Andalou Shampoos

I’ve been trying to incorporate more natural, organic scents back into my life.  I’ve become so accustomed to everything in my life being fragrance-free, I now have to make an effort to incorporate real scents back into the products that I use.

I found Andalou shampoos at Whole Foods.  These products are

“made naturally without GMO’s, gluten, paraben preservatives, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic colors, dyes and fragrances. Verified Gluten-Free 100% Eco-friendly, Vegetarian & Cruelty-Free.”  The fragrances they use are organic essential oils and I tolerate them very well. The scents smell very pure and not over powering at all.  Unfortunately, they do not make a fragrance-free version, so if you have reactions to essential oils, even organic essential oils, do not use these products.  I use the Argan & Sweet Orange, and the Sunflower & Citrus.  I haven’t tried the conditioners yet because I’m really happy with the conditioner I currently use.

Andalou products are available through Vitacost, where you can buy them for a better price than Whole Foods.

Is Trader Joe’s Lavender Laundry Detergent Really All Natural?

About two years ago my husband and I went back to an eco-friendly bed and breakfast that we had visited about six months before. The bed and breakfast advertised itself as a fragrance-free establishment and I had a lovely, unscented time there during our stay. The proprietor used Seventh Generation Free and Clear detergent, so I had no problem using their linens. Whenever I travel, even though I specifically seek out fragrance-free places, I still bring my own linens just in case. This time I left my backup linens at home, thinking I would not need them. When we got to the bed and breakfast, I found the entire room was saturated with fragrance. I came to find out the owner had switched the detergent from Free and Clear to Trader Joe’s Lavender scented Laundry detergent. I couldn’t understand why the scent of this supposedly naturally fragranced detergent was giving me headaches and making my throat hurt. I got through two nights of our stay but had to leave before our scheduled third night because I was just so uncomfortable. The owners of the B & B graciously did not charge us for the third night.

I was so perplexed as to why I was so overwhelmed by this product so I contacted Trader Joe’s with this email:

Hello,
I have a question about the lavender oil that is used to scent the
liquid laundry detergent. Could you tell me if the lavender oil is 100%
natural or is it mixed with synthetic fragrance of any kind? Also, is
the oil extracted by natural means (like steam distillation) or is it
chemically extracted?
Thank you.

This was their response:

Thank you for your inquiry. Our detergent is naturally fragranced with
essential lavender oil. This ingredient does not contain any artificial
additives and we do not allow the use of artificial fragrance in our
products. It is naturally produced through alcohol extraction, there
are no chemicals used.

Sincerely,
XXXX
Trader Joe’s
Customer Relations

Something about this explanation didn’t sound right to me. I know that when searching for essential oils, it is important to choose ones that are naturally extracted. Two such methods are steam distillation and cold pressing. Certain brands of essential oils are extracted through chemical means like hexane, which therefore contaminates the essential oil. According to Anne Steineman, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering, professor of public affairs, University of Washington, chemically extracted essential oils are just as toxic as petroleum based synthetic fragrance.

I corresponded with a woman who is an expert in natural essential oils and aromatherapy. I forwarded her my email from Trader Joe’s and she said her suspicion was Trader Joe’s was using the solvent extraction method, because it mixes with water better than essential oils and does not evaporate as quickly. She says that people do not understand that what they are using is not an essential oil and is far from a natural extraction.

Here is an explanation of solvent extraction from plantresins.com:

“Solvent Extraction:

A hydrocarbon solvent is added to the plant material to help dissolve the essential oil. When the solution is filtered and concentrated by distillation, a substance containing resin (resinoid), or a combination of wax and essential oil (known as concrete) remains. 

From the concentrate, pure alcohol is used to extract the oils or fats. When the alcohol evaporates, the oil is left behind. 

This is not considered the best method for extraction of essential oils, as the solvents can leave a heavy residue behind, but it’s great for making resins for this very reason.”

According to Wikipedia:
“Most flowers contain too little volatile oil to undergo expression and their chemical components are too delicate and easily denatured by the high heat used in steam distillation. Instead, a solvent such as hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide is used to extract the oils. Extracts from hexane and other hydrophobic solvent are called concretes, which are a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other lipophilic (oil soluble) plant material.
Although highly fragrant, concretes contain large quantities of nonfragrant waxes and resins. Often, another solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, which is more polar in nature, is used to extract the fragrant oil from the concrete. The alcohol is removed by evaporation, leaving behind the absolute.”

From the information I have researched thus far, I feel the lavender oil used in this detergent is less than ideal and this product should be avoided by those who are sensitive to essential oils that are extracted through any other means than steam distillation or cold pressing.

After I informed the bed and breakfast about my problem with the detergent, the owner switched back to Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear. Our third trip to the bed and breakfast was once again scent free and very enjoyable.