The Body Shop’s Rainforest Radiance Shampoo

Reviewing shampoos is tricky because you never just use shampoo on its own, so you can never really tell is it the shampoo that’s working/not working, or the conditioner, or the anti-frizz serum or some combo of those products.

 Yeah, I could just test out the shampoo but I don’t think that’s fair because generally, at least for shampoo aimed at women with colour-treated hair, the manufacturer doesn’t expect you to use just that product on its own. And unlike some skin care products, shampoo never claims to do it all, it always needs backup products.

However, every now and then I add a new shampoo into my line-up and end up with amazing hair. Unfortunately, The Body Shop’s Rainforest Radiance isn’t one of those products.

That’s not to say that this is a bad product. Using it certainly didn’t make my hair duller or heavier or anything like that, but it also didn’t add in any kind of wow factor.

And there’s an easy explanation for that. This is a very gentle shampoo that’s free of “…silicones, sulphates, parabens or colorants.” While it’s great that this product is missing those last three things, the absence of silicones means that this shampoo won’t deliver the shine factor that some other products have.

But there’s a very good reason The Body Shop left silicones off this product’s ingredients list. They tend to eventually weigh hair down (that’s why you’re supposed to wash with a clarifying shampoo every so often).  There’s also the belief that silicones are bad for coloured hair (though based on my 10 minutes of internet research, this seems to be a debatable idea).

I started using this shampoo, along with a colour-friendly conditioner (L’Oreal’s EverPure Moisture) right after my last highlight job in early December and now, six weeks in, I think my colour looks pretty good. Yeah, it’s not “salon fresh” but it looks healthy and natural and isn’t at all faded.

But I’ve certainly had shinier, softer hair so I’m thinking that Rainforest Radiance isn’t an everyday shampoo. Instead, it’s to be brought out every now and then to, “Remove dulling residues for prolonged color radiance …”

At only $10, the price is right and I like that this product contains Community Trade ingredients.

Would I buy this again: Yes.
Should you buy it: If you’re in need of a clarifying shampoo, it’s worth picking up.