When I got pregnant, I didn’t color my hair for a year. Even after the baby was born I was breastfeeding, so I didn’t want to use any chemicals that could affect her. I also found a special shampoo and conditioner set that was sulfate-free. Having been formulated for pregnant women, Nine Naturals has no chemical additives, and their labels express that in clear, easy to understand ways. After all, the formula originally had only nine ingredients in it (hence the name). Since then, the line of products has expanded, but everything is still natural and free of harmful additives. I use the hair care even though I’m not pregnant, and my tots do, too. Why would you go back to chemicals? The founder of Nine Naturals actually quit her Wall Street job to create the company, as she was tired of so many beauty lines trying to piggyback off the new popularity of natural products by claiming to be something they’re not, or actually being all-natural and then not being effective. So the line requires no compromise – you get safe ingredients and the kind of clean that just feels right. Your hair isn’t stripped of its essential oils, but rather brought back to its natural state.
Our bodies, including our hair, require extra care and nourishment during pregnancy. Hair is very porous – anything you put into your body stays in your hair for a long time (which is why drugs can be detected in the hair for up to 90 days after use!). So Nine Naturals uses Vitamin B5 to fortify these strands and prevent breakage, while aloe and shea butter moisturize and maximize shine (even for color-treated hair). The hair care’s scents are soft, but they linger afterwards so people get that intoxicating waft when come near you. And it’s not a fake kind of aroma. The products smell like the real ingredients. My favorite is the mint and citrus. I have lemons, oranges, mint, and rosemary growing in my garden, and this scent is just like the actual plants that I smell when I step outside each morning. The company also has great body care, including a sumptuous body wash and a belly cream to reduce stretch marks (but unfortunately I can’t review that because I’m not pregnant!). The nourishing shampoo and conditioner are available at Nine Naturals for $20 each.