Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair

Key ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate

What it does: Act as a foaming agent for enhanced cleansing properties, spreading the product over a greater area while stripping away oil and dirt

I’ve been using Japanese drugstore shampoos for a long time, most of which are marketed to be sulphate-free. I always shampoo twice to remove any product buildup, and I was slightly dismayed The Ordinary’s shampoo wasn’t foaming as much as I would have liked it to on the second wash. You can return to your usual drugstore products for a luxurious foam.

The product claims it doesn’t dry out hair or affect coloured hair (typical side effects of sulphates) – hair needs to retain natural moisture and oils, though; if too much moisture is removed, hair strands may feel parched, and the scalp may be prone to irritation. The Ordinary’s shampoo made my strands feel comfortably clean, but within the first week, my scalp felt drier than usual and threatened to flake when I brushed out my roots. The situation’s improved throughout the rest of the month, but I suspect my scalp is now over-producing oils to compensate. That said, I wash my hair almost daily (it’s what happens when you have Asian hair and live in a humid climate). And despite having incorporated purple shampoo in my hair care regimen, my locks are turning a brassy colour much quicker than usual.

As for acting double-duty… Sure, it’s convenient if you’re travelling light. But other than that, I like my body products to smell a particular way, so I don’t care for a fragrance-free body wash or a shampoo that doubles as a body cleanser. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s not a massive selling point.

Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner

Key ingredients: Behentrimonium Chloride

What it does: Act as a conditioning agent with anti-static properties and a positive electrical charge that keeps hair soft and easier to detangle

Check out the hair masks in your shower, and chances are you’ll find this hard-to-pronounce ingredient listed at the top of the list. This white, waxy-like solid derived from rapeseed and canola seeds is a lightweight gel cream that smooths out strands sans the greasiness or residue.

Behentrimonium chloride works wonders for all hair types, especially curly and textured hair. I squirt a good dime-size amount out, which is good enough for everyday use to curb the frizz, but I’ve found that it doesn’t last past a second wash. When my strands need a little oomph and shine, I layer on an extra heavy-duty mask.

Thoughts

Online reviews for The Ordinary’s hair care line were pretty mixed. People either rave about it or hate it. 

I love that the no-fuss modular packing makes my shower shelf look neater than it is, even though the bottle design makes shampoo flow out a little too quickly, whereas the conditioner needs a good tap upside-down to squeeze out. But no sneaky ingredients or fragrances? Now, that’s a rarity that deserves at least a try.

To be fair, these are decent bottles priced in a drugstore range, but it felt like they may have been made with specific hair types and climates in mind – I prefer to use them as a weekly routine to reset and deep clean rather than everyday use.

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