What's in the shampoo of the HappyFitness girls?

Sports trainer Chloé Rochette and nutritionist Sophie Geoffrion are the founders of the HappyFitness Movement. They offer groups and individuals outdoor work-outs that are 100% enjoyment. Getting your body moving and having fun go hand-in-hand! These two contagiously energetic super ambassadors of healthy living didn’t hesitate to join the “What’s in My Shampoo” campaign to learn more about what’s in their cosmetics. ATTITUDE analyzed their shampoos and reveals a few surprises.

Why do you call yourselves “the happies”?

Because we want to make people happy through health, sports and healthy eating! This may seem overly simple, but it really is what we do! Through our outdoor work-out groups and sports retreats, we work to make participants understand that health is first and foremost super fun. It’s anything but a chore! There is a lot of humour in our work-outs: we definitely don’t take ourselves too seriously! Plus, in this era of social media, bringing people together physically in a park is already something special that helps forge incredible connections! Our participants get some fresh air, get moving and socialize all at the same time! It’s fantastic!

What values are you hoping to transmit with HappyFitness?

We take an approach to health and well-being that’s not self-centred. Individuals are actually supported and encouraged when they take care of their health as part of a community. With us, no one is performing or looking at their own belly buttons!

What are your passions in life?

Cooking and sports. Even if that may seem cliché! We are lucky because, thanks to HappyFitness, we have turned our passion into our work! Okay, that’s cliché too, but it’s true! Other than cooking and sports, we both love to travel. We love countries with hot climates, we love the ocean and we organize our retreats in warm places. It’s another way to share our personal interests with our clients. It’s the best of both worlds! All the wonderful people we meet is also something that energizes us. We coach a lot of women and they all kind of become our friends!

According to HappyFitness, what does it mean to live healthfully?

The expression that comes to mind is “tough love.” It’s the balance between being disciplined, making an effort and having a good time. In well-being circles, people are often a little too focused on the self: taking care of yourself, listening to your body, relaxing... That can be okay, but sometimes, if you listen too much to yourself, you let yourself go and you get sloppy. Living healthfully really means developing self-discipline in your practice and maintaining a healthy mindset! The ultimate goal isn’t to do sports and eat well. These are just tools for high quality of life and making sure you have energy for everything you do!

Everyone has a special attitude about their hair. What’s yours?

Sophie: I have a pretty healthy attitude about my hair. We get along! It’s easy to do, it stays in place... except when I’m in a hot and humid country! Then, I don’t even try! Chloé: I like my hair! It’s pretty easy and it does what I tell it to do EXCEPT when I go for a run in the rain! Then forget it! I end up with a great big mess on my head and it takes me hours to tease out the tangles!

Tell us your beauty routine for your hair

Sophie: I only use four products. Shampoo (my must), conditioner and sometimes a dry shampoo. If I’m going out and I try to curl my hair, I also use a little hairspray, but really that’s it! Chloé: I use shampoo and conditioner, lots of conditioner! I can’t go without it. My hair gets tangled really easily. I don’t do much with it. When I get out of the shower, I just untangle it and that’s it!

Have you ever read the ingredients in your shampoo?

Sophie: No! I don’t think about it because I’ve been using the same brand forever. It’s salon shampoo. A hairdresser recommended it to me so my hair doesn’t get greasy! Chloé: I don’t either! I admit that this is the kind of thing l rarely have any mental energy left over to think about. But I should, I know I should! Sophie: I am so sure about the quality of my product that I never thought of digging deeper. Chloé: Same here! It’s written “organic” in big letters on the bottle. I think it must be pretty natural.

Chloé, can you read us the list of ingredients on your organic shampoo?

Chloé: Water (Aqua), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Albumen, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Glycol Stearate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-6, Polyquaternium-10, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance (Perfume), Citric Acid, Diazolidinyl Urea, Lodopropynyl, Butylcarbamate…* Oh my goodness! That took me a while. I hope I don’t have to read that again! Sophie: It sounded like you were casting a spell on someone! [laughs]

Do you want us to tell you what’s in it?

You’d think a shampoo being sold as organic would have at least a few natural ingredients, whether those are sourced from plants or minerals. But, in your shampoo, Chloé, 67% of the ingredients are of concern. 61% of them are synthetic, 44% are contaminated and potential carcinogens, and 11% are allergens. We also see two animal-derived ingredients: hydrolyzed milk proteins and albumin*. Your shampoo also contains Diazolidinyl urea, which releases formol (formaldehyde), a substance that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified as a carcinogen. It is also a powerful allergen and irritant. We also see many PEG (polyethylene glycol) and ingredients that end with “‑eth” like laureth-4. These are emulsifiers that stabilize creams and regulate their consistency. They are obtained from chemical processes using Ethylene oxide, a gas known to be carcinogenic. The manufacturing process for PEGs (a petroleum product) creates toxic contaminants, such as 1.4-dioxane, a potential carcinogen for humans, recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The Dimethicone and Amodimethicone in your shampoo are from silicon. These make your hair soft and silky. But, according to research compiled by the EWG, these synthetic ingredients accumulate in the environment over time and they are not biodegradable. Fragrance (Parfume): This ingredient, which is mentioned at the very end of the label, is a catch-all category that can hide all sorts of synthetic ingredients, allergens, even carcinogenic manufacturing by-products*. The list is long. For more transparency, ingredients should all be listed with their international nomenclature (INCI). And in Sophie’s product: 50% of ingredients of concern, including 59% of carcinogenic contaminants and 29% allergens*.

So what do you think about all this?

Chloé: Well! [laughs] I’m laughing, but it’s a nervous laugh! I guess I thought I was wise enough to make good choices! This is incredible! And now I wonder why I have eczema! Sophie: I have a lot of questions. I am generally attentive in my purchasing, especially food. But I guess I am less aware about the chemical composition of some products! I’d like to learn more and also find out about the alternatives!
*According to EWG
Photo credits: Torontrealaise.

Read past articles in our “What's in Your Shampoo” series:

What’s in Une Parisienne à Montreal’s Shampoo?
In Emily’s shampoo (Our Nest in the City)
What's in Blond Story's shampoo?

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