In the healthy haircare space, there are a lot of fads, but we've kept our eye on one major trend: saying goodbye to shampoo. The "No Poo" movement took off in the curly hair space, where curly-haired gals noticed that switching to less shampoo helped them keep moisture in their curls for shinier, bouncier hair. Straight hair and dyed hair even benefitted from skipping the drying ingredients like sulfates.
There were homemade remedies with ingredients like Apple Cider Vinegar, and a few major retailers who led the trend. We wanted to take a look at some of the haircare products leading the revolution: DevaCurl's No-poo Original Zero Lather Conditioning Cleanser and Hairstory's New Wash.
Here's what we found:
Key Similarities
- Both are free from detergents (and therefore, sulfates), parabens, silicones, and other harmful items
- Both may require a period of adjustment
- Both formulas do not lather
- Both are transparent about their ingredients*
Key Differences
- DevaCurl is explicitly for curly hair, Hairstory is for all hair types
- Hairstory has a money-back guarantee
- DevaCurl's formula is a shampoo replacement, Hairstory's is a replacement for both shampoo and conditioner
- Both have subscription options, but Hairstory has a refill club, so there's no extra plastic in the environment each month
DevaCurl Overview
DevaCurl's No-poo has great reviews on their websites, with an average 4.5-star rating. However, they are currently facing a lawsuit regarding hair loss and damage from their products (yikes!), so use caution.
The two big ingredients for their No-Poo are grapeseed oil and mint oil, but they also contain wheat amino acids and rosemary extract. Curly-haired girls that are fans of the product really love it, but many complain about hating the smell and some complain about scalp dryness.
*DevaCurl has a disclaimer on their ingredient list: In an effort to always deliver the best products for your curls, we update our ingredient formulations from time to time to deliver great curls. Always check the label of the product that you receive as part of your order for the most up to date and accurate ingredient information.
Hairstory
New Wash: Original, Deep, & Rich
No Parabens, Sulfates, Or Silicones
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Hairstory Overview
Hairstoryis still really new to the space, but the fact that they're beloved by stylists make us trust them quite a bit. They offer 3 versions of their New Wash: Original, Rich, and Deep. You can take a quiz on their website to find which is best for your hair type.
It's a two-in-one product that both conditions and cleanses, unlike DevaCurl, and their main ingredients include four different conditioning oils, like peppermint and jojoba, along with hydrolyzed keratin.
One thing that stood out to us was that users revealed that the adjustment time varies - your hair could look greasy after a couple weeks, but once your scalp gets used to the product, everyone seems to love it; if you search "life changing" in their reviews, you'll find pages and pages of results.
They also have a great customer support team, so if you don't feel like your hair is adjusting, they can give you your money back, guaranteed, or recommend one of the other New Wash options.
Seriously, reviewers love this product. It adds shine, thickness, and if you have dyed hair, it can help keep the color from fading!
Overall Verdict
For a guaranteed switch to healthier hair, we're choosing Hairstory. We like their ingredient transparency, their reputation, and most of all, their positive results. They're also not just for curly hair!
They do seem to have a slightly longer possible adjustment time than DevaCurl, but it's absolutely worth it, and it makes sense. It takes a while for your hair to stop relying on the harmful chemicals that have been pushed on us for so long.
So if you want healthier hair that looks amazing, check out Hairstory today.
