Last week, I shared my review of the Drunk Elephant Shampoo and Conditioner, which I absolutely loved. And today’s post is dedicated to more wallet-friendly The Ordinary Shampoo and Conditioner. I am a fan of their skincare range but are the haircare products just as good?
The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair
According to the brand, The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair is a gentle fragrance-free shampoo and body wash for daily use formulated to remove skin and scalp buildup. It gets rid of oil and dirt without drying out or affecting coloured hair. And due to its mild concentration of SLES-2, the light formula of the product also provides a refreshing and moisturizing clean.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Phytic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
The ingredients list of this product is simple and the key component is Sodium Laureth Sulfate which is very common in shampoos because it сleans the hair thoroughly, but gently.
It also has tocopherol in it, which protects against free radicals. Everything else is mostly preservatives and thickeners that are good for the texture of the product and help to extend its life.
And the shampoo does not contain drying alcohol, fragrance and essential oils.
The packaging of both The Ordinary haircare products is very similar to Drunk Elephant. It’s packaged in a plastic flat-shaped container with a very minimalist design and dispenses the right amount of product.
The texture though is a bit unusual as it is gel-like and has a very flowy consistency which creates almost no foam. As a result, you have to apply a lot of shampoo to make it do what it has to do.
And even after using a generous amount of product, it does not wash away excessive oil and dirt as effectively as I would like. I have fine oily hair and shampooing is almost a daily activity for me. So usually I prefer products that cleanse the scalp deeply and make it not get greasy so quickly. At the same time, the ends of my hair are dry so my perfect shampoo should be gentle enough not to dry hair out.
The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body and Hair is really soft and does not strip or tangle strands. But, unfortunately, it does not remove build-up from the scalp nor does it purify roots properly. So over time hair is getting not so light, fresh and silky as it does with more deeply-cleansing products. To make it work better, I paired this shampoo with a scalp scrub (in particular with The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment which is perfect for me) and only then my hair got really clean.
I guess this shampoo would be a great option if your hair is not prone to greasiness. But I need something that is more effective and deep-cleansing so would not repurchase it.
The Ordinary Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Body costs £6.80 for 240ml and is available at:
The Ordinary Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner
The Ordinary Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner is described as a product which offers conditioning and smoothing benefits to the hair, detangles strands and makes brushing or combing through the hair a lot easier, leading to less damage and stress in the long run.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Phytic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
The main ingredient in this conditioner is behentrimonium chloride at a 2% concentration that helps to condition the hair, detangle it, reduce static and frizz, and ease dry and wet hair combing. And it’s also alcohol, fragrance and essential oils-free.
The Ordinary Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner has a very light consistency and contains no plant oils or other rich ingredients that in most cases are just too heavy for me so it didn’t weigh down my fine hair, which I really liked.
However, just like the accompanying shampoo, the conditioner didn’t impress me much. I have very dry ends and this product didn’t really help with conditioning them or making them noticeably softer. It’s good at detangling hair but does not smooth them well enough so they don’t look and feel sleek, silky and healthy.
Again, it might be just not the best pick for my hair type because the conditioner does not contain much-needed moisturising agents which would hydrate and restore very dry ends.
The Ordinary Behentrimonium Chloride 2% Conditioner costs £6.80 and is available at:
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