Rare is the person who is satisfied with her hair and by extension, her hair products. How many of us have picked our hair products based on how good they smell, flipping and clicking cap after cap in the local drug store for a sweet-scented shower with no particular benefits to hair or scalp to speak of?
I have unextraordinary hair that frizzes in humidity, greases overnight, and lays flat otherwise - it is so uninspired and uninspiring that hair professionals only ever compliment me on the roundness of my skull (it’s very round). So it was skepticism that motivated my experimentation into the realm of hair care.
caption: I’ve tried salon-grade shampoos and conditioners that caused the only case of cystic back acne I have ever encountered. I’ve also tried rich premium shampoos that felt luxe in application but left my scalp feeling oily in just twelve hours instead of twenty-four.
Enter Stage: Aromatica Rosemary Thickening Shampoo
Aromatica is already held dear in the hearts (and on the skin) of a huge loyal following without leaning on their all-natural branding like a crutch. The ECOCERT certification does lend the credibility so many “all-natural” brands lack but these products outperform even premium cult brands in scent, texture and most importantly, noticeable results.
The formula features essential oils of rosemary, cedarwood, lavender, and Indian gooseberry, rosemary being the star ingredient that strengthens both hair and scalp. It’s free of parabens, silicone, sulfates, and synthetic fragrance plus vegan and animal cruelty-free = animal-lover and animal-friendly.
The texture of the shampoo is also rather unique. If shampoo “x” is viscous like corn syrup, this Aromatica Rosemary shampoo has the viscosity of 100% pure maple syrup, and it looks like it too. While it doesn’t look like it’ll do an adequate job of cleansing, it does come to a full lather once you start massaging into your hair and scalp, and then the aromas release.
The scent. It’s aromatherapy in a bottle - I know that’s a cliche in the world of beauty and cosmetics but unlike the cloyingly sweet smells of commercial brand shampoos--and I mean Yankee-candle sweet--this stuff is pure bliss. If I had to draw up an image to accompany the scent, it smells like waking up under a fluffy down blanket in a wood mountain house with the windows open during the first snowfall of the season.
I might be getting a little carried away, but it’s that good. It’s clean and comforting, relaxing and invigorating, all at the same time.
As for the results, I’m convinced I found my holy grail. The lather is the perfect vehicle for scalp-massaging my stresses away and taking away any New York City grime with it. It leaves my hair thick and silky but not heavy and my scalp perfectly matte; it feel like the roots of my hair are standing upright and at attention. I used to shower and wash my hair exclusively in the morning and suffer through fluffy hair because the alternative was matted-down, very greasy hair. I’m happy to say I now exclusively shower nightly and wake up to sleek locks that have me out the door immediately (after teeth-brushing and face stuff of course) - for special occasions, one 5-minute round of hair ironing and I’m event-ready.
