I really can’t believe that it’s been 5 years since I launched Kind Culture. It’s been a process of trial and error over the years. I’ve learnt and grown so much.
In the last year , I had to take a break from blogging. While I would post here and there, my attention was focussed on my health. I was working non-stop and was definitely starting to experience burn out, and it had taken it’s toll on my health both physically and mentally. Taking a break from blogging definitely eased up the work load.
Now in lockdown, I had a lot more time on my hands to look at the blog with a fresh pair of eyes and work towards the best version of the blog that I possibly can. And of course the best version of myself. Of course, I can’t just say that I’m gonna be the best version of myself, without making changes. In the last month, I’ve been updating the Kind Culture visual design across the site and on my social media in time for this milestone. I cannot wait to get started on all the new projects that I’ve got planned.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting me over the past 5 years, I genuinely appreciate it all. 💖
🚨GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨
To celebrate Kind Culture turning 5, I’m collaborating with Alchemy Oils for a fab giveaway. Those of you that having been reading Kind Culture for a while will know that I absolute love their products. The brand is cruelty-free, paraben free, sulphate free and vegan. Alchemy Oils uses plant-based oils and a holistic, Ayurvedic approach to hair care focussing on treating the scalp and root of your hair. Best of all? The brand is suitable for ALL hair types.
How to win:
1) Like the competition picture on insta
2) Follow @kindcultureuk + @alchemyoils
3) Tag a friend in the insta post.
And for a bonus entry:
1) Share the insta post on your story
2) Tag @kindcultureuk + @alchemyoils in your story
Simples. There’s no limit to the entries.
One winner will be announced by 12th June at 3pm (BST). The winner gets a pick of one FREE full size Alchemy Oils hair remedy or brow remedy. Please note the giveaway is open to UK entrants only – sorry to all my readers from outside the UK.
I hope you all are keeping well and safe in lockdown. Keep following my blog for more reviews, guides, offers and giveaways to come. 🙂
This review is long overdue, but I’m so glad that I’m finally sharing it today – scroll on down to read my review on the KiteNest Shampoo Bar.
Who are KiteNest?
Natural cleaning power combines with May Chang, Cedarwood and Lemon peel powder leaving hair smelling fresh, whilst revitalising your senses. Designed to be suitable for regular or infrequent use these bars are the perfect companion for KiteNest Organic Dry Shampoo.
Our solid Shampoo Bars are zero waste and each one is accompanied with a seed card, which when no longer needed can be placed into moist soil and frequently watered to grow a mixture of wild flowers. We print our seed cards with vegetable inks so no harmful or harsh chemicals are left in the ground.
This is a 100% natural product, cruelty free, palm oil free, suitable for vegans, and free from any nasties (no toxic chemicals or G.M.O.s)
KiteNest’s Shampoo Bar is available to buy via the KiteNest website and is now available to buy £5.95, and if your order is over £30 your postage will be free! (That’s unfortunately only for U.K residents)
Review
The Lemon Shampoo Bar is perfect to take with you literally anywhere, and I love that there is zero plastic waste with this shampoo.
Because I have quite thick hair, I have a tendency to use more product than I need. So initially, I used way too much of the shampoo bar and then used a different conditioner, which made my hair look greasy. After I got the hang of just how much product I needed, the shampoo bar worked amazingly – I now use the shampoo bar as a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner bar.
The shampoo completely nourishes my hair and gives a little extra shine to it. When it comes to dark hair, it’s difficult to find products that strike the right balance between shiny and greasy. It’s safe to say that when you use the right amount of the shampoo bar that it really does add a healthy shine to the hair.
And of course I have to mention how refreshing it smells, which as you all know is important for me :). I’m so glad that more brands are embracing the zero waste philosophy with their products. Supporting brands like KiteNest, that actually make that conscious effort to be cruelty-free and eco-friendly, makes all the difference to our environment.
Thank you to the lovely KiteNest team for sending me the Shampoo Bar. To check out KiteNest’s full range of products click here.
I hope you all enjoyed the KiteNest Shampoo Bar Review and have a great Easter.
(Apologies for the late post, I’ve not been well and had to concentrate on my health first *always prioritise that* )
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted up a review but in case you didn’t know this post is part of a mini series on an amazing 100% vegan brand – scroll down to read my second review of the Yaoh review series – Yaoh Shampoo & Conditioner.
Who are Yaoh?
Yaoh is based in Bristol, UK, and is one of the UK’s original hemp companies, with a range of hemp body care and food products that are 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulphate-free and free from animal testing. Yaoh’s food range is also 100% certified organic.
Review
Yaoh Coconut & Lime Shampoo
Made with a combination of organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile along with Coconut and Lime fragrance to create an invigorating and refreshing shampoo.
The smell of the shampoo really was so refreshing. As someone who has thick hair, I found myself using the shampoo more often than I normally would (roughly around 4 times a week). It’s a little mild for my hair type, in the winter my hair can go a little more greasy from wearing hats, keeping it tied up etc.
Other than that, I think the shampoo would work better for my hair in the summer, and perhaps if I had thinner hair.
Yaoh Summer Breeze Conditioner
Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint along with floral extracts.
I actually loved the conditioner, it’s kept my hair pretty smooth in the cold weather. The ends of my hair can get quite dry in this weather and I find that I don’t need to use too much product on the ends of my hair for it to work.
I definitely think that the Yaoh Shampoo and Conditioners are worth trying out, especially if you’re looking for an all vegan brand! The products are also recyclable and there’s currently a special offer on the Yaoh website running until the end of December.
Thank you to the lovely Yaoh team for sending me these products. ☺
A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the self-care kit that I got from Alchemy Oils on Instagram. Since I got the kit, I was trying everything out, and decided to write a review on the Alchemy Oils Amla Hair Remedy. Last year, I did a couple of reviews on the Alchemy Oils products and was generally impressed with the quality of their oils and this year Alchemy Oils have redesigned the packaging of their products.
(If you haven’t already – follow me on instagram! @kindcultureuk)
A little about Alchemy Oils
Alchemy Oils specialises in creating effective, natural hair care solutions and hair oil. Combining the age-old Ayurvedic practice of hair oiling from India; where they use oils in scalp massage (which increases blood flow to the scalp) for a deep conditioning treatment, with Western hair styling sensibilities (oil/serum hybrids to smooth fly aways, add shine and heat protect). The brand also caters for all hair types that includes afro hair.
All of the products are do not contain any parabens, PEGS, phthalates, sulphates, silicones, mineral oil, glycols, DEA or TEA. Alchemy Oils are registered with the Vegan Society and also certified by Peta as cruelty-free.
Alchemy Oils Amla Hair Remedy
Made with a combination of Amla, Coconut, Avocado, and Argan oils topped off with a splash of Lemon Essential Oil to naturally cleanse. These all work in sync to fight premature greying, promote growth and impart a lustrous shine.
Amla, Indian Gooseberry, is a powerful hair tonic known to stimulate the hair follicle to encourage growth. It nourishes the hair shaft, adding strength and sheen, and cleanses the scalp to prevent dandruff, providing a perfect environment for long and healthy hair. Featuring a number of essential fatty acids, Amla oil is known to strengthen the hair follicles and condition the hair. Amla oil penetrates the scalp and can help treat dry, itchy scalp and along with vitamin C, Amla is also very rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants carry anti-ageing mechanisms which can prevent hair from premature greying.
The Amla Hair Remedy is £38 for 50ml, and is available to buy online on the Alchemy Oils website and through many other stockists.
Review
I love the redesign, the new drop bottles are much easier to open, meaning that I won’t have to worry about accidentally spilling oil. In the past, I used amla oil that left a pungent smell that really lingered. Thankfully, I couldn’t smell the amla in this hair remedy, it actually has more of a citrus smell, the combinations of the oils has such a calming effect. The oil does feel quite thick & rich.
Initially, I massaged the oil on my scalp and hair, leaving it to soak in before washing it. I left the oil for about 2-3 hours in my hair. While washing my hair, I noticed that the oil is quite rich and I may have put too much oil on my hair so I washed it out twice.
After washing my hair and drying my hair, my hair was visibly more shiny, and healthy looking. It felt so much more smoother. Even after a couple of days had passed, my hair was still quite smooth. It leaves my hair nourished and has the same high-quality finish as the grapefruit hair remedy. ✨
Thank you the amazing Alchemy Oils team for sending me the Amla Hair Remedy (and the self-care set).
Click here to buy the hair remedy online. I hope you all enjoyed my Alchemy Oils Amla Hair Remedy review.
Earlier on this week, I did a review on the Lush ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ shampoo bar and today I wanted to follow-up on that with a review of the Lush conditioner bar that I’m using too.
A few weeks ago, I shared a video on my Facebook page about the environment effects of plastic waste and how we can reduce our plastic waste by using shampoo and conditioner bars instead of bottles. After seeing the sheer amount of plastic that we have accumulated in land fills, I think that the least that we can do is to make positive changes to the environment by reducing our plastic waste.
About Lush
(Do I really need to write this at this point? Haha)
Lush are an all-round ethical cosmetics company that are committed to being cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable as possible. Their products are all handmade, smell amazing, and have a cool sticker at the bottom of their boxed products to tell you who and when the products were made. With over 100 stores across the U.K, Lush is easily one of the most prominent organic beauty brands.
Lush ‘Sugar Daddy-O’ Conditioner Bar 💜
The eco-friendly Lush ‘Sugar Daddy-O’ Conditioner Bar is made using luscious linseed infusion, argan oil, cocoa butter, shea butter and olive oil to nourish. A floral bouquet of violet leaf absolute, rose and bergamot creates intoxicating fragrance that will last on hair all day. Work the bar between the hands before applying a small amount into wet hair; a little goes a long way.
I bought the ‘Sugar Daddy-O’ Conditioner Bar for £6.75, the bar is approx. 45ml, which may seem a little expensive for people but based on other online reviews the bar lasts for about 180 washes (6-8 weeks for some). And to top it off, this particular product is vegan! ☺
Review
As soon as I saw the conditioner bar in store, I had to buy it. I loved the fact that it has ‘Hair Conditioner’ embossed on top, and of course because of the lovely smell of the shea butter and cocoa butter.
Before using the conditioner, I tested out the Lush ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ Shampoo Bar, and then conditioned my hair. The conditioner bar took a little while to lather, but once it did, it had a thick and smooth consistency – just like any other conditioner. And again, like the other conditioners that I use, it took roughly 5 minutes to thoroughly rinse my hair.
After drying my hair, it had a sleek and smooth shine to it. Normally, I get this kind of healthy shine in my hair when I’ve soaked oil on my hair and washed it, but since using the conditioner I haven’t been using any other hair oil because I didn’t feel the need to. The conditioner is nourishing, and left a soft fragrant smell of the cocoa butter.
Since using the Lush conditioner and shampoo bars my hair feels smoother and healthier, in fact I’ve got quite a few compliments on the condition of my hair. It’s also important to mention that I’ve experienced less hair fall than I normally do. Like the description says, a little really does go a long way; on days that I’ve used the minimal amount of conditioner, my hair still looks conditioned.
The Lush ‘Sugar Daddy-O’ Conditioner Bar is all round economical, eco-friendly and smells amazing. ✨
A few weeks ago, I shared a video on my Facebook page about the environment effects of plastic waste and how we can reduce our plastic waste by using shampoo and conditioner bars instead of bottles. After seeing the sheer amount of plastic that we have accumulated in land fills, I think that the least that we can do is to make positive changes to the environment by reducing our plastic waste.
I’ll be honest, this video prompted me to try the Lush shampoo and conditioner bars and try to reduce my plastic waste wherever possible.
Are Lush cruelty free?
(Do I really need to write this at this point? Haha)
Lush are an all-round ethical cosmetics company that are committed to being cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable as possible. Their products are all handmade, smell amazing, and have a cool sticker at the bottom of their boxed products to tell you who and when the products were made. With over 100 stores across the U.K, Lush is easily one of the most prominent organic beauty brands.
Lush ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ Shampoo Bar 🍯
The eco-friendly Lush ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ Shampoo Bar is made with moisterising honey to keep the hair soft and for its natural antiseptic properties. To top it all off the uplifting sweet wild orange and bergamot oils create a gentle aroma.
I bought the ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ Shampoo Bar for £6.50, the bar is approx. 55ml,which may seem a little expensive for people but based off of other online reviews the bar lasts for about 180 washes (6-8 weeks for some people).
Review
The first thing that I noticed about the shampoo bar was that it smelt of honey, and I’ll admit that I was kind of taken back by how small it actually was when I bought it in store.
Once I got home, I tested it out immediately. Surprisingly, the shampoo bar lathered so quickly, it generally felt like I was washing my hair with a honey and milk blend. The aroma of the shampoo was pretty soothing, and it took me 5 minutes to rinse my hair (roughly the same amount of time that it would with any other shampoo).
After drying my hair, I could still smell the shampoo in my hair. I found that the shampoo bar nourished my hair and since using the shampoo I’ve experienced less hair fall than normal. Before, my hair would fall out like a dog during malting season (I wish I was exaggerating), but thankfully the Lush shampoo and conditioner bars have done wonders for my hair.
One little thing that I would have to complain about, is that I wish the shape and overall look of the shampoo bar itself was a little bit more quirky and fun like their bath bombs. Though, I do love the naked packaging concept that Lush have. The Lush ‘Honey I Washed My Hair’ Shampoo Bar is all round economical, eco-friendly and smells amazing. ✨
P.S: I normally don’t use shampoo on its own, I always condition my hair, so to see the full effects of the shampoo and conditioner bars combined, you have to check out my next review. 😉
Today I wanted to share an amazing product that I’ve been using for the past two weeks – KiteNest’s Organic Dry Shampoo.
A little about KiteNest
KiteNest are a Lincolnshire based company whose motto ‘Natural Creations Without Compromise’ is not only central to their ethical focus but to almost everything that they do and create. All of KiteNest’s products are 100% natural, paraben-free, cruelty-free, vegan and are individually crafted and handmade by Chris and Markus. The products that KiteNest sell range from hair care, skin care as well as beeswax products. Everything about this company is clean and green from the product itself, to the packaging including the vermiculite cushioning that’s used to pad the box packaging when shipping the orders.
The Organic Dry Shampoo
About the product
The Organic dry shampoo is 100% natural and organic, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, containing no talc and no toxic chemicals or GMOs. The cardboard tube is fully recyclable, and is sourced from responsibly maintained forests in Northern Europe. There are two different organic dry shampoo’s that are available to buy, one for light hair tones and the other being for dark hair tones. (It’s best to get in contact with the KiteNest team, if you’re unsure of which one would be best for your hair type.)
When using the dry shampoo, you simply need to apply some to the roots of your hair and massage it in for roughly 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how thick your hair is or how satisfied with it you are. Once you feel that the shampoo has absorbed the excess oil and moisture then you can brush through your hair to remove the excess powder and style however you like.
KiteNest’s Organic Dry Shampoo is available to buy via their website and is priced at £10 for 150g and if your order is over £30 your postage will be free! (That’s unfortunately only for U.K residents)
Review
The organic dry shampoo that I’ve been using is for dark hair tones. When using it the first thing that I noticed was the ethically sourced packaging and that the dry shampoo smelt like grapefruit – which I love. The powder itself is very lightweight and generally has a very fine texture that’s like talc powder.
At first I made the silly mistake of using too much product on my hair – which resulted in me having to shake most of it off. I eventually realised that I should put on a little bit at a time, and this helped with getting rid of the natural oil in my hair significantly. Quick tip – if you have long hair like mine, then it’s best to use the dry shampoo over your bath tub so that you’re not making too much of a mess or having to struggle over the sink like I did.
Overall, the organic dry shampoo works well in terms of making your hair look and smell fresher than it actually is (lol). The way that it manages to absorb the natural oils and excess moisture in my hair, without having to do much on my part, takes off such a big load as managing my hair is easily the most high maintenance task that I (and many of you all) have to deal with daily. So it’s definitely a thumbs up from me! ☺👍🏼
Lastly, I’d like to thank the KiteNest Marketing & PR team for sending me the awesome Organic Dry Shampoo. To check out KiteNest’s full range of products click here.
To read and learn more about how to recycle the vermiculite cushioning click on the link here.
Today I’d like to share something that’s perfect for everyone during this harsh winter weather – Grapefruit Hair Remedy by Alchemy Oils.
About Alchemy Oils
The Grapefruit Hair Remedy is made with a blend of 5 oils to improve the condition of your hair by strengthening your hair with coconut, avocado, almond and castor oils. These oils are combined to promote growth, thicken hair and impart a lustrous shine as well as work in harmony with the grapefruit oil, which is used to fight dandruff and keep your scalp healthy.
Alchemy Oils have made it very clear on their FAQ page of their website that they have pledged not to sell products in China until the mandatory law is lifted, they are also PETA Certified and Vegan. A quick tip for any of you that are new to the world of the cruelty free and vegan way of life, you can always verify the cruelty free and vegan status of products via the PETA cruelty free brand checker, Beauty without Bunnies (they also have an app), as well as The Vegan Society Trademark search.
On the side of the label on the bottle (see below), it says that for dry hair you can begin by massaging the oil into your scalp and then apply to your roots. For people that are using the hair remedy with damp hair it says to only use a few drops on your hair all round and to apply to your roots. The recommended amount of time that you can leave it on for is a minimum of 20 minutes, if you’re not used to using hair oil then I would suggest that you stick to the recommendation because of the amount of oils already blended in with the hair remedy. If your hair is generally quite dry and damaged, then it would be best to leave it on for longer depending on how long you can have it on for – some people leave oil on for 1 to 2 hours, others leave it on overnight so it’s really up to you!
Review
As someone who constantly uses different types of natural hair oil, I couldn’t recommend this more! I’ve never used hair oil that’s been blended with 5 other oils, so I was quite surprised at how quickly it nourished my hair and it had a fresh, lush citrus smell of grapefruit. The only thing that I would personally say that I was disappointed by is the fact that there is no grapefruit shampoo and conditioner to go with the oil, because it would work amazingly together. 🙁
So far Alchemy Oils only sell hair oils, but I would love to see them expand their hair care range to go with the oils.
Where to get the Grapefruit Hair Remedy
The Grapefruit Hair Remedy is currently priced at £24 for 100ml on theAlchemy Oils website or, alternatively, you could buy a travel size bottle with 30ml for £8 if you’d like to test it out or take it with you on the go. Not to forget you can get a 10% discount code when you subscribe to their newsletter!
Thank you to RebKan PR for sending me the lovely Grapefruit Hair Remedy. ☺
I hope you guys liked this review!
You can now buy the Alchemy Oils Grapefruit Hair Remedy from Amazon Prime.
I’ve actually been wanting to share this with you all for quite some time, but I wanted to spend the right amount of time using this product before blogging about it. So without further ado, I present to you all the Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo!
Who are Handmade Heroes?
The Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo was created byHandmade Heroes, which is a company that was founded in January 2015 and have based all of their products on the value of an all-natural lifestyle. Handmade Heroes pride themselves in their ability to make all of their products from natural ingredients and make sure that their products are void of preservatives, synthetic chemicals and parabens. As Handmade Heroes are based in the U.S, they actively make sure that their packaging is approved by the FDA (the U.S Food and Drugs Administration) and is BPA free. The Handmade Heroes products are also certified by PETA as both cruelty free and vegan.
Handmade Heroes Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo
Surprisingly, this was the first time that I had ever used any kind of dry shampoo, and I was kind of curious to learn more because of all the negative stories that were being shared on social media about dry shampoo. (Just to be clear, I’m referring to the negative stories about the dry shampoo that are made of foam and tons of chemicals.) It was generally quite reassuring to know that this product is vegan, so of course I knew that there wasn’t going to be any problems when using it. The dry shampoo is made with hints of peppermint and soothes with lavender and eucalyptus. Known for its absorption abilities to trap toxins and impurities, the activated charcoal leaves the scalp healthy, balanced and odourless.
Review
My initial thoughts when I opened the bottle were actually that the shampoo smells just like the Love Hearts sweets; I always love a natural product that smells great too! On the packaging it said it would take 5 minutes to use, but truthfully it took me 10 minutes to do so, then again that could be more to do with the fact that I have long and thick hair. Having long and thick hair is quite high maintence and I usually end up having to wash my hair every two days just to keep it from getting greasy. I had to leave my hair quite greasy a few times just to test it out properly and it managed to dry the oil at the top of my hair quite well to the point that it was not visible at all. Generally, I didn’t need a lot of product on my hair for it to do to its magic, I was definitely pleased with the change from oily to clean hair. The bottle itself is travel size so it’s perfect to take with you when you’re on the go or to use after a workout (or if you’re just feeling lazy).
Before…
Aaaand after!
The Handmade Heroes Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo is available for you all to buy on Amazon for £5.90. On that note, I want to thank the people at Handmade Heroes for sending me this amazing product to try out and review for you all.
I hope you all enjoyed my Handmade Heroes Dry Shampoo Review.
Generally speaking, Ayurveda is widely regarded as a traditional medical science which originated from the Vedas in India but it covers a much broader spectrum of health and well being from beauty to yoga and so on. Today the remedies that are provided by Ayurveda are well established in the field of beauty and alternative medicine. It is definitely something that I have been quite keen in learning more about, those of you that have been following my blog for quite some time will be aware of my interest in Ayurveda, I’ve even blogged about an Ayurvedic beauty product before (Ayurvedic Beauty: Neem Mask).
Amla Hair Oil Review
The Amla hair oil is produced by the company Patanjali, which specialise in Ayurvedic products and also sell food that are produced by people in the rural areas of India. Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, are typically used in hair care products and is used specifically for the purpose of strengthening the roots and thus preventing hair fall. On the packaging it also states that it can also be used to prevent split ends and the inevitable graying of hair; I assume that for you to actually see the results you would have to use it over a long period like most herbal products.
From my experience the best way to actually put the oil on is by taking a little bit of oil at a time, massage it on your scalp and then gradually work on the rest of your hair. It is recommended to keep the oil on for at least half an hour before washing it out, but this could depend on your hair length and type, I have left the oil in my hair for roughly 2 hours but it’s entirely up to you! I particularly like the texture of the Amla hair oil as it doesn’t seem to stick to your hands, but I must admit that it has quite a strong smell, so it’s definitely best to use on a day off.
The only real problem that I would say that I have with the product is the flimsy cap, I had to put quite a lot of cello tape around the cap just to secure it when I was travelling back from India to the U.K. In India, I had bought the 100ml bottle of the hair oil for 40 rupees, which works out to be just over 40p. Unfortunately, onAmazonit is sold for a little bit more than what it is in India but I guess that is expected, online it is sold for £4.60. Although that may seem to be quite a bit for a 100ml bottle of hair oil, it is actually worth buying as the oil itself works quite well in small quantities, so I would definitely recommend it to you all!
It would be great to know what your thoughts are on this post, and whether any of you have tried Amla hair oil before. I hope you all enjoyed my Patanjali Amla Hair Oil Review. 🙂
