Innersense Hair Products Review
I’m particular about a number of things, but when it comes to anything hair & beauty, I need the perfect mascara and I want great hair products. Switching to clean beauty brought a lengthy process of transition, but one which I’m finally near finished. Here is my Innersense review of their organic hair care products, including their toning shampoo for blonde hair.
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CONTENTS
Innersense Review
There are so many things to love about Innersense hair care products. The company is B Corp, which you know is a big factor for me. The brand is also climate neutral, plastic neutral, leaping bunny certified, and a 1% for the Planet member. And, very importantly, they create products for many types of hair, because clean beauty shouldn’t be a privilege!!
Their products come in plastic and glass containers. You’d think I don’t love the plastic bottles, BUT they are actually made with 100% post consumer recycled plastic (helping to complete the recycling process). And plastic containers is a complicated topic because they cost less to transport (read a bit more about packaging complications in this refill pouches post). BUT it’s recycled and recyclable!
They also offer travel sizes and refill pouches in a number of their products, which is great for cutting back on waste.
Ok. Let’s get to some particular Innersense reviews. I’m in the process of trying quite a few of the products. Below are the ones I’ve used the most as well as an annotated list at the end of some others I’ve tried just a few times.
Innersense Toning Shampoo Review
As a lifelong blonde (except that stint in grad school as a brunette), I care about toning shampoo. My preferred blonde (as my hairstylist well knows!) is a platinum blonde, not a caramel blonde.
While my stylist is magic with color, real life will turn color-treated hair a different tone over time, so I’ve always used a purple or “toning” shampoo OR conditioner (you don’t really need to use both).
When Innersense announced their new toning shampoo and conditioner, I was dying to try it as it was the first clean beauty purple shampoo I’d seen. I finished my shampoo bar and gave it a whirl.
I’ll cut to the chase here and tell you that it’s a great product, BUT you have to use it properly (not tricky) and it’s NOT for everyday use (as I found out).
Innersense products are concentrated formulas that often require more water in hair, a certain application of products, and/or an activation. These aren’t complicated, just read the directions or watch the product videos (available for EVERY product on the site). With the toning products, as you can see in the photo above, you have to ‘activate’ the product.
So the Innersense Bright Balance toning shampoo comes out of the bottle almost black looking. If you apply directly to blonde hair (like I was in the beginning), you might notice a blue tint to your hair (beyond platinum). My hairstylist and I had a few conversations about it, trying to figure out if it was my postpartum hair being weird (that’s been a thing), whether it was his coloring, or whether it was this new shampoo.
Because I’ve loved the other Innersense hair products so much, I just couldn’t believe it was the shampoo. Then I realized I wasn’t using it correctly. It’s imperative to rub the shampoo between your palms to turn it into this lavender color, then apply to your hair.
Next, the Innersense toning shampoo is SO effective, that it isn’t for everyday use. It’s really designed to be used on an as needed basis. For those with grey hair, it can serve as a good brightener and for my chemically treated hair, I can easily use this toward the end of my time between appointments – washing out any carmel/warm color.
Otherwise, however, I use their color awakening line – both the color awakening hairbath and the color radiance conditioner. I love the scent and feel of both. If you are super sensitive, their clean, hypoallergenic hair care line is also great (it’s even safe for kids)!
Quiet Calm Curl Control Review
There are a few products with which I’ve fallen completely in love. The quiet calm curl control, the hair oil, and the enlightenment scrub are my top picks.
You might not see me with my wavy hair too much (see my waves in this dressed up sweatshirt look), but it is an easy option for me – especially in the summer. I’ve long used gel and hairspray to get the waves rather than the fluff…and I thought the “crunchiness” was just a necessity given the products needed.
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Well, now I have the curl control, and my soft, fluff-free waves are SO happy. This product comes out looking like a lotion, taming frizz, but it acts like a lightweight stylizer of hair, allowing curls or waves to separate without weighing them down. It’s actually made for seriously curly hair (check out the reviews), so it’s quite a versatile product.
I actually use this product in my very everyday simple chignon hairstyle as well (seen in this black tights outfit), taming frizz and making my hair soft for next-day waves.
I typically spritz on the Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner, brush my hair (if needed), then apply a nickel size dollop of the quiet calm curl control to my hair. If wearing wavy, I “scrunch” my hair up to create the wave separation. Otherwise, I style as desired with combs and brushes.
For even more defined curls (still without crunchiness), the I Create Lift foam is AMAZING!! They’ve also come out with an I Create Volume foam, but I find that it makes my hair ‘crunchy,’ so it’s not a go to for me.
I Create Shine Hair Oil – Best Clean Hair Oil
Ok. You all, I haven’t always been a hair oil person. I’ve used a few over the years, but I often find them kinda heavy/weighty on my hair. But the Innersense I Create Shine hair oil is anything but, and, AND, the scent is heavenly!
This bottle looks small, but using just 3-4 drops (on my tons of hair) each time, means this bottle is going to last a loooooooong time!
But most importantly, the scent is lovely (they even made a candle – it’s that good), and the oil isn’t heavy. My hair hasn’t felt greasy or weighed down in the slightest using it.
Can be used on wet or dry hair – I use it EVERYDAY (earning a top spot on my Innersense review)!
How to Use Hair Oil
How to Use Hair Oil
Use hair oil properly to get beautiful shine without greasiness or weighted down hair.
Materials
- hair oil
Tools
- hands
Instructions
- Put a few drops of oil into palms. Not too much. A little goes a long way.
- Rub the oil between your hands and between your fingers, so as your fingers comb it through your hair, it will really disperse. Focus on the mid-shaft to ends and then the bottom of your scalp first.
- Only at the end of application, do you want to gently touch the hair near the top of your head
Notes
My favorite hair oil is this clean, I Create Shine. It's very lightweight, works wonderfully, and smells fantastic. Use code LUCI15 for 15% off your first purchase
Innersense Scalp Scrub
So this scalp scrub wasn’t something I thought I’d have much use for, but I wanted to try it anyway after a few followers raved about it really cleaning their scalp and their hair feeling so clean.
As it turns out, I was wrong, and this scalp scrub is NECESSARY! It’s peppermint scented scrub. You apply it to wet hair before shampoo. It really takes no time to work and you want to wash it out after you’ve been sure to scrub it everywhere. Then make sure to rinse it out without getting any on your face or in your eyes.
The peppermint can just be strong on your eyes – even the scent for too long. So unlike many products that work best with sitting, this isn’t one of those. After just one use, see how well your shampoo suds and cleans your hair. It’s wonderful! I think you can use this once per week (twice if needed) and be so happy!
This amazing product is one of a few products from their nontoxic hair detox line! It’s lovely!
Other Innersense Products
So my top 3, must-have Innersense products (i.e. the ones in this review) are the Quiet Calm Curl Control, the I Create Shine Hair Oil, and the Enlightenment Scrub. I have tried quite a few other products, however, and really like many of them.
Hydrating Hair Mask – I think this was the first Innersense product I ever tried and I think it’s a great, moisturizing mask. My stylist recommends using a hair masque once per week. I think that’s a bit ambitious, but I do try to use it a few times between my 6 week hair appointments!
They have two other hair masks – a Detox Hair Mask that will help remove buildup on hair from other products without stripping hair of natural oils.
I do use the Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner Spray every time I wash my hair. It’s a great conditioning spray (detangling spray). It does better when hair has more water in it, so no need to vigorously towel dry. I don’t think it works any better than other similar sprays I’ve tried, but it’s clean, B Corp, plastic bottle, and all the things! They do also have a hair prep spray for use before heat styling.
And I’ve recently added the Serenity Smoothing Cream to my collection. It’s designed to really tame frizz and fluff when blow drying your hair. It works VERY well at that. I think I prefer just using the prep spray and conditioning spray, however, because I lean into the extra body and ride out a blow dry for a few days!
I do really like using the smoothing cream for my low bun hairstyle (or any wet hairstyle that doesn’t need volume). It hydrates hair down to the ends, so you get the benefits of a hair mask without the time in the shower!
See more of my favorite non toxic hair products, including the best anti-frizz spray, as well as these hairstyle tutorials…
Use code LUCI15 for 15% off your first purchase
Innersense Coupon Code
See the discount code for a great discount on your first order as well as…
They also offer free shipping on orders over $25, so it’s pretty easy to not pay shipping either!
Recycling Hair Product Containers
Clean Beauty Posts
Since clean beauty is an important part of sustainable living (what we wash down the drain matters as much as what we put on our skin), be sure to check out these other clean beauty roundups:
Non Toxic Makeup Brands
Clean Beauty at Nordstrom
Clean Beauty at Sephora
Clean Beauty at Target
Clean Beauty at Walmart
Clean Beauty at ULTA
Best Beautycounter Products
Common questions include do shampoo bars really work and how do you use them? What natural deodorant actually works? Are there refillable deodorant options? What’s the best double edge razor blades (the best safety razors and how to use them properly). And the best makeup brush cleaner (on the cheap and easy)!
There are also great clean skin & hair care products for men!
And you’ll want to check out these wonderful natural bar soaps as well as body tools for smooth skin all over yourself!
