Kérastase Goes Natural With New Aura Botanica Range [Review]
There are loads of natural hair care products out there (ok not loads, a handful) but let’s be honest not very many of those are professional salon-quality products and none of them do luxury quite like Kérastase. My love affair with Kérastase started long before I got into this whole beauty writing business when I was all kinds of excited that, thanks to the luxury of my very first regular paycheck, I could now afford top-quality hair care brands. I got my hands on a Kérastase hair Masque and suddenly it dawned on me why women were willing to pay so much more for salon products over drug store brands. So, you can imagine I was as giddy as a school girl when I found out that Kérastase had launched a range of natural hair care products with the same level of luxury we’ve come to expect from them over the years. Natural products are pretty much unheard of in the luxury hair care game and Kérastase really have outdone themselves with the Kérastase Aura Botanica range.
The four-product range, which includes a shampoo, conditioner, treatment serum, and oil spray, is Kérastase’s most natural line to date. The products are created using an average of 98 percent natural origin ingredients (the other 2 percent comes from fragrance or compounds to ensure the stability of the formula), are 97 percent biodegradable, and are packaged in bottles and tubes made from 100 percent consumer recycled plastic. It’s all very impressive. The two main ingredients in the range are Samoan coconut oil and Moroccan Argan oil but the products also contain Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sweet Orange Essential Oil, Rosemary Extract and Damask Rose Floral Water. All of the products in the Aura Botanica range are also free of silicones and sulphates.
The range includes the Bain Micellaire Gentle aromatic shampoo; Soin Fondamental Moisturizing deep conditioner; Concentré Essentiel Aromatic nourishing Oil Blend, and Essence d’Éclat Moisturizing oil-mist all aimed at giving you healthier, glossier, and frizz-free hair. The Aura Botanica Essence d’Éclat spray (R570 for 100ml) is my favourite product out of the entire range. I’m a big fan of hair oils and this more natural Kérastase hair oil is a versatile wonder. The lightweight mist is 99 percent natural and can be applied to wet hair before blow-drying or on dry hair as a mist to enhance softness and radiance before running out the door. I’ve used the mist for both but I must confess when I’m too lazy to wash my hair this stuff is a lifesaver and gives me that just washed softness without having to fuss about with that whole shampooing business. The product absorbs quickly and is a brilliant complement for dry shampoo. If your hair is fine, like mine, spray a little onto your palms and then run your fingers through your hair to just add a bit of sheen.
Another star of the range is the Aura Botanica Concentré Essentiel serum (R400 for 50ml). This multi-use product can be used as a treatment, a hair serum to banish flyaways, and even as a body moisturiser for super dry areas. It’s essentially a super concentrated hair oil so you can use it as a pre-shampoo treatment (leaving on for 15 minutes before rinsing off) or you can also make a little go a long way by adding a dollop to your conditioner for an extra nourishing post-shampoo treatment. This stuff is quite potent though so if you have fine hair be careful not to slather it on too thick or you’ll weigh your hair down, it’s also not a good idea to use it as a post-styling treatment on dry hair as it will weigh down the hair.
If you want to go for the whole toot then I would definitely recommend splashing out on the Aura Botanica Bain Micellaire shampoo (R300 for 250ml) and the Aura Botanica Soin Fondamental Conditioner (R360 for 200ml). Unlike a lot of other sulphate-free shampoos and no-poo products, this shampoo offers a nice lather and leaves hair feeling super clean. The shampoo and other products in the range also smell divine, something you don’t often get with natural products. As for the conditioner, it’s also a winner of note and simply melts into hair after shampooing. This conditioner is a wonder at controlling frizz and after using it my curly hair looks and feels soft and nourished.
If you’re in Cape Town and want to experience the new Kérastase Aura Botanica range in all its glory before splashing out on the products then I suggest you head through to Mario’s Hair Company in Green Point. The luxury salon has been appointed as a Kérastase Institute, one of only two in South Africa and now offers clients the opportunity to discover first-hand a truly customised, and unprecedented hair care experience in the capable hands of Kérastase experts. At the salon, clients will be able to enjoy a personalised hair and scalp diagnosis using the unique Kérastase hair analysis machine and will receive a Kérastase ‘prescription’ for their hair which includes exclusively blended in-salon treatments as well as at-home products to maintain the results.
For more information on the Kérastase Aura Botanica range and to locate a salon stockist in your area visit the Kérastase website.
