Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo + Conditioner

Intelligent Nutrients hair care often sails under the radar in the green beauty blogosphere, but their products are truly some of the best!  If Rahua and Yarok are the current darlings of the mid- to high-end green hair world, then Intelligent Nutrients is their steady, classic counterpart that never goes out of style.  Started in 1995 by Horst Rechelbacher (who first founded Aveda in the 70's), Intelligent Nutrients has weathered all the ups and downs of the last 20 years of the green beauty movement and they're still going strong with exciting new product launches all the time.

Many will remember when the video of Horst drinking Intelligent Nutrients hair spray circulated a few years ago, and indeed the company was founded on the principle that no ingredient should be used unless it's completely non-toxic and edible.  As such, the line, which includes hair care, skincare, body products, perfumes, and even supplements, holds itself to pretty strict ingredient standards.  And, all levels - from raw ingredients to finished products, manufacturing, storage, and shipping - are regularly third part audited to ensure everything stays up to par.  Many products are certified organic and everything is cruelty free (Leaping Bunny certified) and manufactured using 100% renewable energy.  



The Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner are described as "anti-aging, antioxidant rich, volumizing, super smooth, non-frizzy, scalp and hair nourishing shampoo [and] conditioner with color protection."  That's a lot of big claims, but I think the duo does pretty well on all accounts!

The shampoo has a creamy consistency straight out of the bottle, but it lathers surprisingly well and does a good job cleansing without stripping the hair.  It has a gorgeous minty-herbal scent and feels quite tingly and invigorating on the scalp.  According to the bottle, you can use this everywhere - head to toe - potentially making it a great multi-use product too.

The conditioner isn't overly thick, but it's thick enough that it can be a little challenging to squeeze out of the hard plastic bottle.  Packaging aside, I really have nothing bad to say.  The conditioner feels very hydrating, tames frizz, does a good job detangling, and leaves my hair soft and easy to comb through.  It smells a little different from the shampoo, though still predominantly minty and herbal. 

Both the shampoo and conditioner are made with Intelligent Nutrients' Intellimune Complex, a super-antioxidant blend found in many of the company's products.  Intellimune is a blend of cold-pressed fruit and vegetable seed oils designed to fight free radicals, reduce inflammation, protect healthy cellular activity and growth, and help slow premature aging and disease.  I have no way to gauge most of those, but I certainly appreciate the inclusion of so many nourishing, luxurious and organic oils, including buriti, pumpkin seed, black cumin seed, red raspberry seed, red grape seed, and cranberry seed, which don't often feature in hair products.  

Whether it's the Intellimune Complex or the formula as a whole, the duo leaves my scalp healthy and my hair nicely nourished without weighing it down.  

The Bottom Line
At $25 and $27 respectively ($33.50 and $36.99 in Canada), the Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner are pricier than my usual hair care staples, but you do get giant 444 ml bottles that'll last you quite some time.  For me, these are more of an occasional treat than an everyday repurchase, but I'm always happy to have them in my shower when I do pick them up.  Both the shampoo and conditioner have top notch ingredients and work very well. I'd highly recommend both.

Have you used anything from Intelligent Nutrients?  I'd love to know your favorites!


8 comments

  1. Something about the smell of these just wasn't a favorite of mine. I have tried their antioxidant lip gloss and really enjoyed it.

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    1. Scent is so individual! I haven't tried the lip gloss, but I'm always tempted :)

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  2. Good review. I've used Intelligent Nutrients styling gel & love it. Review to come on my blog.

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    1. Thanks Hazel! I love their Styling Gel too :)

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  3. I tried both of these. I didn't get on so well with the shampoo, but liked the conditioner.

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    1. Interesting! Glad to hear that the conditioner worked for you anyways :)

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  4. had not heard of this brand before, but i would definitely try this! always looking for shampoo to help my scalp!

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    1. Definitely check them out! I think they sell mini travel sizes too, if you want to give them a try without spending much :)

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