A free bottle of Tea Tree Special Formula Shampoo was mailed to me by Maple Holistics. In exchange for the shampoo, I agreed to review the product. The review below is my honest opinion of the shampoo and its ingredients & I have received no other compensation. 

I’m always so excited when I hear from companies that ask me to review their vegan products. But…I’m often hesitant at the same time. I have always had very sensitive skin and since switching to a plant based diet 10 years ago my skin reacts to something it finds disagreeable with lightening speed! Thankfully, in this case, Maple Holistics sent me a bottle of their Tea Tree Special Formula Shampoo. Shampoo?! I can do shampoo!

I admit that I don’t know what all of those very long, chemistry class sounding ingredients always mean. And I am always skeptical when companies use words like “natural”. It is a buzz word that has been overused by companies and advertisers for years. In fact, especially when it comes to food & beauty products, if the label says “natural” in all likelihood…there is nothing natural about it! So with the help of the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database, I went though each ingredient one by one. If you have never visited EWG’s website, they pull together published scientific data and rate the ingredients from 1 to 10 based on how safe the product is to a consumer. It is a wonderful tool to use to supplement the incomplete data provided by many companies and our own government. I use EWG’s resources often as a helpful educational tool to ensure I make the healthiest choices I can. It was a bit tedious and I had to pull out my handy reading glasses but I entered each ingredient one by one and was very happy with the results. The first ingredient was water so that one was easy enough for me to figure out but of the remaining ingredients, all but one was rated a 1. Based on EWG’s scoring methodology, that is an A+. The one ingredient that didn’t fair so well – Cocamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB) scored a 4 and has been well documented as a contact allergen that can lead to head & scalp dermatitis. I have used the shampoo now for several weeks and have not noticed any issues. So I guess one positive thing about me doing the review is that even with my incredibly sensitive system, I had no negative reaction to this ingredient!

Though the shampoo is listed as safe for color treated hair, I made a quick call to my stylist Ann first. I color my hair red and even in the best of times the color will sometimes fade. The last thing I wanted to do was to wash out what I had just paid to add in! She was confident with the ingredients so I commenced to washing!

What I enjoyed most immediately about the tea tee shampoo was the aroma. The combination of the tea tree, lavender and rosemary oils create an aromatherapy experience. It is an interesting combination of soothing & energizing. I love it! While standing in the shower, I have found myself sniffing the shampoo even when I am not washing my hair that day. Okay, I admit it…I’m sniffing it now too! The essential oils I mentioned work together so beautifully. And after my concerns about my color treated hair, I found that the color is actually more vibrant after I use the shampoo. That was a very nice surprise. My husband Steve doesn’t always have the healthiest scalp and since tea tree oil is known for promoting healthy scalps I asked him to use the product too. It was very therapeutic on both of our scalps and I noticed that it helped clear up the seasonal flakiness that he sometimes experiences. Though I have some concerns with the possible allergen effect of CAPB, I am very happy with the product and enjoyed using it!

Maple Holistic is an online store founded in 2001 that offers natural and organic beauty products for consumers like us who demand clean, toxin-free products. The products are made in the USA; are cruelty free; sulfate free and safe for color! Many of the products, including the Tea Tree shampoo, are also vegan. From Bath & Body to Skin & Hair Care to Personal Care and even healthy nuts, seeds & berries, you can find effective products made with high quality ingredients on their site.

Through January 31, 2018 they are offering to send you a free sample of one of their products! Totally Free! You can choose from 1 of 16 different products that include beard oil, massage oil, several different shampoos or conditioners, pet shampoo, a lubricant, body oil, witch hazel toner, an essential oil and more. All they ask of you is to provide them with genuine and honest feedback of the product you chose. That’s it! You order it, they send it, you use it and then you tell the world what you thought! Follow this LINK to order your favorite free product. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!