Hey guys!
It’s time for another in the series of ‘Ingredient Breakdown’. This time I wanted to review something really affordable, and when looking in Tesco I found this Alberto Balsam duo, and I love apple scents so I thought I’d give it a go – it was only £1 for each bottle. This is a shampoo and conditioner I used to use a while back when my mum would pick them up in the weekly shop. When I purchased these, it had been a long time since I’d used them, so I couldn’t really remember my thoughts. I thought this brand would be perfect for this series on my blog… lets find out if I’ve been wasting my money on hair products in the past.
If you want to see any other posts from this series, you can do so here:
#1 Herbal Essences daily detox shampoo & conditioner (Golden raspberry & mint)
#2 John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating shampoo & conditioner
#3 Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo & conditioner, The Delicate Soother
#4 L’oreal Elvive Fibrology Air Volumising and Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner
#5 Herbal Essences Luscious Length Bee Strong Shampoo & Conditioner
#6 L’oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Shampoo & Conditioner
Thoughts on the product so far
So I’ve used this a couple times now, and I have been liking the shampoo in particular. I think it does a good job of cleaning my hair and leaving it feeling very clean! It doesn’t weigh my hair down at all, which is definitely something I need in a hair product as my hair is very thin. I can leave my hair for 2-3 days without washing when I used this, which is good for me.
However, I am not as sure about the conditioner as it doesn’t feel as though it is adding as much moisture into my hair as other products would. If you have drier hair, then this conditioner would not be for. My hair isn’t very dry at the moment, so it has been fine for me, specially for the price. Although I wouldn’t want to use this conditioner on my hair bottle after bottle I feel my hair would become drier.
All in all I do think the effects of this product are good, and if you’re on a budget then this is a great choice. But lets see what lies in the ingredients…
Shampoo
*the higher the ingredient, the more there is within the product.
Aqua – Water
Sodium Laureth Sulfate – This is a surfactant found in many personal care products and produces the lather in the shampoo, (because it breaks down the molecules to allow better interaction between the hair and shampoo). Although this is deemed as safe to use by many organisations, it is a known irritant to skin and eyes. It has a very similar name to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), however Laureth (SLES) is a gentler surfactant. Some people try to stay away with the two SLS ingredients as they believe it causes dry and brittle hair.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine – Another surfactant which causes lather in the shampoo and it comes from coconut oil. It is also a thickening agent to the consistency of the shampoo.
Sodium Chloride – This is basically salt and is totally safe to use. It is used to thicken shampoo.
Benzophenone-4 – Used as a UV protector. Some people believe this is a human carcinogen, which means that it could lead to possible cancer. This is thanks to The California EPA’s Proposition 65 list. It is also an irritant the the skin for some. Therefore some choose to stay away. However, it has been deemed safe in quantities less than 10%.
Citric Acid – This can cause irritation. It is found in citrus fruit.
Disodium EDTA – A chelating ingredient which increases the lather in shampoo. It is safe but some reports consider this toxic, however it is a safer option than other similar ingredients.
Isopropyl Alcohol – Anti-foaming agent, thinning agent and fragrance.
Panthenol – Known to improve the texture of damaged hair. Safe.
Parfum – Fragrance.
Polyquaternium-10 – An anti-static ingredient. Could be an environmental toxin.
Potassium Sorbate – Used as a preservative in cosmetics. Evidence that this is toxic to the skin. Used as a paraben alternative.
PPG-12 – Conditioning agent. Deemed safe in the amounts found in cosmetics.
Propylene Glycol – Has quite a bad reputation as it is potentially toxic and is found in anti-freeze. It is also known to irritate the skin. However, it is found in many cosmetics and is generally considered safe in these amounts.
Pyrus Malus Juice – Juice derived from apples.
Sodium Acetate – A buffing agent and a fragrance ingredient. Generally considered to be safe.
Sodium Benzoate – This ingredient is found naturally in cranberries, cinnamon and other foods. It is used is shampoo as a preservative.
Sodium Sulfate – An inorganic salt used to increase the thickness of products.
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil – From grape seed. A conditioning agent which is safe for use.
Benzyl Alcohol – A natural, non volatile alcohol used as a preservative. However, in products, we often find a synthetic version rather than the natural version. It is safe in the quantity that it is found in hair care products.
Hexyl Cinnamal – A natural ingredient used as a fragrance additive to make floral scents stronger.
CI 15985 – A colorant: Sunset yellow.
CI 19140 – A colorant: Lemon yellow.
CI 42090– A colorant: Brilliant blue.
Conditioner
*the higher the ingredient, the more there is within the product.
*Anything without a description is listed above.
Aqua
Cetyl Alcohol – Acts as a thickener. Derived from petroleum or plants. (Used to come from Whale sperm oil, but thankfully it isn’t anymore). Maybe worth avoiding if you have very sensitive skin.
Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine – Derived from vegetable oil, and, like silicones, is used to keep oils and waters properly blended. Most people feel that this doesn’t keep hair as smooth and tangle free as silicone, but it is perhaps better for the hair.
Amodimethicone – Silicone based hair conditioning agent. Many people avoid silicones as they can prevent the hair from getting any real moisture as they can build up on the hair.
Benzophenone-4
Cetrimonium Chloride – Anti static agent, surfactant and preservative. Human skin toxicant and allergen.
Dimethicone – An anti-foaming and conditioning agent. Safe to use, however once again, many try to stay away from this (see description for amodimethicone).
Disodium EDTA
DMDM Hydantoin – Preservative. Strong evidence that this is human skin toxicant and allergen.
Lactic Acid – Naturally produced in milk and vegetables. A conditioning agent, a fragrance ingredient and an exfoliant.
Magnesium Chloride – used to increase thickness.
Magnesium Nitrate – Inorganic salt which is used for conditioning.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone – A preservative, which could be associated with allergic reactions. Some restrictions of use, however okay in the amounts it is here. Can be a skin irritant.
Methylisothiazolinone – Very similar to the above ingredient.
Panthenol
Pantolactone – Conditioning agent. Considered safe.
Parfum
PEG-150 Distearate – A thickening agent.
PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether – A safe to use emulsion stabilizer.
Phenoxyethanol – Preservative and fragrance.
Propylene Glycol
Pyrus Malus Juice
Sodium Chloride
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Hexyl Cinnamol
CI 15985
CI 19140
CI 42090
So the ingredients are actually largely pretty similar to other products I’ve reviewed in this series. Which is strange since this combo is much more affordable. I think a lot of these ingredients depends on your personal preference if you want to use them or not. Personally, I don’t mind using a bottle of these, but I wouldn’t continuously buy them! However, I find that I have that opinion on most of these products I have reviewed – I like to mix it up frequently as I think hair care products work best that way.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post & found it useful! Thanks so much for stopping by and please leave any thoughts in the comments below.
Jazmin xx
An ingredient breakdown is such a good way to look at a product, I like your idea! I think I’ve used this before – I think my Mum used to buy it when I was younger. I loved the scent of it.
Author
I feel like this is such a mum product to buy, as mine did the same! Thanks for stopping by x
I’ve used this shampoo before, but I haven’t really paid attention to the ingredients. I really love the smell of it! Thanks for the informative post.
Eve | http://www.evemorganinteriors.com
Author
Yes the smell is really nice! thanks for stopping by x
Haha I did buy this in the past. The main reasons were: affordable, suited all our hair types and smelled really nice. This was when we were living on a budget. Loved your post though. Explaining the ingredients for us is a great idea. Thank you
Author
Haha, it’s quite good when you look at the ingredients and compare them to the expensive brands – very similar x
What an interesting post! I don’t really pay much attention to the ingredients in my products! I love Alberto Balsam hair care but I agree, the conditioner doesn’t condition as much as other brands!
Author
I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, they are really good specially for the price x
I appreciate you writing all this down ingredient by ingredient.
Thank you
Author
Thanks so much for reading x