Product Review: The Body Shop: Anti-Dandruff Ginger Shampoo

Question: What’s Written On The Bottle?

Answer: Flake Clearing, Scalp Soothing Shampoo with Ginger Extract. DRY/FLAKY SCALP.

Question: So What Goes In The Making Of This Shampoo? What Are Its Ingredients?

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cocamide DEA
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium Chloride
Polysorbate 20
Piroctone Olamine
Phenoxyethanol
Panthenol
Propylene Glycol
Dimethicone Propyl PG Betaine
Mel
Citric Acid
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Sodium Salicylate
Methylparaben
Parfum
Glycerin
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Batylparaben
Ethylparaben
Zingiber Officinalis Root Extract
Limonene
Betula
Alba Bark Extract
Citral
Citronellol
Evernia Prunastri Extract
Benzyl Alcohol

Quick Review

Good Things Come First

The anti-dandruff ginger shampoo from The Body Shop India (The Body Shop USA) controls dandruff in any season.
It smells really good. The smell is very refreshing.
Zingiber Officinalis Root Extract (Ginger) is known to be an effective remedy against dandruff.
Alba Bark Extract or The White Willow Bark has been proven to have many excellent skincare properties, thus it makes for an excellent ingredient in battling the dry/flaky scalp increasing the overall effectiveness.
Citrus Acid also helps in removing flakes from the scalp and has been used for the same in many Home Remedies.

Oops! That Went Wrong

It contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) and which makes it harsh for daily use.
It contains Parabens, several instances have come up all over the world and debates on the harmful effects of parabens are never-ending. But parabens are generally preservatives added in various cosmetic products. In most cases, a certain amount of use of parabens are allowed in products. As per EWG’s Skin Deep Database, types of parabens and their harmful effects range from 1-10 depending on the type of paraben in the product. So, the way I see it, is to avoid this particular chemical, if possible. Read more on Parabens here
Evernia Prunastri Extract known as Oakmoss, which is a species of lichen. It is often used in modern perfumery for having a distinct, woody, sharp and sweet odor. Oakmoss should generally be avoided by people who have skin sensitization issues. It’s use in fragrances, over the years has been highly restricted.

Result: This product proved to be quite effective and kept my (very) dandruff prone hair dandruff free. But over-time I came to a conclusion that this shampoo was not suitable for daily use. So I started using it only once or twice a week in combination with a mild shampoo so that my hair are not completely stripped off their natural oils.

Detailed Review

Before I get into the details, I’d like to give out some information as we are all different, so are our needs. What worked for me, may not work for someone else, what suited me, may not suit someone else. So I would like to give out some details about my scalp, and hair etc. so that one can relate and form their own opinions. So here goes:

Question: Who tested/reviewed this product?

Answer: I did. I’m Jane (the founder of this website) I’m Indian and have naturally brown and curly hair. My scalp tends to get oily more often than I like, thus forcing me to have to wash my hair every alternate day.
I tested this Shampoo for two months during the summers and two months during the winters, after which my 400mL/13.5 fl oz bottle was empty.

My Observations

The Shampoo did what it said it would, I saw no flakes or dandruff between my washes (hair wash).
Winters is that time of the year when dandruff and dryness attack at the same time, not a very good combination I must say, but this shampoo was good even during this time, and I was happily dandruff-free.

Question: Will I Buy It Again?

Answer:
As of now, my hair is dandruff free. Thanks to the body shop’s anti-dandruff ginger shampoo. And I am not using this shampoo anymore but yes, I will buy this shampoo again if I get a dandruff problem as I’ve noticed it really worked well and even cured the hairfall I was having due to dandruff.

Question: Do I recommend it?

Answer:
Yes and No. Yes, because it is effective and No to anyone who does not have dandruff (You simply don’t need the anti-dandruff ginger shampoo in that case).

Question: I have Dandruff, I believe the Anti-Dandruff Ginger Shampoo will be good for me, but I’m worried about SLS and Parabens… What should I do?

Answer:

Panic not. If you have already decided to give this product a try, and are wondering if you can minimize on the damage from SLS and parabens, then follow the following tips:

Dilute the shampoo while shampooing. Only add water to the amount of shampoo you are going to use, not the whole bottle.
Use a conditioner after shampoo.
Don’t shampoo everyday, I recommend washing your hair every alternate day or less with this shampoo.
If you have extra time on your hands, apply any hair oil of your choice to your head thirty minutes prior to shampooing hair.
Add an essential oil of your choice, not more than 3-5 drops in the shampoo.