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As both a proud mom and a body care product developer for the Whole Foods Market brand, I have always taken care to use gentle and effective body care on my 5-year-old daughter. It thrills me to announce that our new, reformulated 365™ Body Care products meet the Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care standard! I’m now able to use excellent quality and budget-priced hair care as well as shower gels and lotions on my very active and dirty little girl.
Recently I spent the week with my family enjoying the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe and the fresh forest scents. Our spread-out family makes a yearly trip to the area and it was a good time to try out our new, reformulated 365™ Body Care products. Whole Foods Market launched the new shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and lotions in selected stores throughout the country in July and we hope to have full distribution in all stores by the end of the summer. My family tested them out and loved the new products – and the price – and I know yours will too.
Our Premium Body Care standard is stricter than that of many baby and kid’s lines. It doesn’t allow ingredients such as parabens, synthetic fragrances, polypropylene and polyethylene glycols, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates. Whole Foods Market experts created the Premium Body Care standard to help our customers easily find safer, more natural body care products.
Our Whole Foods Market team worked for more than a year to reformulate our highly successful 365 Body Care products. It was a challenging proposition: How could we keep the formulas effective and cost-conscious while raising the bar by using only ingredients that meet our strict Premium Body Care standard? Surfactants, the ingredients that make products lather up, are some of the most expensive and difficult ingredients to source at budget formula cost with Premium Body Care standard quality. We succeeded, though, and our new formulas are gentle, effective and affordable for everyone! Working on the team that reformulated these products gives me a new appreciation for the way a group of people on a mission can accomplish great things.
Fresh mint, lavender flowers and zesty citrus scents made from pure essential oils are the reasons I’ve always loved our original 365 Body Care products. We still have these favorites along with a fragrance-free version for those who do not need or want a scented product. We worked hard to make sure we kept the things our customers loved while we made our improvements.
We hope you and your family will like the new products as much as we do. We are very proud of the new formulas and, since we like to have fun while we do our jobs at Whole Foods Market, my Team Leader, Jeremiah McElwee, and I thought we would share some shots of our sudsy kids getting creative with the bubbles from our new products. Now that we’ve made our great body care products even better, we hope you and your family will give them a try and let us know what you think.
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How do you work up a lather with this shampoo? i tried the herbal mint one, i love the scent and how clean it feels after, but no foamy bubbles while washing my hair
Is it because the one i picked up is for Normal/Dry hair?
this is my routine: pour a quarter size of shampoo on my hands, add a little water, work up a lather, shampoo my hair.
is there a better way to do it?
August 20th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I hope that products are develped for various hair types, including African American kids. I have to either go very far, or pay for s&h in order to get quality, natural/organic products for my daughter’s hair.I wish that Whole Foods carried an African American line of cosmetics, and health and beauty aids.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I love the 365 brand of body care and often use it on my toddler. But I have found that the formula doesn’t take care of the inevitable soap in eye problem. Is this new formula tear-free?
August 20th, 2009 at 11:21 am
loved the pink grapefruit a coupla years back, but went on to use Kiss My Face (also a good product) but this intriguing new launch has got me wanting to try your products again.
Only thing, is that the lotions used to contain oil from nuts and nut derivative and as someone who is allergic, was disappointed that I could not do the whole suite of products as I love to do.
August 20th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I will be sure to try these out as I am always looking for safe yet affordable beauty products. I did not use the previous versions of WF’s shampoos and conditioners because they still contained some sulfates. Very glad you all have come out with these reformulations!
LL, It is the carcinogen sodium laurel sulfate that makes shampoos (and most soaps) foam up. You do not want to use shampoos with this in it. I don’t think the lathering ability affects the cleansing ability….anyone have thoughts on this?
August 20th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I noticed that the older formulation contains wheat ingredients. My son is gluten intolerant, and I have elected not to use the product anymore due to the wheat ingredients. Does the new formulation still contain wheat? I would love to try the new sulfate free version…but I just can’t do it if it contains wheat. Thanks!
August 21st, 2009 at 6:33 pm
@L.L. The surfactants allowed by our Premium Body Care standard are different and milder, so the foam and lather action will be less than that of conventional products. Although these milder surfactants may produce less lather, they clean as effectively as products with bigger bubbles. Basically, lather doesn’t equal cleaner. We added information in the “Directions area” on the bottle letting you know that we suggest you wet your hair thoroughly, apply the shampoo and then re-wet to enhance foaming. Also, depending on the length of your hair, you may need to use more than a quarter-size squirt. Hope this helps!
August 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
@Lucy While these products are formulated with some of the most gentle ingredients available, they are not tested to be tear-free. Let us know how they work for you and your toddler.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
@Deb The ingredients are free of gluten. Give it a try!
August 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I used to LOVE the old grapefruit formulation. I liked the smell, and the consistency. It left me feeling nice and clean, and had a great after smell. My skin is very sensitive and it never caused me any problems.
I tried the new products. I like the shampoo and conditioner. But the new lotion and particularly the new shower gel smell horrible to me. The grapefruit version, DOES NOT smell grapefruity or even citrusy. Instead it smells like strange chemicals or bitter herbs. It also has a thin consistency. I have to use a lot more of it to get my skin feeling clean. I have oily/combination skin.
I also noticed the addition of lime oil, BURDOCK?, and in one of the products-canola oil. I avoid canola oil, and consider it unfit for cosmetic use. So unfortunately I will not be buying the lotion or gel until you fix your reformulation.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I am a stylist with over 22 years experience in the beauty industry…..I’m interested in your Premium Body Care line of products…please send me the information.
Tricia Rowe
August 26th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
[...] http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2009/08/premium-body-care-at-budget-prices/ [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
At Whole Foods last night, the staff were stocking the newly formulated shampoos and conditioners. They seemed really encouraged about the new products and wanted to educate me about the difference in ingredients.
I’m interested in the mint shampoo for my seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp and my young daughter’s scalp. I’ve read that peppermint is soothing to the easily irritated and overproductive oily skin that we have.
These reformulated ingredients are now safer for the body.
Are they also safer for the environment after they are rinsed down the drain? I’m a minimalist and want to contribute as little as possible to polluting or harming our water and soil and wildlife. Thanks in advance for your response.
September 1st, 2009 at 8:45 am
I love all your new products…the only improvement I’d like to see is a moisturizing sunscreen added to the lot, a make up line, and a lotion for very, very dry skin. (I’ve been adding a bit of oil to the current lotion, and it works fine, though. I’m thrilled that I can find some reasonably priced products without toxic chemicals in them.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:07 am
do these products contain any animal-derived ingredients? Also, are they tested on animals at any point in the process (whether individual ingredients or the final product)?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Hello! I love the packaging of your new shampoo. I love the smells. The shampoo itself is not great. It requires twice as much for the same amount of lather as your previous formula. Is this a done deal? We can’t use this.
Thanks, the Kaplan family, Portland, ME
September 4th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
The scent free shampoo does not lather well as the previous version as noted in other posts. This certainly doesn’t feel as good as the previous versions. Using twice as much shampoo or re-wetting half way though is not a satisfying usage model for the product – I prefer a formulation with more lather.
Also, the logo design could use improvement – There is no color or shape to differentiate between shampoo, conditioner & body wash bottles. It would be nice to be able to differentiate between the products without having to read the label and put my contacts on before I get in the shower.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I had been using the previous formula of the pink grapefruit shampoo and loved it! I hardly had to use any shampoo and it lathered and cleaned my hair fast and smelled wonderful. I am now using the new formula and it is not good at all. Had to use alot more shampoo and it smells like chemicals! I know the new version is supposed to be better for the environment but not if you have to use twice to three times the shampoo and water to get your hair clean. Please bring back the old formulas of these shampoos. Myself and the other customers will thank you!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I love that the new formula for the Lavender Blend shampoo is free of harsh surfactants. It smells great and cleans well; a nice, mild formula for my curly, dry hair. For those who are bothered by the lower foaming action, my advice is that you can use the same amount as before. To get some good, foamy cleansing action: Make sure to scrub your scalp well with the pad of the fingertips (not the fingernails), and rinse clean. If you re-wet, you might rinse too much out on accident. Just start scrubbing!
September 12th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
A tip to those who say the new formula doesn’t lather well: dilute, in water, a little LESS than the amount you used in the previous formula in a small spray bottle that streams (about a 4 ounce bottle). wet your hair and scalp and massage your scalp prior to shampooing. then spray the diluted shampoo solution directly on your scalp (the force from the stream adjustment will make it get through your hair easily, though parting with your fingers will also aid in it reaching your scalp well). there will be enough sudsing to cleanse your scalp and hair from that one dilution, unless you have lots of products to wash out. this tip is actually good for any shampoo, as it’s economical by extending the life of your shampoo, and it won’t overdry your scalp and hair because you are using less product each time. hope this helps.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I’m not at all happy with the new Citrus Grapefruit shampoo. The product is inferior to the previous Citrus Grapefruit. When using twice as much shampoo as the previous one, there’s still hardly any lather. The product does not smell like grapefruit like the old one did. And finally, the new product has an ingredients list that’s twice as big as the original. It’s a giant chemical cocktail!
September 19th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I have used these shampoos, conditioners, and shower gels for years. Although I have purchased several of the new formulations (the Herbal Mint shampoo and conditioners, and the Lavender shower gel), I have only tried the shower gel.
I am not at all pleased. It’s too runny, less sudsy, and has an awful, unusual smell that doesn’t smell at all like lavender. I had hoped that I got a defective bottle, but after reading the other reviews here, it doesn’t appear so. Did your team that reformulated these products actually use them?
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi,
Thanks to all for your feedback about the new 365 body care products. For those that are not happy with the changes we are sorry that you were disappointed.
To address some of the newer questions:
The products are 100% biodegradeable, and thus easier on the environment. They do not contain any animal derived ingredients and we don’t allow animal testing on any WFM body care products inlcuding our own.
To enchance foaming–we added directions to “re-wet”–adding more water helps give more suds. Even with the more mild suds the cleansing is effective.
We are using the same scents as our previous formulas and some people notice a difference due to the new surfactant base in the shower gels and shampoos. We appreciate your feedback!
September 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I recently bought the new fragrance free shampoo and am very disappointed, it requires you use three times as much shampoo to feel like it worked, and even then, very little suds. It doesn’t seem to clean very well at all. I plan to return the bottles I used and try something else. Please bring back the original formula. What a waste of money.
September 28th, 2009 at 12:12 am
We have tried two bottles of the newly reformulated 365 shampoo and cannot continue. The lack of suds, odd scent and the feeling that we are using more in a vain attempt to get our hair feeling clean is just too frustrating. After using 365 shampoo for YEARS and recommending it to people we are going to have to find something else. It is a very good buy, but that is outweighed by the unpleasant experience and the fact that we seem to need double the amount just get a passable amount of sudsing. I hope you can continue to work on the formulation; until it changes we will be using something else.
October 11th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
My sister-in-law introduced me to your 365 shampoo & conditioners. While I agree with everyone that you have to use a lot of shampoo to get underneath long hair, the product is great otherwise! I’ve been able to stop using all other hair products when styling my hair just by switching to your product. It is amazing! It took a ton of effort and products to get both sides of my hair to flip under how I like it. With just shampooing and conditioning, my hair does it on it’s own. What a miracle product! I love it!
October 11th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I was disappointed that you’ve completely changed the scent of the so called Citrus grapefruit shower gel. It doesn’t smell anything like the old formula, which is deliciously grapefruity, and the new one doesn’t smell like citrus or grapefruit. What gives?
October 12th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
You can’t make everyone happy all the time. Apparently, people aren’t reading the other posts where you don’t have to use twice as much shampoo to get the same cleaning effect.
I for one LOVE both the lavender shampoo and conditioner. I’ve had problems in the past w/shampoos and/or conditioners leaving a film on my hair and this doesn’t at all. My hair was left clean and smelling great! Please, please, please don’t change it.
Not only is it safe for the environment, but it has all kinds of wonderful natural ingredients, what more could you ask for??? Some people will comlain no matter what you do! Keep up the great work Whole Foods, myself and my family LOVE YOU!
October 13th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for the reply. I’ve tried the new grapefruit, and I actually like it just fine. I have naturally curly hair, and am on the Curly Girl routine. The low-sudsing shampoo fits right in with this routine, and leaves my hair clean without stripping it. I’ve also been using the mint conditioner as a leave-in, and my hair is so soft, and my curls look great. I’ll be switching over to the more moisturizing mint shampoo as soon as the grapefruit runs out. I like the reformulation even more than the originals. Thank you!!
October 24th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I have used the 365 shower gel every day, and the shampoo and conditioner every three or four days for years and have always loved them, However, I am very disappointed in the reformulated shampoo. (I haven’t bought the shower gel yet, still using up the old). I have to use more than twice as much and even then it barely lathers and leaves my hair feeling sort of heavy, tangled and hard to comb. I have to use more conditioner to compensate for the shampoo. If it ain’t broken don’t fix it is a well-known motto that works, so I wonder if you really needed to reformulate your formerly excellent product or whether you were in truth looking for a way to sell twice as much–because users now have to use twice the amount. I see your blurb on this web page is aimed for parents of young children and I’m sure the shampoo works great for baby fine hair, but I have thick, naturally curly hair and even my 17 year old son is complaining about the “new” shampoo. I really don’t want to switch to the over priced brands and I won’t touch regular store or pharmacy shampoos. Just to say I appreciate the attempts to make a cleaner product but I’m disappointed.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Wow, I’m so surprised that people actually think they can have both the sudsy factor along with the absence of harsh surfactants. This is not possible. It’s like asking that a box of natural mac and cheese taste exactly like Kraft’s, but demanding that the ingredients be 100% natural. Different ingredients will make a different end product.
I’ve used shampoos free of these damaging chemicals for years now and the fact they don’t lather as well as traditional shampoos doesn’t bother me. What I do is wet my hair throughly, then apply a small amount of shampoo to my hair, wash a little bit, especially into the scalp, then rinse. When I apply a second time I don’t have to use a lot at all, as it lathers instantly. No big, crazy suds like chemical shampoos though. But I can live without that!;) I care more about the health of my body than suds…
I’m excited to try this product since the price is so much better than the other sulfate-free shampoos out there (around 7 bucks for a small bottle!). For those who want luxurious lather, I would suggest going to a regular supermarket, I would assume there are shampoos that are part natural if that’s what you want. It’s pretty hard to come across shampoos that contain no laurel sulfate, so you will have a wide range of products to choose from. Actually even most shampoos at my local coop contain that lathering factor, but without some other chemicals that you might want to avoid.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:09 pm