Sachajuan's sleek and chic packaging

I was about 15 when my self-confessed ‘a little bit green’ mother stopped buying commercial shampoo.  Sodium lauryl sulfate became the bane of our bathroom.  Pretty much, if it foamed, it went to hair product exile.

Well, Sachajuan hair products are everything my mother loves.  Herbal, natural, soothing, and (presumably) organic are my first impressions.  Indeed, Sachajuan heralds their use of natural ingredients, such as rosemary oil, ginger extract and menthol as some key elements in their products.  But there’s something else exciting which had me from the outset: Sachajuan’s “Ocean Silk Technology”.  Now, having spent most of my younger years pretending I was a hardcore surfer, I can assure hair lovers that the ocean is many things, but “silky” is not one of them in my experience.  So Sachajuan, you have my attention!

Scalp Shampoo, Dry Hair Conditioner and Leave In Conditioner are three products based on said Ocean Silk secret ingredient.  If you suffer from an itchy scalp, Sachajuan’s Scalp Shampoo could be your alternative to commercial anti-dandruff brands.  It feels natural and gentle, with the menthol and rosemary oil revealing themselves in the soothing feeling that takes over your scalp as you wash.  The centerpiece of the shampoo is a combination of piroctone olamine, a “much less toxic” active ingredient, according to the Australasian College of Dermatologists and Climbazole, an anti-fungal agent.

Dry Hair Conditioner complements the Scalp Shampoo, giving a fluid, moist feeling.  It claims to “repair and de-frizz” hair, though it must be said that this does require a rinse and repeat. Sachajuan’s Leave In Conditioner is my favourite by a long shot, and I’d hazard a guess that anyone whose hair has fallen victim to a Northern European winter would agree.  Based solely on feel, I wouldn’t hold fast to Sachajuan’s assertion that it’s oil-free.  However, the Leave In Conditioner definitely creates shiny and manageable tresses.

Give Sachajuan’s Volume Powder a whirl between washes.  In actual fact, it’s a spray which gives your hair a refresher when you don’t have time to shampoo.  Not possessing much talent when it comes to styling, I was a bit confused by the multi-step instructions.  However, spraying Volume Powder and working fingers through hair creates a relaxed look.

Bad hair day?  The Ocean Mist Leave In formula spray is actually a compliment-inducing lifesaver.  Promising a post-beach feel, Ocean Mist even made me feel a bit tanned too – an achievement on a rainy Stockholm day!  The only downside is that a hair wash after your ‘day at the beach’ is necessary – although a leave in formula, Ocean Mist delivers the saltiness and tangles too.

So what’s the verdict on “Ocean Silk Technology”?  Well, to be honest I haven’t the slightest barometre with which to compare.  According to Sachajuan themselves, in scientific terms, it’s the extraction of proteins and minerals from none other than sea algae, and fusing these with active ingredients. In other words, “recipes to give the hair maximum shine, volume…without making the hair heavy.”

And this reviewer has to agree.  While I wasn’t picturing algae when I was thinking ‘organic, natural and soothing’, I’ll take Sachajuan’s word for it.  There’s good reason to trust the brand; its creators are top stylists Sacha Mitic and Juan Rosenlind, who launched Salon Sachajuan in 1997, followed by the Professional Haircare range in 2003.

All things said and washed, Sachajuan is a worthy contender for your hair if you seek a gentler, more natural range.  Or simply for high-shine, volume-plus effects which still leave you with the feeling that your hair is in good hands.

For stockists, see the Sachajuan site.  Sachajuan products are available online from Look Fantastic and HQHair, who ship internationally.

Presenting Sachajuan’s fashion-forward, super chic styling expertise