I spent years searching for a product that would completely rid my body of acne. I've tried body washes, soaps, sprays, and serums, and many of them actually work. have It worked… but only temporarily. After a few weeks go by without my butt popping, those (literal) butt-pain-causing acne *always* seem to come back in full force. I only recently realized that it was time to quit. Treat I started trying to figure out the problem and where on earth it was coming from, which led me to take a much-needed look at my hair care routine.
And you may not know it, but certain ingredients commonly found in shampoos and conditioners can clog pores and ultimately lead to acne. Clearly something needed to change, so I swapped out my go-to foam and rinse products for Clearstem's Luxury Hair Care Bundle ($94) and never looked back.
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Clearstem, Luxury Haircare Bundle — $94.00
Includes a bottle of Clearstem's Restorative Shampoo, a bath of Repair Conditioner, a scalp scrubber, and a tong clip.
- acne friendly
- Safe even for sensitive skin
- SLS-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free
- Hair does not dry out
- Smells like a spa
- Includes claw clips and scalp scrubber.
Why Acne-Friendly Shampoos?
Fun fact: Hair products don't just come into contact with your scalp and strands. Once you rinse it out, it travels down your body and lands on your back and buttocks (aka your midbody). According to dermatologists, sulfates, which are often used as foaming agents to give shampoos their foamy feel, form a film on the skin and trap acne-causing dirt and bacteria. While other common shampoo ingredients like silicones, thickening oils (mineral oil, lanolin, etc.) and fragrances can also cause acne breakouts, sulfates like SLS and SLES are known to be your biggest enemies.
Additionally, conditioners often use heavy butters and oils for their moisturizing effect. This can cause breakouts, as you probably already know from your skincare routine.
“We see hair care products clogging pores and causing acne-like lesions,” says Dr. Ivy Lee, a dermatologist in Pasadena, California. She points out that conditioners containing certain oils “may have a more comedogenic effect in terms of clogging pores, which can lead to acne-like lesions on the hairline, back of the neck, shoulders or upper back.” Some common culprits? Coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil.
Introducing Clearstem’s Luxury Haircare Bundle
Clearstem's hair care products are free from many substances, including pore-clogging substances such as sulfates, shea butter, isopropyl myristate, and coconut oil, as well as potential hormone disruptors such as parabens and phthalates. But just as important as what's not in the formula is what's in it. do have: Contains plenty of ingredients that are good for hair.
The first product in the bundle is the brand's Restorative Shampoo, which contains growth-stimulating rosemary oil, scalp-soothing spearmint oil, and redness-relieving chamomile extract. Then there's the Repair Conditioner, which gets the nourishing benefits of Kokum Seed Butter (to moisturize hair), and Almond Seed Cake, which coats hair with a peptide barrier to prevent breakage. Both of these ingredients are non-comedogenic, so they won't clog your pores when you wash your back.
Like all of Clearstem's products, the new hair care line sits at the unique intersection of “clean” and “clinical.” The brand was founded by Danielle Gronich, a clinical esthetician and founder of the San Diego Acne Clinic, and Kayleigh Christina, a registered dietitian, who bring their different perspectives on acne treatment to the brand's ethos. The hero natural, clinically tested ingredients in this formula are safe for sensitive skin and have been dermatologist tested.
why i like it
The fact that Clearstem's shampoo and conditioner are acne-friendly may be what drew me to them in the first place, but there are a number of reasons why I'm interested in finding out more.
Since most sulfate-free shampoos provide a very thin lather (if any), I've always had a hard time believing that's the case. actually Cleanses the scalp. I wasn't confident that it would remove all the dirt and grime without feeling like it was foaming. Clearstem's shampoos get the perfect amount of lather from plant-based sulfate alternatives, giving you confidence that the job gets done.
Additionally, the spearmint-rosemary combination not only smells like an authentic spa experience, but the essential oil provides a wonderful cooling effect when applied to the scalp. The entire user experience was so luxurious that it felt like it should have happened in the hands of a professional at a salon rather than in my own shower. What is one thing that makes you more pro-grade? The included scalp scrubber massages your entire scalp whenever you need a deep cleanse.
I was initially worried that this duo of acne-friendly products would make my always-dry hair even drier, but boy was I wrong. Whatever the Kokum Seed Butter and Almond Seed Cake do for my strands, it's pure magic. The conditioner leaves my hair super soft and shiny and has a subtle spearmint scent that energizes me throughout the day.
I also like that the product comes in a tub. This is because you can control exactly how much you use at one time. I like to apply it to my hair in small sections, working a dime-sized dollop into my strands from tip to root and combing through. Just clip everything into the claw clip that comes with the bundle and let it sit for 5 minutes while you do the rest of your body care routine, then rinse.
This product is still a fairly new addition to my routine, but I love how it changes with the shape of my hair. good I feel like using it and the fact that the rash on my body is disappearing soon makes me believe it is here to stay.
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