Whether you've fully embraced a lockdown haircut or are eagerly counting down the days to when your favourite hairdresser can fit you into their busy schedules again, many of us are now choosing to invest more time and money into better quality hair care products that we can use at home. It's been a boom for the luxury haircare market and one such brand that is continuing to lead the way is Innersense.
I was introduced to Innersense during May, a time when my hair was in desperate need of some TLC. The lockdown days were beginning to merge into one giant disorientated jumbled mess of sleepless nights and sadly my self-care was not always high up on my list of priorities. So when a parcel from Innersense arrived in the midst of such chaos, it was a breath of fresh air to be able to take some personal time to sort some things out, including my wayward hair.
Innersense is a luxury family-owned business based in California which was founded by two friends who are both beauty professionals. They wanted to create a cruelty-free brand that embodies the best of wellness and beauty by inspiring consumers to make healthier, greener and cleaner choices. Innersense's products use certified organic ingredients which are ethically sourced and harvested, to create formulas that are not only effective but are better for your hair and better for the environment.
They have a commitment to Beauty Without Compromise which means that their products are free from phthalates, ethoxylates, sulfates, silicones, parabens, propylene, butylene glycol, PEG, MEA, TEA, MIA, EDTA and artificial colourants. The range is a dream come true for beauty fans who love experimenting with luxury hair products and I was thrilled to receive three of Innersense's bestsellers to try out for myself.
Innersense Hydrating Hair Masque* (118ml, £28, link)
As the lengths and ends of my hair are naturally very dry and frizzy, I'm a huge fan of hair masks and I love to include them in a weekly pampering session at home. The Innersense Hydrating Hair Masque is packed full of ultra-nourishing organic ingredients such as Shea Butter, Monoi Oil, Flaxseed, Tamanu, Hydrolyzed Quinoa and Coconut Oil to hydrate, repair and strengthen dry and damaged hair, whilst adding lots of lovely shine for a gorgeous swish-worthy finish.
Depending on how dry and/or damaged your hair is to start with, you can either apply the masque for 5-20 minutes after shampooing, or for a really deep and intensive treatment, you can leave it on overnight. I've tried it both as a 20-minute treatment and as an overnight job, and I would say that the 20-minute option is better if you have fine hair like I do as this is a very rich and moisturising masque so that was enough time for my hair to soak up all of that goodness without overloading it. Dry and thick hair will definitely drink it up overnight though!
Innersense I Create Finish Hairspray* (295ml, £24, link)
Unlike some other green beauty and organic brands which are sometimes a bit lacking in their product ranges, Innersense has a hair styling aid for every situation imaginable. Whether you want to enhance your curls, create beachy waves, add volume or prep for more elaborate hairstyles, Innersense has it all, and their I Create Finish Hairspray is a good place to start.
This is a versatile product which will work well with all hair types and can be used as the finishing touch for any occasion. Most mainstream hairsprays use plastic-derived resins to make the hair 'hold', but Innersense has opted for Organic Honey instead which works as a natural resin alternative. Rice Amino Acids, Aloe, Lavender and Rooibos Tea extracts have also been included in the formula to further strengthen and hydrate delicate strands for fuller and shinier looking hair in one quick spritz.
I must admit that it doesn't perform exactly like a mainstream hairspray, but it does deliver a decent amount of hold without any sticky or stiff residue and it's easy to brush out, so there are no complaints here from my fussy hair.
Innersense Refresh Dry Shampoo* (70ml, £22, link)
I try to only wash my hair once or twice a week so I'm an avid user of dry shampoo to keep it refreshed between these washes. Saying that, this is the first time that I've used a dry shampoo which has a foam-to-powder formula so I found this one quite interesting and novel to try out!
Innersense's Refresh Dry Shampoo works like magic using a clever combination of Tapioca Starch, Witch Hazel, Hydrolyzed Quinoa and Rice Amino Acids which merge together to create a base that sucks up oil from greasy roots without the need to use any Talc (a dominant and somewhat controversial ingredient in many mainstream dry shampoos). The formula quickly changes from a foam to a light powder once it has dried, eliminating excess oil and impurities, and adding some volume and shine. To apply it, I simply added two pumps of foam to my hands and massaged it directly into my roots and left it to dry. Within a minute or so, it had transformed and I then styled it as usual.
Like all the products I've tried from Innersense, this Dry Shampoo has a gorgeous scent thanks to a relaxing blend of essential oils which help to promote further feelings of wellness, so if this sounds like a brand for you, be sure to check out the full range which is available from Cult Beauty and Innersense Organic Beauty.
Have you been buying more haircare during lockdown?
