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I'm a beauty editor with thinning hair: Here's why Cindy Crawford's shampoo is my favorite
"What makes me feel beautiful at this point in my life is confidence," the 90s supermodel told us about her just-released hair-care line for older women.
A few years ago, sometime around my 47th birthday, I started losing my hair. This thinning-hair journey began slowly. At first, I'd see a few extra strands in the shower drain or a bit more shedding on my hair brush. But, within months, the situation accelerated and quickly became more dire. Suddenly, I'd lost enough hair that I could feel more of my scalp when I rested my head against the back of the couch. When I tried to pull it up, it more resembled a doll's ponytail than one which sprung from a human woman's head. For weeks and weeks, I tried to get the hair thinning under control: I tried Pura D'or shampoo and ... nothing changed. I tried Vegamour's hair-growth serum and ... no dice. I got a new "lady over 40" haircut and still my mane looked like a barely-there hair halo, embarrassingly flat and drab. Eventually, after a battery of blood tests, I discovered I was not only in perimenopause but vitamin deficient. My doctor recommended Nutrafol Hair Growth Supplements. Six months later, the thinning stopped. I even started to grow new hair.
A quick Nutrafol review: I did not want to like this product. It's waaayy too expensive. And I don't like swallowing four horse pills every morning. BUT — and this is a big "but" — when taken consistently, Nutrafol really works for thinning hair, it helped stop my shedding and, after six months, I even saw new hair growth.
- Trusted, physician-recommended brand
- Effective in just weeks (though full results take 3-6 months)
- All-natural, long-term solution
- Clinically proven
- Expensive
- Capsules are large and you have to take four daily
Menopause and hair thinning: the completely not-fun reason you may be losing strands
Turns out — though not a single soul had ever warned me that I'd enter midlife and MY HAIR WOULD START FALLING OUT (a thing you'd think would be worth mentioning!) — the light balding I experienced is completely normal for a woman my age. According to a 2016 study on women and hair loss published in the Menopause Review, up to 60 percent of women will contend with this condition during the menopause transition, the period when bodies with uteruses stop menstruating, a period which can last up to 10 years and starts, most commonly, when a person is in their mid to late 40s. The reasons for hair loss are myriad, but mainly, during perimenopause and menopause they include: hormone fluctuations, metabolic changes (leading to vitamin deficiencies) and chronic stress. Note of unsolicited advice: Talk to your doctor if you begin seeing changes in your hair, it could also be the result of more serious health conditions.
OK, thanks for the menopause lesson but isn't this an article about Cindy Crawford's shampoo?
Yes! This is a story about Cindy Crawford's new shampoo, or, to be more precise, the model's Age-Proof Hair Care System for women with aging hair. Crawford founded her Meaningful Beauty line more than 18 years ago, but up until recently, the focus was solely on skin care. All that changed earlier this year with the launch of a suite of Meaningful Beauty hair products — from strengthening shampoo and conditioner to a styling spray and restorative scalp treatment — all aimed at older women and, from this reviewer's perspective at least, all uniformly good. “Most women know that their skin will age, but no one really talks about the fact that your hair is aging too," Crawford explains on the Meaningful Beauty website.
In an interview with Yahoo Shopping, the 57-year-old expanded on her process and vision: “I created Meaningful Beauty so other women could have access to the same great products I use, so you can always look as young as you feel," she explained. “What makes me feel beautiful at this point in my life is confidence. Taking care of my skin and having healthy, shiny hair — feeling good about myself helps me feel confident out in the world.”
It's fair to feel at least somewhat skeptical of celebrity-backed products — the quality can be inconsistent, and, often, just flat-out trash. But Crawford's Meaningful Beauty line surprised me. Before I even tried the shampoo, I was hooked on her night cream, which has a decadently thick texture, is pleasantly smooth and left my skin supple and soft.
Thick, but not too thick; gentle, but not ineffective; made with a rare melon extract and retinol — this night cream is a stand out that holds up against far pricier brands.
- Ultra-moisturizing
- Fragrance-free
- Great for multiple skin types
- "Plumps" the skin
- Small package for the price
A review of the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Strengthening Shampoo
Even after my hair stopped thinning and shedding, the texture never really returned to its normal state. I have more hair again, sure, but what I have is fine, dry and can often — without the right products — look lifeless and limp. To address this, I've tried approximately 4,000 different shampoos at every price point. I've tried shampoo where I had to take a quiz before buying it and I've even tried shampoo that called itself a "hair cleansing system." Most all of them were too heavy to wash out of my hair fully, instead leaving residue that made my strands stringy, no matter how I styled them.
At some point, what I realized was I needed a gentle, lightweight shampoo that wasn't drying, something that was nourishing to my scalp, that would help me hold onto the hair I have without weighing it down. I found all of this in Meaningful Beauty's Strengthening Shampoo. In the month I've been using it, my hair has looked bouncier, shinier and just prettier, more similar to the way it was before my midlife body started wreaking havoc on my head. The scent is mild and inoffensive, it leaves your hair smelling pleasant and clean. It's not exactly a bargain but it comes in a large-enough bottle that I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off. Honestly, this is the best shampoo for older-lady hair I've tried and the reason is this: it's not trying to do much more than wash and conditioner your hair and then rinse off when it's done. 10/10 would recommend.
It's not cheap — but it's excellent for aging and/or thinning hair.
- Lightweight and rinses clean
- Great for fine, thin hair
- Non-drying formula
- Leaves hair bouncy and shiny
- Pleasant, inoffensive scent
- Pricey
More Meaningful Beauty for your consideration:
Reviewers love this spray for its protective qualities: it's especially effective for frequent heat styling.
This lightweight, detangling conditioner is a worthy partner to the main-character shampoo.
You can try the entire Cindy Crawford system with this selection of Meaningful Beauty's star hair-care products.
