Lush Wasabi Shampoo: Unpacking the Ingredients and Benefits

Lush's Wasabi Shan Kui Shampoo offers a unique approach to hair care, drawing inspiration from the stimulating properties of wasabi. This article delves into the ingredients of this intriguing shampoo, exploring their individual benefits and potential effects.

Key Ingredients and Their Functions

The Lush Wasabi Shan Kui Shampoo boasts a diverse ingredient list, each component contributing to the overall cleansing, stimulating, and nourishing experience.

Cleansing and Foaming Agents

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): This ingredient plays a crucial role in creating the shampoo's lather, effectively removing dirt and oil from the hair and scalp. SLES is a surfactant derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil and acts as a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying agent. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life. It is considered milder than sodium lauryl sulfate and less likely to cause irritation.
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Derived from coconut oil, this ingredient functions as a surfactant and cleanser. It aids in lifting away impurities, dirt, and pollutants from the hair and scalp. Furthermore, it contributes to the shampoo's creamy texture and thickening properties.

Stimulating and Invigorating Components

• Wasabi and Horseradish: These are the star ingredients, known for their stimulating properties. According to Lush, fresh horseradish and wasabi boost circulation, helping to promote hair length and thickness. The combination of fresh wasabi and of fresh horseradish encourages hair follicles to grow, while giving a burst of warming stimulation as it is massaged over the scalp.
• Menthol: Derived from mint plants, menthol provides a cooling sensation to the scalp. It can worsen rosacea.

Volume and Texture Enhancers

• Sea Salt: This ingredient acts as a natural exfoliant, scrubbing away excess oil and buildup from the scalp. However, it's important to note that sea salt can also be sensitizing and drying for some individuals.
• Aquafaba: A byproduct of cooking chickpeas, aquafaba functions similarly to egg whites, adding volume and strength to the hair.

Moisturizing and Nourishing Oils

• Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive Oil): Rich in vitamins (A, D, K, and E) and fatty acids, olive oil strengthens and nourishes the hair, leaving it glossy and manageable. The primary contents of olive oil are glycerides of the fatty acids linoleic, oleic and palmitic. The squalene in olive oil makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin by trapping moisture in. This makes olive oil a great skin moisturizer. Studies show olive oil to have antibacterial and antifungal properties in low concentrations.
• Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil (Orange Peel Oil): This oil is extracted from orange peels and contains limonene and linalool, which contribute to its citrusy fragrance. Citrus peel is also a rich source of flavonoids, natural antioxidants that help protect the skin against damage.

Fragrance and Essential Oils

• Parfum (Fragrance): This is a complex blend of ingredients used to impart a specific scent to the shampoo. The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. It can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
• Rosa Damascena Flower Oil (Rose Oil): An essential oil derived from Damask roses, it is used for its fragrance and potential antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Rose Oil has antibacterial and antioxidant properties due to its terpene, glycoside, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and Vitamin C content.
• Lemongrass Oil: An oil.
• Citral: A fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.

Other Functional Ingredients

• Water: As the most common cosmetic ingredient, water acts as a solvent and carrier for other ingredients.
• Propylene Glycol: This odorless, colorless liquid functions as a humectant, helping the skin retain moisture and aiding in the delivery of active ingredients. Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
• Xanthan Gum: This polysaccharide acts as a stabilizer and thickener, providing the shampoo with its desired consistency.
• Sodium Bicarbonate: Also known as baking soda, it is used to adjust the pH (acidity) of the shampoo.
• Gardenia Taitensis Callus Extract: An antioxidant.
• Citrus Limon juice: also lemon juice.

Colorant

• CI 19140 (Tartrazine): This is a synthetic dye that adds a yellow color to the shampoo.

Potential Benefits of Lush Wasabi Shampoo

Based on the ingredients, Lush Wasabi Shan Kui Shampoo may offer the following benefits:

• Scalp Stimulation: Wasabi and horseradish are believed to stimulate blood circulation in the scalp, potentially promoting hair growth.
• Deep Cleansing: SLES and Cocamidopropyl Betaine effectively remove dirt, oil, and product buildup from the hair and scalp.
• Volume Enhancement: Sea salt and aquafaba contribute to increased hair volume and thickness.
• Nourishment and Shine: Olive oil and other oils nourish the hair, leaving it soft, glossy, and manageable.
• Antioxidant Protection: Ingredients like orange peel oil and Gardenia Taitensis Callus Extract provide antioxidant benefits, protecting the hair and scalp from damage.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

While Lush Wasabi Shan Kui Shampoo offers several potential benefits, it's important to consider the following:

• Sensitivity and Allergies: Some individuals may be sensitive or allergic to certain ingredients, such as fragrances, limonene, linalool, or citral. Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using propylene glycol. Oxidized limonene and linalool may sensitize the skin. Citral is a known allergen and may cause contact dermatitis.
• Drying Effects: Sea salt, while beneficial for exfoliation, can also be drying for some hair types.
• Menthol Sensitivity: Menthol can worsen rosacea.
• Olive Oil Considerations: Another study found olive oil irritated sensitive oily skin. Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
• "Fragrance" Transparency: The term "parfum" or "fragrance" can be vague. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient.

Alternatives by Lush

Lush has also rolled out a Coconut Rice Cake shampoo bar and a Flyaway Hair shampoo bar. The Coconut Rice Cake bar represents the rice in sushi, and was created to help rescue damaged hair. The bar has bits of white rice embedded in it, which offer a gentle exfoliation for flaky scalps. The shampoo also has a combination of organic coconut milk, creamed coconut, and fair trade organic cocoa butter, which hydrates and protects your hair. The Flyaway Hair shampoo is a scrubby sea salt bar that nixes oil and boosts shine. The shampoo's formula includes lemon oil to cut grease and cleanse the scalp, chamomile oil to soothe the scalp, and coarse sea salt to boost the volume of limp locks.

Read also: Benefits of Innersense Shampoo

Read also: Natural Haircare with Mermaid Dry Shampoo

Read also: Is Bio-Groom Shampoo Safe?

tags: #lush #wasabi #shampoo #ingredients #benefits

---

---