I tested the Lancashire based haircare brand Neal & Wolf which has recently been Leaping Bunny approved

Neal & Wolf, a professional haircare brand based in Earby in East Lancashire, has been Leaping Bunny approved by Cruelty Free International, meaning its entire product portfolio has not been, or ever has been, tested on animals. 

Founded in 2009 by Neil Capstick, Neal & Wolf specialises in professional-quality haircare products, which were already sulphate, paraben, TEA (triethanolamine) and DEA (Diethanolamine) free but since being Leaping Bunny approved, all new product launces will also be 100% vegan friendly from now on.

Following the news of their cruelty free accreditation, I thought it was time I tried out the Lancashire based brand to see if their products are actually of a professional quality.

I was therefore gifted a box featuring products from their latest range ‘Hydrate’ and I found inside full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner and a hair mask.

The packaging 

My items arrived in a cardboard box, lying underneath two sheets of cardboard paper and one tissue paper so the packaging already has the sustainability thumbs up.

The shampoo, conditioner and mask were then all packaged in the same design which I found to be really simple and elegant. 

The bottles were a block beige colour, with an overlay image of the Neal & Wolf logo in a paler colour. 

Overall, the impression the packaging came off was definitely that Neil & Wolf was a higher end brand, which would look at home in a hairdressers salon.

Using the products

When I opened the shampoo and conditioner products in the shower, I was first impressed by their lovely smell- a subtle nutty and floral scent. 

The shampoo was then clear and the conditioner was a plain white, which combined with the soft scent, made them feel really natural. 

I followed the products’ instructions as stated on the bottles and I actually used a little bit less of the shampoo and conditioner than I usually do because the consistency of both felt more substantial than some of their more watery competitors.

After my shower, when my hair had half dried, I applied the moisture mask to the middle and ends of my hair and left it in for ten minutes.

The moisture mask had the same subtle scent as the other products, and was nice and light so did not feel like I was rubbing a slab of grease into my hair.

Generally I don’t like using too many products and I must admit, the extra step of part drying my hair, then applying something new, having to wait for ten minutes before washing it off again and drying it again, did feel like a faff. I just hoped the after result would be worth it.

The result

When I initially got out of the shower, before trying the moisture mask, I found my hair- which usually knots up when I wash it - so much easier to brush than normal. There was none of my usual yanking, just a gentle clean sweep with the brush.

An hour later, after I had used the moisture mask and fully dried my hair, I could then see what the final results were.

As my post shower hair brush had hinted, my hair was way softer than before I used the Neal & Wolf Products, the final step of using the moisture mask had merely made my hair even more sleek.

Looking forward, I think I would be happy with the softness of hair just from using the shampoo and conditioner so I would probably save the moisture mask for special occasions, when my hair feels in extra need of some hydration.

I also had messy, frizzy curls before I got in the shower, but the Neal & Wolf hydrate range definitely tightened and elongated them and gave my hair a salon finish compared to my usual hair routine.

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Overall thoughts

If you want to try a new, higher end hair brand, I would definitely recommend Neal & Wolf. 

The products I tried did give me a salon finish at home and for a reasonable cost - the three Hydrate products cost £62,85 altogether but will last you a long time and if you’re feeling frugal, the most expensive product was the mask (£24.95) which isn’t vital to your hair washing routine.

The softness of my hair continued overnight after my wash, and my partner even thought I had put perfume on the next morning as my hair still smelt so nice.

Ultimately if you buy Neal & Wolf, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the result and at least you’re safe in the knowledge that they’re animal friendly and Lancashire based!