little white truths

This shampoo and conditioner combo was sent to me for review, and I was pleased to try it because I've tried so much bung haircare over the past year that I'd hoped these products would hit the mark.

While I do think they're ok and they've had good reviews from other people on the trial team, unfortunately they don't work for me brilliantly and they've dried my hair out over time.

Still, they're not terrible and I do have a use for them as clarifying products so that's something.

Also note that I'm going to review these items separately because that's how we were to review them for the review team, so you can see how they work individually below.

Hair Recipe claims/product details (shampoo):

• A deeply hydrating formula inspired by the luscious scents of honey and apricot
• Its luxuriously rich lather is made with gentle cleansers that remove build-up, leaving your hair with plenty of shine
• Hair Recipe was born in Japan based on 3 very simple principles: beauty is powered by nutrition; healthy is delicious and should be enjoyed; being real, intuitive and transparent
• Free of silicones, parabens, gluten and mineral oils
• RRP $19.99 AUD for 530ml

Verdict (shampoo)

I've tried a lot of dud shampoos recently so I was pleased to discover just how well this one cleans - it's honestly one of the best shampoos I've used when it comes to getting the gunk out. Having said this, I need to use twice the amount that I normally would (two large pumps, twice: I always double-wash) because the product doesn't feel very concentrated and I need to use more of it to get the job done. Fortunately the bottle is huge so that's not a big problem.

When I first used this, I was really pleased by how clean it left my hair but not pleased about how knotty my hair was after washing. I have dry, damaged hair so I need super nourishing products, and while this does leave my hair clean (but not stripped), soft and shiny, it doesn't do well with leaving my hair feeling nourished and I think that's why the knots have been such a problem. My frizz has also been a lot worse since I started using this so that's something else to consider.

Over time, this shampoo has definitely helped my hair stay clean but it has also dried it out a little, which has meant that I've needed to use more treatments than I normally would, and more of them per application (eg hair oils and leave-in conditioners), so I've ended up having to wash my hair more often because I've had to overload it with product after washing - I can't get the knots out otherwise, plus my hair is so frizzy and my ends feel so dry that I need other products to manage the issue.

I do however enjoy the light, sweet and clean scent of this product and the smell isn't overpowering, which I appreciate. Plus I love that the bottle comes with a pump.

In future I will be using this as my clarifying shampoo because it does clean so well, but I wouldn't use it as my normal haircare. It's not a bad product, but it's not for my temperamental locks.

Hair Recipe claims/product details (conditioner):

• A conditioner that will restore dry or damaged hair
• The hydrating formula is enriched with the scent of honey and apricot
• It will smooth away dullness and help to protect strands against future damage
• Free from parabens, gluten and mineral oil
• RRP $19.99 AUD for 530ml

Verdict

I like the light, fresh and sweet scent of this conditioner and I also appreciate that it comes in a bottle with a pump.

While the bottle is huge, I don't think this means that the product is necessarily any better value because I need to use twice the amount of this than I do my regular conditioner. It just doesn't feel concentrated enough, so I really need to slather it on.

The matching shampoo in this range cleans beautifully without stripping my hair, and while this conditioner does hydrate a little bit, I personally don't feel that it does this enough for my dry, damaged hair and I can always tell as soon as I've washed the conditioner out that it hasn't nourished my locks enough.

I think this is one of the reasons why my hair is always so knotty after I've used this conditioner, and it's more frizzy than usual to boot. If your hair isn't as dry and damaged (and frizzy) as mine is, this product might be fine for you - but this doesn't add enough nourishment back into my hair and over time it has dried my hair out a little. 

Yes my hair feels clean and soft after use (and it does look more shiny), but it always feels dry so I need to go in with oils and leave-in treatments so I can brush my hair and so it doesn't look as frizzy (also so my ends aren't as dry).

In future I will use this occasionally with the matching shampoo to clear build-up from my hair, but it's not hydrating enough for a place in my usual haircare routine.

Ok but not for me.