OGX Hydrate and Defrizz Kukui Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, £6.99 each
It’s nice when a product takes the guesswork out of purchasing, and tells you exactly what it can offer you.
I have been a fan of OGX Haircare for a while now; their Coconut Water shampoo is as delightful as it sounds. These products are loaded with quality ingredients to improve the condition of your hair. The OGX Kukui Oil shampoo and conditioner are both sulphate-free, which means that your hair won’t be stripped of its natural oils and dry out.
Using the oil from the Kukui nut, the OGX formula makes your hair more resilient to the effects of humidity, leaving your hair frizz-free and easier to manage. For a brand that’s available for under £7, OGX really does rival salon brands. Their range includes care for coloured hair, super-hydrating formulas and deep-cleansing shampoos that are gentle enough for daily use.
Other bathing favourites (l-r): Rituals Hammam Delight (£8.50); Dr Hauschka Almond Soothing Body Wash (£13.50)
Balance Me Super Moisturising Body Wash – £9
I’m all in favour of time savers – anything that gives me more quality time with Dominic West in ‘The Affair’ is a winner.
If that time saver can do me good as well…I’m definitely all in. I picked up a sample of this body wash from Balance Me recently, and I was thoroughly impressed. There are those that will tell you that body washes are pretty much one and the same, but I disagree.
There are definitely body washes out there cheaper than £9, but I do feel that if you’re looking for quality, you have to be willing to pay a little more.
Balance Me give you serious value for money with a sulphate-free, hydrating body wash that is just perfect for dry or sensitive skin. Containing Shea Butter, and calming Yarrow and Patchouli, this body wash is loaded with good stuff to treat your skin while it cleans.
The benefits of using a body wash like this is that the sophistication of the formula means that your skin isn’t stripped of moisture by harsh foaming agents. Your skin is left not only perfectly clean, but soothed and nourished. I wouldn’t recommend skipping a body moisturiser altogether, but this body wash is so brilliantly hydrating that your skin will need less product applied. Saves you time and money? Not a bad combination at all.
It may seem a little odd to start a beauty review with an episode of esteemed sitcom, ‘Frasier’, but watch this clip from 2.25 and you’ll see my point.
When it comes to instructions, I’m with Martin: don’t bother with the manual and pre-glue everything. Although I am aware this approach can leave you with a piece of pre-glued plank stuck to your hand.
For as much as I identify with Martin’s flouting of the rules, there are times in life where you just have to follow the manual.
My ‘try one thing’ for February really did test me: not only did it pose a direct challenge to my Martin-like tendencies, but I also had to embrace a different way of doing something very familiar: washing my hair. I’m well aware that my IQ dipped several points with the typing of that sentence, but bear with me.
A cleansing conditioner is a relatively new concept: these are super-moisturising formulas that cleanse your hair without resorting to the detergents and sulphates often found in traditional shampoos which mean no lather, no foam. I’ll be honest, I am a creature of habit, and although I know that the foaming agents in shampoos can be quite drying and responsible for colour-fade, the idea of getting rid of the lathering element altogether did leave me feeling somewhat sceptical. My hair can be quite temperamental and needs a good clean otherwise it just feels wrong and I get an attack of the grumps. Could a cleansing conditioner really take the place of shampoo?
There are numerous cleansing conditioners appearing, and I nearly opted for the Ojon Cleansing Conditioner (£18.50), but I went for the product that boasted not only a budget-friendly price, but a whole lot of love from reviewers online. Containing ingredients such as vitamin E, keratin protein and extra virgin olive oil, Palmers Olive Oil Formula Cleansing Conditioner (at an incredibly reasonable £5.99) got my vote.
As a cleansing conditioner doesn’t lather up like a normal shampoo, it needs to be applied slightly differently. This is where you have to be a Niles, not a Martin. The best advice I can give in using this product is to follow all the instructions: don’t be tempted to skip a step, or cut a few corners. It will end up with you stood in the shower with a lump of goo on your head, which is where no-one wants to be.
This particular cleansing conditioner asks you to wet your hair thoroughly, and then dispense 20-40 pumps of product depending on your hair length (which explains the hugeness of the container). Wet the product a little, emulsifying it (really important!) and then apply to your hair, massaging in as you would a shampoo.
The next bit I originally skipped when trialling this, and in hindsight, this is probably the most crucial step: Palmers ask you to comb the conditioner through your hair. Even if your hair is very short, or fine, do it anyway. Get a shower comb (to avoid snagging) and just ruddy do it. When I didn’t complete this step – the whole experiment ended in disaster. When I combed the conditioner through – smooth, soft, glossy hair was the result. It’s a no-brainer. Get a comb. Use it.
This then distributed the product evenly through my hair, which was then left un-rinsed until the very end of my shower (as per instructions). I found that rinsing the conditioner was surprisingly easy, leaving my hair feeling clean and refreshed. I have had problems with residue from traditional shampoos in the past, and this was a whole new ballgame. My head actually felt lighter as I exited the shower.
The next day, I woke up to smoother, calmer hair: I regularly use salon brands such as Goldwell and Redken, so I was interested to see how well a budget product would perform when compared to them. I’m a devotee of Redken’s Extreme Shampoo and I must admit that the results I experienced with Palmer’s cleansing conditioner were on a par with Redken’s Extreme – and I don’t make that statement lightly. My hair was smooth, under control and had a gentle glossy shine to it. This product is marketed as an all-in-one, and my previous experience of multi-functional products hasn’t been that great, but this product really does deliver on both fronts.
On balance, I would especially recommend this product to those with hair that has issues with moisture loss, build-up or frizz – if you find traditional shampoos too drying, slotting in a cleansing conditioner a couple of times a week will definitely help. I also found the Palmers’ Formula calmed my scalp which is prone to dryness (I think mostly from problems with shampoo residue), so if this is a concern for you as well – it’s worth giving this product a try. Frankly, I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t benefit from using this type of product, and while there are cleansing conditioners available at every price point, Palmers is a great introduction, taking you onto the next level of hair care without breaking the bank.
So, I not only tried something new this month, but learned the importance of not getting a plank glued to your hand. Next month, I go from the best of budget to the ultimate in luxury skincare with Sisley’s Black Rose Precious Oil.
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