Living Naturally Ayurvedic Herbal Hair Mask

I've been aware of the Living Naturally brand for some time now having been introduced to their products through my Vegan Kind subscription box and at various vegan events such as VegFest. I have in the past tried their soapnut shampoo & conditioner and their soapnut shells for my laundry, all of which are great products. So when The Vegan Lifestyle Association got in touch with me and asked me to review their Ayurvedic Herbal Powder Hair Mask I was excited to take part and get to know this brand a little better. 

Living Naturally, The Soapnut Apothecary, offer up 100% natural, organic, vegan and cruelty free products including skincare, haircare and laundry products. Their products are also all handmade in small batches right here in the UK by the family run business.

I was really pleased to have the opportunity to try out this hair mask as my hair has more recently been quite dry and i've been suffering with a slightly itchy scalp so it really couldn't have arrived at a better time. I was more than curious to find out what this hair mask could do for me and I couldn't wait to try it out for myself. 

I'll be honest, once the product arrived I had to google the word 'Ayurvedic' to find out what it meant as I had no idea! It turns out it's a kind of complimentary and alternative medicine which originates from India. Soapnuts have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to help treat skin, scalp and hair problems so it makes sense that they are a key ingredient within this product. Other ingredients include Amla which is believed to add strength and shine to hair, and Hibiscus which is known as one of the best secrets to beautiful hair. 

Traditionally you imagine any kind of hair mask to be of a cream like consistency, similar to a conditioner but maybe more thicker. I was therefore surprised to discover that this hair mask actually comes in the form of a powder. This was something completely new to me! On reading the directions I was pleased to find out that it's pretty easy to form this powder into a paste by simply adding an equal amount of liquid. The liquid you use can be dependent on your hair type but for normal hair water is ok and if it's dry you can try using coconut oil/milk or a vegan yoghurt. 

As my hair has been quite dry I decided to try using the mask powder with some coconut oil which I have also been meaning to try out recently. I had heard a lot of great things about what coconut oil can do for your hair so I thought what better way to try the hair mask than combining these amazing ingredients. Once the hair mask powder had been mixed in with the coconut oil it formed into a lovely paste, perfect for applying to your hair and staying in place without any dripping. 

My hair can often feeling greasy at the roots and dry on the ends so I decided to focus the treatment on the ends of my hair for it's initial trial run. I have used hair oils and treatments in the past which have been notoriously difficult to wash out of my hair, often leaving it feeling greasy after a couple of washes. I wanted to avoid that this time around as I was pretty busy with Christmas plans and I didn't want to run the risk a bad hair day!

I found the mask really easy to apply to my hair and I was really pleased that I chose to mix it in with the coconut oil as it smelt amazing. I decided to leave the treatment on my hair for a whole evening whilst I pottered about the house and enjoyed a bath, so approximately 4-5 hours. I think next time i'd maybe like to sleep with it in my hair so i'm going to buy a shower cap as i've only now realised that I don't own one.  

When washing the hair mask off I used my normal every day shampoo and conditioner and I decided to shampoo and rinse it off thoroughly twice just to make sure that it was all washed out with no remaining residue. After drying my hair and examining the results I was pleased to find that my hair appeared to have a really nice shine to it and it generally felt much more healthier and thicker. The ends of my hair were less frizzy and dry too which I was really happy with. Using this hair mask felt like a real treat and it's reminded me about how I should take more time out to take care of my hair to ensure that it stays in good condition. I'm planning on using this hair mask at least once a fortnight over the forthcoming weeks and i'm looking forward to seeing the results from long term use too. 

It's also worth mentioning that this hair mask can be used as a shampoo too. Instead of leaving the mask on your hair for a long duration you simply wash it out straight away and it works just the same as a shampoo would. Although if you rush around in the mornings like me you would probably benefit from making up the hair mask mix beforehand and so that you have a supply ready and waiting to be used. 

If you'd like to try this hair mask for yourself then you can find it in the Living Naturally online shop for £7.00 + £2.80 shipping (free if you spend over £50). Or you can purchase it in person at any of these stockists. Living Naturally are also listed with the Vegan Lifestyle Association and offers Associates a 20% discount which you can take advantage of here.  

* This review has been organised by the VEGAN lifestyle ASSOCIATION. It has not been paid for and the products were sent free of charge. All views expressed within this review are my own.