Repeat after me: healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.
For years, scalp care has been a beauty trend worth watching. It's said to have originated in Japan 10 years ago, and only now have the scales tipped it into 'global phenomenon' territory. (If that's true, Australia is incredibly late to the scalp care party, but we're thankful for the invite and happy to be here).
Forbes even recently named it amongst the biggest beauty trends of 2021.
Listen: You Beauty is the podcast for your face, but in this ep, we're extending that to include your scalp! Post continues below.
The scalp care trend has given rise to new conversations around plant-based beauty products – and their gentler, antioxidant-rich ingredients that nourish the scalp's natural state, instead of working against it.
Traditional shampoo and conditioners come loaded with ingredients you’d be wise to ban from your shower caddy, like parabens, SLES and triclosan.
These harsh chemicals basically act as skin irritants, which can leave our scalp, face and hands red, itchy and dehydrated. So when used on our hair too, we're left with strands that are overly stripped, super parched and feeling like straw. They completely strip us of our natural oils (sebum) needed to keep us hydrated and healthy.
Basically: huge nope.
SLES alone even form a residue at the hair follicle, which impedes the growth of your hair.
This is why natural haircare is tapping into the plant-based powers of botanical actives to support shiny, healthy hair; the way nature actually intended it to be.
Vegan shampoo and conditioners we keep hearing about, like from OC Naturals' range are free of animal-derived ingredients and nasty chemicals (like parabens, SLES, ALS, mineral oils and plenty more) – and doesn't skimp on salon-smooth, nourished results. Sign us up.
Their Silky Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner uses certified organic moringa oil and lotus flower extract, and the formula is clinically proven to work wonders on taming frizz-prone hair.
Each bottle is only a cheeky $3.50 too. Boy, would we love to put it to the test.
So we did. If you're contemplating making the switch like us, first we had to know if this plant-based alternative lives up to its promise to deliver frizz-taming, silky smoothness. We asked our Mamamia You Beauty Panel to try the OC Naturals Silky Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner for a few washes, and tell us their honest thoughts.
Here's some of their reviews:
Blair, 38: "Great for my postpartum regrowth and frizz galore."
"I was really happy that the product had no nasties in it and the packaging was environmentally friendly. I loved the generous sized bottles. The product lathered well, smelt nice and my hair felt soft and clean after shampooing and conditioning. They worked well together.
"I definitely noticed the smoothness: I have postpartum regrowth and frizz galore at the moment so the product definitely had to work hard! Overall a great result."
Kelly, 36: "Shiny and clean – a winner."
"This shampoo and conditioner duo really surprised me! I have never been impressed by natural hair products before but I really liked the scent and the clean (yet nourished) way my hair felt afterwards.
"I definitely noticed a smoothing effect on my hair after using. I have dry, curly hair which doesn’t usually respond well to most products. It left my hair shiny and clean – a winner!"
Savannah, 33: "Love that it's free from all those nasties."
"I thought the OC Naturals Silky Smooth shampoo and conditioner are great products for the price point, and I LOVE that it's free from all those nasties. It left my hair clean and feeling nourished, and made it naturally dry well, but I still needed to blow dry my hair quickly just to get rid of a couple of my little fly aways.
"Smell was divine! Absolutely beautiful smell. The shampoo left hair feeling squeaky clean, and I found the conditioner super nourishing. I liked that the packaging was modern looking too."
Sarah, 32: "After using this, I didn't have to use any other anti-frizz products."
"I really enjoyed using this shampoo and conditioner. It left my hair feeling really smooth and soft, and I really like that the brand does not test on animals, and that the packaging is recycled and eco-friendly.
"The 'clean' feeling lasted a couple of days longer than it did with my previous shampoo and conditioner, and I liked that after using this I didn't have to use any other anti-frizz or smoothing products when styling it, which probably weighs down my hair more.
"Would definitely recommend these OC Naturals products, and buy them myself again!"
Jodie, 39: "I've now found products I would buy again."
"I've enjoyed using this combo and have now found products I would buy again.
"From the moment I got my hands on them, I was drawn to the packaging colours, which were inviting. Once I opened and smelled the shampoo and conditioner, I noticed how lovely they were without being overpowering. After using both on my hair, I was refreshed at how soft and clean it felt, and after a few uses, my hair (once dried) didn't seem to have a lot of stray fuzz anymore, which was great in my books."
Diana, 29: "It left my hair and scalp nourished and clean."
"I have bleached blond hair that's super short, and I really enjoyed this product and the results it left me with. It was very smoothing on my hair, and felt great after every wash.
"It felt like the shampoo left my hair and scalp nourished and clean, while the conditioner did feel like it was having a hydrating effect on my hair."
Kirby, 35: "The frizz was improved and my hair looked shiny."
"I have oily roots, but really dry ends. First up, I LOVED the scent of this product. I really enjoyed this product; the shampoo lathered up nicely without needing to use a lot, and the conditioner was a nice, rich consistency.
"After rinsing I did find my hair became much smoother. After drying my hair the frizz was improved and my hair looked shiny.
"My hair felt like silk whilst combing through the conditioner and was certainly tangle-free after towel drying. Felt so great for cleaning my scalp too."
Elizabeth, 38: "It's been 4 days since I've washed my hair and still NO frizz. Love it."
"Wow, pleasantly surprised with these products. I'm always a bit nervous that a natural product won’t do a great job, as my hair is crazy thick and frizzy.
"This shampoo and conditioner has a subtle fruity smell and just the right texture when applying. Great smell when applying to my hair too. The after effect was less frizz and a silky finish after it dried and I had straightened it. Did I notice a smoothing effect on my hair? Yes, yes, yes. It's been 4 days since I've washed my hair and still NO frizz. Love it."
Jess, 27: "My hair smelt amazing all day I couldn’t stop sniffing it."
"Loved it! My hair is usually frizzy and dry with an oily scalp. After using, it made my hair nice and smooth, and my hair felt clean and hydrated after use.
"The smell of this product was SO GOOD. Definitely my favourite part. Smelt so fresh, and my hair smelt amazing all day I couldn’t stop sniffing it. The shampoo had a really nice, cleansing lather and the conditioner was rich and hydrating.
"I felt like my hair dried with a bit less frizz and was more manageable than usual."
Liz, 29: "I'd happily buy over the current products I use."
"I usually have pretty oily hair, and using the new OC Naturals Silky Smooth shampoo and conditioner was a good experience for my hair type. The shampoo made my hair feel really clean, and conditioner made my hair feel extra soft afterwards.
"I like that these products don't have any additional chemicals added to them, and they use natural ingredients. Also importantly, they're such a bargain: I'd happily buy over the current products I use."
Laura, 26: "It made me feel like I was in a day spa."
"Great product! My hair felt amazing after using the OC Naturals Silky Smooth shampoo and conditioner.
"I loved using the product: it has an amazing smell which made me feel like I was in a day spa. My hair just felt smooth and glossy. Would definitely recommend and purchase going forward."
Elizabeth, 43: "They made me really look forward to washing my hair."
"They made me really look forward to washing my hair. My hair felt soft and silky after washing, and significantly lessened my frizz (my natural hair is curly, dry, course and prone to frizz).
"I was also looking forward to trialling this product because of the eco-friendly aspects of the products. It felt really luxurious to lather up my head, and because of the price point I had no guilt about using a generous amount of shampoo and conditioner so I could enjoy the smell.
"The shampoo felt really moisturising and didn't leave my hair feeling dry even though I double washed. The conditioner felt thick and nourishing but was easy to distribute through my hair. Everything rinsed out without feeling like there was buildup, and my hair felt silky.
"It was definitely smoother than when I've used other supermarket brands. I would definitely use this product going forward."
Stella, 38: "They left my hair de-tangled and smelling lovely."
"I was surprised that the products do work quite nicely given the affordable price range. My hair condition is bleached and coloured, so was intrigued at what result it would give me.
"I like to shampoo twice to get rid of excess oil and product residue. It lathered super well for me, and left my hair de-tangled and smelling lovely. The shampoo and conditioner do not feel harsh on the hair but were capable of doing their job to keep my hair feeling light and clean. I would definitely recommend this product."
Want to try it for yourself? Start with OC Naturals Silky Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner, and other OC Naturals products at Coles and selected Independent Supermarkets.
Feature: Mamamia You Beauty Panel.
Our recyclable bottles are made on our premises using recycled plastics, and our cruelty-free products are manufactured with the help of solar power to make sure we’re doing whatever we can to help reduce our impact on the environment.
Affordable, kind luxury – from our family to yours. Silky Smooth is available in Coles & IGA