on my last visit to the supermarket, I was flabbergasted: they have discontinued the only sulfate-free shampoo line that was not meant for extremely damaged and colour-treated hair and that was readily available (as in, in the supermarket). this oily haired gal that prides herself on keeping her locks on a delicate balance that only need washing up to 3 times a week but gets dandruff whenever she uses a regular sulfate shampoo was outraged.
then my eyes hit that new thingamajig L’Oréal came up with. I’m no stranger to the no-poo trend but had never tried it — and this is just LOW-poo, but still… it probably will be too heavy, I thought.
then I reminded myself of my 3 readers/subscribers and decided “what the heck! it’s for science!”
let me remind you that, in its core, my hair is oily. I just managed to educate it to be in a more balanced state. life has taught me not to strip it of its natural oils with very astringent shampoos and not to wash it as frequently as I thought it needed. cold turkey, tough love stuff, you know? so I’m ok with somewhat nurturing shampoos, but this (labelled for Dry Hair), seemed to be dancing on that invisible line that separates my self-esteem from a bottle of olive oil.
the theory: oil dissolves oil. I actually already follow this theory with my skincare. so, more than not having sulfates, this shampoo works with a blend of oils that sort of melt the grime of your hair and leave it clean but conditioned.
I ended up actually liking it.
the initial impact was of panic: this is straight up a thick conditioner or hair mask in texture. it does not lather nor foam up. I cringed in the bath, wondering what had I done to my life.
you massage it onto your scalp (dear Lord help me) and hair, and then you leave it on for 3 minutes and thoroughly rinse. it takes a bit more of time than your average mask or conditioner to rinse off before you feel your hair is clean, but you actually get there — which I was honestly NOT expecting.
it’s a one-stop product: no second cleanse, no other conditioning products needed.
my hair was of course really easy to detangle, and after drying it’s always really soft, smooth, but not weighed down. and it doesn’t become limp too quickly either.
if I have to wash it more often than I would like to (gym, dancing classes, that moment of choosing between washing it and spraying on dry shampoo), I’m not really worried because it’s not going to dry out my scalp.
who would like this?
certainly not people who run away from nurturing products on their scalps, with very oily hair that they haven’t “tamed” yet. also people who don’t want silicone products on their hairs — this only has one silicone, and it’s low on the inci list, but it’s there.
but this actually works for oily hair, especially if you keep it on rotation with other products, if you want something less abrasive between “actual shampoos”, and/or if you have to wash it frequently.
needless to say that people with dry hair probably will love this.
there are also versions for colour-treated and curly hairs.
EXTRA TIP: after rinsing the product off of your hair, do wash your back and bum with your shower gel, since I found this broke me out quite easily if I left any residue on my skin after rinsing. it’s similar to the reaction you get with conditioners and masks, but more intense.
the freevolous 