Rehab is a Lush shampoo that I really love, and I am waiting for my shampoo bars to finish so I can get myself a bottle again.
The shampoo
Rehab is a liquid shampoo which comes in a clear plastic bottle. The lid is a flip top one- so its easy to open in the shower. As its my first bottle I bought the smallest, which cost £4.36 for 100g. There is a black label bearing the Lush logo around the bottle, here on closer inspection you have the all-important ingredients and description of the product. The most important instructions on the label are ‘shake me then use me’. A circular label has a cartoon image of a guy. The text around the label says the product is made be Gav and has a use-by date of 04/05/10. Because of all the fresh ingredients I was worried it may have a short lifespan so I’m happy it’ll last for more than a year.
Flip open the lid and your nostrils are greeted with the scent of a fruity minty concoction. There are so many smells involved in this shampoo that everyone will describe it differently. If you like Lush products you’ll like this shampoo. I’m not going to list all the ingredients but the most prominent ones are- fresh papaya juice, pineapple juice, kiwi juice and mango juice. Sounds like a delicious drink! In addition the shampoo contains essential oils such as Jojoba, Peppermint, Rosemary, Juniper berry, Lavender and more. The peppermint does jump out when you smell the shampoo first. The colour and texture of the shampoo resembles very runny honey.
Product in action
Lush claim that Rehab has “a revolutionary, organic enzymic base”. I am not sure what this means or even if “enzymic” is a real word!
Remember to give the bottle a good shake to mix all the oils in with the shampoo. Squeeze out a small blob about the size of a 10p. Surprisingly the shampoo lathers really well (I suspect that may be the ammonium lauryl sulfate). However there are no harmful chemicals, and I have researched into ammonium lauryl sulfate and have discovered that minute amounts will cause no problems. In an ideal world this shampoo wouldn’t contain any chemicals but then again I do want it to actually clean my hair.
I tend to have very hot showers and it is usually pretty steamy, which opens up your hair cuticles. Now I massage my scalp very gently, in smooth round movements. If you suffer from a greasy scalp I would choose a shampoo geared towards that- not Rehab. Make sure you wash out all of the shampoo using warm NOT hot water- takes about 3 minutes to do this properly. I do use Lush Retread on the ends, and finish with a shot of cold water to leave hair extra shiny by sealing the hair cuticles.
Now my hair is naturally very thick and curly, the bane of my life. I do straighten in regularly so it is prone to drying. I hate washing my hair as it always looks dry and frizzy for a day or so (apart from when I use Ti Gi’s Foxy Curls range). So the real test is here, how does my hair look when dry?!
After the first wash my hair felt squeaky clean but dry. I was hoping for it to feel nice and smooth. I was horrified to see little flakes on my scalp. It’s given me dandruff!
Not one to give up easily, I continue to use this shampoo. After the third wash using both Lush Rehab and Retread my hair is so shiny and soft, and the flaky scalp has balanced out. People are giving me compliments, and touching my hair. I rarely need to use wax or serum to calm it down.
Value for money
Rehab shampoo comes in three sizes: 100g – £4.36/ 250g – £ 8.56/500g – £13.95
I know the 100g bottle works out as more expensive but I can see it lasting at least 6-9 months. As the shampoo has a use-by date I would rather buy a fresh one once this runs out. I don’t mind paying this much as I’m saving money on hair products. I am undecided whether this shampoo is as good when used without Retread conditioner.
I feel good spending at Lush as they don’t test on animals. If you, like me, don’t have a Lush near you- don’t despair, they have a website (www.lush.co.uk). I do like to check it out now and then to keep up to date with their products.
Though no longer the best shampoo I have ever tried, Rehab does come pretty high on my list of favourite shampoos. Lush products do take some time getting used to, as I found. I’m glad I persevered as it has worked so well. Another thing I’m happy about is that the smell doesn’t linger in your hair for days. I’m not too keen on smelling fruity. My hair is soft, smooth and so strokeable.
I have tried so many different shampoos for my dry hair, and wish I’d turned to Lush earlier. Better late than never I guess. The fantastic thing about Rehab is it actually fixes hair, instead of using chemicals to coat the hair. If you hate the sticky feeling of waxes and serums I would advise trying out this shampoo.
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