Product Review: Aubrey Organics GPB

We all use personal care and beauty products – in fact, it’s a multi-billion dollar a year industry worldwide. In recent years, companies have been responding to the needs of consumers for more natural, earth-friendly and cruelty-free offerings, and that’s great. But, compared to Aubrey Organics, they’re all Johnny-come-lately’s.  Here’s Aubrey’s story (and yes, there really WAS an Aubrey) from the Aubrey Organics website:

A pioneer in natural hair and skin care, Aubrey Hampton paved the way for a fledging natural products industry in the 1960s by making plant-based, synthetic-free personal care products on his own terms. Today his hair, skin and body care line is sold all over the world, but his connection to natural ingredients goes back to his father's organic farm in southern Indiana, where his mother made her own herbal beauty products at home.

A phytochemist and herbalist, he founded Aubrey Nature Labs in 1967 with just two products — Relax-R-Bath and GPB Hair Conditioner — simple beginning he quickly grew into the multi-national, multi-million dollar company that bears his name. Through the years Aubrey created over 200 hair, skin and body care products, which are internationally recognized as the most natural herbal products available. Nearly every health food store in the United States and Canada carries his products, which are also sold throughout Europe, Asia and South America.

Aubrey's list of "firsts" in the industry is impressive. He was first to use coconut fatty acids in hair and skin care; first to formulate cosmetic products with jojoba oil, evening primrose, blue camomile, Rosa Mosqueta® and Matcha green tea; first to develop a natural preservative with citrus extract and vitamins A, C and E; and the first cosmetic manufacturer to be certified as an organic processor (in 1994).

A dedicated animal rights activist, Aubrey was strongly committed to operating a cruelty-free company, a commitment that continues at our company to this day. In 1990 he was named "Activist of the Year" by the Culture and Animals Foundation for his work against animal testing.

Impressive credentials, right?

Many years ago, I had a conversation with Aubrey and he asked me if I swam in Klamath Lake. I told him that I’d been doing it practically my whole life, and used to love pretending I was a lake monster, emerging from the lake covered in algae. Though the lake did make me temporarily green (until I washed the algae off), it also made my skin and hair incredibly soft. That sparked Aubrey’s interest, and he was inspired to design a line of products using the blue-green algae found in Klamath Lake.

I have been using the Aubrey Organics GPB line of hair care for about 15 years. There’s so much to love about these products! They smell fresh and clean, don’t leave any residue and don’t contain any harmful chemicals. I swim a lot, and, as any swimmer knows, chlorine and salt water take a real toll on your hair. But, after using the GPB shampoo and conditioner, my hair feels fortified, conditioned and soft. A little bit goes a long way, and after years of using these “clean”, non-chemicalized hair products, I find that my hair doesn’t require a daily wash to stay clean. And because the products are fortified with blue-green algae, I know that my hair is getting nourished from the outside in.

Silicones and sulfates in hair care products have been making big news in recent years. We know that they are used by the beauty industry to achieve a certain “feel” in their products, but we also know that they bring about short-term benefits and long-term harm.

Silicones cover the hair shaft, making the hair shiny, smooth and easy to comb. What’s wrong with that? Well, over time, they build up on the hair and form an impenetrable barrier between your hair and nutrients, leading to dry, brittle hair.

Sulfates are used to make shampoo have big, soft bubbles. And if you’re creating lots of suds on your hair, you know that it’s getting clean, right? Not exactly. Sulfates strip the hair and scalp of the natural oils that keep your hair healthy, strong and naturally soft.

Aubrey Organics respects the natural needs of the body and creates products that work with, not against, nature. My company, E3Live, supplies the blue-green algae for Aubrey’s entire line of blue-green algae products, but that’s not why I use and recommend them! I truly love what they do for me.

Take a look at Aubrey’s site, there’s tons of helpful information and a plethora of really wonderful products for you to explore.

-Tamera