Herbal Essences Naked Moisture Collection

** For the bulk of 2014 and 2015 I had been participating in the "No-Poo" movement. I was not using shampoos containing sulfates to help maintain the moisture in my curly hair. My hair had been loving it.**

I was sent shampoo, conditioner, and dry shampoo to try out from the Herbal Essences Naked Moisture line. I'm sad to say my hair wasn't having it.

The shampoo contains sulfates that wreaked havoc on my moisture dependent curls. What makes curls snag and twist more than straight hair is that there are gaps in the shaft that shrink to hold onto as much moisture as possible, also partially why curls see more frizz. Right after lathering my hair and rinsing out the shampoo, my strands had felt like twine. That twine feeling was probably because Sodium Laurel Sulfate, which is the prime grease cutting ingredient in the shampoo, is also the same prime grease cutting ingredient found in your dish soaps.

The smell was lovely, and it could be unisex albeit a little strong coming out of the bottle, it stayed in my hair but didn't really interfere with my perfume the next day (I should also point out that I'm a person who washes at night and air dries while I sleep).

Although I wouldn't recommend this shampoo for people with thick wavy to curly hair like mine, I have been finding success using it about once a week to remove build-up while trying to maintain the natural oils in my hair. It would probably be good for people with medium to thick straight hair to keep their grease in check.

As for the conditioner, it makes a great shaving cream substitute. It's thick and kind of just sits on the hair. It contains silicone and silicones make the hair more difficult for water to permeate hair. That means while silicones can help the hair shaft maintain straight and sleek textures in humid temperatures, the silicone can leave build up that can be difficult to remove. So it makes application a little strategical, I would probably recommend using this before a summer event involving heat styling and balmy weather.

The surprise star of the three was the dry shampoo. Fair warning, you need to shake every time you use it because the formula isn't always consistent. The spray didn't leave a grey tinge, but it did eliminate most of the shine leaving it believably fresh. It was perfect for quickly hiding greasy roots from a late night and no time to wash or even taming my bangs that tend to get greasy twice as fast.

I will probably continue to use this shampoo maybe once a week to cut the grease and buildup from styling creams from the week. As for the conditioner, I'll stick to my usual brand. I will be restocking the dry shampoo when this bottle is empty.