We’re all guilty of buying into the latest products from leading brands that promise to address our hair woes.
We trust those mainstream marketeers that tell us they have the secret to fixing our lank, greasy or frizzy hair but on reflection, how often do they deliver?
It might be time to start rethinking everything about hair à la Hairstory who say that “the old rules no longer apply”. We’re here for it.
Why shampoo is not good for your hair
The haircare/personal care industry is thought to be worth £16 billion in 2019 – that’s a lot of hair products being sold, but according to Hairstory, it’s also a worrying amount of products that aren’t good for us.
The US brand spent years asking some provocative questions around haircare and came up with the answers that most brands won’t want you to hear – firstly, that shampoo is the worst thing we can use to wash our hair.
Most shampoos contain detergents which clean the hair but are so strong that they also strip away the hair’s natural oils.
This causes our scalp to over produce oil which leads to greasy hair and more washing and well, you get the idea.
And as for conditioner? It’s a con, my friend.
According to founder of Hairstory, Eli Halliwell and his team, conditioners only exists to repair the damage that shampoo causes and to sell more products.
If you wash with a cleansing product that doesn’t strip the hair of its natural oils and with a cleansing product that nourishes hair at the same time, there’s no need to add conditioner.
What’s the best alternative to shampoo?
Regular shampoos contain ingredients like Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) which is often included at way over what’s considered a safe level and can cause irritation to the skin, scalp and eyes.
Even if you take out the sulphates found in most high street shampoos, 95% of the chemicals found in most commercial fragrances are synthetic compounds that are derived from petroleum and natural gas.
Doesn’t sound like something you want to dowse your head in daily does it?
Hairstory doesn’t use detergents and synthetic compounds.
Instead the hair cleanser has been formulated to be kind to your skin and the planet’s waterways.
Its hero product, New Wash, contains a blend of essential oils and naturally derived saturated cleansers with no detergents or synthetic compounds.
It cleans the hair of dirt and impurities, leaves natural oils in-tact and conditions hair at the same time.
Over time, it revives hair that’s been damaged by detergents, colouring, styling and more. Colour lasts for longer and scalps are healthier and happier.
Hairstory New Wash Review: Time To Ditch Shampoo?
Want to understand the formula of how it’s made and how it works?
It’s here on the Hairstory site.
Want to know what each of the natural ingredients does?
The brand is super clear on why each one is included.
The formula is 100% biodegradable, and while it isn’t vegan, there’s only one animal derivative – Keratin (a protein source from sheep’s wool). The fragrance comes from essential oils like damask rose, clove and rosewood.
95% of the chemicals found in most commercial fragrances are synthetic compounds that are derived from petroleum and natural gas
Forget the foam
Used to getting in a lather every time you wash? That lather isn’t doing you or our environment any favours, so Hairstory have cut it out.
That foam you usually find in shampoo is caused by our friend, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which irritates skin and dries out hair. While there’s a debate over how much SLS damages the environment, Hairstory has broken up with the bubbles and if anything, their product works better.
While some people have embraced the ‘no poo’ (no shampoo) movement, preferring to use natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar and coconut oil to treat their hair, Hairstory is an eco-choice for people who find this a step too far or who don’t want to mess around experimenting with ingredients for months.
Stop buying armfuls of haircare products
If you’re still walking down the aisles of your nearest supermarket or pharmacy confused over which hair products will give you the hair of your dreams, stop dreaming.
We don’t need endless potions and lotions and we certainly should have better things to do than spending hours tending and washing and spritzing and replenishing our hair.
More recently we’ve focused more on the packaging than what’s in the shampoo to help save the world, stripping out the plastics and waste but not looking at what’s inside.
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Hairstory are highlighting the importance of understanding ingredients and combating the excessive use of products (which use up more packaging and emissions) to create a minimal range of products where ‘the old rules don’t apply’.
It’s about making a haircare range that doesn’t wreck the planet in pursuit of some extra cash.
As well as three New Wash variants (tailored to different hair types), there are six styling products at Hairstory: a wax, a powder, a styling mist, a blow dry lotion, a surf spritz and a hair balm for frizzy hair.
Hairstory also offers refills for ‘New Wash’. The New Wash Club gives consumers a refillable aluminium dispenser which is replenished with more environmentally-friendly pouches to cut back on packaging waste.
1% of all sales of New Wash goes to 1% For the Planet who distribute it to grassroots organisations focused on water issues.
While it’s not cheap (£44 for a standard bottle) it does last for months, allows you to wash your hair as often as you like without damage and knocks out the need to buy other products.
Just as ethical fashion often asks you to rethink your price alone vs the cost per wears model, Hairstory also needs to be seen in those terms.
So with less foam and no chemicals circling your drain, it’s almost as if you’ve stopped using shampoo at all.
