[ Review ] Shikai Vanilla Moisturizing Shower Gel

Product Description
This extra rich and thick shower gel is formulated to moisturize and soothe your skin while you bathe. Oatmeal and aloe relieve dry skin, while the special blend of cleansers is mild enough to use every day. Use it as a body wash, a shaving gel or as a bubble bath.  It’s good for your whole family!

Formulated and made in California, Shikai Moisturizing Shower Gel ( Vanilla ) is made up of a gentle, soap free formula which is rich in aloe, oatmeal and natural oils to soothe dry skin. It is perfect for everyday use.

I have previously tried Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel and Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel and liked them both enough to try out other varieties.

The Vanilla Moisturizing Shower Gel comes in a bottle with a flick-top cap. While it doesn't smell like vanilla but it is still pleasant enough for usage. The foamy suds are moderate and is non-drying. I love that it is moisturizing and is non-drying while leaving my skin soft and clean.

Where To Buy : Iherb | Amazon
Shikai Vanilla Moisturizing Shower Gel

Get up to 10% off your Iherb purchases with my code OKI787.

Ingredients :
Purified Water (Aqua), Tea Lauryl Sulfate, Decolorized Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe Barbadensis), Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamide MEA, Oatmeal Powder (Avena Sativa), Guar Powder, Glycerin, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Natural Fragrance.

Review : Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel

Product Description
This extra rich and thick shower gel is formulated to moisturize and soothe your skin while you bathe. Oatmeal and aloe relieve dry skin, while the special blend of cleansers is mild enough to use every day. Use it as a body wash, a shaving gel or as a bubble bath.  It’s good for your whole family!

• Rich in aloe, oatmeal and natural oils to soothe dry skin
• Gentle, soap free formula
• Perfect for everyday use
• No animal ingredients
• No animal testing
• Formulated and made in California

Citrus-y and fresh scent - check! Moisturising formula - check! Non-drying - check! Foams well - check! The bottle with its flick-top cap is also easy to dispense the gel. So much love for this Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel but unfortunately, it contains TEA lauryl sulfate as the 2nd ingredient with a hazard level 4 on EWG though. 

According to research, TEA lauryl sulfate is a significant eye and skin irritant at high concentration and with prolonged contact on skin, however, it is safe for use in concentrations up to 10.5%

Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Gel is yet another lovely shower gel although the ingredients are not that friendly too.

How about you? Have you tried any of its shower gels? Love them too?

Here are the links where you can shop for them too.

Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel (Pack of 3 with free shipping )
Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel (Pack of 3 with free shipping )

Quote OKI787 to get 5% off your purchase and a further 5% if you purchase 4 bottles.
Shikai Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel
Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel 

Ingredients :
Purified Water (Aqua), Tea Lauryl Sulfate, Decolorized Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe Barbadensis), Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamide MEA, Oatmeal Powder (Avena Sativa), Guar Powder, Glycerin, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Natural Fragrance

Source : Shikai

Review : Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel

Product Description
This is not your typical shower gel but actually formulated to moisturise and soothe dry skin which lies in the combination of organic colloidal oatmeal blended with pure aloe vera gel. These natural ingredients bring relief to dry, itchy skin and leave rough, chapped areas smooth and soft. And the special blend of cleansers is mild enough for your whole family to use every day.

Yet another winning product from Shikai ( after its color care shampoo and conditioner ), the Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel is ultra-moisturising and will be another favourite of mine with its easy-to-use formula - think foam and easy lathering, if not for its ingredients. 

It smells good with its light floral fragrnace and skin is left feeling soft, nourished and pampered from head to toe. You can get a 238ml size for $10.33 on Iherb. Quote OKI787 to get US$5 off your first purchase. 

However, in terms of ingredients, it is not so "friendly". The 3rd ingredient is TEA lauryl sulfate ( hazard level 4 on EWG ) and 4th ingredient is cocoamide DEA which is a chemically-modified version of coconut oil and is a known carcinogen, with a hazard level of 7 on EWG.

DEA is an allergen that, in small doses, can create mild forms of dermatitis in individuals who are susceptible to skin allergies but high doses have been linked to potentially being carcinogenic to humans.

Look out for gentler and mild sulfates like Sodium Cocyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Socoyl (or lauryl/lauroyl) Sarcosinate, Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate, Dioctyl Sodium, Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Methyl Cocoyl or Lauryl Taurate and Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate. Read more here.

Shop for the products on Amazon.
Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel 
Shikai Gardenia Moisturizing Shower Gel ( 3 bottles )

Ingredients :

Purified water (aqua), aloe vera gel (aloe barbadensis)*, TEA lauryl sulfate, cocoamide DEA, laurethsulfosuccinate, cocoamidopropyl hydroxysutaine, colloidal oatmeal (avena sativa)*, guar powder, salt (sodium chloride), citric acid, diazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, natural fragrance (parfum).

*Certified organic

No animal ingredients or testing.

Source : Iherb

Review : Shikai Color Reflect Intensive Repair Conditioner

Product Description
This ultra-rich natural treatment revives hair with soy protein, avocado oil, glycerin, panthenol and shea butter. Natural sunflower extract (Heliogenol) and UV filters extend the life of color treatments. Glycerin and panthenol (provitamin B5) moisturize and nourish hair.

When I touch-up the roots of my hair colour, I decided to purchase back the same shampoo - Shikai Color Care Shampoo  and tried a new conditioner since the daily conditioner was out of stock. The shampoo is drying so a conditioner is definitely required. The intensive repair conditioner, with its white creamy texture does the job moderately well, in its flick-top opening tube. I prefer this over the daily conditioner.

It has a nice scent, left the hair feeling soft and slightly detangled but not the best conditioner around. Together with the shampoo, it is still able to retain the colour well enough to slightly more than 1.5 months, with little specks of grey peeking through.

Few months down the road, the packaging has changed to an opaque design.

I like how the new packaging allows all contents to be used up cleanly, without the need to cut it. Note that this was my first time cutting it, so I can't comment if previous packaging has wastage.

Shikai Color Reflect Intensive Repair Conditioner scored a 5 on EWG due to its inclusion of fragrance. Get 5% off your order on Iherb by quoting OKI787 or shop here.

Alternatively, you can purchase it on Amazon.
Shikai Color Reflect Intensive Repair Conditioner 
Shikai Color Reflect Intensive Repair Conditioner ( 3 tubes )

Ingredients :
water, glycerin, avocado oil, hydrolyzed soy protein, cetearyl alcohol, amodimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, panthenol, shea butter, sunflower extract, guar powder, behenetrimonium methosulfate, diazolidinyl urea, octyl methoxycinnamate, natural fragrance

Source : Iherb

Shikai Color Care Shampoo & Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner

Shampoo Description
Each ShiKai shampoo is based on this special botanical extract obtained from the fruit on an East Asian acacia tree. It is this extract which provides rich, dense, gentle lather and leaves hair shiny and manageable.
Gently cleans color-treated or bleached hair without stripping or fading the color. Two special UV filters provide added all day protection while natural soap and detergent-free Shikai Extract provides gentle cleansing.

Conditioner Description
This light, natural conditioner gives hair its daily dose of moisture with glycerin, panthenol and shea butter. Weightless Body and Shine with Natural Color Protection. Hair Becomes Shinier, Easier to Manage and Full-Bodied. Made in USA, Shika haircare products were developed since 1970. Plant based, with low detergent, Shikai products are rich in organic ingredients and botanical ingredients.

I had coloured my hair then, and was searching for colour care products on Iherb. Shikai Color Care Shampoo has good reviews so I added them to the cart, despite never hearing of the brand before. It was by a leap of faith and I am glad that my efforts paid off. I picked up Shikai Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner randomly since it is also meant for coloured hair.

The shampoo is housed in a flick-top cap container which has a nice fruity scent, foams very well and does an awesome job on coloured hair. However, it is slightly drying and a conditioner is definitely recommended to be used.

The conditioner is contained in a tube but dispenses easily from the gap. It conditions moderately well as a daily conditioner but not for intensive conditioning. The scent is very subtle but on EWG's Skin Deep, Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner scores a 5, mainly due to the inclusion of fragrance which EWG is not able to discern the difference between natural or chemical fragrance.

Both products work well together to retain colour, keeping the colour in my hair without weighing it down and making my coloured hair look shiny and vibrant. My new hair colour lasts well for up to 1.5 months and thereafter even though my natural roots colour (black) is slowly growing out, the contrast between my new and original colour is not that obvious.

Some ingredients to take note of, in the shampoo, even though they may be low in dosage :
Benzophenone-4 - may result in allergic contact dermatitis
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate - as an organic UV filter but may result in hormone-mimicking effects
Fragrance - System toxicity
Overall, the shampoo has a moderate hazard of 6 on EWG.

Ingredients in conditioner, to take note of even though they may be low in dosage :
Octyl Methoxycinnamate - may result in estrogenic toxicity, system toxicity and promoting free radicals
Fragrance - System toxicity

Shikai Color Care Shampoo scores 4.8 from 8 users on Makeupalley while the Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner scores 3.9 from 19 users on Makeupalley.

Check out the shampoo here and the conditioner here or use OKI787 to get up to US$10 off your first purchase on Iherb.

Alternatively, you can shop for the products on Amazon.
Shikai Color Care Shampoo 
Shikai Color Care Shampoo ( 3 bottles )
Shikai Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner
Shikai Color Reflect Daily Moisture Conditioner ( 3 bottles )

Shampoo Ingredients :
Purified water, aloe vera gel*, olefin sulfonate, cocoamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, cocamide MEA, ShiKai Extract (acacia concinna†), coconut oil, glycerin (vegetable), amodimethicone, panthenol, salt, glycol distearate, benzophenone-4, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, diazolidinyl urea, natural fragrance.
*Full strength, certified organic
†Wildcrafted botanical, organically grown and sustainably harvested

Conditioner Ingredients :
Water, avocado (persia gratissima) oil, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, amodimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, panthenol, shea butter (butyrospermum parkii fruit), sunflower (helianthus annuus) extract, guar powder, behentrimonium methosulfate, diazolidinyl urea, octyl methoxycinnamate, natural fragrance

Source : Iherb, Iherb2