Beauty therapy: My new hair heroes

In all honesty, natural haircare is something I struggle with. Not that I have an issue with its existence, but I often have difficulty with its performance: it can leave my hair feeling heavy and lank. Mind you, mainstream hair products can be disappointing too. 

Enter Yolanda Cooper of Northern Irish-based brand We Are Paradoxx. Yolanda used to work at the self-tanning brand Vita Liberata, where she fell in love with the beauty biz and started to care more about organic products. One day she had her lightbulb moment: ‘I was being so careful about what I put on my body then buying anything for my hair.’

Super Natural Shampoo and Secret Weapon 3-in-1 Conditioner

She researched the natural haircare market and found the offering limited: products not luxe enough, packaging too twee and she felt there was too much compromise, so she set out to change that. In the space of a year she found a manufacturer and worked with a chemist to create organic products that performed on all fronts: no sulphates, no parabens, PEG-free, vegan and fragrance via essential oils. Irish ingredients run throughout, from hops (think beer rinsing to give your hair gloss) to carrageen moss to condition.

She tried to be ‘clean’ in other areas, too. The packaging is all in recycled aluminium – ‘When I was about to place an order for my first 100,000 bottles I realised I couldn’t bring myself to do it in plastic,’ she says. She’s planning to launch non-plastic recyclable tube refills and will be donating one per cent of all revenue to 1% For The Planet, a global environmental organisation.

Hangover Hair Elixir

Eco and organic credentials aside, I love this stuff because it works. The Secret Weapon 3-in-1 Conditioner (£20) can be used as a mask and styling product. The Super Natural Shampoo (£18) still lathers but they both leave my hair feeling clean, looking shiny and in tiptop condition. My hair has a natural kink that most products weigh down, but not these and though more expensive than many off-the-shelf options, you don’t need a lot of it. The Hangover Hair Elixir (£30, all asos.com from Thursday), complete with Irish whiskey (the only alcohol in the range), is a top-notch hair oil, treatment and frizz-tamer. 

Although Yolanda makes no claim about this, the products have also done wonders for the psychodermatitis (a bit like cradle cap) that I have developed in recent years.

Mad about the gel  

If you’re looking for a new squeeze on the shower gel front then Roger & Gallet’s Tuberose option (£9.50, feelunique.com) is a glorious-smelling pick-me-up that feels good to use too. There are four other new fragrances (including Neroli) but this is my favourite.

Trinny London BFF Eye

High praise to Trinny London and not just because the woman herself is a columnist for this magazine. Her new BFF Eye (£26, trinnylondon.com) is a fab hybrid of a good coverage concealer that’s lightweight as it’s also part serum – with hyaluronic acid for moisture and peptides to depuff. It gives a natural finish and doesn’t leave the eye area feeling tight or dry. I also use it on my face if I don’t want full foundation but just need to touch up here and there.