Collection: Hair Care Ingredients

Hair care ingredients category contains all types of ingredients for shampoo, conditioner, detangler, styling cream, texturiser, hair gel

Agar agar gel

There needn’t be oceans between you and silken hair, begin a seaweed love affair. Agar agar is the gel which comes from drying out a type of seaweed known as agarophyte. When added to boiling water, this creates a rich gel which leaves hair incredibly soft. You’ll find this oil-free agent in lighter conditioners such as zesty Veganese and restorative Retread, where it coats each strand without weighing your hair down. Conditioned locks will be plain sailing, so wave hello to a magnificently soft mane which still retains bounce and volume.

Almond milk

Get your daily dose with rich almond milk, full of vitamin E to help moisturise the hair and add shine and softness. In haircare products, this reparative ingredient strengthens every strand, helps to protect your tresses from further breakage and can even slow the natural hair fall process. Almond milk can be found in floral Happy Happy Joy Joy, a beautifully lightweight, yet hydrating and conditioning hair perfume. Strong, resplendent locks await you.

Aquafaba

The elegant name given to chickpea water, aquafaba is a replacement for eggs. Lush went egg free in March 2019, but lucky for us aquafaba shares similar properties to egg whites, including consistency and benefits. It also protects and strengthens fine hair, making it a great addition to H’suan Wen Hua, a deep conditioning hair treatment that also cleanses the scalp.

Argan oil

Embellish each hair strand in sumptuously rich argan oil. Celebrated in haircare, this luxurious ingredient comes from the kernels of the argan tree. In Morocco, the women’s cooperative ‘Ifrawnlhna’ works together to remove the outer shell of the argan kernels, pressing the nuts to produce litres of this restorative oil. Argan oil is rich in nutrients like vitamin E which can help to maintain a healthy scalp and stimulate healthy hair growth. Moisturising from root to tip, it gives shine to the hair and helps tame flyaways for a sleek finish. This beautiful ingredient can be found in Jason And The Argan Oil, a rose scented shampoo bar that brings some serious shine.

Avocado butter

Like avocado on toast? You’ll like it even more on your hair! Avocado butter is an all- round winner when it comes to haircare. Jam-packed with vitamin A to help the hair follicles produce a healthy amount of sebum, vitamin B to assist the absorption of essential nutrients, vitamin C, one of the most effective vitamins to help locks grow healthy and vitamin E, effective at increasing blood flow to the scalp for stronger, happier tresses. Protecting the hair strands from damage, this brilliant ingredient delivers nutrients to the very ends of the hair, locking in moisture by sealing the cuticles. You’ll find this beneficial butter in R&B hair moisturiser, a rich cream made of a blend of glorious butters and oils to add moisture and shine.

Bananas

Bananas will save you from future hair dramas. These fibrous fruits contain strengthening potassium and vitamin B to improve the hair’s elasticity and prevent breakage. Used in Jungle solid conditioner, bananas add some serious moisture to your mane, keeping it under control for manageability. As if that wasn’t enough, they also smell delicious too.

Beer

Hardy hair is something worth celebrating. A tipple of vegan stout in shampoo brings body and makes hair more manageable. The protein from malt and hops helps to strengthen fine hair, whilst the sucrose and maltose present in beer strengthen and tighten the hair cuticles for gleaming tresses. This tipsy ingredient is in Cynthia Sylvia Stout, a beer shampoo to give a glistening finish to your do.

Beeswax

When time is tight, hair products full of beeswax are an easy bee-sy way to lock in moisture to each hair strand. Deeply moisturising, this exquisite ingredient can keep hair and scalp happy, soothing any irritation and smoothing. Said to naturally stimulate hair growth, beeswax can slow the hair fall process and protect strands from damage for a more durable mane. Luxurious beeswax can be found in Fairly Traded Honey, a lavish shampoo with lashings of Fair Traded honey for glistening locks.

Cade oil

Console and calm your scalp with aromatic and woody cade oil. Used since the 19th century as a treatment for skin and scalp, this antiseptic, antimicrobial and fungicidal oil can soothe and balance the scalp and has a dark, smoky scent. You’ll find it in Soak And Float: a scalp-focused shampoo bar with a heady, yet sweet scent, made to calm the skin and get your scalp back in tip top condition.

Cinnamon leaf oil

Not simply a comforting scent, tingly, stimulating cinnamon boosts blood flow and improves circulation, promoting new hair growth. This antiseptic ingredient has a spicy scent and gives a warming sensation when applied to the scalp in hair treatments or shampoos. New shampoo bar is brimming with invigorating cinnamon, peppermint and clove oil to help your hair bloom from the roots down. Opt for this energising spice to get your scalp back on track.

Cocoa butter

Should you coco? Oh yes. Deeply moisturising, cocoa butter has long been prized for its moisturising properties and will leave hair smooth, sleek and easy to manage. For a quick, travel-friendly option, try Angel Hair, a heaven-sent (and heavenly scented) shampoo bar made to gently cleanse and soften.

Desiccated coconut

A bunch of lovely coconuts (some as big as your head) will soften and infuse hair with a totally tropical fragrance and absorb excess oil for beach-worthy locks. This beneficial ingredient is overflowing with vitamins, minerals and nutrients which will better your barnet. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties mean it supports scalp health, while also leaving hair more manageable. Found in Curly Wurly shampoo, desiccated coconut is a protein powerhouse, strengthening your strands to prevent breakage, lightly exfoliating the scalp and enhancing shine. It’s no surprise that the benefits of coconut are bounty’ful.

Ethyl Macadamiate

Often used as an alternative to silicones, this natural ingredient protects hair from heat and humidity without weighing it down. Made up of fatty acids, such as oleic acid, ethyl macadamiate is also softening for the hair. Pick up J’s Mom’s Okra, a rich, intensive conditioner that will moisturise your hair from root to tip.

Extra virgin olive oil

It’s no secret that olive oil is pretty famous in the hair world. Used in many Lush formulas, it contains some of the most powerful antioxidants in the world and can strengthen the hair. This clever ingredient helps give a sleek appearance to your ‘do, while improving shine and locking in moisture. Lush buy extra virgin grade because its extraction process preserves the most nutrients. If you’re looking for a plant-powered leave-in conditioner, that is particularly perfect for afro hair, pick up Super Milk. Not only does it protect hair during heat styling, it also provides weightless moisture to the driest of manes.

Fuller’s earth

What’s up doc? You lookin’ for some tough locks? Although easily forgotten, scalp care is an important part of haircare. Treating your scalp well will lead to stronger hair. An absorbent clay, fuller’s earth is extremely efficient at cleansing and exfoliating the scalp and absorbing excess oil. It is packed with beneficial minerals such as magnesium, calcium and zinc which condition and add strength to the hair from the root. By increasing blood flow to the hair follicles, fuller’s earth can help slow down the hair fall process by boosting the nutrients flow, helping the hair to grow stronger. This enriching clay can be found in Hair Doctor, an indulgent hot oil treatment to balance and calm the scalp.

Green olives

Build stronger hair with the help of green olives. Rich in vitamin E, fatty acids and antioxidants, these juicy fruits are superbly rich and moisturising for the hair. Used in Montalbano shampoo bar to improve the tensile strength and elasticity of the hair strands, green olives protect against damage, meaning hair is less likely to snap when you brush. Go on, flex your hair muscles!

Honey

For soft and moisturised locks, choose products that contain honey. A natural humectant, it helps hair to attain and lock in moisture while its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities work to cleanse and calm at the same time. Undiluted honey is also a natural preservative, which means it can last for years and helps to naturally prolong your product's shelf-life. Sunny Day will keep your mane smooth and glossy, countering the static charge which can cause frizz.

Jojoba oil

From the seeds of the jojoba shrub comes jojoba oil, a lightweight oil that protects hair from breakage and helps speed up hair growth by delivering moisture to each strand and cleansing the follicles of excess sebum (skin’s natural oil). Jojoba oil makes hair more manageable, strengthens, brings brilliant shine and moisturises deeply without weighing it down.

Kiwi juice

Enzymic kiwi helps to cleanse away excess oil without drying out the hair. High in the minerals zinc, magnesium and phosphorous which help to boost blood circulation to the hair follicles, kiwi strengthens hair from the roots and adds shine by flattening the hair cuticles so that they reflect more light. Additionally, vitamin C supports the scalp in absorbing nutrients, while vitamin E can help to repair damaged hair follicles, promoting growth.

Lanolin

Deeply hydrating, the rich nature of lanolin makes it ideal for thick or very curly hair which needs some extra TLC. Extracted from raw wool, this waxy substance is effective at moisturising the scalp, has a protective quality and resembles our skin’s own oil. Used in many hair treatments, lanolin quenches thirsty locks and leaves them feeling ultra moisturised.

Lavender

Aside from its bewitching scent, lavender is also brilliant at working in harmony with your hair’s needs. Balancing sebum production, it can increase blood flow to the scalp, helping to feed the roots of the hair - the first step towards healthy hair growth. Additionally, dreamy lavender has a calming effect on the mind, helping to reduce anxiety and promote sleep.

Lemon

A lemon twist may just be what your hair has missed. Lemons are full of vitamin C, which makes them a great natural cleanser. They will gently remove excess oil without stripping your hair of the good stuff it needs to stay looking great. What’s more, lemons are astringent, which means they encourage the hair cuticles to flatten and reflect more light, giving you shinier hair. This citrus fruit is also used as a natural way to lighten and brighten fair hair.

Linseed

Packed with essential vitamins and minerals that are fundamental to happy hair, linseed is both protective and highly moisturising. Vitamin E helps to maintain a balanced scalp, while vitamin C helps increases collagen production which promotes healthy hair growth. High in omega-3 fatty acids and rich in protein, linseed works to strengthen each strand and leave it glossy and hydrated.

Neroli oil

Toning and calming for the scalp and hair, neroli is renowned for its fine, sunny fragrance. In fact, it is scientifically proven to increase serotonin production in the brain which makes us feel happy and content, meaning it’s the ultimate mood-booster.

Nettle

Don't worry, although you may think of itchy rashes when someone says nettle, it actually has a balancing effect on the scalp, encouraging new hair growth and helping to reduce hair loss.

Oat milk

While making yourself a delicious cuppa, add a splash of oat milk to your hair routine to leave your mane feeling soft and supreme. This dreamy ingredient is packed with vitamins A, B and E to keep those locks strong and healthy. It also contains beta-gluten which forms a fine, protective film on the hair and penetrates each strand to deeply moisturise.

Peppermint oil

Invigorating peppermint has high menthol content to boost circulation, stimulate the hair follicles and leave your scalp feeling tingly-fresh. It’s also naturally astringent which helps to regulate the scalp’s oil production and can disrupt the hair fall cycle, meaning hair is retained within the scalp for a longer period.

Rose oil

With a delicate and sweet fragrance, rose oil can be used to balance and soothe the scalp as well as beautifully perfume the hair. Damask roses are picked at dawn in Senir, Turkey, where the oil is then extracted from the rose petals through a process of steam distillation.

Rosemary infusion

Take your mind and scalp on a trip to Mediterranean gardens where the precious rosemary herb blooms. This dry herb can be added to boiling water to make an infusion that deeply cleanses the skin and improves circulation to the scalp. Its woody aroma also helps aid relaxation.

Sea salt

For beachy waves all year round why not make a match with sea salt? Coarse sea salt is packed with minerals that occur naturally in sea water and will soften your hair leaving it fuller and bouncier. Additionally, it’s full of nutrients to keep your hair and scalp looking and feeling healthy.

Shea butter

Luxurious Fair Trade shea butter from Bolgatanga, Ghana gives softness and moisture to the hair and scalp, moisturising from root to tip. The women of Bongo Soe expertly whip and knead large pans of liquor which form a dense layer of beautiful shea butter ready to feed the hair.

Soya lecithin

This fatty acid occurs naturally in soybeans. Lecithin helps to soften your hair, while also encouraging the absorption of other ingredients, leaving you with a happy, healthy mane. Soya lecithin helps flatten hair cuticles to give a smoother appearance to hair, making it a fantastic antistatic.

Sweet orange oil

To revitalise the hair, why not choose a product packed with sweet orange oil? Its uplifting fragrance will leave your hair smelling fresh and zesty. This cheerful ingredient also has enzymic, cleansing effects on the scalp and hair.

Toothed wrack seaweed

Toothed wrack seaweed from Poole Harbour, Dorset, is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals that form a protective barrier on the hair, helping to retain moisture.

Vetivert oil

Not only a grounding essential oil for the mind, vetivert oil has a reviving effect on the scalp and encourages cell regeneration.

Wheatgerm oil

The best thing since sliced bread, wheatgerm oil is rich in linoleic acid which helps the skin to retain moisture and anti-inflammatory vitamin E which soothes the scalp.

Ylang ylang

A sweet, heady oil extracted from the flowers of the ylang ylang plant, this luxurious ingredient gives a rich, sensual perfume to the hair and has a balancing effect on the skin and scalp.