Acid* (4 – moderate hazard)
• Xanthan Gum* (0 – low hazard)
• Sodium phytate* (1 – low hazard)
• Mentha piperita (Peppermint Oil – organic)
  ** AROMA BLEND 100% MADE FROM PLANTS

* Safety Rating based on Skin Deep Cosmetic Database

Packaging

The shampoo comes in a rectangular, green, see-through, plastic #1 bottle, which is recyclable once product is finished. The regular size is 325mL (11 fl oz).

Price (as of this posting)

• $9 – $12 CAD per bottle at health food stores across Canada
• $8.99 CAD per bottle at HealthToYou.ca
  (free shipping to Canada & US, minimum order required)
• $9.49 CAD per bottle at Well.ca
  (free shipping in Canada, no minimum order required)
• $8.99 CAD/$8.65US per bottle at FeelBest.com
  (free shipping in Canada & US, minimum order required)

Availability

• Widely available at health food stores across Canada, especially Ontario
• Widely available at many on-line stores for Canadian, US and international shoppers

The Good

• Pleasant Scents
• Excellent cleaning ability
• 100% biodegradable
• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• No parabens
• No sulfates
• No SLS
• No artificial aromas, fragrances or dyes
• No glycol
• No petroleum
• No animal testing
• Excellent ingredients
• Fair price
• Fair availability

The Bad

• Nothing really – perhaps as perfect as a commercial shampoo can get

WELLNESS RATING: Excellent

9 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.