Why It Had To Be The Ouai.

I’ve always been someone who looks after their hair, so for me buying the right Shampoo and Conditioner is nothing new, but if I’m being completely honest the Ouai had always been just a little too expensive for me to justify. I mean if it was just Mr C and me, no teenager or dogs then I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but I’m pretty sure when you have kids they implant some sort of ‘sensible chip’ in your brain that stops you making these kinds of free and easy decisions!

Anyway it’s no secret that I have an Autoimmune condition, along with a few other issues, and because of that coupled with the intense medication I take to control it, I quite often go through stages of hair loss. I have become used to this, at least I thought I had until nearly three years ago, when my hair started coming out far more than usual. It got to the point where I ended up feeling incredibly lost, and I didn’t recognize the person looking back at me. So eventually I accepted that I needed to wear a wig, it was the only way to feel a little more like me again. It’s been a long, difficult road, but I’ve been extremely lucky meeting the amazing people I have along the way, and they’ve  helped me get my hair hair back to what it is today. This is why, now that after nearly 18 months of intense treatment I am only prepared to use the best on my hair, and for me that has to be the Ouai. 

I decided that it would be better for me to have a full routine as opposed to just one or two products added in to my current one. I chose The Repair Shampoo, The Repair Conditioner, Leave in Conditioner, Rose Hair & Body Oil and Memory Mist. I don’t think I have ever been so excited about receiving hair products before! I was, as you probably are, well aware of the reputation the Ouai brand has. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad review. It didn’t take long for the products to arrive and YES I had a shower that night, do you blame me?!

So lets start with the basics, this is a  brand that doesn’t believe in animal testing or selling in or to any countries that have an animal testing policy. Their products don’t contain Parabens, Phalates, Sulphates and are all made in the U.S. You can buy them in the UK really easily on either their own site or on places like Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Net a Porter and there’s usually some kind of offer or free gift option. Right now we’ve done bits, so let’s get into the review….

The Repair Shampoo (£22.00 for 300m) It smells incredible when opened, you instantly smell jasmine, rose and lemon nodes coming through. I found you need very little to get a good strong lather and wash your hair thoroughly, I would say about the size of Two Pence Piece is perfect. It’s not one of those shampoos either that feels like it’s still clinging to every strand of hair even after you’ve washed it twice, it washes out really easily with you hair feeling light and smelling great. It has Keratin, Amino Acid and Tamarind Seed as well as Ouai Smart Technology Complex to help with replenishing moisture, strengthening against breakage and leaving hair softer, shinier and stronger. Another great point I think, is that it doesn’t leave your hair in a tangled mess as so many shampoos do! Your hair is left separated and smooth ready for conditioning. 

The Repair Conditioner (£20.00 for 250ml ) This has the exact same blend of key ingredients as the Repair Shampoo but with a different scent. In this you still have the Lemon and Rose but it’s mixed with Blackberry, Sandalwood and Amber. The smell is just beautiful, it’s light and refreshing and has Luxury smell about it. This conditioner is all about adding moisture back into the hair, getting any of the damaged ends stronger and thicker. You can feel the conditioner coating the strands as you work it into your ends. I love the conditioning step because you can feel the change in your hair, it’s like when your working out and then you have a big cold drink, and there’s that overwhelming feeling of hydration. This is not an overly thick conditioner, it’s about the same as a BB Cream which is perfect for distributing and working into the hair. I usually leave it on for about 10 minutes while I’m busy in  the shower and wash it off just as I’m getting out, this seems to give me perfect results.

The Leave In Conditioner (£22.00 for 140ml ) This is more of a treatment for me. I bought this not to use every time I washed my hair, more like once or twice a week. I’m just kind of playing it by ear and seeing what my hair needs and when. This incredible little bottle has Amino Acid, Tamarind Seed, Panthenol and Vitamin E as well as Hydrolyzed Proteins which are all going to help protect, moisturize, strengthen, build and look after your hair. It is supposed to be great for detangling but I’ve not had that problem because I’m using the other Ouai products. This also has an incredible scent of Rose, White Musk, Patchouli, Violet, Lemon and more! Honestly it’s like wearing perfume in your hair you end up smelling incredible!

The Rose Hair and Body Oil (£26.00 for 99ml) OK so this is not an essential, but for me I wanted extra protection for some strands of hair that are still very fragile. I thought this would help with moisture especially after heat styling and at the same time be protective and gentle. The main ingredients are Rose Oil and Shea Oil which not only smells great but gives an incredible gloss to the hair. I wasn’t sure if I would regret buying this, if I would feel like it was just a ‘like’ situation but actually I can feel a real difference in my hair after I use a small amount, especially after heat styling. If you’re looking for a great product that will not just make you hair look healthy but protect it, make it look glossy and stop the ends drying out after styling this is great. I especially recommend it if you’ve got any breakage or damaged ends.

The Memory Mist Heat Protector ( £25.00 for 126g ) This was a must for me, I always buy a heat protector anyway, and If I’d known just how incredible this one was, I would’ve been buying it ages ago. Before you ask, yes this too has an incredible scent of it’s own. It’s a mix of Violet, Ylang Ylang, White Musk and Gardenia  that creates a beautiful light scent that makes your hair smell gorgeous for hours. The first thing I have to say is how little you need of this spray, a little goes a long way! Then there’s the fact that it distributes in such a fine mist, which means you don’t waste any. It protects your hair up to 450 degrees, which is perfect because I’m not going anywhere near that number anytime soon! I can tell you for sure that it leaves your hair feeling soft, smooth and frizz free all day long. I definitely won’t be using any other heat protector now, in fact I’ve just ordered another one today. 

My main goal now is to protect and maintain the hair that I do have, in the best way that I can, with the best products I can find. I genuinely think that this routine I’ve found using the Ouai products is doing just that, I have seen a huge improvement in the overall health of my hair in the Four weeks I’ve been reviewing it. It’s softer, stronger and definitely longer, Even my hairdresser (Stuart at Mesart Glasgow) told me that he had seen an improvement in the condition. I know it’s expensive, but for me my hair is an investment, and when you lose it you soon realize just how important it is, so for now I’m definitely going to keep trying and testing out the Ouai products. 

You can check out any of the OUAI products here.

T x

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