Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Winter

Winter is rough on skin and hair.  Outside we have cold and wind, inside we have dry heat and blow drying.  The combination results in unique challenges for scalp, skin, and hair.  Environmental stressors can tip the balance - even people with "normal" skin can find themselves moving into the sensitive skin area.  The goal with sensitive skin is to help it stay strong and resilient before it gets damaged and irritated.  Once your scalp gets dry and cracked, it is harder to restore it. The same goes for your hair - a broken strand takes a long time to recover.

That's why the key to winter scalp and hair care is about nourishing and strengthening your body's natural systems:

• Look for natural ingredients that nourish and protect your skin and scalp, avoid harsh detergent based cleansers and fragrance
• Use natural plant based oils to build hair resilience and protect scalp and skin from the elements
• Change how you use products to match the season. For example, instead of rinsing out all of your conditioner, leave in a small amount to nourish and protect your hair all day.

Looking for products that will do this for you?  ANTIDOTE Chamomile Shampoo and Conditioner to the rescue!

If your scalp feels sensitive this season, you're not alone.  Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health, 45% of people report "having 'sensitive' or 'very sensitive' skin." The study also found that "there was no significant difference related to geographic localization, age, or ethnic distribution." Most of us describe our sensitivity as resulting in dry skin with "higher skin reactivity to cosmetics and various environmental factors."

Winter challenged hair and scalp is why we developed ANTIDOTE 1848 Chamomile Shampoo and Conditioner.

There’s a lot to love about these products:

• organic chamomile to soothe skin and reduce irritation caused by the sulfate cleansers found in traditional shampoos
• aloe vera bases to skin and hair health
• gentle sulfate-free cleansers
• shea butter, glycerin, and avocado conditioners to repair hair from within
• Vitamin E to protect
• fragrance free and hypo-allergenic - because we all have enough things in our lives that cause stress, why add more!

We've excluded ingredients known to trigger sensitivities like fragrance, sulfates, parabens, and harsh detergents - and added ingredients to soothe, heal, and protect.

All of this makes them Environmental Working Group Green Rated formulas.

What makes chamomile so special?  

"German chamomile, or Matricaria recutita, has been used throughout history as an herbal treatment for various skin conditions. It functions as an antimicrobial, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic and was approved by the German Commission E for inflammatory mucocutaneous diseases and wound and burn therapy," shares Doctors Alison F. Stallings and Mary P. Lupo.  They go on to explain, "The active constituents of chamomile include the terpenoids (bisoprolol, matricine, levomenol, chamazulene), flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, rutin, quercetin), hydroxycoumarins, mono- and oligosaccharides, and mucilages. Chamazulene exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and promotes wound healing. Levomenol is an anti-inflammatory and natural moisturizing agent that has been found to diminish the signs of photodamage, reduce pruritus, and ameliorate skin texture and elasticity."

In a nutshell, we chose to use organic chamomile to soothe sensitive scalp and encourage healthy follicles to produce healthy hair.  

How do we make ANTIDOTE Chamomile Shampoo and Conditioner?

We start with organically-grown Texas aloe vera, add scoop of soothing organic chamomile (like these pictured below), and Vitamin E for its strong antioxidant and moisturizing properties.  We add a gentle 4-part coconut cleanser and moisturizing glycerin to our shampoo.  We add shea butter and avocado oil to our conditioner.  Learn more about our ingredients here.

ANTIDOTE 1848 Chamomile Shampoo and Conditioner are hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free, and sulfate-free.  After all, beautiful hair starts with a healthy scalp, and happy follicles produce strong hair. 

Oh yeah, the line is also safe for all skin and hair types, color safe, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan, too!   And we've had lots of people use the shampoo as a body wash.  

WINTER HAIR TIP:  Because of the quality ingredients in ANTIDOTE Chamomile Conditioner, you can use a small amount as a styler. Even easier, leave some in your hair, instead of rinsing it all out, to nourish and protect your hair all day.  Always work your conditioner from the ends to the middle of the hair.

ANTIDOTE Chamomile Shampoo and Conditioner work well with ANTIDOTE Sandalwood Styler,  a multi-purpose styling product that works great on wet hair and can be blown dried in for extra volume.  It's also Environmental Working Group Green Rated.  All 3 can be found in our Sensitive Skin Bundle.

Happy Winter!

Abigail