Herbal Essences is a popular brand known for using natural ingredients and being gentle on the hair.
At the time, people considered herbal essences to be just a cheap drugstore shampoo brand.
However, now it is considered among the reputable shampoo brands.
Herbal Essences is on the must-buy list of almost every influencer who recommends using drugstore and affordable shampoos.
And today, in this Herbal Essences shampoo review, we will see what the hype is about and whether this brand actually does something.
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Herbal Essences Shampoo Review
Herbal Essences is well-known for making these natural and environment-friendly hair products everyone loves. Their hair products are also known to be very gentle and non-stripping for hair.
They use natural ingredients in most of their formulas, and their ingredients are also sourced with proper channels, which is a relief.
Herbal Essence is a cruelty-free brand, and PETA approves its shampoos.
The brand claims all its shampoos are so gentle that they are super-safe for extremely damaged and color-treated hair.
Moreover, these shampoos have no added colorants or parabens, which is obviously a good sign.
Although there is a lot of fragrance added to these shampoos. So, if you are allergic to scents, you might need to avoid using them.
But most people love these shampoos so much because of their exotic fragrances.
And I certainly am a big fan of how this brand gives a new and unique scent to each shampoo collection. So, if you are not allergic to fragrances, try it.
Herbal Essences shampoos bring your hair back to life. It reduces hair fall, makes your hair smooth, and even adds volume to your hair.
So, you can definitely find the right one for you in their shampoo collection.
Do Herbal Essences Shampoos Have Harmful Chemicals?
The brand does not include parabens in its products because they are most likely to cause breast cancer.
But, they do have another very problematic ingredient in some of their shampoos that recently blew on the internet.
As it turns out, Herbal Essences has a very fishy ingredient called dioxane in their products, which is well-known to cause cancer. So, it is pretty much equal to parabens, if not more dangerous.
Not only this, but the concentration of this cancer-causing ingredient is quite a lot in Herbal Essences products.
The products with a higher quantity of dioxane from this brand even have a warning at the back.
So, the brand is aware of how dangerous this ingredient is and how it is unsafe to add it in such a high quantity.
However, certain brands add 10 times more dioxane in their products than Herbal Essences like Head and Shoulders and Palmolive.
But, we are not comparing here and just stating the facts; the biggest fact is that this chemical should not be in a product advertised as gentle.
The good thing is that Herbal Essences is now thinking about reducing this chemical’s concentration in its products.
I am not sure whether they can exclude it altogether or not. But decreasing its concentration would be good progress.
So, besides the dioxane, Herbal Essences has no harsh ingredients and is safe to use.
Can Herbal Essences Shampoos Clean Hair Properly?
It is generally believed that only sulfates can clean your hair properly; otherwise, you will still have a lot of buildup.
It is not wrong, to some extent, that sulfates are powerful and help a lot with cleaning your hair.
But that does not mean a shampoo free from sulfate cannot be a good cleanser for your hair.
According to my extensive experience with this brand, the Herbal Essences shampoos make your hair clean.
If you have oil in your hair or haven’t showered for 3-4 days, you might need a little more product to clean the buildup.
But, at the end of the day, it makes your hair squeaky clean.
For people using a hair product that leaves a residue, like dry shampoo, using a sulfate shampoo would be helpful occasionally.
However, Herbal Essences is just as good as any other shampoo if you use it under normal circumstances.
People even ask multiple questions about lather, so I just want to clarify it once and for all: yes, Herbal Essences shampoos have a luxurious lather.
This lather would be enough to make your hair shiny and clean from roots to tips.
Is Herbal Essences Shampoo Good? Does It Help With Hair Growth?
Yes, Herbal Essences is worth trying, and if you are looking for hair growth, the brand has a line named Break’s Over.
This line contains a shampoo and a conditioner, and both target people with hair fall issues.
I have used this shampoo for several months and haven’t seen any noticeable growth.
But, people on the internet claim that their hair has grown with the help of this shampoo.
It is unsurprising to me because this particular shampoo contains some pretty good ingredients. If you are having a bad hair fall, make sure not to just rely on shampoo.
It can be a health condition causing hair fall, so it is better to consult your doctor.
In addition, there is no harm in trying this shampoo and seeing whether it increases your hair growth or not. However, people who use the internet are very confident about it.
Is Herbal Essences Shampoo Vegan?
No, Herbal Essences shampoos are not vegan.
This brand is known for using different products from animals like beeswax and honey. So, if you are looking for a vegan brand, this might not be the right one for you.
Although Herbal Essences is cruelty-free, which is what I appreciate the most about them, using animal products is not cool either.
However, this brand not being vegan is not that big of an issue for me, and I will continue buying shampoo from Herbal Essences simply because they work for me.
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Final Verdict:
In my experience, their formula has been suitable for even the most damaged and color-treated hair and does not contain added colorants or parabens.
However, it is important to note that some of their products do contain the chemical dioxane, which has been linked to cancer and has caused controversy for the brand.
Despite this, I have found that the Herbal Essences shampoos are generally effective cleansers. Herbal Essences is also a cruelty-free brand and PETA-certified.
They come in various varieties to address different hair concerns, such as reducing hair fall, adding volume, and smoothing hair.
Herbal Essences is not an entirely worst shampoo brand, and I recommend you try its shampoos if you don’t mind fragrances.
Crystal Hafley is a dedicated writer and content creator for WorstBrands, where she specializes in writing insightful reviews about kitchen appliances and fashion products.
With her expertise, Crystal provides readers with accurate and reliable information to help them make informed decisions about the brands and products they use every day. When she's not researching or writing, Crystal enjoys cooking and exploring the latest fashion trends.