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Hair Detox  - Tips from our Botanical Lab

Detox is a buzz word we often hear at the beginning of the year; be it a diet, relationship or beauty detox, the start of the year brings a fresh start. Our in-house Botanical Chemist, Annabelle Personeni shares her top tips for a simple hair detox.

Cut out the silicones

Silicones are like fast food to the hair, a quick fix with immediate results. Often found in hair styling serums, silicone based products don’t actually treat or nourish the hair. Used long term, product can build up, weighing hair down. Opt for products that offer nutrients to your hair, so it can shine naturally without the help of silicones.

Note: Silicones can be found in most “nourishing” shampoos, in almost every conditioner and serum. Products containing silicone may also be listed under its synonyms (i.e. Dimeticone and Cyclopentasiloxane).  If there is a cone or silane at the end of an ingredient, it is likely to contain silicones.

Invest in a quality shampoo and conditioner

To nourish the hair and scalp, switch your silicone based conditioner to a natural conditioner.  Using a natural conditioner will “re-boost” your hair with the nutrients and proteins it needs to look shiny and healthy. A deep cleansing shampoo will aid in removing product build up.

Recommended: Al’chemy Lemongrass Shampoo, RRP: $14.95 225ml, $26.95 500ml

If it is too difficult to part with your current styling regime, try reducing the use of silicones by choosing a natural based shampoo and conditioner but keep your silicone based serum for a while. Then, slowly reduce the use of the serum and switch to a leave on natural hair conditioner

Recommended: Al’chemy Leave in conditioner

Make good use of the basics

Break the habit of over washing :  Wash hair with a gentle shampoo once every few days as using shampoo daily can strip hair of its natural oils while over stimulating the production of sebum. Those who perspire a lot from physical activity or weather may still rinse hair daily if necessary as perspiration is freely washed off with pure water .

To get the most out of your conditioner, Annabelle suggests rinsing it out in two steps as it enhances the deposition of natural conditioning ingredients. Apply conditioner as usual and but rinse with only ½ cup of water first, followed by a full rinse. Doing so will break down the emulsions, releasing more nutrients to the hair.

Recommended: Al’chemy Jojoba Light Conditioner, RRP: $14.95 225ml, $26.95 500ml

Read your labels

Healthy hair will benefit from products that are free from harsh chemicals like parabens, sulphates, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours. If you come across an unfamiliar ingredient, sites like www.skindeep.org are a great resource for ingredient profiles and its safety ratings.

For additional product info or an interview with Annabelle, please contact Iona at 02 9420 7435 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Al’chemy

At Al’chemy, our hair care experts are passionate about creating pure results you can see. We believe in the power of purity, which is why our products are made with a selection of active botanic ingredients, carefully extracted with care to retain its purest form. Crafted with expertise, we blend our ingredients at effective levels to meet the highest standards.

Al’chemy products are ingredient-rich, vegan, 100% natural and formulated without parabens, sulfates, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, parabens, propylene glycol, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours, animal ingredients or animal testing.

www.purist.com