My Top 3 Favorite Natural Shampoos
for normal to greasy hair

Last year I tried and tested a lot of natural shampoos and conditioners. None left me really 100% satisfied, result-wise or price-wise. I was starting to give up as every product that I tried only gave me undesired results. I kept doing my research and was constantly on the lookout for a solution that could please me. One of my friends even recommended that I try knotless braids (see https://serp.co/best/large-knotless-braids/ for more info) and mentioned that I might not notice any kind of hair fall or hair damage. Probably, I might not even have to use shampoo when I use such braids. Though the idea seemed interesting enough, I wanted something like a permanent solution. And, when I picked these up, I’m glad I continued my search as in the end I found not only one but three that really worked well with my greasy hair!

---

These three shampoos all get five stars from me as they perform very well with my hair. Note that, I have greasy hair, and if you don’t have either normal to oily hair, these may not apply to you, so it might be more worthwhile for you. But you can always try the dry hair-version of these to form your own opinion.
All shampoos has had at least a 3 month testing-period.

---

100% Pure | Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo

PRICE: €16/250ml + €7 (shipping)

I had heard a lot of good things about the 100% Pure shampoos. They do not make it completely clear on their website which shampoo is best suited for oily hair, so I had to contact their customer service that responded within a day with the recommendation to go with the Kelp & Mint shampoo. And so I ordered the 250ml bottle home. The 100% Pure shampoos and conditioners also come in 380ml (pump) and travel/deluxe sample size; I was afraid to buy the large as to what if I don’t like it, but wanted more than a 1-month trial period to see if it works.

The Kelp & Mint is their best-selling shampoo, and I totally get why! While I’m at this moment sipping on some mint water, I can’t say I’m especially fond of the mint scent, but it does give a fresh showering experience for sure. For being a natural shampoo it lathers just like a regular shampoo, 1-2 small palm-sized pumps are all that’s needed and you’re done! This is for me unusual, as the other ones I’ve tried I’ve had to go for at least 3-4 pumps to get my hair clean and get it to lather. The Kelp & Mint shampoo leaves your hair clean, but not stripey-clean and definitely gives your hair some added thickness. Actually, this shampoo made me reverse my thoughts about my own suspicions of thinning hair.

Conclusion

I can’t say I can go a week without washing my hair, but I’ve reversed that thinking lately. I realized that dirty hair affects my skin. A lot. So I’m no longer an advocate of washing your hair as few times as possible, but neither every day. All of these shampoos make my hair last enough to wash my hair twice a week, and that’s enough for me! If I go longer, cystic outbreak happens, if I go shorter my scalp will probably become dry, irritated and greasier in the long run. Count the fact that I also work out almost every day, which is contributing to my need of washing it more often.

I did not buy and try their conditioner because I already have three at home that I need to use up.

Where to Buy Internationally

100 % Pure Website | Amazon

Swedish:

100% Pure Kelp & Mint Schampo fungerar jättebra till normal/fettig hårtyp. Luktar fräscht av mint och löddrar lika fort som vanlig schampo – där 1-2 pumpar räcker i handen för att få en genomförlig tvätt. Torkar inte ut eller irriterar min hårbotten och håller håret tillräckligt rent för att kunna användas endast två gånger i veckan. Efter tork känns håret mjukt och tjockt. Enda minuset är priset, men finns att köpa stor flaska med pump, samt att den är drygare än många andra naturliga schampon.

Köpställen: Eleven

INGREDIENTS: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe)* Leaf Juice, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Organic Rose Hydrosol)*, Vegetarian Glycerin, Sodium Cocoate (Saponified Coconut) Oil, Mentha Pipertia (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus (Kelp) Extract, Cellulose (Vegan), Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol, Extracts of Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea)* Leaf, Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root, Urtica Dioica (Nettle), Melia Azadirachta (Neem), Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower, Salt (French Sea Salt), Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower and Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Essential Oil * Certified Organic

---

Urtekram | Shampoos for Normal Hair

Tried and Tested: Aloe Vera and Rose scent

Price: ~59SEK/250ml

Urtekram is a Danish budget-friendly organic brand that offers a wide range of products for a very good price. In some cases, they seem so cheap that you get quite suspicious if their products would actually be any good, or even great. But there are few treasures, and their shampoos are one example!

I really wanted the natural creamy non-foaming shampoos to work, but soap-based shampoos is the way to go for me. When you got oily hair you get the advice to first of all wash it less, but also go with more gentle shampoos. Unfortunately, this way did not work for my scalp and almost forced me to wash my hair every day at one point. In my case, my oily scalp isn’t a result of using harsh and drying shampoos, but from being naturally oily. The truth is that the conventional shampoos I was using were never a problem for me.

Urtekram’s shampoos are simple with a short ingredient list, it’s soap-based and foams like a conventional shampoo. It simply does a good job in cleaning your hair without drying it too much. I don’t know why the Aloe Vera would be different, but it adds some more thickness/volume to the hair than the Rose scented one, and I like that.

In many ways I feel like the Urtekram shampoo works a lot like the one from 100% Pure, the only huge difference is the price! Urtekram also sells shampoo in big bulk like 500ml and 1L (pump) for less than the cost of 100% Pure 250ml bottle. But needless to say, I like both very much, and the main reason I’ll lean towards Urtekram more isn’t because of the cost, but just because it’s sold at my nearest grocery store and it simply works.

Conclusion

I don’t have bad things to say about Urtekram’s shampoos for normal hair, they simply work great for my hair, and everyone else in the family seems to like them! (As they are fairly cheap, I have one pair at my mom’s, at my father in-law’s and at our summer house) The only thing I wasn’t as happy with isn’t their shampoo but their conditioner for normal hair. I haven’t yet located what I’m really looking for in a conditioner as my hair gets either weighed down by them or they don’t do much for me. I find them a bit boring and simple – no wow factor. But Urtekram has a few different conditioners for different purposes, as well as a few leave-in detangling sprays, so I’ll just have to find one that works!

April 2017 EDIT: A few months ago I switched to Urtekram Rasul shampoo and been loving it ever since and I’m not thinking about switching!

Where to Buy Internationally

Amazon | Amazon UK | Ecco Verde

SWEDISH

Urtekrams schampo för Normalt hår är förvånansvärt väldigt bra för priset! Fungerar utmärkt med mitt fettiga hår utan att torka ut det. Jag har testat dofterna Aloe Vera och Ros, båda är väldigt bra, men Aloe Vera adderar dock något mer fyllighet och volym i håret som jag gillar. Urtekrams schampon är också väldigt prisvärda och det finns möjlighet att köpa 1L pumpflaska som kommer räcka länge. Löddrar lika fint och snabbt som vanliga schampon och ger ett fint resultat. Vad jag kan ändå inte gilla är deras balsam för normalt hår, som känns lite tråkiga, skulle kanske vilja att de addera mer glans. Men de har en del varianter att välja mellan, samt balsamsprej som jag gärna vill testa härnäst!

Köpställen: Lyko

INGREDIENTS ALOE VERA NORMAL HAIR: Water, vegetable oil products, corn sugar soap, aloe vera*, glycerine**, lemon balm* and peppermint leaf extract*, sweet orange oil*, salt, polysaccharide, perfume (plant extract), vitamin E. * = Organic farming. ** = Made using organic ingredients.

INGREDIENTS ROSE NORMAL HAIR: Water, vegetable oil products, corn sugar soap, aloe vera*, glycerine**, rose flower extract*, rose geranium oil*, salt, polysaccharide, citric acid, perfume (plant extract), vitamin E. * = Organic farming. ** = Made using organic ingredients.

---

J.R Liggett’s | Shampoo Bar Original

PRICE: 6€/3.5oz (excl. shipping)

My last favorite is J.R Liggett’s original shampoo bar, that I bought a mini travel kit to try a couple of different ones. However I can’t say I felt much difference in results between the three different formulas, the other two were Tea Tree & Hemp Oil Bar (no fragrance) and Jojoba & Peppermint Bar. I just happen to like the scent of the original bar more. But I managed to find some information on what formula is good for what purpose:

• Herbal Formula: For general use. Soft but with a distinctive refreshing herbal scent.
• Jojoba & Peppermint: Good for normalizing the natural oils in the hair and scalp. Milky, refreshing with a creamy consistency.
• Moisturizing Formula: Moisturizing and helps to heal and restore damaged and dry hair.
• Tea Tree & Hemp Oil: Good for itchy, flaky scalps and psoriasis.
• Coconut & Argan Oil: Gives a wonderfully thick lather that strengthens and moisturizes the hair.

It can be a bit uncomfortable washing your hair with a bar at first, and there are a couple of different techniques to try. I like to lather it up in my palm and then massage it into my roots, but also kind of rub it against my head. It foams up nicely in a creamy fashion and is easy to rinse off. It cleanses your hair without drying it, and for the most part, I never felt a need to condition my hair afterward.

The only downside with a shampoo bar is that it works best with soft water. The good news is that most households have soft water, but if you’re one of the unlucky ones, then this might not be for you. Something I’ve noticed with shampoo bars is that there may grow a build-up with time, so it can be wise to switch it up with a regular shampoo now and then. But maybe if you’re not rubbing it against your head as I sometimes do – LOL – you may not experience that!

Conclusion

I’m not completely sold on the bar-thing, and you need to make sure to store it in a soap case otherwise it won’t last you long. Nonetheless, it delivers its promise of cleaning your head, and I’m not the only one who loves it! It’s cheap and can be used for several other purposes, like washing your entire body.
The scents are not too strong in my opinion, but faint. I loved the original as it smelled like a typical soap but not in that headachey kind of way.

Where to Buy Internationally

iHerb | Amazon | Amazon UK
(Get 5% off your order on iherb by buying through this link!)

Swedish

J.R Liggett’s tvålschampo är min tredje naturliga hårtvättsfavorit! Jag har testat orginalet, samt två andra, Tea Tree & Hampa och Jojoba & Peppermint. I grunden så märkte jag inte någon stor skillnad, men doften på originalet föll mig mer i smaken, då den luktar fint av vanlig tvål. Doften i alla dessa är väldigt mild.
Det kan vara lite svårt att använda sig av en tvålschampo i början, och man behöver definitivt ett tvålfat/-ask för att den ska hålla länge. Priset är bra och man får mycket kaka för pengarna. Den löddrar väldigt mjukt och krämigt, lätt att skölja ur, och tillräckligt mjukgörande att man kan hoppa över balsamet.
Nackdelen dock med tvålschampo är att de fungerar inte bra i hårt vatten, sedan att med tid kan det byggas upp tvålrester i håret som man inte märkt i början. Därför kan det vara bra att variera med vanlig schampo ibland.

Köpställen: Jordklok | iHerb

INGREDIENTS ORIGINAL SHAMPOO BAR: Saponified olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, and organic palm kernal oil – fragrance – rose oil.

---

Tried any of these, what’s your experience?
Tell me what’s your favorite shampoo at the moment in the comments below!