A review of Terre & Botanique Organic Hair Products
When I was asked to test out sustainable hair products, I had some hesitation. In the black community, we tend to have a deep connection with our hair, especially the women. From a young age we quickly learn what works and what doesn’t. Additionally, as someone who wears my hair naturally, I get real selective on which products I am willing to put in my hair. I know exactly which brands work best for me (I am a Shea Moisturizer girl through and through).
However, as much as I hesitated I was intrigued at trying products that were made from 100% natural, vegan-friendly and sustainable ingredients. I’ve rarely, if ever, come across something like that for hair of my texture. Ultimately, I decided to give Terre & Botanique a try.
I love how Terre & Botanique date their products. THAT is fresh!
About Terre & Botanique
Terre & Botanique is black owned, upcycled hair care brand. It is founded by Stephanie Moody who started to create her own hair care products after being dissatisfied with the lack of truly sustainable textured hair care on the market. I got really excited when I saw that the items are produced with plant based ingredients along with upcycled fruits and vegetable scraps.
Most hair care brands that claim to be sustainable have the bare minimum for natural, organic ingredients. So seeing how transparently sustainable Terre & Botanique is only got me more excited to try the products. I set aside time on a Saturday night to wash my hair while incorporating the Scalp Balm, Rice Water + Ginger Pre-Poo and the Anti-Frizz Conditioning Mask. Here’s how it went.
Product Scent- 7.5/10
Before I put anything on my hair I always make sure to take in the scent of the product. I’ve never used hair care with completely natural ingredients before, so I didn’t exactly know what to expect. I thought the Pre-Poo smelled the best of the three. It reminded me of hand ointment, which may sound weird but it’s actually quite pleasant. The Anti-Frizz Conditioning Mask and Scalp Balm actually smelled pretty similarly to me. Their scent wasn’t as strong as the Pre-Poo, but I didn’t find it as pleasant either. My immediate thoughts when smelling the two products was what I remembered as the scent of play dough. However, after a couple of minutes I got used to it and didn’t have problems after that.
Product Price- 10/10
I may have been sent these products, but I thought mentioning price should be an honorable mention. After agreeing to try out Terre & Botanique products I immediately went to check out the website. The prices are an absolute deal breaker. Textured hair care tends to already be quite the expense. Add sustainability to that and it seems like you’re breaking your bank account. But with all of the products being $10.99 or less, Terre & Botanique provides something that is healthy for your hair and the planet all while being totally affordable.
Rice Water + Ginger Pre-Poo- 9/10
To be totally honest, when I wash my hair the first thing that I use is my shampoo. There typically doesn’t involve any pre-wash prep. The Rice Water + Ginger Pre-Poo is used on dry hair prior to washing. It is meant to help lift away any product build up and stimulates blood flow to the scalp to promote cell turnover and hair growth. The Pre-Poo felt amazing, but I had used quite a few capfuls before I felt anything.
Once I hit the showers, my hair also felt a little dry for a while when I started that initial water rinse. However, after a few minutes I began to notice my scalp felt more thoroughly cleaned than usual and my hair was a lot easier to detangle too when combed. I’m definitely going to start incorporating some pre-wash prep into my wash day routine from now on.
Anti-Frizz Conditioning Mask- 8/10
The struggle is real when it comes to preventing textured hair from frizzing up on wash day. The Anti-Frizz Conditioning Mask is used between wash and conditioning to limit the amount of frizz while also being used as a deep condition. I was very impressed with how easy the mask applied into my hair. Usually my conditioner feels thick and heavy while this conditioning mask was lighter and easy to manage.
It did take quite a lot of product to notice the change, but my hair felt extremely clean and was incredibly soft after washing. As for the frizz, my hair was still really frizzy after washing so it didn’t tame any frizz for me. Even though it missed the mark for the anti-frizz portion, it was on point with what I look for when conditioning so I still had an overall great experience with this product.
Black Currant + Blood Orange Scalp Balm- 10/10
This product quite exceeded my expectations. When it comes to scalp moisturizing, I never thought to incorporate that in the midst of washing my hair. I tend to leave that job for post-wash hair care. The Scalp Balm is to keep your hair and scalp moisturized in between washes, without clogging the follicle.
The texture is light and thin, so I didn’t have to put an excessive amount on it since it was extremely easy to apply. After completing my wash and putting my hair into a protective style, I definitely noticed how clean my scalp felt and that it was totally itch-free! This product is a definite keeper and will be used in every wash day routine from now on.
Overall Review
It’s not often that I step out my comfort zone with hair products and try something new. I’m glad I did though because overall I had a really positive experience. I had my hesitation on how my hair would react to sustainable ingredients, but it clearly loved it because my hair has never felt as smooth and soft as it is now. I may have just found new products to use instead for wash day! The only setback was the Anti-Frizz didn’t do it for me with reducing the amount of frizz. However, if you’re looking for sustainable, affordable hair care products for textured hair, then this line truly has everything you need.
–Janelle Sessoms
