After using Maria Nila Volume-line for some time, I decided to go back and continue my testing of Davines products.
Next up I felt drawn to their Oi shampoo and conditioner. I’ve had it on my wishlist, but would usually dismiss the line because I thought it was more for color-treated and damaged hair that would possibly be too moisturizing for my hair. But as per usual, I was totally wrong!
Davines OI
The OI-line is made for all hair types, from normal, dull strands to aging hair. It’s said to provide softness, hydration, shine and body to the hair.
The special ingredient in Oi is that all the products contain Roucou oil, or I would say extract. As it’s being referred as “Bixa Orellana Seed Extract” in the inci list of all Oi products. The roucou oil (or extract) is extremely high in beta-carotene and comes from the fruit of a shrub native to South America. Besides beta-carotene, it’s supposed to be rich in minerals known to be good for hair.
Some of the benefits of Roucou oil are, according to Davines:
- Slowes down the effects of hair aging by stimulating the production of melanin, keeping grays at bay.
- Hydrates, detangles and minimizes frizz for smooth, soft and healthy hair.
- Contains Ellagic Acid, which neutralizes free radicals and also has antioxidant properties.
- Protects against UV radiation.
- Stimulates hair growth.
Davines OI Shampoo
So, the Davines Oi shampoo uses a mix of different sulfate-free options to cleanse the scalp. Just as with the Melu shampoo (review here), I felt like this one cleanses really well without stripping.
I always do a double wash, and I love that I don’t need much to get a good lather. On really greasy hair days I’ve had to go in three times. But that’s pretty much normal for any shampoo.
Since I switched to this shampoo I realized that I’ve been able to go three to four days until my next wash without a problem! My scalp doesn’t seem to get overly greasy either as we near the end. Depending on how much product I have in the hair, I might even stretch for longer! But every third to the fourth day suits me and my scalp best.
Speaking of the scalp, I feel like this shampoo has had a great balancing effect. Not that I had a lot of issues before, but I’ve been prone to oiliness and tender follicles. I’ve not noticed any of that sort of thing since the switch. My hair and scalp just feel completely normal and balanced.
Roucou, because of it’s high beta-carotene content, is said to boost hair growth and have anti-aging properties. It could just be a coincidence, but I might have noticed sort of faster hair growth since switching to this shampoo? However, if it’s the magic of Roucou or just that this shampoo balances and keeps my scalp happy, I’m unsure.
The Oi shampoo promises shine, softness, hydration, and volume. And I feel that it gives just that!
I wouldn’t say that my hair feels as voluminous as when I’m using a specific volumizing/thickening shampoo or product though. But with that said, it’s giving me what I felt that the Melu shampoo was missing.
Repurchase? Yes. I’m on a big bottle of this stuff right now!
Davines OI Conditioner
As for the Oi conditioner, I’m not completely sure of how I feel about it. Like it’s a good conditioner that makes your hair silky soft and adds shine.
It has the signature butter-type texture of Davines.
It’s supposed to provide softness, shine, body, and also accelerate the drying process. The latter part isn’t something I’ve greatly noticed. But everything else checks the box.
I went and bought the Love Curl conditioner (review here) again to compare how it might react with the Oi shampoo. Curling-wise I don’t see a huge difference between that one and the Oi. The hair clumps almost equally, just a tad bit more with Love Curl. And I guess the hair dries slightly less frizzy?
Nonetheless, if you want the most out of your curls it’s best used together with the Love Curl shampoo. But I felt like I needed to wash my hair much more often when using the proper combo.
A surprising difference I found was that my hair looks like it’s got a little more body to it with the Oi shampoo + Love Curl conditioner combo than with the Oi conditioner. I do like the scent of Oi a lot more though… In the end, when it comes to my long wavy hair, it doesn’t matter much though which of the two conditioners I use.
The Davines Oi conditioner adds the final touches for visually beautiful, shiny and healthy hair with bounce. But I also feel like any of the conditioners from the Davines Essentials-line does that. Although the difference was minimal with my hair, if you have wavy/curly hair, you still might want to pair the Oi shampoo with Love Curl conditioner instead as I did find that combo set up a better base for styling the hair wavy/curly.
Repurchase? Not completely sure. Will try other ones for a while.
Conclusion
I find the Oi shampoo and conditioner to be excellent for normal hair and maintenance just like it’s marketed for. The shampoo fits my hair’s needs in ways I’ve never experienced before. I feel like it’s one of the best I’ve tried so far. Even in terms of hair growth, which has been a big focus the last couple of years since I did a big chop.
Comparing OI with the Energizing Shampoo (review here), I feel like this one does a better job without feeling too stripping. And if I want to be on the sure side, I’ll just add a few drops of peppermint essential oil with my wash.
I don’t know about the conditioner, it’s a great one and does everything it says. Just would like one with a little more curling action I guess?
But I do know that I would happily repurchase and continue using the shampoo!
When it comes to scent, I find the one in OI to be one of the better ones from Davines. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. But it has grown on me.
The scent is said to be strong and long-lasting, which felt a bit intimidating for someone like me who’s sensitive to scents. But the shampoo and conditioner, after wash, don’t linger in an overpowering way. At. All.
If anything, the Oi All-in-one Milk, is more perfume in a bottle than leave-in and is the one you should watch out for!
As always with scent, different notes, different strokes. I’m just happy not to dislike it as Davines products aren’t the best smelling hair products on the market… I mean, you either love them or you don’t. This is sad as something like scent can outrun performance.
To not bore you with one long Oi review, I’m spacing things out. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the Davines Oi All-in-One Milk and Oi Hair Butter soon. So look out for it next!
