Review of Alexander Sprekenhus shampoo and conditioner

 

I’ve always been a sucker for big hair product brands like Kérastase, Joico and Redken but recently I’ve become more focused on what I put in my hair with all the debate about SLS and parabens. Finding products that make my hair feel strong, healthy and shiny at the same time as containing no damaging ingredients is difficult though.

Click to read what SLS are and why SLS-free shampoos and conditioners are better

Click to read what parabens are and why they should be avoided as well

After reading about these chemicals it makes some sense to try to stay away from them as much as possible and so my hunt for the right products began. I found Alexander Sprekenhus’ products while sipping on a glass of rosé in my home town in Norway. A friend of a friend of mine came over to our table and raved about a hair oil that only contained natural ingredients like Argan Oil and that it knocked out big sellers like Kérastase and Shu Uemura. She said it was so pure that it could even be used on the skin, and the bottle went around the table. My first thought was that it smelled AMAZING and candy like! Skeptical and suspicious like most beauty bloggers I asked her about the ingredients, but it was impossible to get any sense out of the conversation other than that it only contained safe ingredients (possibly due to the amount of wine we had both consumed). She had a sample of a shampoo and conditioner in her hand bag and gave it to me to try out.

I tried the shampoo and conditioner the day before I left Norway and I was in love!!! The smell, the shine, the feel of the hair… but still I didn’t know what it really contained so I dived into the world of chemistry to find out what ingredients the products contained and what they actually do for the hair, which was a lot easier than I first thought as both the shampoo and conditioner contains the exact same ingredients only in different amounts.

Click here to see the list of ingredients and explanations:

About the ingredients in other words:

Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner from the Norwegian brand Alexander Sprekenhus contains no sulfates, phosphates or parabens, but cleanse in a natural way which preserves the hair’s natural balance! The big star of the formulation is the luxorious Argan Oil which is derived from the Argan tree Argania Spinosa, indigenous to Morocco. Argan oil absorbes four times as fast through hair as through skin and nails and has a variety of nourishing properties for the hair. The oil softens and moisturises while correcting frizz and providing incredible volume and shine without making the hair feel greasy or oily. The oil is also rich in Vit A, Vit E, Vit F and also works as a uv protectant. Worth mentioning is also the fact that none of the ingredients comes from animals nor have been tested on animals!

What do I think?

The consistency of the shampoo is a little bit different than normal as it doesn’t foam up as much as shampoos usually do, which actually is a good thing according to specialists because it’s the big foam that is created by adding the dangerous chemicals. This foam is smaller and feels like a silky blend of oil and foam, simply wonderful! The smell is amazing and I’ve caught my self drifting away while twirling soft locks in between my fingers and sniffing them untill I get embarrassed and realise what I am doing. It smells like candy with elements of caramel and vanilla at the same time but it is not the fake sweet smell that you normally find in beauty products. It’s an exciting and different candy smell! I simply love it!!

The shampoo and conditioner contain the exact same list of ingredients but in different amounts which makes the shampoo a clear liquidy consistency while the conditioner is a thicker cream-like consistency.

I’ve had so many people asking me what I’ve done to my hair since I started using these products, both on the blog and out and about. My hair feels less tangly and frizzy and the ends of my hair feel much more moist than any conditioning treatments have managed to achieve before. This was highly needed for my hair after the terrible treatment I got at the hair dresser in Norway where she performed not one but two decolourizations in addition to colouring and bleaching afterwards (she called this process treatening and conditioning so don´t make the same mistake as I did and visit Blend hair dresser in Sandefjord if you love your hair). I thought that it would take years to build up my hair again but it is unbelievable what these products have already done for my hair! I can’t wait to try out the oils that I’ve heard so many great things about, can it really get better than this?

In the picture on the top you can see how the hair has gone through heat treatments to get curls and how the shine and vitality is completely gone from the hair. In the two pictures below you can see how the hair has regained shine, vitality and moisture to the damaged ends. This is after only one wash with the hydrating shampoo and conditioner from Alexander Sprekenhus without adding any products to the hair afterwards. Isn’t it just amazing?

If you want a shampoo without sls and parabens whilst still achieving:

1. No frizz
2. Moistened hair
3. Shine
4. Less tangles
5. Amazing smell
6. Stronger hair
7. Volume
8. No static hair
9. Rebuilding and nourishing properties for damaged hair
10. Nourishing and softening for hair extentions

… Then these just might be as right for you as they are for me :)

The prices are really good as well!

• The shampoo costs 269 NOK (which is about £29 GBP)
• The conditioner costs 279 NOK (which is about £30 GBP)

All in all: 10/10

Go to Alexander Sprekenhus to get your products!!