Being a person with a mixed cultural African Arabian background, having an intensive exposure and knowledge towards natural beauty remedies was something that I considered part of my identity, and has always been a part of my self-care regime.
However, after becoming a mum, my set of priorities dramatically
changed in ways that affected my self-care. The time I used to invest in myself was no longer available, and neither were the finances.
With time passing by and my infant getting into the “toddler” phase, I began to realize that I needed to get back to taking care of myself. I started using natural remedies for my skin and getting regular facials.
Yet when it came to my hair, I was still taking shortcuts and exposing myself to chemical treatments, heat styling, and coloring, to try and make myself look good. All the while, from the inside I knew my hair was screaming for help!!
I wanted to look good as a mom, but I didn’t want to dedicate half of my day piling products on my hair or spending a fortune on products I knew would simply do more harm than good. I started thinking about all the ways I was investing in my skin and wondering why I wasn’t doing the same for my hair. I was giving my skin monthly deep cleansing facials. I was making amazing scrubs and wraps for my skin. I was paying so much attention to deep treatments for my skin…but when it came to my hair, all I was caring for was the exterior, not deeply penetrating and nourishing it like my skin.
This was how the little ember of an idea for making hair smoothies gradually began to spark.
I created an Instagram blog (@Hamiltonhairdiy) to share some DIY hair remedies that are shared in my culture. But with my busy lifestyle as a mother, I couldn’t commit to these remedies because I didn’t have the time, and they don’t last long. You have to make and apply them on the spot.
As a result, I decided to head the Canadian market to look for natural deep treatment hair cream masks. In the Arabian culture they are called “Hammam Zet” (hot oil treatments). I was so surprised that they were not available anywhere or familiar to anyone!
Therefore I decided to create my own mask and apply it myself. I wanted to create a mask that would have the benefit of natural ingredients, yet include that same power of a hair mask.
I found the best natural ingredients, mixed them together, found the best hair masks, mixed them together separately, then mixed everything together to create a hair smoothie similar to the idea of the drinkable ones.
When creating “The Ultimate”, I searched for ingredients that would compliment each other and suit almost everyone including kids. I kept testing the formula’s reaction on myself and friends (without them knowing the exact ingredients) to get feedback and be able to see the results. After lots of testing and before the final launch, I created a sample collection that was distributed among many top beauty influencers who were in the Hamilton community for testimonial and research purposes. To my surprise, each of the sample collection customers came back asking to purchase the actual product!
The ingredients included in Verte premium smoothie, “The Ultimate”, were all carefully chosen to target almost all major hair concerns. It creates a deep nourishing affect, yet is gentle enough to be used three times a week, and is safe for kids. We have a regular customer who uses it on her toddler as a conditioner and it works perfect.
I also created a special hair mask. In this formula, the mixture is more like the protein or collagen powder that we add to our natural drinkable smoothies. So I included deep nourishing hair masks from different well-known brands that I personally like and believe in their effectiveness such as Shea moisture, Eden by Cantu, etc. This mixture was added to the natural ingredients mixture to boost the effectiveness, add a rich texture, and extend its shelf life.
My goal has always been to end up with a final product that revitalizes hair, deeply penetrates in the same way a facial does for your skin, and allows me to ditch all the million other products out there! I wanted to save time and money, and start looking and feeling better because I know just how much having healthy hair affects how you look and feel!
Within less than a month of creating and using the smoothie myself, my husband, friends, family and hairstylist started asking what I was doing because they noticed such a significant positive change in my hair. In fact, I even had friends, all with different hair textures, try my formula and each of them came back asking for more.
That is how I decided to do something bold and brave and to put my passion into action!
To ensure a high quality and a high level of effectiveness, Verte Smoothies are created fresh on a weekly basis. They have a shelf life of two months and must be kept in the refrigerator.
The fresh ingredients are bought from our local farmers market and they include:
Arugula Leaf: Targets concerns of grey hair, hair loss, dullness, scalp dryness, and promotes hair growth including baby hair.
Carrot: Targets weak brittle hair, lack of volume, density, and adds incredible shine.
Coconut Milk: Adds moisture, softness and revitalizes hair.
Ginger: Detoxifies the scalp which reflects in promoting hair health and growth.
Avocado: Suits curly, dry, colored, chemically treated, hair. Repairs dullness, and breakage. Mends split ends.When it comes to curly hair, the curls get defined nicely and naturally.
Natural oils: Natural oils were a necessary addition. I chose both coconut and mustard oils because they are considered to be among the light oils that will add moisture, nourishment, but most importantly don’t clog the scalp’s pores.
When using the hair smoothie, customers will experience a gradual transformation of their hair to a healthier state with regular usage. The ingredients included in the smoothie work to deeply target the commonly known issues such as dryness, dullness, hair loss, brittleness, lack of elasticity, frizz, undefined curls, hair thinning, split ends, damage, and dandruff. These problems directly affect the appearance of your hair and are usually caused from the many products we use, heat styling, styling creams, coloring, chemical treatments, and usage of the wrong products. Once these issues are targeted by the smoothie, the customer will begin to notice healthier hair in no time.
When it comes to the competitive market, the products you find out there are in one of two categories. Either 100% chemical with all chemical ingredients, or it includes one natural ingredient’s extract yet is still loaded with chemical ingredients to give it a good shelf life.
When it comes to the storage, Verte must be refrigerated. It can last outside at room temperature for up to one full day. None of these other products need refrigeration, which further proves how far from natural they are.
Price wise, in order to get complete hair products which target a specific hair concern, the customer will often find him/herself buying a full line of products which may cost well above $40. Especially if the person is looking for a high end or high quality product.
Verte believes that having healthy hair should never be a costly or complex mission. That is why the price range we have set for our products is fair and affordable enough to encourage our customers to purchase and commit to our products without hurting their pocket!
Maturing Mama bloggers was sent Verte Smoothies to try.
“What I loved most about Verte Smoothies is the fact that there are simple and easy to read ingredients on each jar. The hair smoothie that I sampled had only 8 ingredients, 7 of which can easily be found in my kitchen! I felt at ease using Verte Smoothies’ hair smoothie because I knew all of the ingredients that were in it. I already know these ingredients are safe and I have even eaten most of them before. This product is safe on kids and pregnant women because its ingredients are so simple.
A few things to note when using this product:
1. You will need to refrigerate in between uses because the product does not have any added preservatives. I was absolutely fine with this. I wanted the nutrients from the fresh Canadian fruits and vegetables to revitalize my hair.
2. The hair smoothie works as an alternative to both hair conditioners and hair masks. Meant to be used on freshly shampooed and wet hair, the hair mask is formulated to transform your hair and get it to a healthier state than ever before.
Prior to using Verte Smoothies’ hair smoothie my hair would feel limp and get greasy extremely fast. Then, after cutting my hair short, it has felt like straw and started to lose its curl. It may not help that I don’t normally use products, so my curl disappears after the natural grease weighs it down.
Spreading the product onto my hair was almost therapeutic. The hair smoothie has a slight tinge of colour to it so you are able to see where you missed spots and, because of the coconut oil, it easily detangles your hair as you apply it (my hair tangles super easy when I only use shampoo).
My entire bathroom smelled amazing! It was like that perfume you smell every so often but can never find for yourself. I swear those people that passed me by with that perfume scent all secretly use this product.
It is recommended to put a shower cap on to keep the moisture in. I unfortunately didn’t have a shower cap, but I used a shopping bag as an alternative. You normally would let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before you rinse it out, or if you have a steam cap you let it sit for 20 minutes and then rinse it out. I don’t have a steam cap, so I used a blow dryer over the bag on my head instead. I also liked how, unlike coconut oil alone, the mixture of oils didn’t start to run down my face and neck as I let it sit under the bag.
After rinsing out Verte Smoothies’ Hair Smoothie, my hair feels amazingly soft! I also noticed my curl is starting to show more than it was before. My hair also has more natural volume than it had ever had before. It’s almost as if the hair smoothie was able to lift some of the weight and grease off of the individual strands.”
Verte considers our formulas to be unique, new, and fresh in all different aspects!
For more information head over to Verte Smoothies, and use code Maturingmama for 15% off your order!
Customers living in the Hamilton area can also receive a 10% refill discount. Simply return your used jar and use code “refill”.
