“My frizzies were tamed and it almost felt like my hair was actually “happy.””

The Active Botanicals Shampoo and Rich Recharge Conditioner both have a peppermint scent reminiscent of the hippie classic Dr. Bronner’s, but they’re much lighter and lack the harsh tingle that’s a turnoff to some. They smell refreshing without leaving you overwhelmed by perfume. I have very sensitive skin and often break out in hives from harsh products, but these seemed fairly gentle.

The shampoo boasts ginseng and sage as some of the other herbal goodies that found their way into the mix. It provided just a bit of lather, but not too much, as most natural shampoos do. But it did leave my hair feeling clean without being stripped dry. The conditioner lists horsetail and calendula as its “hero ingredients.” It could be a bit more hydrating for my thirsty, thick, and curly hair, but if you have normal tresses it would probably be enough to satisfy. I also didn’t try the scalp oil pre-treatment, so maybe that would give this routine the extra hydration bump it needs. After washing, my hair felt clean and soft. My curls were super bouncy and light, or should I say, high. My frizzies were tamed and it almost felt like my hair was actually “happy.”

The High Healing Hair & Scalp Oil  says to use it as a pre-treatment before shampooing, but I wondered what it would be like as a leave-in product. I have long, wavy hair that I keep very natural. I need to fight frizz, but I use leave-in conditioners or hair oils (like argan oil) instead of proper “styling” products. I don’t like to wash my hair often, so I don’t want to put anything too sticky, hard or damaging in it since it could be in there for quite a while. But this natural olive-oil based treatment, with the added ingredients of rosemary and pomegranate, seemed like a yummy blend I could leave in as long as I’d like. The texture was truly soft and light; not overly thick and oily—but still substantial. It also had the same pleasant mint scent as the shampoo. I ended up using a little more than I normally would because I was just really into it.

“It let me give my hair an extra beauty boost while giving it a spa-like health treatment at the same time.”

My hair looked pretty good. My split ends seemed more healthy and hydrated than usual, frizzies were tamed and my waves separated nicely. It was just a tad too greasy in parts, almost as if I had used coconut oil, but not quite as heavy. I applied it mostly to the ends of my hair, but I can see how if it were applied more as a scalp treatment it would be far too dirty looking to wear outside, though still a nice treatment for dry skin.

The scent was so light that it didn’t stick to my hair after showering. I smelled clean. I was really feeling my hair and felt good knowing everything in there was also healthy for it. It always feels better to rock a look that’ll also help you in the long run. A natural treatment that can combine beauty and health is the best combo you can get. Plus, in case you forgot, there’s weed in it.

Shockingly, as a longtime stoner in a pandemic where everyday sort of bleeds into the next, I forgot to wash my hair for a few more days. But my sensitive scalp fared better than it normally does when I wait so long between washes. My hair seemed to hit an “oil plateau” where it stayed pretty much the same as the days wore on. While it looked slightly too oily after just being freshly washed, it looked surprisingly clean after not being washed for a week. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely looked a bit of a mess, but it was nowhere as bad as it should have been. That’s a sign of healthy moisture since dry skin tends to make more oil to try and compensate.

Steam’s price point is a bit too high to use regularly for someone with as much thick hair as I have (which is a lot. I have a LOT of hair, as every hairdresser reminds me), but it’s perfect for a treat-your-self moment. It let me give my hair an extra beauty boost while giving it a spa-like health treatment at the same time. And unlike all the crazy at-home hair dyes people are using right now, this is one green thing you won’t regret putting in your hair later.