Cruelty Free Comparisons: Conditioner

This is the start of a brand new series on the blog in which I compare budget cruelty free products with their pricier equivalents to see if they really are worth the price tag. Since hair care was one of the things I struggled most with when converting to a cruelty free beauty collection, I thought I'd compare some of the different conditioners I've tried out.

They are as follows:

The Budget Products

Co-Op's Coconut and Honey Fragranced Conditioner

Sainsbury's Coconut Conditioner

Both of these products retail around £1 per bottle (300ml and 500ml respectively).

The Pricey Products

Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Conditioner

Avalon Organics Strengthening Peppermint Conditioner

Both of these products retail at £5.99 per 275ml bottle.


As you can see, there is a huge difference between the price and the quantity (particularly in the case of Sainsbury's product where you get almost double for a sixth of the price). However, although both of the budget conditioners did the job, and after using them my hair felt soft, I had use a lot more product to get the end result.

Both of the budget conditioners felt very watered down. They were a lot more fluid than I am used to in what is ostensibly a cream product. I had to use a full palm full to massage through the lower half of my hair in order to feel like any of the product had soaked in. On the other hand, I barely have to use any of the higher end products before my hair felt moisturised (particularly in the case of the Dr Organic product, although admittedly it is more suited to moisturising than the Avalon). The budget conditions lasted be around two weeks each - the high end products nearer a month (despite being almost half the size).

Another thing that really swung me in favour of splashing out was the smell of the products. I hate a fake coconut smell. It reminds me of getting into a too-hot car as a child and feeling instantly travel sick. Not something you want first thing in the morning! That being said, the smell doesn't really linger, so it's only really an issue in the shower.

The smell of the higher end products is divine - particularly the peppermint shampoo (you know I'm a sucker for a minty smell!). The Dr Organic conditioner smelled very similar to a bounty bar, and the Avalon conditioner really reminds of me of Lush's Root's hair mask. Neither of these smells linger much either, but it's a lot more pleasant in the shower!

Another big thing is that both the high end products actually list the ingredients mentioned on the front of the bottle. As far as I can tell, neither of the budget products actually contain coconut or honey! Peppermint oil and coconut oil are both listed ingredients on their respective higher end bottles.

Finally, the effect on my hair. For me, the Dr Organic product wins hands down. My hair felt soft and shiny after using this product. The Avalon conditioner is good, and if it were on offer I'd probably buy it over paying full price for Dr Organic - otherwise I think I'm sold! The two budget conditioners were much of a muchness. They work well in the short term, but I wouldn't want to use them for months on end if I could avoid it!

There you have it! Pricey Products win out this time!

My next Cruelty Free Comparison will be pitting two mascara's against each other - M&S All-In-One Mascara vs Too Faced Better Than Sex - so you can look forward to that in September!

Have you tried any of the products mentioned in today's post? What did you think of them? Tweet me @VickiMaitland or leave a comment below! Want to show off your favourite cruelty free conditioner? Tag me in your Instagram pics!