This Magical Shampoo Is the Only Thing Keeping Me Going RN
Ready for a cute little overshare? I've been in quarantine for four weeks (I'm in NYC with my kitten Violet and an embarrassing amount of wine), and I can count on one hand the number of times I've washed my hair. I mean, to be fair, even during my pre-quarantine days, I tried to limit my use of shampoo—my hair is highlighted, bleached, and burnt to a crisp, so the less I wash it, the better—but having the added responsibility of daily human interaction meant I'd at least give my hair a good rinse when things got a little too greasy. Now I just look in the mirror and say "fuck it."
So when Drunk Elephant—the cult-favorite skincare brand that's known for its cute-ass packaging (I dare you to find a single #Shelfie that doesn't have a DE product) and smartly formulated products (no essential oils, fragrances, silicones, or other irritating ingredients)—sent me their first-ever haircare products last week in collaboration with celeb stylist Chris McMillan, I was admittedly a little bummed it wasn't something I'd get some immediate use out of, like a moisturizer or a face mask. But since trying new products is legit a requirement of my job, I decided my dirty-AF hair was pretty much the perfect canvas for testing their new shampoo, the Cocomino Glossing Shampoo.
The formula
Before I jumped in the shower and tried this bb out, I took a peek at the ingredients list. As with any Drunk Elephant product, the shampoo is formulated without sulfates, parabens, or fragrance—and considering I've got weak, color-treated hair and stupid-sensitive skin, I was relieved to learn the formula was so gentle.
Rather than using harsh surfactants that strip your natural oils and fade your color, this shampoo calls on a blend of coconut amino acids that effectively clean your hair (byeeee, last week's dry shampoo) without damaging it. It's also spiked with a handful of antioxidant-rich oils, like sacha inchi see, marula, and argan, that help hydrate your hair without weighing it down, making it lightweight enough for even fine hair types.
The test
Real quick: Before you use this shampoo, know that it has more of a creamy, foam-like texture, rather than a sudsy lather, but that doesn't mean you'll have to use a ton to get your hair clean. I have shoulder-length hair and a quarter-sized dollop of shampoo along my roots (I like to gently scrub my scalp with my fingertips to lift any product buildup and oil—which, yes, I have a lot of these days) and down through my ends was plenty.
A post shared by Drunk Elephant (@drunkelephant) on Apr 2, 2020 at 2:40pm PDT
My hair usually feels pretty tangled and straw-like while I'm shampooing, so I was pleasantly surprised by how soft and silky my hair felt with this formula. And even though there's no artificial fragrance, it definitely has a strong coconut scent (courtesy of those surfactants I just mentioned) which, TBH, I actually really liked.
Usually when my hair is super dirty, I'll need two rounds of shampoo to really get the job done (don't @ me professional hairstylists), but this one left my roots clean and hydrated in just one round. I finished off by running some conditioner through my ends (I keep that ish away from my roots, unless I want to come out of the shower looking even greasier), rinsed again, and gently towel dried with my Aquis hair turban.
This might sound weird, but I had a minor epiphany while I was air-drying my (now) ~squeaky clean~ hair: I felt a tiny little sense of relief knowing I had done something to take care of myself. Like, yes, something as mundane as shampooing your hair can feel pretty insignificant during a crisis, but when your days are filled with bursts of fear and anxiety, it's the little things that can help you feel safe and grounded.
Even though I'm the only one looking at my dirty hair RN, I gotta say I felt really good looking in the mirror after using the DE shampoo. Not to mention, my hair looked genuinely excellent—my frizz and flyaways were at a minimum, my will-they-won't-they waves were actually defined, and my crunchy ends were now soft.
The bottom line
Listen, I know a shampoo isn't exactly the most exciting beauty product someone could use. But truly, this gentle, lightweight, and sensitive skin-friendly formula is bringing me a little sliver of calm during a time of utter uncertainty. And if you're also looking for a reason to wash your hair, pls do yourself a favor and give this shampoo a try. It might even give you that inspo you need to pick up your haircare routine again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to finally wear my hair down on a Zoom call.
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