14-Day Hair Detox Challenge: Beauty Industry Professional Tells All

When Elizabeth came to our office for a business meeting, it was exciting to share our company, products and philosophy with her.  As a beauty industry professional, it was a delight to learn she loves all kinds of beauty products, too.  After discovering this, I couldn’t help but offer her our 14 Day Hair Detox Challenge. I asked her to try Innersense Organic Beauty products for 14 days and report her findings.

Thank you to Elizabeth for accepting my challenge and journaling her experience.  Please enjoy her story! Would you like to begin a detox story of your own? Take our 14 Day Hair Detox Challenge here. ~ Greg Starkman, Founder of Innersense Organic Beauty

Innersense Made Good Sense to Me

I confess. I’ve been a hair product junkie since I was 12 years old and washing my hair with pool water and Body on Tap shampoo. Scrub, jump in, condition, repeat.

I’ve been mixing my own hair cocktails ever since, concocting drug and department store duos and trios to my do, always thinking the more the merrier. But as the years went on, and my body, skin and hair changed, so did the love affair I used to have with my locks. It fell flat; and that pun is intended.

So when Greg from Innersense asked me if I was willing to do a two-week hair detox, I was in. Organic, sulfate, paraben and petrochemical free, the products came with a promise I believed in. I try to keep my family healthy with a minimal amount of chemical intervention; my hair products should be as clean as my own intentions, right?

But I wondered: Without all the gunk, could the 14-day challenge truly tame my fine, but abundant, chemically treated, tired and unruly hair?

Day 1

Greg cautioned I might require two shampoos to cleanse my hair of my previous follicular sins, and that’s exactly what I did, washing twice, back-to-back with Color Awakening Shampoo. Immediately, I fell for the fresh, citrusy scent, and I was surprised by the feel of the lather. Typically, sulfate-free shampoos leave my hair feeling rather second-day, like my tresses still needed a wash. The hand of the shampoo was different, more substantial and satisfying. Immediately I felt like I was doing my tresses some good, rather than some damage. My hair felt clean-clean. Not stripped clean.

I followed up with Color Radiance Daily Conditioner, once again wooing over the naturally sweet and calming scent. I always let my conditioner sit for a spell in the shower, and that’s exactly what I did here. A quick, easy rinse and I was done.

After a quick towel dry, I spritzed with Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner  (This is my holy grail favorite!) Again, with the scent! There was an herbal tone there that completed the sweetness of the conditioner. A leave-in is a must-have for me but I honestly have not paid too much attention to what prior products were leaving in my hair. A rake of oil through my ends is also part of my wash/style routine (Argan, Moroccan, or even my own stash of coconut oil), so I pulled some Harmonic Healing Oil through the tips of my usually brittle tresses, rubbed the remainder into the thirsty skin of my hands, and let my hair air dry like I always do.

First impressions: Right away my hair felt lighter, like I just had the best haircut ever. Even wet, there was bounce and life back, like I’d lost two pounds of hair weight. All day, I kept tossing and fluffing my locks, surprised at the liveliness and sass. My hands, usually dry from working outside, loved the oil as well.

With a start like this, I was looking forward to the next 13 days.

Day 2

I usually shampoo every other day. Typically, my second-day hair days are sulky ones, as my curly hair always felt flat, heavy and depleted. Those were the days I hid from the world and avoided mirrors. But there was no hiding on Day 2 of my Innersense challenge: The prior day’s bounce and joy was intact and my scalp was still fresh. A few spritzes of Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner revived trampled curls and I was good to go. Easy peasy.

Day 3

I headed into Day 3 of my Innersense challenge with a question: Was it all in my mind or was my hair truly lighter, healthier and almost talking to me in my 12-year-old voice? Had Greg and Joanne discovered the fountain of hair youth by going back to nature or was it simply the switch in products that jump-started my follicular frenzy? I was determined to see the remaining 11 days through without cheating and without supplementing any other products than those given to me by Innersense. I went a full week this way, with nothing but the shampoo, conditioner, leave in spray and healing oil touching my hair.

I found myself looking in the mirror many, many times in those first seven days.

Day 8

I decided to live a little on Day 8 and added Quiet Calm Curl Control to my style routine for the first time. Frizz is my middle name, and for decades I’d been attracted to alleged bad boys like silicones that slicked my tangles into obedience.

Quiet Calm did just that, first to my senses with an almost almondy-citrus scent that was thick enough in my hands to convince me it was worth the try, even without the word “silicone” in the ingredients. After an air dry, my curls were softer and more defined, with not a hint of crunch whatsoever. Because I prefer to air dry and not style with heat unless I have to, I can’t attest to the styling powers or blow-out ability of Quiet Calm. I’d assume, thanks to the texture and hand of the product, it would make a pretty great blow-out assistant.

Day 14

I kept my promise for two weeks. It was easier than I thought: Innersense products have a lushness to them that other “clean” product lines seem to lack. The hair junkie in me was satisfied; had I used the products for 14 days without being told they were as good for the earth as they were for my hair, I’d still be sold. Another pro from a woman with a highly particular nose for products: The scents that sway from sweet to savory propelled me through the line without boring me. And that’s always good, because a hair junkie like me tires easily of products.

Another note: A little goes along way with Innersense. A nickel-sized amount of shampoo was plenty for my full head of hair. And while other “clean” conditioners left my hair crying for more, Color Radiance Daily Conditioner did the job without having to use half a bottle to feel quenched.

Day 26

Eventually, I cheated on Innersense. Several days out of town and a mini trip up to the mountains meant I’d had to live off the sample packets in my travel bag. My hair was desperately dry, lackluster again, and refused to behave. I’d hoped that jumping back into the shower with Color Awakening Shampoo would once again forgive my most recent of follicular sins; and I was right. The 12-year-old me was back and checking out every bounce of curl in the mirror.

Innersense Makes Sense

My 14-day hair cleanse was the break my hair desperately needed, and here’s what I learned: Organic, sulfate and petrochemical-free does not have to mean boring, and it doesn’t have to leave you wanting more. I found the Innersense line effective, healing and surprisingly lush for its level of purity. Mother Nature can revive, refresh and maintain healthy hair without all the bad boys, and I’m glad Greg and the Innersense team asked me to trust her with my hair.

I’m also delighted to know I have the secret to feeling 12-years-old again. Surprisingly, I found it in a line of hair care products! ~ Elizabeth