Anddd I'm back . . .
And a very autumnal hello it is! I'm back, once again, I'm quite the blogging boomerang now I think I can safely say! Returning back to business, I'm back on the blogging train with a classic beauty post, fitting as this very much is a beauty blog! - just incase you may have thought otherwise with all the cake and what not here recently! (There's always room for a bit of cake). Review posts are one of my most favourite to write and in today's post I wanted to review something I got quite excited about in the form of a bit of a sustainable dupe for the renowned Function of Beauty Shampoo and Conditioners.
Meet Minimal. The Refillable Shampoo and Conditioner.
Minimal, I believe, is a big company, I say big in the sense that it spans across a whole range of sustainable, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly cleansing products, from bodily soaps and skincare indulgence, to household cleaner. One of Minimal's ranges of course is their refillable shampoos and conditioners, of which my local zero waste shop stocks some of. In need of a shampooing and post-shampooing top-up, I decided to invest (I say invest, first review point here, the refillable bottles themselves were actually incredibly cheap, I'm talking a few pounds at the most!) and I picked up two brand new refills of the Minimal Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner. Upon glancing over the refills writing this, one thing I love is that they came in generic Minimal labelled bottles, that offer a sticker space to allow for any product to be refilled in it! Simply remove the Grapefruit & Aloe sticker or simply pop your next product's sticker over and bam, you've got yourself your next body wash, no additional packing required!
Something I also really loved in addition to the incredible sustainable features of the Minimal shampoo and conditioners was how much they almost resemble the aptly popular Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioners, in their tall, pump-top bottles and offerings of craftily combined, unique scent combinations. I feel like the combination of scent a product comes in really elevates a product's fanciness, if you catch my drift, and, although a lot smaller in range, it felt ever so what I envisioned Function of Beauty to be like.
I think now is a very good time to clarify, I've never actually tried Function of Beauty so I cannot give an accurate comparison on personal use however, as a consumer, these are the points I feel the two are comparable on, without having used both products.
Although the scent range may not be quite as extensive as Function of Beauty what in a sense gets me a little more excited and feeling less loss at a loss for is that the Minimal refillable shampoo and conditioners come in glass bottles as opposed to plastic and, although Function of Beauty do seem to be quite a ingredient-conscious company, ingredient-wise I know that Minimal is stocked with thorough and rigorous confidence from my local zero waste seller, who I know really digs deep into the ethicalness and safety of ingredients of the brands and products they stock.
I also really like the idea that I can just pop down to my local zero waste shop with my glass bottles and refill them whenever I'm ready, without having to send them off or wait for any deliveries. The former also being really handy to do when you already "just popping into town", saving an extra journey... and meaning I can give everything a good whiff before refilling!
So, what do the Minimal shampoo and conditioners claim to do...
So, all minimal products are paraben free, sulphate free, cruelty free and vegan. The Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo claims to "cleanse gently" and work well for "sensitive scalps", whilst leaving hair "silky and smooth". Likewise, the conditioner further aims to "soften and reduce frizz" and "minimise damage and breakage", while both are designed to be curl-friendly and also avoid various other ingredients like "VOCs [volatile organic compounds], bleaches, solvents, lanoline, sulphates... [and] phosphates". Now, as an outside consumer all I know from reviews and other people's experiences is that Function of Beauty is more of a tailor-to-your-hair-need company, which is amazing but quite different to Minimal. Whereas minimal are more of a tailor-to-all, in a sense, minimal-ingredient product. Depending on what you're looking for I think these points are a big factor between choosing from the two. Although Function of Beauty seem to likewise appear quite ingredient-conscious I feel like Minimal are a more 'minimal' ingredient-focused shampoo and conditioner that might be less overwhelming for your hair... Not to say however that a wham, bam hit of amazing need-specific scientifically tailored ingredients from Function of Beauty wouldn't be absolutely amazing for specific hair needs though! I feel it's a choice between the best of both but if your looking for something less potentially overwhelming for your hair I feel I'd steer more to Minimal. Likewise, I just like how well... minimal the ingredients are in the Minimal Shampoo and Conditioner.
Scent and texture...
The Pink Grapefruit & Aloe scent was really punchy and fresh. It had a vibrant spring/ summer hit to it, more than a hint, and really felt uplifting to use. Refreshing too but not so much like you've been slapped in the face with a handful of spearmint and truly invigorated from every living, breathing bodily cell in the deepest depths of your being (that's a bit 'Original Source' that isn't it but I do like it when I'm feeling in the mood for it haha). As said, Function of Beauty wise, I can't really comment on a comparison of the scents but as I also previously noted I feel like even Minimal's smaller tri-scented range compliments Function of Beauty with a really beautiful selection of unique and classically indulgent fragrance blends. Grapefruit & Aloe, Coconut & Tea Tree and Mint. I think it would be amazing if Minimal branched into more scent selections in the future but for now just having a small but exciting combinations of natural scents make me feel very happy.
How much do you need to use...
Now, at the time of use I probably had a bit of a lob going on (long bob) and I think I roughly used about 4-6 pumps of the shampoo, the later being as my hair got longer and more medium length, and 5-6 pumps of conditioner as I like to add a bit more nourishment. If that sounds an awful lot of shampoo to you I found that with it being a not so lather-crazy sulphate free formula you do need to use a little more to get that desired, BUT not dry I add, good cleanse effect. I've found this with all sulphate free shampoos however and it certainly didn't feel stripping in any way but enough for a thorough cleanse with a gentle but effective lather. The conditioner by no means felt overwhelming but just enough for a light but hair-huggable moisture lock-in.
How it applies and performs...
As noted, the sulphate free formula of the shampoo, but as I usually find with all sulphate free shampoos, needs a little more to ensure a good-feeling cleansing lather but it works marvellously at leaving a cleansed feeling with absolutely an ounce of a striping feeling and I mean it! What I think is quite lovely about the conditioner is it's quite a fluid-y one and feels really lightweight on the hair when applied. If you're not into heavy conditioning products then I think you'll love this about the Minimal ones but it still nourishes exceptionally well! I think this lends its self to one of the most notable effects I had with the Minimal Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner too. What I loved when I was using the Minimal shampoo and conditioner was that it left my hair feeling and with such a weightless effect. I felt like my strands were light and airy, free, soft and gentle. This in hand lent a lovely gently silky soft feel to my hair too. I wouldn't say heavy or laminated-like but healthy and lightweight. I think this is an amazing perk to the products if you're someone worried about loosing volume or conscious of product buildup. As for the comparison to Function of Beauty's performance I can't comment as I haven't used Function of Beauty but I must say I'd definitely give Minimal a whirl whether it's the first of the two you've tried or you a through and through Function of Beauty addict. The airy, lightweight, softly feel-goodness the Minimal shampoo and conditioner left to my hair is not to be missed, whilst also knowing you're using a 'minimal' ingredient-conscious product, both safer to yourself and the planet.
Short and long-term effects
As noted prior, short-term effect-wise the weightless softness the Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner gave to my hair was just dreamy. Now it did give way to a bit of fly away action but nothing compared to the health my hair felt when using these Minimal products. And I guess that would be what I perceived to be the long-term effects of using them. My hair just felt really, really healthy. Again, I can't comment on a comparison of this to the effects of Function of Beauty as I haven't used their products however just knowing what goodness you're using on your her, chemical-wise and sustainable-wise, paired with it's lovely effects, makes me a very happy beauty enthusiast bunny!
How long it lasts...
I feel like you can measure longevity in a few ways in review of these two. I felt both the short and long-terms effects of using the Minimal Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner didn't dwindle between uses and wasn't just, metaphorically, surface deep. It didn't last two seconds in other words; it lasted sufficiently and felt genuine. Scent-wise, the Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera punchy hit lasted nicely and subtly, probably strongest day one to almost undetectably, if not undetectable, by day two. I think reasonably without being sickly. Both the longevity of the products themselves I felt was pretty decent. I'd say both lasted me two to three months, with the conditioner lasting a bit longer than the shampoo but as normal for me (I imagine this is due to the viscosity of conditioner compared to shampoo and I must note the Minimal shampoo does have more of a watery feel to it than your average shampoo but it didn't cause issues - if anything it added to how gently and airy it made my hair feel).
Price and value for money...
Okay so the big question and probably the most pressing point on why you'd call this a dupe for the Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioners... value for money. Now, if I remember rightly as I don't have a copy of my receipt still, with the new glass refill bottles both my Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera shampoo and conditioner were under £9 I'm certain. To refill they'd then be even cheaper as I've already got the bottle and these are each 500ml bottles I'm talking about, with pumps too! On Minimal's website you can purchase a glass 500ml bottle with pump of each for £5.45 or if you're looking to go all in, very much trust my reviews and they sound right up your alley, you can get a 20 litre bulk barrel of each for £129.95, which makes each 500ml refill just £3.25. Two 500ml bottles and lotion pumps for a one-off purchase will cost you £8.88 on the website (at time of writing) but then you'll have them for life, to refill with whatever products you wish, to your heart's content.
Amazing side note: Minimal will actually recollect your big bulk barrels when you're finished with them, clean them and repurpose them for exactly the same thing for the next customer!
So, the Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioners come in 8 ounce and 16 ounce bottles, with the latter coming close to the equivelent 500ml. For a one-time purchase, one 16 ounce bottle costs $25, which roughly comes to about £22 (at time of writing) - that's a significant, significant difference! Now it was a bit tricky to find and I couldn't find on their website but according to My Subscription Addiction it costs $44.99 monthly for a Function of Beauty subscription, which roughly equates to £40.58, monthly (at time of writing). So there's a flipping whopping difference between the two in price! If you ordering from Minimal online lets not forget delivery costs which (at time of writing) are between £2.90 for the 500ml bottles to £10 for the bulk buy 20 litre barrels. Still, if you're going to go through your 500ml shampoo and conditioner monthly that's a significantly lesser cost per month for your Minimal products than a Function of Beauty Subscription. Likewise, you'd be purchasing a big barrel much less frequently as it's designed to last a long time to allow for at-home or in-store refills and the beauty of it that I use Minimal for... I can stock up on my way past my local zero waste store without having to pay any extra delivery charges! One sunny afternoon pop-by and I'm spending under £10 for shampoo and conditioner that will last me a couple of months (as opposed to approximately £81.16 - gee wiz that's a difference when I put it like that).
Top top: I'd recommend cutting the bottoms off the pump tubings by an inch or two, see what fits best for you, so the shampoo and conditioner can come up through the pump easily.
Overall verdit...
So, first things first in any overall review of a product... does the product do what it claims to do? For cleansing gently, in a way that's designed to be gentle on sensitive scalps, whilst achieving silky soft hair that's protected, reduced in frizziness and friendly to curly haired folk, minus the curl test as I don't have naturally curly hair, I can safely say the Minimal Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner does what it says on the tin. I have to be honest, at first post-air drying, but only for that initial few hours, my frizzy bits do still show but my hair is naturally and notoriously a nightmare for frizziness and will always misbehave somewhat on air drying. Dry it with the hair dryer or a few hours later, what makes it is that my hair really did calm to this very lovely, silky weightless finish that was just airy, light, lovely and healthy! Damage-wise I don't feel I can fully fairly evaluate as I ALWAYS use heat protectant on my hair whenever using heat but the time period in which I used the Minimal shampoo and conditioner my hair felt in exceptionally good health. I think, as it's design too, the Minimal shampoo and conditioners are going to suit most hair types but if you've got extremely, extremely, unruly or problematic hair - but bare in mind that my hair is quite on the unruly and troublesome side - something more intensive and problem-focused like a Function of Beauty product may suit your needs better. For most of us average Jo Blogs and again even people with unruly hair though I think the minimal and kind-focused ingredients of the Minimal shampoo and conditioners really make them not just well suited but effective for most people.
So comparing it to Function of Beauty, is it a good dupe... considering not only how versatile in hair-need they are but how effective they really are I'd say on the whole they're a very affordable dupe for Function of Beauty! They've got the same style but they're going to save you a heck of a lot of money but you are sacrificing the fun, individualised creative process and I think the tailor-to need of Function of Beauty would be more needed for those with extremely problematic hair. Not only will it save you a lt of pennies, you know you're doing so much good to the planet with minimal and being super sustainable at the ease of popping into your local zero waste shop or trip to your cupboard to top up from your bulk barrel. If you want to enjoy the best of both too and are a big Function of Beauty fan you could even subsidise a bit of your Function of Beauty use to save some money by going for the Minimal dupes for a few months in between your Function of Beauty subscription?
Function of beauty does sound amazing and it's a product of it's a product of its own but for me the Minimal shampoo and conditioners are an excellent well performing dupe, that work to a higher standard that I relate Function of Beauty too.
Until my next post,
Ahhh, it's been so good to get back to writing :)
Ellie x
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