Description A unique, effective, nourishing blend, this game-changing formulation is the result of countless tweaks to a recipe I’ve been using myself for a long time. I am rather fussy about what I put in or on my hair, and struggled to find a decent shampoo that doesn’t come full of sulphates, drying ingredients or which is then packaged in a plastic bottle. I also didn’t enjoy the feeling of shampoo bars, despite many attempts, and found they left a waxy residue in my hair and didn’t leave it feeling clean… I’m happy to say that the solution is here! The Renaissance Cleansing Powder for Hair & Body (Yes it’s a one-stop product for washing your hair and body!): – is entirely plant-based and simple, combining several ingredients which have long been known to boost hair health (strength and shine) as well as a gentle cleansing agent, making it a pleasure to use. – is free from sulphates, silicones, preservative, parabens, palm oil, petrochemicals, alcohol and contains no harsh detergents. – comes as a powder (liquid-free = good for travel!) which you mix with water in the palm of your hand (there is no sophisticated trick to this; it’s very simple and takes two seconds in the shower!) to make into a paste, which then foams up beautifully when massaged into wet hair. For those of us who’ve experimented with the ‘no shampoo’ idea but missed the luxurious feeling of lather, this is the way forward! Crucially, the emulsifying surfactant ingredient is VERY gentle, coconut-derived and good for curly and all other hair types. You might even find (depending on your hair type and especially if it is straight, tends towards oiliness or is fine) that you don’t need to follow with conditioner afterwards! – is for men and women; if you’ve got hair (or a body), this is for you. – is made with a blend of plant powders including green tea, organic coconut, rice, rosemary, hibiscus and some ayurvedic-inspired ingredients that are a little more unusual in western culture but amazing for hair. (See below for a run down on which ingredient is doing what and why!) – is vegan (of course!) – contains no synthetic scent; essential oils only (lavender, sage & ho leaf) – the smell is somehow relaxing and enlivening at once. – doesn’t come in a plastic bottle! It’s therefore a good alternative for those who are trying to reduce the amount of plastic they buy. The Renaissance comes in recyclable metal tin, with paper bag ‘bulk’ refills available. – also makes a perfect nourishing, gentle bodywash in the shower or bath as well as for washing hair; use it all over your body instead of showergel (another plastic bottle that’s now unnecessary!). – can also be sprinkled into the bath to infuse its aromatherapy and plant goodness into the water (see uses & directions, below). REFILLS/BULK: Choose from the drop-down options when adding to your basket either the metal tin or a larger amount mailed to you in a paper bag for you to refill your empty bottle at home. We strongly recommend that you immediately decant the contents into a clean & completely dry glass jar, to eliminate the chance of moisture entering the product & to preserve its freshness. Being water-free, the formulation is stable for a long time, just take care to keep it sealed against moisture. Then: keep the jar somewhere cool, out of direct sunlight, so it can sleep peacefully until you need it. Please note that, in keeping with the law and regulations around cosmetic products, we will affix the original label to your paper bag and hand-write the weight you’ve ordered (which may be different to what the label says) onto the bag. Key ingredients/benefits: ORGANIC COCONUT MILK: this beautifully sweet-smelling fruit is very nourishing, for shine and conditioning. Some hair types may find that this component of the Renaissance is enough to mean they do not need to follow with conditioner, though drier hair types may disagree. Full of fatty acids and other nutrients, coconut is soothing for scalps and very moisturising. RICE: amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin E… bathing hair in rice water has long been believed to help hair grow long, shiny, strong and smooth. It also gives a creamy texture to the shampoo which, in addition to the coconut, feels wonderful. The starch may also help those with dermatitis; it’s very soothing. GREEN TEA: see this page for a rundown of why tea is in every product in the Leafology range. With caffeine, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, green tea leaves are a boost for healthy hair. SHIKAKAI: is a climbing shrub native to Asia, translated as ‘fruit for hair’ and used as a hair cleanser in parts of India for centuries, it adds shine and softness, helps fight dandruff and it is even claimed to help delay grey hairs (though personally, if you’ve earned your greys, I say embrace them!). It imparts a thicker, detangling texture to the blend and soothes scalps. HIBISCUS: the use of the hibiscus flower has been associated strongly with hair length and stimulation of dormant follicles. It is rich in vitamin C, which boosts collagen (the amino acid chain that gives your hair its strength) production, strengthening roots and keeping hair lustrous. BRAHMI: a leafy herb native to wetlands, brahmi helps strengthen hair and promote hair length. Another plant used in ayurvedic hair treatments, it is said to help heal minor wounds and bring about voluminous locks. ROSEMARY: stimulates the follicles and scalp and boosts circulation. Its antibacterial properties make it a good cleanser. Rosemary was highly valued in ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt for it’s clarifying, healing, soothing properties. LAVENDER, SAGE & HO LEAF ESSENTIAL OILS: As well as being the queen of relaxing oils, lavender is antibacterial, calming, helps control dandruff, conditions the hair and adds shine. Sage is traditionally associated with cleansing and clearing (it’s also disinfecting, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial). Ho leaf (a gentle, woody floral scent) is soothing and nourishing. Uses & Directions: Can be used as shampoo, bodywash/showergel or sprinkled into a bath (it won’t foam in bath water, but will impart the water with a LOT of nourishing goodness and smell beautiful). To use as shampoo: 1. Thoroughly wet hair. 2. Shake bottle and carefully tap some powder into the palm of your hand (how much you need will vary according to the length and thickness of your hair; as a guide, you might try somewhere from a heaped teaspoon to half a tbsp). 3. Gradually splash just a little water onto the powder, until you can stir it into a paste with your finger. 4. Rub between palms then apply to hair and massage in. (I like to use my fingertips to massage and focus on the scalp and crown of the head.) 5. Rinse thoroughly and follow with this conditioning magic (if desired; you may not feel you need it, for example if your hair is oily, depending on your hair type). To follow, I like to stroke pure (natural) aloe vera gel through my hair for a bit of curl definition that doesn’t look too stiff or over-styled, along with a small amount of the Shine Elixir Hair Food & Tea & Rice Bran Curl Butter through the ends to add definition and shine as it dries. Ingredients: Oryza sativa (Rice) powder, Cocos nucifera (Organic Coconut) milk powder, Sodium cocoyl isethionate (a coconut-derived surfactant which creates the cleansing lather without irritation or drying), Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) leaf, Acacia concinna (Shikakai) fruit powder, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower powder, Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) leaf powder, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil, Salvia officinalis (Sage) oil, Cinnamomum camphora (Ho) leaf oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalol.  Please note: we’ve recently updated the container for this product from the older-style bottle shape to the super-cool, wide-necked tins shown on this page, for extra-easy customer refilling at home! Related