We’ve been waiting about 30 years for LolaVie, the haircare line from celebrity hair icon Jennifer Aniston. And now that it’s finally here everyone wants to know, is as clean as they say it is? Does it actually work? I’ve been a beauty blogger for over 10 years and have come across very few celebrity lines I can stand behind. But after testing the entire LolaVie line and getting the sign off from a cosmetic chemist I’m honestly…impressed. Our entire team even discovered one product that we’re ALL obsessed with. Let’s dig in!
By: Lisa Fennessy
IN THIS POST:
- How clean is LolaVie?
- Does LolaVie use any concerning ingredients?
- I’ve tried the entire LolaVie line. Here are my thoughts…
- References
In 1994, the show Friends debuted. I was a sophomore in high school and instantly taken, like the rest of the world. At the end of season one, Jen stepped out showing off her new Chris McMillan haircut—later to be known internationally as “The Rachel”—and then me and 11 million other women ran to do the same.
I think I can speak for all of us when I say, I wish we had this line 30 years ago. I mean, be still my aching 16 year old heart, Jennifer Aniston created a haircare line?! YES, YES and YES!
Now while we can grieve for our teenage selves about what wasn’t, the good news about this 30 year delay is that Jen now has access to better ingredients, more sophisticated preservative systems and more knowledgeable formulators than she would have had back then so let’s take a look and see how that benefits us…or not.
How clean is LolaVie?
When I said I was testing this line, in true TNK fashion, the first question I got back from readers was, “Is LolaVie clean?” To be honest, I was skeptical. Outside of Michelle Pfeiffer’s EWG Verified fragrance line, I haven’t seen many (if any) truly clean celebrity beauty lines.
But overall? For a celebrity haircare line I have to say, I’m pretty impressed. There are no major ingredient red flags and in fact there are some really cool ingredients incorporated.
What’s lacking? As far as a personal wish list or feedback for the brand as they grow and evolve, I would love to see LolaVie get third party vetted to something like the EWG, MADESAFE or COSMOS standard. I’d also like to see more organic ingredients incorporated too.
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Does LolaVie use any concerning ingredients?
We sat down with Kate Noonan, Molecular Biologist and Cosmetic Chemist, to take a closer look at the ingredients in the LolaVie line. Again, there are no major red flags here but there are some ingredients that could be tweaked…or highlighted. Here’s a closer look.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Seen in their Leave In, Glossing Detangler and Intensive Repair Treatment. I’m calling this ingredient out because of the residual dimethyl sulfate found in it. Kate explains, “Dimethyl sulfate is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies.”
However, she continues, “This amount of the behentrimonium methosulfate is low risk here because it’s used at about 2% and the raw material itself has low (1 ppm) residual dimethyl sulfate in all the ingredient files I can find from manufacturers. That’s very low, 2% * 1 ppm.”
Kate concludes, “I don’t like that dimethyl sulfate is something workers who make this ingredient for cosmetics ever have to handle.I wish they’d switch to Ecocert certified ingredient Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride that fills the same role smoothing hair (it’s in the Innersense Leave In Conditioner).”
Fragrance (Parfum*)
“Fragrance (Parfum)” is listed in nearly all of the LolaVie products. This is the most popular question we got about this line. Happy to report we have good news.
Kate called LolaVie on the phone (yes they answered!) and they confirmed that their fragrance is a blend of essential oil components from plants and that it’s 100% botanical. We wondered why they didn’t just post this online and Kate suspects they want to keep their exact fruit/flower essential oil blend a trade secret (because she read on their site that they may have submitted a patent application covering the exact formulation of their botanical fragrance). Fair enough.
Melatonin
Found in Restorative Shampoo. I’ve personally never seen melatonin added into a haircare product so I needed to know the deal. Kate explains, “Most plants and bacteria make melatonin and it’s actually in coffee, wine, beer, etc. Melatonin is a great antioxidant. Melatonin also benefits thinning hair in research.” (1)
Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Seen in Restorative Conditioner. This ingredient may be a problem for some. Kate explains, “Some people will have a contact allergic reaction to this ingredient because it contains some residual dimethylaminopropylamine. There’s usually 115 ppm of dimethylaminopropylamine in this ingredient. It’s probably used at 3% in this formula.” She adds, “It’s heavily marketed by Kao Chemicals as being eco-friendly and I think that’s why some chemists put it in haircare.”
Let me pause for a minute here because I don’t think many people realize how specific ingredients make their way into beauty products. Like pharmaceutical reps trying to get docs to prescribe their drugs, ingredients are pushed to formulators by the people who develop ingredients.
I went to Suppliers Day in New York City a few years ago with a friend who also happens to be a cosmetic chemist. This is basically a huge convention center filled with booths and at each booth is a company pushing their new and innovative ingredients to formulators and manufacturers. These ingredient innovators want to be your friends, they want to take you out to lunch, they call you when something new is coming out, they ask you how your kids are doing.
Ever wonder why you hear about a new ingredient like bakuchiol or chebula for example and then a dozen brands are launching a product featuring that ingredient all of a sudden? For better or worse, this is why.
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate
Not concerning at all but this is the first ingredient listed in most of the LolaVie products so I wanted a closer look. The first ingredient listed in what’s called “the ingredient deck” is important because it takes up a bulk of the volume in that product. (Most of the time the first ingredient in conventional shampoos is water which is just a very cheap way to fill up the bottle).
So when I saw a fermented ingredient listed first here I needed to know more. Kate says, “Arundinaria gigantea is the species of fermented bamboo used in this ingredient and lactobacillus are the beneficial bacteria used to ferment it. Interestingly enough,” Kate continues, “I found some research where this ingredient helped improve scalp health.” (2) Me? I love this.
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I’ve tried the entire LolaVie line. Here are my thoughts…
The full LolaVie line is currently made up of six products. A shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and three leave-in treatments.
I’ve used this line piecemeal (like mixed in with other products) and I’ve also used it straight up (by itself with no other products) and I can’t believe I’m about to say this but, this line is really best when used all together as a system. 😭⚰️
And I don’t say that lightly. I would NEVER lead you to buy more for the sake of buying more so even typing that out feels skeevy. BUT what I’m saying is that when I use this line holistically, it really delivers a better look. My hair feels shiner, softer and healthier when I use this line together as one system rather than using the LolaVie products one off here and there.
LolaVie Perfecting Leave-In | $29
My favorite LolaVie product is the Perfecting Leave-In. I’m obsessed and the entire TNK team is too. This product really delivers that silicone-y finish that we all miss when we switched from conventional to better beauty.
I don’t want to say less is more here but this cream is hardy and one pump is all I need to get results. If you have fine hair then half a pump is plenty. It’s super creamy and a little really does go a long way.
Not only does this leave-in conditioner hydrate, smooth and help manage frizz, it’s also a heat protectant too. If you try one thing from the LolaVie line, make it this!
Full ingredient list: Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Limonene, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Citral, Linolenic Acid
LolaVie Glossing Detangler | $26
Also love this one too. (Very similar to the EVOLVh SuperFinish Polishing Balm that I will rave about until the day I die. I would say the most notable difference between the two is SFPB is lighter and more weightless).
Love that this one pumps out in a spray and it’s very easy to apply evenly to hair. Helps to detangle and adds shine. This is also a heat protectant too. Very easy to use. Very effective.
Full ingredient list: Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Pentylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Coconut Alkanes, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Glycosphingolipids, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Linalool, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Limonene, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Citral, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid
LolaVie Restorative Shampoo | $29
This is my least favorite pick from the entire line for one reason and one reason alone. I hate the smell of it. I don’t know what blend of essential oils they are using here but it’s giving drug store shampoo that my grandmother used to use vibes.
The Restorative Conditioner and Intensive Repair Treatment both have this scent profile too but it’s okay for me because it’s just not as strong as it is in the shampoo. Both leave in treatments actually may have this scent profile as well but the scent is so “barely there” that I can’t even tell for sure. The hair oil has no scent.
Anyways, as far as the shampoo experience goes though, this shampoo pumps out clear. It’s not too thick and it’s not too thin. Like most clean beauty shampoos, it most likely will not lather up on the first pass—depends on how dirty your hair is. I usually wash mine once a week so I never get shampoo to suds on the first wash. The second wash gets very sudsy.
Two rounds of shampooing and this leaves my hair feeling very clean.
Full ingredient list: Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Glycosphingolipids, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Peptide, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Biotin, Caffeine, Melatonin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Polyquaternium-10, Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Linalool, Limonene
LolaVie Restorative Conditioner | $29
This conditioner surprised me because it was thicker than I expected. My hair is on the drier side and needs all the conditioning and moisture it can get and this conditioner is my type of conditioner. Thick, creamy, hardy, intentional. If you have thin or fine hair, I would guess that this would be too heavy of a formula for you.
I also thought it was interesting that this conditioner does not have the same scent profile as the shampoo.
Full ingredient list: Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Citric Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Peptide, Artocarpus Heterophyllus (Jackfruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Extract, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Coco- Caprylate/Caprate, Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Linalool, Limonene
LolaVie Intensive Repair Treatment | $35
Now if you are sold on the Restorative Conditioner, you are going to love the Intensive Repair Treatment. It’s everything the Restorative Conditioner is AND MORE. This is basically a hair mask / deep conditioning treatment that is recommended for use once a week. Because my hair is on the dryer side, I could probably use it more than that (but I only wash my hair 1X a week anyways so…). This treatment works to restore the look of damaged strands and protect against any future damage at the same time. My hair feels very smooth and conditioned (but not greasy at all) when I use this.
Full ingredient list: Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Squalane, C15-19 Alkane, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Stearyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Butylene Glycol, Linalool, Limonene, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid
LolaVie Lightweight Hair Oil | $32
There are not many hair oils I like but I have to say, this one is pretty good. It’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t make my hair look greasy after applying. It also helps to give freshly washed hair a little weight and direction. I like it specifically to help tame flyaways, give my hair some pieciness and boost shine. To be honest, I’m personally not a hair oil person so I don’t use this that much but when I do use it, I like it.
Full ingredient list: Coconut Alkanes, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Myristyl Lactate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Linalool, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Limonene, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Citral, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid
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Have you tried LolaVie? What do you think? Do you like the smell of the shampoo?
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References:
1. Fischer TW, Trüeb RM, Hänggi G, Innocenti M, Elsner P. Topical melatonin for treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Int J Trichology. 2012 Oct; 4(4):236-45. doi: 10.4103/0974-7753.111199. PMID: 23766606; PMCID: PMC3681103.
2. Rizzi, V., Gubitosa, J., Fini, P. and Cosma, P., 2021. Neurocosmetics in skincare—the fascinating world of skin–brain connection: a review to explore ingredients, commercial products for skin aging, and cosmetic regulation. Cosmetics, 8(3), p.66.
Emily
February 16, 2024I was so excited about this too!! Currently trying the travel size kit Credo is selling (shampoo, conditioner, detangle, leave in) and I’m still not sure. I have fine and thin dark hair, and I’m struggling to make it more than one day with a single wash because my hair gets oily quickly. My hair also feels very flat. Maybe my hair/scalp will adjust. Would love to find a clean shampoo that doesn’t weight my hair down and make it so oily!
Lisa Fennessy
March 3, 2024Okay if this ends up not being a good fit, try the EVOLVh line!
Taylor
March 1, 2024I have to say, I am absolutely LOVING the LolaVie line. I’ve gone through so many clean hair care lines recently and none have quite fit the bill for my thick, long, straight (& currently postpartum) hair and sensitive scalp. I have to agree it’s absolutely best used as a system, but I find that the system is relatively long-lasting (if you’re a minimal weekly washer) and truly delivers that “just left the salon” result for me. I prefer a more earthy, grounded scent profile, so maybe I’m in the minority but I truly do not mind the scent! It’s not overpowering, still smells clean, and is not flowery (i.e. doesn’t conflict with other scents I’m wearing from lotion to clean perfumes). I recently just found out they sell this line at ULTA (!!?) and I was so happy to see another clean hair care line break into that market. I can’t wait to see how continuing to use this line helps my hair and I’m SO happy to see this article from you…. I know it’s a good one when Lisa does the deep dive 🙂
Lisa Fennessy
March 3, 2024Yeah Taylor! So glad you found something you love! The Leave In is incredible, isn’t it?! It’s like, how is there not silicones in this??!