Firstly, I want to apologise for my long absence, but I am back and with a giveaway!

Madre Labs is a line sold exclusively at iHerb.com; they offer hair, skin and body products. Their products come with a “No No-No’s” seal, which means no sulfates, parabens, dyes, animal ingredients and animal testing are in any of their products. The ingredients they use are gentle, eco-friendly and biodegradable, as well as their packaging.

I will be reviewing the hair and body care lines.

(Links will take you to ingredients lists, it would be too long to add them all in this post)

Moisturizing Shampoo [$10.46] & Conditioner [$8.21]
Balancing Shampoo [$9.71] & Conditioner [$7.46]

After trying a few natural shampoos/conditioners in the past I was usually disappointed, so when I found one I liked I stuck with it. I was a little skeptical at trying a new brand, but in the end I was impressed. I found the moisturizing and balancing lines to be quite similar, so I’ll review them together. The moisturizing line has a sweet, strawberry candy type scent and the balancing line is pomegranate and mellow mint. Both are quite sweet smelling, yet subtle.

The shampoos lather well, I found that I had to make sure I distributed the shampoo around my hair first and then start to work it into a lather. It does a good job at cleaning my hair, but never felt stripping or drying. It didn’t make my hair feel like straw like another natural brands did.
Each conditioner provided slip, detangled and added moisture. My hair wasn’t knotty and it was easy to brush once I was out of the shower.
I have colour treated blonde hair, so it is on the dry/damaged side, yet both lines made my hair soft and manageable.  I wash my hair every two to three days and they both seemed to control oil well.

The conditioners contain a lot of great ingredients such as: aloe vera, jojoba oil, sesame oil, avacodo oil, olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, pomegranate, acai, goji and seabuckthorn; all of which are at the top of the ingredients list.

Overall both shampoos and conditioners were effective at cleaning and conditioning my dry hair. Eventhough one is marketed at moisturizing and the other balancing, I found that they worked in the same way. They contain a lot of great nourishing ingredients and are budget friendly.

Leave in Conditioner[$5.96]

This is the product I used the least, just because I lean towards oil and cream products for my hair. It has a refreshing tangerine scent, just be careful not to breath it in, it can irritate your nose. I use this on day old hair that needs a freshen up, to put some life back into my natural waves. It also works as a detangler. It is marked for all hair types, but would be great for people who don’t like to use heavy leave in hair products.

Moisturizing Body Wash [$9.71]

I’m a big fan of mint scents, this has a subtle mint scent with hints of rosemary. This combo sounded a bit odd, but it actually really nice.  The body wash has a good lather, not as creamy as some though. It also doesn’t dry my skin out, so I found I don’t have to moisturize as often. Again this contains some great ingredients like: Argan oil, coconut oil, rosemary, goji, pomegranate and seabuckthorn.

Unscented Body Lotion [$8.21]

I was really looking forward to getting this, as I needed a new lotion coming into Spring/Summer. In the winter I use Badger Balms moisturizer, but that gets too heavy for the warmer months. The Madre Labs lotion is on the thicker side, but absorbs quickly without leaving an oily residue. I’ve found this to be a great everyday moisturizer, and is perfect for my naturally dry skin. It is unscented for those who don’t want any fragrance. Some great ingredients are: Argan oil, shea butter, safflower oil, jojoba oil, sesame oil, avacado oil, coconut oil, goji, pomegrante and seabuckthorn.

Unscented Hand Cream [$6.71]

The consistency of this is similar to the body lotion, but is just a little thinner. I have very dry hands and this does a great job at moisturizing them. It doesn’t absorb super quickly, but I like my hand cream to be somewhat thick and moisturizing. It isn’t oily, so if you add a small amount and make sure you rub it in well, then you’ll be fine. The size is great for your hand/school bag. It is something I always have with me.

After trying all of the Madre Labs products, there was nothing I was disappointed with. I didn’t use the leave in conditioner much, buts that’s just because I prefer oil/cream hair products. The shampoos and conditioners worked well on my hair and had the same affect, eventhough they are labelled for different hair types. The Madre Labs products are packed with great ingredients and are affordable. Just follow the links if you want more info on the products.

Now for the giveaway!

iHerb has been great enough to sponsor  this giveaway, so one lucky reader will win everything I’ve reviewed.

To enter:
1. Like always you must be subscribed to my blog, either by Google friend connect or email subscription.
2. This is open internationally, if the winner is outside of the US, you will be responsible for any extra custom taxes/duties.
3. To enter leave a comment on this blog post telling me which product you look forward to winning the most and why.
4. If you are the winner you have to be registered to iHerb.com to claim the prize.
5. Giveaway closes in 2 weeks on  Saturday 19th November 2011 at 8am Australia Eastern Standard Time.
6. The winner will be drawn at random and contacted by email.

GOODLUCK.

If you are wanting to try out any of the mentioned products, check out iHerb. com.
If you are a first time buyer on iHerb use the cose EFE092 at the checkout to receive $5 off your order.

Thanks,
Hayley

I was sent these products for consideration to review. This in no way influences my opinions and everything is 100% my honest opinions. I am not compensated for this review and was under no obligation to write a review.