I tried the only clean purple shampoo and conditioner I'm aware of and did not expect these results! Here's my full, honest review of Innersense Bright Balance Shampoo and Conditioner.
I regularly get my hair colored, so when I was looking for a new non-toxic shampoo and conditioner to try and came across Innersense Bright Balance for blondes, I thought it might be a great way to keep my blonde looking fresh. I already knew and trusted Innersense's Leave-In Conditioner, so I went for it. After trying the purple shampoo for a few weeks, the results were not what I expected! I have some thoughts - and I'm sharing the full scoop with you here, so you can decide if this duo is right for your hair.
Jump to:
What is A Toning Shampoo?
If you color your hair at a salon, you're probably aware of toner, or a product that goes on freshly dried hair to achieve the perfect shade - usually an icy or platinum blonde. Toning shampoos (and conditioners) contain the same kind of purple pigment that can help mute brassy tones for the perfect blonde color between salon visits. If you find that your blonde starts to turn brassy over time, a toning shampoo can help counteract the yellow, maintaining a cool, ashy tone. It's also a good option for people with grey, silver, or brown hair who want to counteract any unwelcome yellow or orange tones. While a toning shampoo won't give you salon-level results on its own, it can help you maintain the right color balance in your locks between visits.
Why You Need a Clean Shampoo and Conditioner
Chemicals are found everywhere in our daily routines, and especially in our personal care products. Shampoo and conditioner can be some of the biggest offenders when it comes to personal care products. They can contain several chemicals1, like:
- sulfates
- parabens
- phthalates
- formaldehyde releasing preservatives
- BHT
- SLS
- silicones
- synthetic fragrance
These chemicals have been linked to everything from hair loss and skin irritation, to more deleterious effects like cancer, hormone disruption, and immunological or neurological disorders.2,3,4,5,6,7 When we shower and wash our hair with products these chemicals, we not only expose ourselves by inhaling the fragrance, but we absorb some of the chemicals through our skin. Our skin, and especially our scalps, are capable of absorbing all kinds of things, including chemicals in shampoo and conditioner. Even small exposures that happen frequently enough can cause toxins to build up over time and cause harm.
Given that shampoo and conditioner are products that most people use pretty frequently and in large amounts, it's wise to seek out a nontoxic formula for your daily shampoo if you're serious about protecting yourself from harmful toxin exposure.
This clean, purple-hued shampoo + conditioner pair cleanses and conditions blonde and gray hair while neutralizing brass and boosting brilliance to restore balance and vibrancy to blonde tones without leaving hair stripped of moisture.
Meet the Product: Innersense Bright Balance Hairbath + Conditioner Duo
What It Is: A clean, purple-hued shampoo + conditioner pair for blonde and gray hair that cleanses and conditions while neutralizing brass and boosting brilliance.
What It Claims: "This silicone free formula features a custom pigment blend that delivers potent purple power to restore balance and vibrancy to blonde tones without leaving hair stripped of moisture. Good-for-you ingredients such as Organic Coconut and Pumpkin Seed Oil help replenish moisture and smooth frizz while antioxidant rich Rice Bran Oil helps improve the longevity of hair color by protecting strands from the elements." - Innersense website
How To Use Innersense Toning Shampoo + Conditioner
Use this toning shampoo and conditioner as you would any other, washing with the shampoo and leaving it in for 3-5 minutes before rinsing out, followed by the conditioner, which you should also leave in for 3-5 minutes before rinsing clean. The website states to use the duo once a week to maintain the brilliance of your hair. So if you're a daily or every-other-day hair washer, definitely have another shampoo and conditioner to keep in the rotation for the other days of the week!
Innersense Bright Balance Duo: My Honest Review
Ingredients: 9/10
All Innersense products are EU Certified, organic, cruelty free, and formulated without phthalates, ethoxylates, sulfates, silicones, 1,4 dioxane, parabens, petro compounds, propylene and butylene glycol, PEG, MEA, TEA, MIA, EDTA artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances.
Bonus points for extra nourishing ingredients like pumpkin seed oil, rice bran oil, and monoi oil, that help strengthen, moisturize and protect strands!
Experience: 10/10
This shampoo and conditioner duo is a joy to use! The containers are sleek, the pumps are straightforward and easy to use, dispensing just the right amount. The scent is pleasant but not strong - perfect for people like me who don't like an overpowering smell. The shampoo lathers and rinses well and the conditioner easily coats locks without too much wrestling. The purple color is a bit of a shock if you've never used a toning shampoo!
Performance: 10/10
I might even rate it higher for doing its job so well! I quickly found out that this toning duo certainly delivers on color. It might work a little too well in fact! Over the course of a few weeks, I realized that my hair doesn't actually need any toning since I noticed a visible difference in the purplish-silver tint to my hair that was already the right level of blonde for me.
Other than the color, the shampoo cleanses well without stripping (and without having to use too much product), while the conditioner leaves hair soft and smooth without feeling heavy or greasy - both of which my fine, limp locks appreciate very much!
Value: 8/10
While the shampoo and conditioner are a little one the expensive side, even for a clean formula, they will last a long time if you're only using them once a week. For me, the value was lost because I won't actually use the products much - I just don't need the extra toning! If you're on the fence, travel sizes are available so you can test it out with your own hair before committing to the full size bottles.
Overall: 9.25/10
Overall Impressions
If you need a little boost of purple or silver tint to overcome brassiness in your hair, and with a clean, nontoxic formula, Innersense Bright Balance is the shampoo and conditioner for you! I can say with certainty that it works! Unfortunately for me, I found out I just don't need the extra help, so I won't be continuing to use it.
Besides the toning ability, I was super impressed with the performance of the shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo cleansed my hair well without having to use too much product or having to double-wash (not always a given with clean shampoos), and the conditioner was the perfect weight and texture. It left my hair shiny and moisturized without weighing it down and without a struggle in the shower. Overall, if it weren't for the purple tint, I'd love this duo for everyday use!
Buy It: Innersense Bright Balance Hairbath and Conditioner Duo
(Psst! Get $10 off when you buy it at Credo Beauty.)
- Reviewer Stats
- Age: 30s
- Hair Type: Oily + Color Treated
- Skin Type: Oily/Combo
- Concern: Breakouts + Preventing fine lines
Resources
- What To Know About Shampoo Ingredients ↩︎
- Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours ↩︎
- Hair protein removal by sodium dodecyl sulfate ↩︎
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals and impact on male reproductive health ↩︎
- Exposing Toxic Fragrance Chemicals Report ↩︎
- Butylated hydroxytoluene ↩︎
- The Dirty Dozen: Siloxanes ↩︎
