Cher Reviews Nature's Gate

Introduction

The Hair Boutique is honored to have Cher back with another article. In case you don't know who she is, Cher is a Hair Talk regular and author of an article on how to deal with well water damage to your hair.

Cher sent us some photos of her gorgeous hair for her well water article.. We are happy to hear that her hair is continuing to grow towards her knees and is thriving.

Cher's Search For A Hair Care Product Line

I used to switch from brand to brand never seeming to find a product line which did not cause build up on my hair. I would use one product line for a few weeks then have to switch to yet another.

Seems I have spent years trying to find a shampoo/conditioner I could rely on for constant use.

I have used expensive, mid range and down right cheap products. Before starting with Nature's Gate (NG) I was using Aveda products. I still use Aveda's Beautifying oil but NG is my mainline for hair care.

Nature's Gate

At first I could only find the Original Herbal shampoo. I thought at first it smelled masculine so after a few washes I suggested to my husband that he try it. He loved it.

I must tell you that I have been married to the same man for 21 years and never has he ever made one comment about what shampoo he preferred. He just used whatever was on the shower shelf.

He actually asked where was the "green shampoo" when it was gone!! I went in search for more Nature's Gate, mainly for him.

Then I came across the matching conditioner.. the Original Herbal. I fell in lovewith the strong smell and the way it left my hair feeling very full and moisturized. I loved the way the smell clung to my hair like perfume.

I was hooked. I went on a big time search and got on the internet.

I found a large health food chain that sold the entire line. I started to buy all the varieties that suited my fancy. They sell 12 in all I believe.

So far I have tested out 9 of them. I have my favorites and ones I would continue to buy for forever and others I could do without but keep buying just for the variety.

This is one of the things I love about NG, it's vast variety within one product line.

I can say that I have used NG consistently for almost a year now and do not experience build up. I love the natural way it is produced with lots of herbs and no artificial colors.

I have searched out the ingredients and so far have found that it is loaded with lots of hair friendly ingredients. What I have concluded is of course for my own hair type needs, as everyone experiences different results so please keep that in mind.

I have dark brown hair with silver coming in quite alot on the sides and front with the length of my hair a bit lighter brown with some red highlights. It now measures 26" from front hairline to ends.

My goal of knee length hair is still strong within me! :-) From my findings of using NG the following applies:

The Original Herbal shampoo seems to be the line that NG started with. The shampoo contains nettle, sage, chamomile, kusambi bark, lavender, yarrow rosemary, and wild cherry bark and thyme.

Sounds great! I found this shampoo does a thorough cleansing of my hair.. like the old time squeaky clean. It also brightens the silver in my hair very well.

The conditioner contains the same type of ingredients with Ho-lien-hun, added with some Comfrey root, yucca, & Myrrh. It has a strong smell which I promise will linger for a few days.

I love the stuff!

The Jojoba is another one I have tested out and found to be a favorite. I love it's pink color. It contains natural Jojoba bean extracts with Keratin protein. It claims to help repair damaged hair. I have found this combo works great for moisturizing.

This line has a mild smell which is pleasant. NG states on the bottle of the Jojoba shampoo because of it's acidity, Jojoba also helps to control the release of scalp sebum, the major cause of some hair and scalp disorders. The conditioner is rich and formulated to correct dry hair. I found this line to be another big winner. One I would buy over and over.

The Rainwater Herbal Tee tree shampoo is fantastic. It contains amongst a long list of natural herbs, including of course tea tree oil.. a balm mint.

It leaves the scalp feeling like a peppermint cooling sensation. NG claims it is non-medicated and formulated to reduce flaking.

Tea tree oil is known for it's antiseptic and germicidal properties. It also reduces drying caused by surface irritants and excess oils on the scalp. It gently controls oil build up.

Since buying the tea tree line, my husband has switched to this one and nothing else. For years he has suffered from a flaky scalp and small sores which nothing seemed to get rid of.

He used everything offered and prescribed. NG's tea tree has reversed his scalp back to a normal condition. This line is truly a keeper. It's great for the times of the year when the seasons change and sometimes the scalp gets out of order. I use this one every so often just for the peppermint cleansing feeling. I do not use the matching conditioner tho. I do have some but keep it for my husband's use.

With this shampoo I use the Rainwater Rosemary conditioner. The Rainwater Rosemary can be used with a variety of shampoos. It is formulated to correct problems associated with fine, dry, brittle hair that lacks elasticity and breaks easily.

Also recommended to restrengthen hair damaged by perms, sun bleaching and improper dieting. Professionally adjusted to bring back body manageability, increased elasticity and healthy luster.

This conditioner can be used with any of the Rainwater line. I have found this conditioner loves to bring out the red highlights in my hair. It is very light in smell and definitely works great.

One of my keepers is the Rainwater Awapuhi line. It is formulated for fine, limp hair. Even though I have hair on the thick side I do use it. I find it strengthens my hair and gives it body.

I also love the way it seems to darken my gray hairs!! I have even had people comment on the color of my silver after using it without them knowing I have used this combo.

I can't say why but it does darken my silver down. I have found it also helps my silver hairs to behave better. They seem to be not so wirey.

Awapuhi is Hawaiian white ginger and is considered the ideal conditioner for limp or fine hair. Hair looks thicker, fuller and alive with incredible light. (NG's words)

I simply love the way it makes my hair feel. I use this one quite often and would continue to buy it indefinitely. It has a Hawaiian smell, though light.

The Aloe Vera combo is another one I intend on keeping in my cupboard. It is rich in Keratin and is formulated to rehydrate the hair and restore lost hair protein.

Keratin is lost through harsh shampoos and damaging effects of the sun, & is restored by using this line, leaving the hair healthier. The shampoo is green in color and the conditioner is white. I think highly of this line.

It makes my hair feel moisturized without overdoing it. The smell is pleasant and mild.

The Biotin line is another one I think highly of. It is a gentle treatment that rids the scalp of harmful debris. It is formulated for troubled hair and scalp. It contains a rich blend of Biotin (Vitamin H) in combination with Crstine amino acids.

Cystine, an element of the hair's own protein, helps restore vitality to damaged hair shafts and is a vital link in the process of hair growth. By cleansing the hair and scalp gently, Biotin shampoo creates a beneficial climate in which the hair can help repair itself.

I also use the matching Biotin conditioner gel which comes in a small container not like the usual bottles. This conditioner will leave your scalp feeling very tingly and completely cleansed while leaving your hair in better condition.

Warning: this conditioner is very strong smelling...and will make your scalp very tingly and a veryhigh cooling sensation.

Both shampoo and conditioner are white in color.

Chamomile is another I have used. It is not one of my favorites tho I have used about 3 bottles of the shampoo and conditioner each.

It contains besides chamomile, extracts of horsetail and Alpha bisabolol. It claims to strengthen hair, repair split ends by sealing hair cuticles to make hair stronger. A powerful flavonoid Alpha bisabolol acts as an antioxidant.

The shampoo is yellow and the conditioner is white. Both smell exactly alike and are pleasing to the senses.

This one works fine on my hair but doesn't give me the results some of the others do.

I have used the Keratin and do not have a bottle to relay it's ingredients and statements as to what it promotes. I used it only about twice and it made my hair limp and sticky.

It quickly was put in my kids shower where all my hand me downs go!

Summary

All in all I find NG to be a great line for the price. I love the reasonable price which is anywhere from 2.99 to 5.99 a bottle.

I love the natural ingredients and the natural colors. I love the fact that since I can treat my hair to so many varieties that I do not experience build up any longer.

Dawn gave us all a tip on how she uses one of the NG conditioners, then lightly rinses, then follows with the Jojoba for a second round of conditioning.

I have also tried this and it works great. I think for the price tag you cannot find a product line so full of good ingredients for your hair.

This of course is all my own findings and results vary.. but since Dawn got a few of us started on NG, word is spreading and I am hearing a lot of others finding it to be a line that is going to be hanging in their showers for a long time to come!! Me included!

Hair Boutique Notes

Some Target stores carry the Nature's Gate products, although usually not the entire line which contains 12 different varieties. Many health food stores also carry the NG line although not always the full range. Usually they will only carry the most popular brands.

Nature's Gate is made by Levlad and can be found on the Internet. You can order Nature's Gate online at HairBoutique.com Marketplace.

If you want to talk more about this or other hair care articles on HairBoutique.com or anywhere else, please post a message on HairBoutique.com's Hair Talk Forums.