I don't know if I'm the only one with a deeply ingrained scent memory of that sterling Product of Yore, Badedas bath gel. Made with "extract of horse chestnut", the deep green gel was a favourite of my parents when I was growing up and was a staple Christmas present from us kids to our poor Dad, year in and year out.
And the reason I'm mentioning it now is that the fragrance in these Liz Earle haircare products immediately brought me back to the steamy bathroom after a Badedas bath. A close inspection of the ingredients list doesn't reveal any horse chestnut extract - instead I've realised it's the rosemary and cedarwood essential oils that gives these products and the Badedas baths their warmly invigorating fragrance.
Formulated for all hair types, Botanical Shine Shampoo (€10.50, 200ml) is sulfate-free and designed to cleanse without stripping the hair. It does still manage a satisfying amount of foam and rinses to leave my hair feeling clean but without that super-squeaky feel its gets from anything too harsh. With the inclusion of moisturising ingredients like shea butter and glycerin, I wondered if it would feel too rich for my fine-normal hair, which isn't really dry or damaged, but I reckon this does well as the type of one-product-suits-all shampoo it aims to be.
Advertised
Where the haircare line does break down by hairtype is in the conditioners and so I chose the Botanical Shine conditioner (€10.50, 200ml) for normal hair (there are also options for fine or oily and dry or damaged hair). The conditioner is a nice rich cream that feels reassuringly moisturising on application, but rinses clean and doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down or coated in product. My hair is smooth, shiny and soft after use, so pretty much what you'd like to expect from a good conditioner.
These haircare products fit into what I've come to expect from Liz Earle. They don't make ridiculous claims, but do work exactly as promised and are a pleasure to use.
Have you tried the Liz Earle haircare line, or are you tempted? And more importantly, do you remember Badedas bath gel? Let us know in a comment!
