Thursday, August 2, 2007

Review Simply Pure 5 Elements Shampoos from Anthony Morrocco




I hope you find the following review helpful to you on your journey to optimum health. This is my first post and I plan to review many more "natural" goods that purport to enhance our health, vitality, wellbeing, even Soul. It has become a Goliath industry in many ways and there is a huge array of choice when it comes to what we put in /on our bodies. Many products make BIG claims as to what their products can do for you. But do they work ? Are we getting our money's worth when we buy healthy products that promise to be the panacea we have all been waiting for ?

With this in mind I am going to start Healthy Living Reviews with shampoos, namely Morrocco Method Shampoos, a line of holistic haircare developed by Anthony Morrocco . I first came across this line a number of  years ago when surfing the web looking for healthy personal care products. I had recently become aware of the damage that SLS's (sodium laurel sulfates) could wreak on a person's health . Moreover, it seemed to be in many personal care products ...shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, body washes, mouth washes....

Basically it is a sudsing agent that puts the lather into products. There is a lot of weight behind the thought that SLS is possibly the most dangerous ingredient a consumer can find in most shampoos. So potent is SLS, studies have linked it to serious skin and scalp irritation and disease, hair loss and damage and the ability of the chemical to create nitrate compounds which have been linked to cancer and cell damage. It was originally used as a degreaser for industrial parts! Seriously would you want to wash your hair/body/teeth with that?
What got me searching for products that were SLS free was a tenacious case of periodontal acne ( that's clusters of small painful bumps around the mouth). I just could not seem to heal from this ailment so I started researching on the internet. That was when I found out my ailment "could" be due to SLS in my toothpaste. Well I was willing to give it a shot so I started using toothpaste without SLS ( that will be another review!) and lo and behold the condition cleared up.

During the course of this research I came across a most interesting website  about healthy haircare that really piqued my interest

To cut a long story short , I ordered four of the travel size shampoos just to check it out. They were a little expensive ,but after due poring over their website I became quite excited about the claims Mr Morrocco made.

"Simply Pure 5 Elements Shampoos detoxify, nourish, stimulate, and cleanse hair and scalp in the most holistic way possible, leaving no harmful chemical residues. Good for the whole body. Nontoxic, gluten free, and non-allergenic. Safe for the whole family.

The safest, most naturally vital shampoo available in the marketplace today."

The exotic sounding ingredients include organic botanicals, trace minerals, and herbs, pure southwestern white healing clays natural, soapbark from Chile, Chinese green tea from Shanghai, cactus from Mexico aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, essential oils of eucalyptus, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, safflower, sage, sesame, vetiver..... and more....
Sounds good enough to eat doesn't it , which when you think about is a pretty good barometer of how healthy something is when deciding if we should use it or not... food grade or not?

There are four shampoos in the line relating to the different elements. For best results it is recommended that one rotates each shampoo. Sea Essence is for Water, Pine Shale is for Air, Earth Essence is for Earth and Apple Cider Vinegar is for Fire. They smell great and make for a good face wash too!

Well I have been using the products pretty religiously for 4 years now and I love them, I really do. The few times when I have run out and had to resort to using other shampoos my scalp has felt itchy and the life seems to be washed out of my hair.
I have also noticed that my skin has remained pretty clear of acne which I would suffer with from time to time before. Also my asthma does not get triggered by the natural aromas in this product unlike many of the supermarket bought ones. My hair feels shiny and healthy and I feel good that I am not putting chemicals and toxins into my body,thereby taking some control over my health and being responsible about which companies I wish to support.

The hair regime seems quite pricey , but the way I look at it is this - it costs way more to be sick! I believe that by using wholesome products that are organic and thoughtfully prepared that I will remain as healthy as I can be . Also, because the products are super concentrated, you don't use as much, so overall they really don't end up costing too much more than your regular shampoo. Be warned though, there are no big bubbles in this product and it can take a little while to get used to shampooing with a product that has little lather. But it absolutely cleans the hair without stripping the guts from it . You may go through a period of de-tox where your hair looks a bit sorry, but that is just the purge of all the chemicals that have been on your scalp from other products containing SLS's and other toxins. A major plus about this company is that Mr Morrocco answers your hair care concerns via his question and answer forum..I consider that to be excellent customer service.
Stick with it and in my opinion you will be taking a big step towards great hair health!

Safe enough for kids!

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Morrocco Method products. I only endorse those products I have tried and that have passed my test of using non toxic ingredients, good performance and great customer service. In my opinion and after a number of years testing the products out, Morrocco Method attains this criteria.

10 comments:

Engelfluglen said...

I actually was diagnosed with periodontal acne in the US and was given a bunch of cremes to make it better. This year, while in Germany, the same condition presented itself, only my German doctor said I was allergic to lactose!!!! I stopped with the real butter and milchkaffee drinks, and no more bumps! (I had them REALLY BAD around my nose, eyes and chin). While I certainly won't agrue with you about the harmful effects of the SLS family, don't really trust what your derma said... and then Google "periodontial acne"... nothing really comes up!!!
Love your blog, btw.
<3, engelfluglen, http://ethicallygreen.wordpress.com

Deborah said...

Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your experience with the effects of lactose. I appreciate your care and concern and believe that we can help others through the simple power of connecting through our experiences.Be well!
Deborah

. said...

I just recently purchased the product and would like some advice on how to use it. I was told to shampoo twice; the first time with an amount the size of a dime and the second time with an amount the size of a quarter. I not sure if I am using enough since it seems like I am only shampoo the area I applied. I was also told that it takes awhile to get full benefits. I have noticed that my crown is seems very oily, I am assuming my hair and scalp is going through detox. Any advice will be appreciated.

Deborah said...

Hi Ral

it's true that the hair does go through a detox phase when first using these very natural shampoos, my own hair got very oily and lank for a while.
I found that I had to use a larger amount of shampoo to really get my hair clean. One thing that may help distribute the shampoo more evenly, since it's so concentrated, is to mix it with a little water in the palm and then shampoo.
I recall seeing benefits to my hair maybe 2 months or so into the program. Even so ,oiliness has always been a problem for me. Anthony Morocco recommends a lot of brushing and scalp massage, and while this may seem contradictory to someone with oily hair, it does help to distribute the oil through the hair and relieving the slapped down look of an oily crown.
Anyway, do let me know how you progress with the shampoos. I think the old adage rings true, that things get worse before they get better, so hang in there !

Sarsoor said...

hi,

did you notice any growth/fullness/softness in your hair?

i have some yet-to be- diagnosed health problems that have me losing quite a lot of hair.

my scalp is ALWAYS red and irritated. So i am thinking of giving this product a try since it says it helps stimulate growth and scalp health.

i am just tired of being disappointed.

thanks for the help!

(s.h.gerin@gmail.com)

Deborah said...

Hi Sarah

Sorry for such a long time in responding but to answer your question I have noticed fullness and growth since using the products. However, I do find the Morrocco system takes a bit of getting used to so the key is being patient.
I have tried other haircare systems but for me this is the best. Occasionally I have a bad hair day with oiliness being a problem, but for the most part I feel that my hair has improved.

I have often got irritated scalp from other shampoos and itchiness but this doesn't seem to happen now. Be prepared though to detox when you initially begin using the shampoos - like I said it can take some time getting used to.

Good luck
Deborah

Unknown said...

I am almost done with the samples and I must say I am enjoying this system. I am really big when it comes to being natural and doing a lot of organic and raw vegan things. So when I heard about this, I was a bit skeptical since I was already using an organic, natural and vegan product. So I figured let me order the sample to see if it worth it. At first I liked it but then my hair was acting a bit off and weird so I figured maybe that is the "detoxing" phase. Now that I am almost done with the sample my hair has a totally different feel to it, I love it! So I ordered the entire line and the new shampoo and conditioner. I am glad I heard about this system, it works well for my Afro Caribbean textured hair!

Deborah said...

Janell that's really wonderful that you have found a healthy system that works for you.
I am currently using the Goddess oils and although they are oily, I just use them overnight and wash them out the next day. So far I am enjoying the feel and look of my hair. They are pricey so I always try and buy the products when they are on sale!

AnthonyMorrocco said...

Hi Deborah!
Thanks so much for your continued use of Morrocco Method shampoos! Our raw, all natural shampoos are a great way to revitalize the scalp, while thickening and strengthening hair. We appreciate you spreading the word about SLS’s and other toxins that can harm the hair and skin. For all you beginners, it is true that Morrocco Method products take time to get used to. Your hair will be going through a detox period. When one’s oil glands are out of balance with the rest of the growth pattern, then it may be very oily for a period to readjust to the sebaceous glands. I would simply suggest to keep rotating the shampoos and be sure to check out our Zen Detox, which will quicken up the process. Lastly, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Thanks for going truly natural,
Anthony Morrocco

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Deborah said...

Thank you Anthony for your excellent line of hair care products. I shall continue to recommend them as I have experienced first hand their efficacy in promoting hair growth and health.

Happy New Year to you and your caring company and may more people be turned onto healthy products!

Deborah