First Impressions: Renpure’s Advanced Moisturizing Crème Shampoo and Conditioner (Review)

I’ve been online shopping since I was twenty (and let’s just say I’m mere weeks away from the BIG 3-0), so I’ve grown accustomed to reading review after review of every product I buy. I barely know how to shop in real life anymore because drugstores don’t display star ratings. So, despite my need for maximum information and positive feedback, sometimes I’ll go rogue and buy a product with little to no reviews. That’s what I did here with Renpure’s Advanced Moisturizing Crème Shampoo and Conditioner. My leap of faith wasn’t random though; I absolutely loved the first product I ever tried from them a few years back, a 100% organic deep conditioner called Amazing Miracle Deep Penetrating Reconstructor. 

What Is It?

First, let me share with you what Renpure says on their website about their entire range of products:

“Hair Care Free From Parabens, Sulfates & Synthetic Colors. We're concerned about the chemicals that all of us are exposed to in shampoos and conditioners, so we've developed a new line of hair care products FREE from harmful chemicals.”

Thank you, Renpure! Parabens only slightly concern me but I can’t use sulfates on my hair. Of course, they use alternative surfactants and in the case of the products I’m reviewing here, they are coconut oil-derived. I can’t stress how important it is to get to know product ingredients; if you don’t know what it is, look it up on the internet! Also keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance (unless concentration is less than 1%). This means the ingredient listed first weighs the most and the ingredient listed last weighs the least. 

Okay, on to the individual product descriptions from Renpure's site, starting with the shampoo:

“Creamy oxygen enriched coconut cleanser gently lifts & removes impurities while lubricating and protecting the cuticle from shampoo friction. Monoi oil, argan oil and coconut extracts repair deep damage adding strength. Vital nutrients nourish the scalp leaving the correct building blocks for healthy hair to flourish.”

And the conditioner:

“Creamy oxygen enriched monoi oil drenches each strand of hair with millions of micro molecules filled with powerful antioxidants repairing deep damage. Coconut oil adds strength while vital nutrients create an environment necessary for healthy hair.”

One of the main reasons I purchased the products was because they contain a handful of beneficial oils, including monoi oil, argan oil, and coconut oil. Monoi oil is essentially coconut oil infused with the petals of Tahitian Gardenias, otherwise known as Tiaré flowers. It is said to be very soothing to the skin, so I’m assuming that’s why Renpure describes the scent as “Soothing Gardenia Fragrance.” Argan oil is from the kernels of argan trees and can be used on the hair and skin - it contains vitamin E and fatty acids that are beneficial to both. I’ve been in a love affair with argan oil since 2008, so I am thrilled it has made it into so many mainstream products. Coconut oil, similar to argan oil, can be used on both the hair and skin and has similar benefits. I use the same jar of coconut oil to do everything from deep condition my hair, moisturize my face, and sauté my food!

Where Can I Get It?

I buy most of my drugstore products from – can you guess? – drugstore.com.  They were having a 20% off all hair care sale so I hopped on and started browsing for things I certainly don’t need (product junkie problems!). I found the pair after searching the keyword “gardenia” and immediately put them in my online shopping cart.

How Much Does It Cost?

I bought mine for $7.99/bottle because I waited until after the 20% off sale ended. Doh!

 

First Impressions

Sleek packaging and unique dispenser.

The packaging looks good but I’m worried that the mousse-like dispenser will stop working before I finish all of the product inside. Because of the unique dispenser and their claim that it's "oxygen enriched", I was expecting something more foamy and luxurious, but it came out pretty much like any other shampoo and conditioner. The smell is pleasant but definitely not that authentic, fresh-out-of-the-garden gardenia I was hoping for. Don’t get me wrong, there’s gardenia in the mix but it’s more of a floral perfume with coconut.  

Conditioner (top) and shampoo.

The shampoo didn’t lather very well, but that’s the price you pay for sparing your hair the damage of traditional sulfate shampoos. It made it a little harder to use but I didn’t find that my hair felt dirty at all afterward. 

The conditioner was thick and creamy but it definitely didn’t give my hair the amount of moisture I’m used to. It wasn’t a bad conditioner but I had higher hopes for it because the ingredients were so promising. My hair was tangled and more difficult to comb out than usual. I do have extremely thin damaged hair so maybe it would work better for somebody with a different hair type. Maybe I’ll ask a friend to give it a try…

  

My Rating: 3 of 5 Paws!

I like it enough to use until the bottles are empty but I will not be repurchasing. After I got out of the shower, I combed out my wet hair and went out to the garden, where it took an enormous praying mantis all of ten seconds to crash-land on my head and try to bury itself in my hair, so maybe it’s more gardenia-like than I’ve given it credit for! :P

And for good measure, here are some pictures of my adorable kitty, Ron Weasley, who assisted with the picture-taking process by blocking the sunlight with his large body. Meow!

Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me for my own personal use. I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.