Over the past few years, I’ve transitioned to using non-toxic products for health and home. Some of the changes were quick and easy, but others have been hard- like hair and make up products. I’ve struggled to find a reasonable replacement, in cost or effectiveness.
Today, I want to share that I’ve finally found a natural hair care line that I can say, with confidence, works well AND is safe. The product is MONAT (wondering how to pronounce? it stands for modern nature)!
I was initially wary because it is a multi-level marketing organization and I wasn’t interested in distributing anything. Plus, the price was high and it’s not grocery-store convenient. But dealing with terrible postpartum hair, I was desperate to try something that worked as well as everyone raved. My expectations were low.
First, what I love about this product is the ingredients. It’s made with essential oils (the products smell incredible!) and antioxidants to support hair health. And it has none of the super harmful chemicals in almost everything else on the market – there’s NO:
- Parabens – preservative in nearly all cosmetics that mimics estrogen, therefore disrupting hormone function; studies show it causes cancer
- Sulfates – foaming agent that dries out your hair and irritates your scalp
- Cyclic Silicones – makes the product spreadable, but causes lots of build up which is especially bad for curly hair like mine
- DEA/MEA – a cutting agent you’ll find in most bath products to help mix oil-soluble with water-soluble ingredients; it increases risk for kidney and liver cancer because they are especially tough chemicals for our bodies to break down
- Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) – helps with product penetration; this ingredient may irritate sensitive skin, but the worse risk is how it helps other toxic chemicals in a product get into your system
- Phthalates – a dissolving agent and fragrance carrier; disrupts estrogen and testosterone levels linking to infertility, effects unborn babies and young children most due to inability to metabolize through digestive system (source)
- Phenoxyethanol – a common cosmetic preservative; the FDA has admitted it depresses central nervous system and European studies show it is a skin irritant and potential effects on fertility (source)
- Petrolatum / Mineral Oil – our bodies cannot metabolize so levels continue to build over use, especially bad because it is linked to estrogen dominance and potential carcinogen (source)
- Triclosan – antimicrobial that causes gut inflammation
- Formaldehyde Releasers – common preservative and antimicrobial is known to inhibit the immune system and studies show it is a carcinogen (source)
Now that the SAFETY of this product is clear, let me share my experience with the EFFECTIVENESS…
Monat has several different systems depending on your hair type- a distributor could help you identify the best one for you. I was wanting to tackle a couple problem areas for myself… through all the products I’ve tried, my hair has always ended up oily, frizzy and easily tangled. A bonus would be for my air-dried hair to look better and be easier to achieve. For reference- my hair is fine but there’s lots of it, is uncolored and is long and naturally wavy.
Based on this, I chose the Effortless Style/Soothing system. Shampooing with this product is a bit different- you have to put a little bit on first and let it sit- there will be no lather. Rinse and repeat and the second time it lathers a bunch. Let that sit and rinse and your hair will feel cleaner than ever! Conditioning is normal, except you need to let it sit for 5 minutes.
I used the product for a few weeks and was totally disappointed / felt I had completely wasted my money. My hair was only slightly less oily, but it was tangled worse than ever and still didn’t air-dry well. The system comes with a blow-out cream, which I never used because I only blow dry my hair once a month. When I told my distributor about this issue, she switched it for the Air Dry Cream.
The new cream was a GAME CHANGER. Suddenly, my hair was healthy, didn’t tangle and air-dried fantastic. I use just a tiny bit (even on my long hair) after towel-drying and brushing and end up with nearly frizz-free (I do live in humid Texas after all) wavy hair. While I do still have to use some dry shampoo to go a day between washes, the oiliness is much better than it used to be and continues to improve.
As for the cost, I agree it is super expensive, but I do believe it is worth it. I became a “VIP” to get that discounted pricing with no obligation. Also, it helps that it lasts- I bought my first bottles of shampoo/conditioner in mid-March and here I am just halfway through my second bottles nearly 6 months later.
I’m not a distributor of this product, but if you are interested in purchasing, I would be happy to connect you with the friend I buy from!
Healthy and Hopeful 