At The Amazing Blog, we understand the importance of trying to have a good hair day - every day. That’s why we always turn to natural haircare because it works. Pure Lakes is a natural skincare brand that uses the best and most potent plant-derived ingredients, with some products being entirely organic. We’ve had our eye on this brand for a while, especially their haircare which was a recommendation. Today we feature their Sweet Basil & Orange Keratin Silken Shampoo and Conditioner, which offer a naturally moisturising fix and leave hair soft and smelling zesty-fresh.
Pure Lakes Skincare is a multi-award-winning brand made in The English Lake District, now a world heritage site. Originally founded in 2006, the highly successful natural spa and skincare brand that we know today started through a café opened by Sandra and Iain Blackburn in Grasmere. The lack of income from the café inspired Sandra to make her own skincare products. Sandra’s chemistry background, feedback from friends and family, and her love for pure plant-based ingredients allowed her to create handmade, affordable, luxury products that gently care for the skin and planet. Pure Lakes’s first opportunity was supplying eco-friendly skincare products to hotels all over the UK; now, happy hotel guests and affordable, eco-friendly luxury skincare lovers flock to Pure Lakes for the best. The story continues….Previous regular buyers of Pure Lakes, who lived in London before moving to the Lakes shortly afterwards, Claire McKeever, a former actress and salsa dance teacher, and her husband Gareth bought the business in 2016. Claire is a Lake District lass, and the Mc Keever's and their young family live in Far Sawrey, home to Claire's family for several generations. Keeping it local, its products’ environmentally-friendly packaging is designed by Cactus Creative in Kendal and is further complemented by unique artwork created by Claire McKeever’s late Grandmother, Patricia “Paddy” Naylor. They continue to work closely with Iain and Sandra to ensure the core principles and values of the company are inherent in every decision. Claire told Green Parent, “Four years on and I have completed an apprenticeship with Sandra - she & Iain still work for us, albeit one day a week - and love formulating and making products that I am passionate about. I have long suffered from eczema and being able to make products that help and that are beneficial for the skin, is incredibly fulfilling.”
Gareth and Claire McKeever have their sights fixed firmly on spreading the word about how their products are created ethically and sustainably within the boundaries of the UNESCO-recognised Lake District National Park. In an interview with Cumbria Growth Hubb, Gareth said, “We’ve always had that ethos. What’s changed is the way we communicate it. Everything we do has to have clear environmental benefits. For example, we’ve started using plastic made from sugar for our bottles, which has a smaller carbon footprint than normal plastic made from oil. Consumers ordering online can save £1 by opting for minimal packaging. Our products to hotels come in refillable bottles that can be used time and again.” He added, “Just because our products are environmentally friendly doesn’t mean they can’t look luxurious. We package them in environmentally-friendly materials in keeping with high-end products using high-end ingredients.” The four main pillars of Pure Lakes Skincare are its customers, employees, supplies and owners. They strive for excellence in all products, ensuring customers are always satisfied. If not, a replacement or refund will be issued within a reasonable period, no questions asked. Pure Lakes also believes in sustainable, equal pay careers with flexibility to enjoy the beautiful Pure Lakes and building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with great suppliers for the most traceable, undeniably sustainable, and highest quality ingredients. Once a secondhand bookseller, Claire finds the recycling of pre-loved items very satisfying – especially using a significant number of pre-used padded envelopes and recycled packaging much like Pure Lakes does today. Claire stated, “I believe in the stance Pure Lakes is taking on recycling, with their biopolymer bottles, their reusable and refillable policy and their use of organic products: the team are aware of the company’s impact on the environment and is committed to keeping in the forefront of innovation.” Not forgetting to mention that Pure Lakes are vegan and never tests on animals; they are free from synthetic ingredients, parabens or SLS. They even donate a portion of online orders to young carers, children looking after siblings and/or parents, in collaboration with Honeypot and West Cumbria Carers. Over the past six months, Pure Lakes has donated over £2,000 to young carers.
The Sweet Basil & Orange Keratin Silken Shampoo is a natural shampoo with a gentle lather giving cleansed and nourished hair, with the essential oils of sweet & bitter orange, sweet basil, geranium and lemongrass. On the one hand, sweet & bitter orange oil is abundant in vitamin C, promoting collagen production and reducing hair breakage. Whereas in contrast, sweet basil oil is exceptionally beneficial for hair growth by improving scalp circulation, stimulating hair follicles and promoting the production of new healthy hair. The basil plant has an astonishing 120 varieties, and the sweet basil variety is known to retain its potent properties even in high temperatures, making it a better choice for use in cosmetics. The geranium oil balances secretions around the hair follicles, effectively stimulating hair growth. And the lemongrass oil’s astringent and antiseptic properties strengthen hair follicles, control hair loss, and leave hair shiny.
Other key ingredients start with organic aloe vera, an excellent pain reliever, antiseptic and healing agent ideal for eczema, burns, sunburn and cuts – making it highly soothing for the scalp and hair. It’s followed by cocamidopropyl betaine, and decylglucoside, both amphoteric detergent that produces a fine foam and makes products gentle on the skin. There’s organic jojoba, a scentless liquid wax easily absorbed by the skin that functions as a moisturiser and protectant to the scalp and skin, safe for all skin types and a great hair oil. Organic sunflower oil, a dry oil rich in omega 3 for soft and silky hair; D-panthenol, a nutrient from vitamin B for managing oxidative stress on the scalp and skin; and vitamin E (tocopherol), an antioxidant that prevents fat and oils from going rancid; Meanwhile, a combination of phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol and potassium sorbate, are antibacterial agents that form the most gentle and eco-friendly preservative, along with citric acid, an acidity and pH regulator, also make its way into the formula.
These plant-based ingredients only enhanced our hair, as the shampoo is light and natural, and yet it left a beautiful zesty lemongrass scent on our hair. It didn’t dry the scalp, or make hair tangly; instead, it left our hair soft and clean.
Followed by the Sweet Basil & Orange Keratin Silken Conditioner, which is equally zesty and naturally moisturising. Each bottle contains plant keratin and a pleasant blend of essential oils like sweet basil and orange. You will find similar ingredients as the shampoo, plus each bottle contains glyceryl monostearate, cetyl alcohol and isoamyl laurate for emulsification that leads to soft and silky hair, along with isoamyl cocoate, a light, natural emollient with low viscosity for quick absorption of formulas. Also, there are hydrolysed corn, wheat and soy proteins, that maintain hair elasticity by controlling the loss of humidity, reducing breakage, improving traction of hair fibres, and increasing collagen production for moisturised, nourished, shiny hair. Avocado oil is a mild, nourishing, semi-fatty oil that is rich in vitamins and perfect for treating damaged hair cuticles; cetearyl glycoside, an emulsifier that won’t clog scalp pores; and lastly, coconut butter, a butter rich in essential proteins to nourish, repair and condition dull, damaged hair and can even be beneficial for dandruff when massaged into the scalp.
Again, we found the conditioner light on the hair, much like the shampoo, and it did its due diligence in leaving hair soft and silky. We suggest letting the conditioner sit for a few minutes to give it time to hydrate hair and scalp, and then in our case, follow with a wide tooth comb and rinse. The Shampoo and Conditioner work perfectly in tandem for a lightweight summer haircare - we used it twice a week to keep hair clean, shiny and smelling fresh. Suitable for all hair types, including our long fine curly hair, although with the essential oil content and the lively scent, we’d caution those who have flaky or sensitive scalps to do a patch test first. Another of our #amazingfinds, thanks to this dynamic duo, you don’t have to think twice about your next good hair day!
Both products are free from alcohol, lanolin, petroleum jelly MI, gluten, and artificial perfumes or colours. To top it off, they even have refills available see here. For a 250ml bottle of Pure Lakes’ Sweet Basil & Orange Keratin Silken Shampoo for £14.50, click here; and the 250ml bottle of Pure Lakes’ Sweet Basil & Orange Keratin Silken Conditioner for £14.50, click here.