Paradise Island Shampoo (Sugar Cookie Limited Edition Scent 16 oz), Sulfate Free, High Lathering, No Parabens, Phthalates, Dyes, Endocrine Disruptors, SLS Free, Vegan, Natural

Update: November 8, 2014: I had been jumping from shampoo to shampoo for years before I found Paradise Island Unscented.I tried everything from soap only unscented and salicylic acid dandruff shampoos to an expensive thick conditioner shampoo. After I first used Paradise Island, I stopped looking. It ended my itchy scalp problems right away. Better, the super thick lather lets me massage my scalp and work the lather through my hair to get it clean in only one washing. This shampoo throws in two bonuses: no tangles and conditioning that doesn't leave my hair limp.Just a few notes:1- Don't let the fact that it feels like a conditioner in your hands worry you. Lather up and, instead of washing twice, massage your scalp and work the lather through your hair thoroughly as if washing lingerie before rinsing. Once when my hair felt very dirty, I did rinse and repeat the lather with no adverse result. I applaud Paradise Island for not encouraging product wastage in order to increase sales.2- You may not find this, but I'm astonished to find that, depending on how active I've been, I can sometimes go longer between washings. Sometimes twice a week is enough. On the other hand, when I've used it daily because I was that active or got that much dust in it, it still doesn't dry my scalp and make it itchy.3- I have been using Paradise Island for over three months now, at the November update. It seems to act as a conditioner aw well as a shampoo. I have less breakage and fewer split ends despite the fact that I use a high heat curling iron.4- I like the availability of the unscented version as I have allergies. Others may like it to avoid a clash with their chosen perfume.My hair is long -- below my shoulder blades -- and it has always been wavy. Comb out after washing was always a chore. As God's gift of a natural white streak and tip job began to arrive, comb out got harder because the white hair is wavier. Paradise Island leaves the white hair sparkling, but makes comb out as easy as if I had used a separate conditioner.I am delighted to have found my new shampoo home in Paradise Island. It meets my all of my needs in a shampoo. I wish I'd found it sooner.

Don't buy this if you, like me has been doctor placed on a zero xonestrogens tolerance in all personal beauty products (in other words any product that comes in contact with my hair or skin). It has been a real challenge trying to find a shampoo that is free of (natural or engineered) xenoestrogen, phytoestrogens or are progesterone blockers So when I read that Paradise Island Shampoo, was Sulfate Free, High Lathering, No Parabens, Phthalates, Dyes, Endocrine Disruptors, SLS Free, Vegan, Natural (Unscented 16 oz), I thought that the makers of Paradis Island Shampoo had gotten on-aboard to produce and sell a non-endocrine disruptor shampoo. Based on their advertisement "they knew what ingredients NOT to use." But after I received the shampoo and read the fine print, I saw three ingredients: Aloe Barbabdensis Leaf Extract, Flax Extract, and Glyceryl Oleate (sunflower oil) that according to Dr. Paul Eckart are all endocrine disruptors, because they are either xenoestrogens, phytoestrogens and/or block progesterone that can result in estrogen dominance in humans. So now I'm stuck with a $20 of shampoo I cannot use and cannot return!

...it makes my scalp SUPER itchy. I noticed it after the first use. Wanting to make sure it was the shampoo and not something else, I stopped using it for a week and noticed the itching stopped. I then used it again after that one-week break and...the itching came back in full force :( I know finding the perfect shampoo for your hair is all about trial and error, but I'm still very bummed I wasted $20+. Two stars only because the scent was quite lovely.

After my original scathing review, I received an informative email from the company with an offer to try one of their more moisturizing shampoos. I am changing my rating to a "3" from a "1" until I have given this shampoo line a fair trial. Then, I will give my final rating.I've used this shampoo about four or five times. It doesn't clean all that well, leaves a residue on my scalp, and causes scalp irritation. It strips the oils from my scalp and my skin overcompensates to replace it, which makes my already dull-looking hair look oily, not to mention the pimples that have started to pop up along my hairline. The company explained that their unscented shampoo tends to be drying and to try the coconut because it is more moisturizing.For those with mobile apps that sometimes omit the "Important Information," which is where this product's ingredients are listed, I am providing the ingredients and directions directly from the label. This is for the unscented formula:Natural Plant Based Ingredients:Water, Sodium Methyl-w Sulfolaurate (saponified coconut oil fatty acid ester), Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate (saponified coconut oil fatty acid salt), Cetyl Betaine (sugar beet), Lauryl Ethyl Lactate (new natural surfactant derived from coconut and/or palm oil), Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (sugar and palm kernel), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Extract, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Extract, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Glycol Distearate (vegetable oils), Coco-glucoside (coconut oil and fruit sugar), Glyceryl Oleate (sunflower oil), Ethlhexyloxyglycerin (vegetable glycerin mild preservative from plant sources).Available Formulas [sic] have all been tested and enthusiastically approved by Cosmetologists.Wash hair ONLY once. (The company said this was to prevent removing too much naturally occurring scalp oils.) Rinse. Apply conditioner. Rinse & For long hair also use a leave-in, spray-in detangler.FOLLOW-UP:I almost gave this product four stars because this company has EXCELLENT customer service. However, the product does not earn a five or even four star rating. I found the unscented version quite drying. The coconut version is much less drying and I really like the coconut scent. I've used it on my hair when it has been mildly dirty with a small amount of scalp oil/dirt/hairspray to very grungy, after a day outside hiking or working with kids and horses in subtropical heat & humidity.My final thoughts after a fair trial:Moisture: Coconut formula maintains a good amount of scalp moisture after shampooing but even with my regular conditioner, my hair was more dry and tangled more easily.Cleaning capability: not so great, even after repeating the shampooing process. I did try using only one shampooing for a couple of weeks (per label instructions) but my hair never felt or looked clean. Two shampoos was better for moderate to very dirty hair. It's o.k. for mild every day or every other day use. I typically wash my hair every 2-3 days. I noticed that I had more scalp build-up than with my regular shampoo and my hair was visibly oily after a couple of days. Despite this shampoo's great lather, it did not clean dirty, sweat-laden hair very well at all. (I once read that lather does not mean a shampoo is working, which is true.)Scent: great coconut scent in the coconut formula; it's not overpowering and very pleasant. The unscented version smells kind of tart and not nice at all but the light smell of my conditioner covered it.Sensitivity: the "sulfolaurates" and "lauroyl lactylates" are supposed to be kinder on the skin than the "-sulfates," but I'm not sure if this is true. This shampoo causes my scalp to itch (not horribly so but certainly a fiberglass insulation-like feeling on my skin), as well as mild itching on my face, ears, neck, & upper torso--basically any area that receives a high concentration of run-off. At first, I chalked the itching up to other things, like being ill, or dry skin, or other temporary issues. When I returned to my former shampoo, which has half the ingredients and no additives, it went away after a couples of uses (using the same conditioner I've been using all along).I've also tried using it as the first shampoo on very dirty hair to remove the surface grunge and ease the spreading of my regular shampoo on the second shampooing but the irritation still occurred and the scalp build-up was worse than if I do two shampoos with my regular shampoo.Value: despite its cost, this specialty shampoo is highly concentrated and a little of this goes a lot farther than an equal amount of a cheaper shampoo. If you like a thinner consistency, add water.Like any product, people will have various sensitivities and results. That being said, if you are sensitive to many products, this may not be the one for you. If you're not all that sensitive and need a light-duty shampoo, this may be a good choice.