I am always excited to discover local beauty brands so when I came across the Los Angeles based haircare line Rare Elements I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Not only is it a local brand but it has a great story behind it. The brand was started by a hair salon owner and a former model and the idea was to start a natural haircare line that could really repair damaged hair and not just camouflage it. 

This is something I can really relate to. As a model my hair is constantly being  curled, back combed and styled with heated tools. This can take its toll and I sometimes wonder if my regular shampoo is really helping or simply masking the damage with nasty silicones. 

I am becoming increasingly drawn to natural brands like this one that don’t pump their products full of silicones, parabens, and synthetic fragrances as I read more and more articles about the damage this can do to our bodies longterm. One concern I must admit to having was that without the use of synthetic fragrance I worried that my hair wouldn’t have that fresh clean smell that I love after I get out of the shower. 

It turned out that my fear was completely unfounded. The aromatherapy oil blend in both the shampoo and conditioner make washing your hair feel like a pampering ritual. The creators used rosewood and geranium in the products for both their haircare benefits, for example geranium is thought to protect against hair loss, and for the uplifting and balancing scent they create.

The interesting blend of natural ingredients in the Pure Shampoo are designed to remove product build up, dissolve sebum that can clog the hair follicles, eliminate bacterial growth and give the hair an injection of vital nutrients. I won’t go into detail about all of the ingredients but here are a couple of interesting ones that caught my eye:

Kalahari, which is watermelon seed oil, is a natural and gentle solution for dissolving sebum in the hair.

Marula Oil is considered a miracle oil in Africa due to its naturally occurring high level of antioxidants and fatty acids.

Rosehip is known to help with elasticity and moisture retention in the hair.

I really loved this shampoo not only for the scent but also because my hair felt really clean without feeling stripped of moisture and it was noticeably less tangled afterwards than when I normally wash my hair. I don’t have colored hair but for those of you who do another great thing about these products is they are designed to be color safe.

The line has two different Essential Conditioners and I tried out both. There is the Essential Lite conditioner for people like me with thin or fine hair and there is the classic formulation for people with thick or coarse hair. 

Like the shampoo the conditioners contain an amazing array of natural ingredients designed to prevent damage to the hair and protect it from future damage. The founders clearly did their homework when they were developing these products. Here are some of the ingredients I thought were particularly noteworthy:

Cupuacu and Muru Muru are rainforest butters from South America which have incredibly high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids and Cupuacu amazingly has naturally occurring UVA and UVB protection. 

Abyssinian, Baobab and Camelina are ingredients that help to naturally protect the hair and scalp both from heat and from free radicals in the environment.

I loved that with both of the conditioners you have the option of leaving them on as a masque for 15-20 minutes for extra moisturisation. You are also advised that the conditioners can be combined if you have fine hair and want extra hydration but want to retain your hair’s volume. This worked really well for me personally.

If you’re interested in trying out a natural haircare line I would thoroughly recommend Rare Elements whatever your hair type or concerns. I was frankly amazed at how nourished and shiny my hair looked and felt after using the shampoo and conditioner even after the first try. 

For more information about this line check out my video in the Videos section of the website now.