Welcome to another iHerb Haul! I don’t keep track on how many of these hauls I’ve done, but it’s been a lot in a year! I’m planning on doing a “best of iHerb Hauls”, would this be something of interest?
Comment down below and let me hear your thoughts!
Giovanni | Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner
I’ve stated before that I don’t use conditioner in my hair. Instead, I’ve been relying on oils and styling products to condition my hair and ends after a wash. It’s been working fine, but I thought that I should maybe test out leave-in conditioners too.
I got stuck on the name “weightless” and some reviewers saying it’s not moisturizing enough. And I thought this must be perfect for me! As my hair tends to get oily and I would really hate a leave-in to make it more greasy.
However, this product didn’t really fulfill my hopes and wishes. Though it definitely hydrates on a light scale, it doesn’t define my waves and actually makes my hair for some reason more straight and porous. I just don’t like the consistency the conditioner gives my hair. It’s quite the bummer.
Another thing I didn’t really like about it is the packaging and the cap. It would’ve been easier if the product was in a pump bottle, as in the format it is now the cap is in the way and it’s too easy to take too much of it. Nonetheless, the Giovanni leave-in weightless conditioner does offer a lot of product for the price compared to other leave-in conditioners at iHerb.
I will keep my hopes up and continue my search. As of now right now I’m using Beautiful Curls Activating Cream and R+Co Aircraft that’s doing a much better job at hydration and definition for my hair than any conditioners that I’ve tested so far.
Do you use conditioner in your hair? What’s your favorite for oily hair?
Bass Brushes | Large Oval Wood Bristles Hair Brush with Stripped Bamboo Handle
I know, another hairbrush! Like I said in my previous haul, my collection extends to this rainbow looking alien-thing. I just can’t help myself trying to find the best hair brush for my hair!
A few years ago Holistic Habits made a video on a wooden brush. At the time I was pretty much hooked on the Tangle Teezer and didn’t feel the need to switch really. But it sparked my interest, and I’ve been reading about several other green beauty bloggers who recommend wooden bristles instead of plastic ones.
The brush brand everyone’s talking about is the Italian brand TEK. However, they’ve been quite hard to get your hands on. A few Swedish webshops and hair saloons now carry this brand, and if you live in Europe you would be able to order from their website nowadays (you couldn’t a few years ago). And I think it’s almost impossible to find them in the States!
However, I saw iHerb carrying some wooden brushes that hade rave reviews on Amazon. It’s also much cheaper than the Italian TEK brushes. So I thought I’d start out with this one (read: I’ll be getting a TEK brush to compare), as I’m usually all about budget.
I still don’t have a TEK brush, so I can’t really compare. But oh my… I think it’s the best purchase I’ve made so far for my hair!
It still needs some technique, but when you get the hang of it, it barely pulls my hair(!) and goes quickly through and detangling. Of course, it could also be because I got shorter hair nowadays, but comparing to my other plastic brushes, this one feels much gentler. If it tugs, it tugs, but not to the point of breakage (unless you let it). It makes my hair shiny and softer than any other brushes I’ve used and gives it a bit more volume! And it can be used on both wet and dry hair.
Some describe wooden brushes to absorb oil, but technically, wood can only absorb so much… And in the end, it will actually make your hair greasier as it helps to stimulate and distribute it to the ends – excessive brushing = more oil. However, greasier doesn’t have to mean a bad thing as it really means that the brush helps to condition your hair and the massage makes it grow stronger. In the end, I haven’t noticed any huge difference in my scalps oil production; it’s neither more nor less. But my hair feels a lot fuller and healthy as there’s less breakage and pulls.
About the massage-factor, I feel like my EcoTools brush is better as it has a flexible cushion. Again, don’t know about the TEK brush, but the BASS brush cushion is quite stiff and so I don’t feel it is very therapeutic for my scalp as it doesn’t bend and follow the curves. The bristles are super soft for the hair to run through, and rounded enough to feel comfortable on the scalp though.
So if you’re on the lookout for a wooden bristle brush and can’t get your hands on a TEK brush, I highly recommend you take a look at Bass bamboo brushes! They come in different sizes, I got the Large one, which I’m truly happy with the size of (medium to long hair) – but look out it’s the most popular one and usually out of stock at iHerb and you may have more luck ordering it from Amazon! Fuchs Brushes also offer wooden bristle brushes, which you can get at iHerb.
MRM | Complete E
Okay, so these are not vegan, these contain gelatin (and beeswax) like many many other vitamin E supplements on the market. And while the Solgar vitamin E 400IU veggie caps worked for me, I really wanted something that had the full complete spectrum (not just mixed tocopherols) and for a good price, as I complained that the Holistic was way too expensive for me to keep taking. And I still need to take vitamin E for a while, and I’m still trying to figure out how to get enough through my diet. Some of you’re like, what, that’s not so hard? But yeah, for some reason I’m still struggling, or Cronometer isn’t displaying accurate and complete data.
The Complete E contains a months use of 60 caps, one tablet is taken twice, for just under $10! However, as I’m in the cutting stage, I only take one daily, which offers 200IU – half of what I was taking before.
Besides containing mixed tocopherols and mixed tocotrienols, it also has Vitamin C, CoEnzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. So from a beauty standpoint, this one hits the nail, but could of course also have added a small amount of zinc to make it even better for skin health!
MRM offers many vegan supplements, like my favorite Vitamin D! While I did consciously buy these knowing they are not vegan, I also consciously emailed them asking, requesting and giving them kind feedback on starting offering vegan whole spectrum vitamin E. And it would be awesome if more of you did the same thing! (As it’s all about demands!)
Cause why isn’t there a vegan whole spectrum vitamin E caps for a great value? Why should vegans pay extra? If you do a quick google search on vegan vitamin E whole spectrum (not just mixed tocopherols!), you’ll notice that they are few and that the price is doubled!
However, the answer I got from MRM regarding the vitamin E is that many vegan softgels contain carrageenan, which they’ve recently removed out of their products. And that’s true, every vegan vitamin E supplement I’ve tried (even the expensive ones from Holistic) and have found contains carrageenan. However, the studies done on carrageenan are conflicting and hold no real evidence of being harmful in the small amounts that are being used, and it’s still approved for use in food and cosmetics; Carrageenan is in a lot of vegan but also organic foods, as well as skincare products as it’s used as a thickener. It’s also naturally derived.
I got as bold and replied back to MRM that it would be much more appreciated that they offered a vegan vitamin E supplement with carrageenan than no vitamin E supplement at all! I hope they’ll find a solution or can make an exception, as MRM provides good quality supplements for such a good price.
Now for vitamin E in general, as my Kinesiologist pointed out my low levels it has been great in treating my hormonal problems as well as I’ve noticed my skin becoming more softer and balanced and has handled the winter cold perfectly fine! As my hormones are now more in balance my cystic hormonal acne is completely vanished and gone – Accutane-style, but without the harsh side effects, like nose bleed and depression. I get however normal small pimples nowadays, that is usually directly correlated with skincare and digestion.
Disclaimer: But I always, always recommend you to consult with a doctor or health practitioner and test yourself first before taking vitamin E or any other supplement!
Directly treat the deficiencies than go around guessing which one it may be! A doctor also helps you consult how much and for how long you should be taking the supplement and monitor if anything goes wrong. Please, don’t take vitamin E just because it helped me, take it because you can really prove that you need to take them also. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and taking too much can cause side effects and toxicity!
MRM | Vegan Vitamin D3, 2,500 IU
As we’re almost into spring now I thought about lowering the dosage from 5000IU to 2500IU. However, I think I’ll wait another month or two until it’s safe to show more skin when going outside. As the daily recommended dosage according to the Vitamin D Council is 70-80 IU/day/kg of body weight total to obtain healthy vitamin D levels. Following their advice, I should get at least 3700IU per day. As the vitamin D supplements usually come in 2500IU and 5000IU, I rather opt for a little more than a little less.
But my goal is to cut back as we get closer to summer where I feel it shouldn’t be necessary to supplement. But Sweden is one of the highest risks of osteoporosis in the whole world. They say to drink our milk, but you need vitamin D to fully absorb calcium. While some vegans/raw vegans like to throw mad shade at the milk, that it’s the milk and acid diet that’s causing so many Swedes to suffer from bad bones in their elderly years, I’d just like to blame the lack of sun throughout the year (as well as smoking, drinking and staying indoors).
And if 20 minutes in the sun is equivalent to a charge of about 10,000IU, then surely the standard daily recommendations of 600-2500IU/day is not enough to sustain healthy bones or a healthy body. You can’t get that amount even through food! So telling vegans our diet is lacking in vitamin D is pointless. Anyone living above Lisbon is lacking in enough sufficient vitamin D unless they supplement or move closer to the equator. And the building blocks you give your body today, will be used and rewarded long after tomorrow.
▸ Why does the Vitamin D Council recommend 5,000 IU/day?
▸ Vitamin D-bate D-bunked
California Gold Nutrition | LactoBif Probiotics 5 Billion CFU
We’re going on vacation overseas soon, and though not to a third world country, I thought it can be handy to have these with on the travel as I’ve heard flying alters your gut microbiome(?). I don’t travel much or see other people, so from that standpoint, I rarely if ever get sick. But often times I do get sick as soon as I’m in a new environment stressed and have to take public transportations.
I bought the trial pack for me and my boyfriend, and they are very handy for traveling as they also don’t need refrigeration. They are also available in 30 billion and 100 billion veggie caps.
Wholesome Sweeteners | Organic Molasses Unsulphured
There’s a lot of talk about black strap molasses. It is rich in minerals, especially iron, which we women are told we could use a little extra of. When it comes to molasses you either hate the taste of it or you love it.
I personally can’t stand the taste. As soon as it touches my tongue, my stomach cramps up. For me, it’s not a pleasant taste. However, when I blend it in with hot chocolate or coffee, the taste is tolerable; I will feel the taste, but somehow it’s not as strong to the point it makes a hole in my stomach you know.
I don’t have any iron deficiency of what I know of. According to my Kinesiologist, I’m at no risk. But I wanted to try it anyway as it’s very hard to find here in Sweden. And even though my boyfriend kind of likes the taste – he thinks it tastes much like licorice which explains why I hate it – this was a bit of waste of money even though it was really cheap for the amount you get. But I will try to incorporate it into some cooking, and hopefully, the strong taste won’t spoil the dessert…
iHerb Goods | Bamboo Ballpoint Pen
I collect pens. It’s just a habit of mine. This one is actually quite good and the ink is very fluid! I love the raw bamboo material, but it isn’t the most ergonomic pen that I own.
Just wanted to highlight some of the iHerb Goods you can throw into your order.
