the saying that 'less is more' might not be true for every aspect in your life but for cosmetics less is definitely more. here i am especially talking about less 'bad' ingredients like parabens, paraffins, silicones, petrochemicals, dyes, synthetic preservatives et cetera et cetera. let's take hair for example: the longer it is the more carefully you have to treat it. that means: turning the heat of your blow dryer down, using your straightening iron less often, avoiding hair spray... but you also have to change the hair products you are using. a normal shampoo with silicones won't do anymore. cheap shampoos make your hair look good at a first glance but will damage it in the long run. that's why i prefer organic hair products. one brand i particularly like is the austrian brand less is more. while i wouldn't buy their shampoos because there are cheaper products on the market with the same quality, for example grüne erde shampoos, i can recommend their leave-in and styling products. the less is more products have a natural but very strong smell: most of them contain pure essential oils. you can find three less is more products that i particularly like below.
_1_ flower whip for curly hair. it contains shea butter, beeswax and aloe vera and smells wonderful like ylang ylang, rose geranium and orange. the product can be used with damp and dry hair.
_2_ lavender smooth balm for heat protection. ever heard of split ends? i guess you know what i'm talking about. it's the same old story. especially when you dry your hair with a blow dryer very often or when you use a straightening iron, your hair ends will feel offended quite easily. but here apricot kernel oil, mallow extract and coconut oil help protect you hair during styling. the lavender smooth balm smells like lavender (duh!), rose geranium and atlas cedar.
_3_ mascobadogel for voluminous hair. the gel is a two in one. when it is used in damp hair and then blow dried your hair volume will increase. however, when it is used in dry hair it works like a normal styling gel. the gel contains mascobado cane sugar, forest honey and aloe vera juice. it smells like sicilian bergamot, blue chamomile and cypress.
as you can see all three products contain essential oils that have a fresh and energizing smell. this is probably the main reason why i want to have at least one less is more product in my cosmetics collection for the rest of my life! all of these balms and gels cost about 25€ per 150 ml, which is not a lot considering that you will have them for a very long time (i only need a hazelnut-sized amount). oh, and one last thing: the products are not just for women! men can also use the shampoo and various styling gels for example as the products neither smell womanly nor manly. my boyfriend uses the less is more kieselwax. it gives a strong but flexible hold and smells so much better than the usual hair gels for men you find at every supermarket.
