Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. There is no additional cost to you whatsoever.
We’ve been investigating hair care merchandise that do greater than go away your hair feeling clear and gentle. Like you, we wish merchandise with secure components made by an environmentally and socially accountable firm. AG Care is making stable progress in the direction of sustainable hair care merchandise.
In the hassle to embrace a greener hair care routine, you could have tried some approaches you didn’t love. For instance, shampoo bars require much less packaging, however is likely to be onerous to make use of when you’ve got thick hair. Or maybe you make your individual personal care products however haven’t ventured out into making shampoo or conditioner.
AG Care produces a line of pure hair care made in Toronto, Canada, and packaged in refillable aluminum or plastic bottles. Its hair care merchandise are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. In addition, the corporate offers again by partnering with One Girl Can to advertise gender parity for women in Kenya. The firm was based in 1989 however just lately relaunched its brand as a sustainable magnificence firm, so we had been curious to study extra.
The Products
We sampled two AG shampoos and two conditioners to supplied by the corporate. The Balance Apple Cider Sulfide-free Shampoo and the Boost Apple Cider Vinegar Silicone-free Conditioner promote for $34 every. We additionally tried the Simply Dry Shampoo for All Hair Types, which retails for $24, and the Conditioning Mist Detangling Spray, which retails for $28. The first three are available aluminum bottles, and the detangling spray is in a plastic bottle.
We preferred the AG hair care merchandise we sampled and located them efficient. In explicit, the rinse-out merchandise left our hair mild and gentle, and we loved the light scents. Although we don’t normally use leave-in merchandise, we discovered them helpful. For instance, on days we didn’t wash our hair, we might freshen it up shortly with a number of sprays of dry shampoo on the roots.
About AG Care
AG is a vertically built-in firm that formulates and produces its private care merchandise at its personal manufacturing plant. Vertical integration can allow an organization to intently management the manufacturing course of, making it simpler to implement sustainability enhancements, lower waste, and handle their provide chains. The firm is working towards B Corp certification, which features a rigorous verification course of and a plan for steady enchancment.
“Care is in our title as a result of it has pushed our choices since 1989,” says Karla Cheon, chief income officer at AG Care. “Care for folks and planet have all the time been on the core of what we do. We had been clear earlier than it was coined. We launched our first refill heart [no longer in operation] in 1989. This model renewal is about making sustainable decisions simpler and accessible to a wider viewers. High-performance, naturally derived hair care in packaging folks can be ok with.”
There are areas the place AG might enhance its sustainability practices — comparable to by gaining third-party certifications like Leaping Bunny, offsetting carbon emissions from transport, and eradicating regarding components from merchandise. However, there are additionally many commendable issues the corporate is doing.
Reducing Packaging Waste
AG Care makes it simple to scale back packaging waste with shampoo and conditioner pouches you should use to refill the aluminum bottles. It can be extra economical to go this route. For instance, the 1-liter refill pouches are $68 and may refill the 12-ounce bottles almost 3 times. Plus, it retains the sturdy metallic bottles productive and limits packaging waste.
Although the pouches aren’t recyclable, the web site states, “the caps are recyclable and our pouches use 73% much less plastic and take 62% much less vitality to provide than our earlier litre bottles leaving a smaller footprint and producing fewer CO2 emissions.”
AG additionally makes use of 30% post-consumer regrind in its plastic bottles, and plans to extend this quantity over time, beginning in 2023. Our order arrived in a recyclable cardboard field with no further plastic packaging.
Mostly Natural Hair Care Products
Shoppers usually have to put lots of effort into deciphering product labels to search out private care merchandise freed from poisonous and regarding components. We like that the AG web site not solely lists its merchandise’ components but additionally features a hyperlink for extra data.
AG hair care merchandise are freed from sulfates, comparable to sodium lauryl sulfate, which might irritate the pores and skin and scalp or go away hair overly dry. Nor do they include diethanolamine (DEA), parabens, DMDM hydantoin, gluten, or PABA. As lengthy as AG doesn’t use different irritating components, the corporate’s merchandise needs to be good for folks with delicate pores and skin — notably if they’re freed from artificial perfume.
Unfortunately, some AG merchandise include “parfum,” though it was just lately faraway from others. Parfum or “perfume” on a product label refers to an artificial perfume, which might be fabricated from many undisclosed chemical substances. Synthetic fragrances are related to allergic reactions and respiratory misery.
The dry shampoo comprises isobutane, which might irritate the lungs if inhaled in addition to the eyes. It additionally comprises hydrofluorocarbon 152A, a propellant that contributes to global warming.
EWG-Rated Products
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep Database is a client database that assesses the protection of private care merchandise. Some AG Care merchandise are on this database, together with the rinse-out shampoo and conditioner, however they had been final up to date just a few years in the past. Since then, some components could have modified, so these rankings won’t be fully correct.
The EWG product score is on a scale from 1 to 10, with a low rating indicating a safer product. Also, it lists scores for particular components, so you possibly can discern which components are regarding.
AG merchandise are cruelty-free and PETA-approved Vegan. Recently, the corporate modified a few of its product formulation. We hope the model’s renewed deal with sustainable magnificence will outcome within the elimination of parfum and different components of concern from all merchandise.
Charitable Giving
AG Care is a powerful supporter of One Girl Can, a company devoted to training and gender equality in Kenya. It gives highschool and school scholarships and operates mentorship applications in an effort to alleviate poverty and empower ladies and younger girls.
Since 2008, AG has supplied One Girl Can with hair care merchandise, meals, and monetary assist, totaling about $1.2 million. Organizations like One Girl Can want long-term supporters to fund ongoing applications. AG has actually confirmed to be such a supporter.
The Bottom Line
We just like the AG hair care merchandise we sampled and are impressed by the corporate general.
The firm’s use of refillable packaging and pouches, deal with secure components, and assist of One Girl Can for 15 years are all good steps for a sustainable magnificence firm. As the model focuses on sustainable magnificence, we hope to see extra third-party certifications from trusted organizations, the elimination of artificial scents from its merchandise, and the adoption of efforts to mitigate local weather change, comparable to by utilizing renewable energy and offsetting carbon emissions.
All photos courtesy of AG Care
