A SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER REVIEW FROM A GUY WHO ACTUALLY USED THE SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER
Glad you made it here. If you did a quick search for “shampoo & conditioner review for men,” you probably found about 100 articles claiming, “The Best Shampoo for Men,” “Best Shampoos for Men You Should Try,” and, “Top 5 Best Men's Shampoo & Conditioner.”
If you combed through those like I did, you might not have found a single “author” of all these “reviews” who actually tested any of the products.
Well Buster Brown, you can bet your follicle freedom I wouldn’t do ya like that.

-El Rubio, Chief Maintenance Officer for The Longhairs
Pictured before & after The Great Cut
A Shampoo & Conditioner Review For Men...
from a guy who actually used the shampoo & conditioner.
For this review I personally and painstakingly tested dozens of shampoo and conditioner products, putting my locks on the line to better understand what's out there—much like we did in the development of our world famous Hair Ties For Guys.
My goal was to provide an honest and thorough shampoo & conditioner review for guys who prefer to hear from an actual person who has personally used the products he's reviewing.

Here I have compiled my observations and reviews of 10+ men's shampoo & conditioner products.
Product Selection
REAL REVIEWS
Though some of these products were sent to us, we have not been compensated by anyone for anything. In cases where we’ve linked to products reviewed, these are not affiliate links.
By the same token, the approach toward these reviews is intended to be unbiased, and we mean no ill-will toward any company or person. I’ve simply called ‘em how I’ve seen ‘em to offer you the ultimate shampoo & conditioner review for men.
METHODOLOGY

TEST SUBJECT: El Rubio

Product Usage
Grading Rubric
TERMINOLOGY
In addition to the grading rubric, here are some common terms and what they mean in the context of shampoo and conditioner products in the United States.
Organic
All Natural
The FTC prohibits companies from misrepresenting the extent to which any product contains natural or synthetic components, including terms like all-natural or 100% natural.
These terms often have little relevance within the context of shampoo & conditioner. Arsenic is all natural but I’m not putting that shit in my hair. “All natural” does not necessarily mean better.
Parabens
Sulfates
Sulfates are harsh chemical cleansing agents found in household cleaners, detergents and cosmetics. Sulfates commonly used in shampoo & conditioner include sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, which can strip, dry and damage your hair.
Cruelty Free/Not Tested on Animals
Made in U.S.A.
The FTC regulates claims that a product is of U.S. origin, traditionally using the standard that a product be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S.
Other Terms
THE Ultimate SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER REVIEW FOR MEN
DR. SQUATCH MEN’S MOISTURIZING SHAMPOO
Label
- 100% Natural, Sulfate & Paraben Free
- The fragrance is “Cypress Coast,” “Made with nettle, tea tree, comfrey root, and cypress oil to rejuvenate and strengthen your hair. Good for all hair types.”

Squeaky clean, like sliding your finger across a window pane.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
The solution is a clear, thin liquid. Like hand sanitizer but slightly thicker. It would easily drain through the cracks in your fingers.
Experience
Massaging it into my scalp and the roots of my hair it produced a thin lather. Small bubbles rather than big bubbles, not a whole lot of texture. But more lather than a no-lather type.
Deep in my scalp and roots I let it sit for a little while to get the full experience. A tingling sensation, especially noticeable with a cool breeze coming in through the open window. The fragrance fills the entire shower, you can even feel it as you breathe in, like Vicks vapor rub.
It feels almost dry. Obviously my hair is wet, and I’m not saying it IS dry, but it feels dry. Almost that squeaky, rubby clean. Where it would make a sound if you rubbed it, like sliding your finger across a window pane. An unlubricated feel, not exactly rough, but friction.
Performance
Rinsed out clean with no residue, my hair and scalp felt noticeably cleansed. Nice feeling while wet, I could still feel the tingling.
DR. SQUATCH MEN’S DAILY CONDITIONER
Label
- 100% Natural, Sulfate & Paraben Free
- The fragrance is “Cool Citrus,” “made with calendula, peppermint, and sage to stimulate the scalp and hydrate hair. Balancing daily rinse for all hair types.”

Like watered down down sour cream.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Also thin but white, like watered down sour cream.
Experience
Massaging into the lengths of my hair it felt very thin. As opposed to a thick, rich lather lubricating with depth and substance, it was watery, milky, didn’t feel like there was much of anything in my hair.
I let it sit for a few minutes. When I reached back to rinse my hair, it almost felt like there was nothing in it. Not saying that’s bad, but it just felt wet.
Not putting it on my scalp but the lengths only, I couldn’t tell the sensation quite as much, although I know it was still tingling because I could feel it on the back of my neck.
Performance
Thin, fragrant, stimulating. Similar experience with the squeaky clean, it didn’t feel super smooth.
Again with the fragrance and tingling sensation. Especially with a breeze, boy that’s nice!
While I don’t mind the lack of lather, I don’t love the texture of the lather.
As I was blowdrying my hair I had a consistent experience. It felt decidedly sticky. As I tried to run my fingers through they got caught and hung up.
As my hair dried this experience diminished, but I was left with a feeling it didn’t rinse out entirely.
Did it comb out easily? It combed out ok. Still a little rough. Not super easy to get the tangles out. Even the next day, with no serum it was not easy to comb through.
How did it look? It looked almost like hay, an earthy, golden appearance with some shine. It was very natural, if not smooth. Felt straw-like.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
This is a very nice brand. With these products I can feel the “all natural,” which carries some appeal. I do like it for the natural experience, the sensation, fragrance and cleanliness. I don’t love the texture, viscosity or lather.
The overall performance is good. Really nice stuff, just not my personal favorite. I want something that’s going to coat and lubricate my hair, feel a thick conditioning agent in there. I also want to it rinse clean and comb out effortlessly.
Might be a better product for guys with short hair (try their soap though, it's excellent).

WOW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SHAMPOO
Label
The first thing I notice is an incredibly busy label. Just to give you an example, the words on the front label include:
WOW Skin Science
Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
Gentle & Natural
Detox formula for stressed tresses
No parabens
No sulphates
No silicones & salt
Made with ecocert certified ingredients
Bioactive Haircare
Made with 100% natural and raw himalayan apple cider vinegar
Removes buildups restores shine and smoothness
WOW is right! That’s a lot of claims, and there is a lot more text on the back. Here I’m thinking, this stuff must be amazing!

Ultra thick lather, like rubbing honey into my hair.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Massaging into my scalp was like rubbing honey into my hair, though not so sticky. It really lathered in there. Ultra thick lather, but not super sudsy, foaming or building.
If you fill up a sponge with dishwashing liquid and start working it, but before it gets ultra sudsy, that middle stage when it’s still really thick. Nice, full-bodied texture.
Performance
Felt like it rinsed out clean. My hair definitely felt clean, like the formula had thoroughly cleansed, but it did not feel stripped. Clean but not that sticky, rough clean.
WOW HAIR CONDITIONER
Label
Same deal here:
WOW Skin Science
Hair Conditioner
Intensive conditioning for thin, weak or damaged hair
Organic virgin coconut oil + avocado oil + wheat protein
Safe for colour treated hair
Hypoallergenic
No parabens
No Sulphates
Setting the expectations pretty high, team.

Running my fingers through I can still feel a buildup or residue.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Texture is ultra thick and creamy, even thicker than the shampoo, almost like bearing grease. In fact it was so thick that it won’t even come out of the pump dispenser, I literally had to twist the cap off and slam it around like a bottle of ketchup.
Experience
Completely and utterly coated the lengths of my hair. Really nice, like my hair was just soaking in a bowl of heavy cream. There was no doubt it was completely penetrating the hair.
Rinsing it felt very soft and smooth, though my hair still felt heavier, even heavier than when it’s just wet with water.
Performance
After drying and combing the results were very nice. Smooth, soft, shiny. Pretty easy to comb through. There did still seem to be a slight heaviness. Running my fingers through I can still feel a buildup or residue. Very good performance otherwise.
Lasting scent is pleasant, but not too strong.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
Nice stuff, but thick, heavy buildup. Too gunky, made my hair feel heavy. Combing and brushing felt like more of a chore getting through all the stuff. Might be better for occasional, change-of-pace use, but too much leftover gunk for regular use.
Might also be good for shorter hair, or people with thinning or super fine hair.

GAZAR LUSTRE SHAMPOO
Label
A 32 oz colored bottle with pump top dispenser and super basic labeling. In fact everything that’s on the label is in the title above.
The back is also limited to brief instructions, ingredients and a tagline: the definition of style is you.
While it provides less information, after reading the labels on many of these other brands it’s refreshing to not get pounded with truckloads of marketing messages on the bottle.

Thick, nice, clear like alien mucus/jelly.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Thick, nice. Clear, like alien mucus/jelly. It would run through the cracks in your fingers, but slowly.
Experience
Massaging it in built a super thick lather, not a sudsy lather, more like an oil slick. It built depth. Full coverage and penetration. It felt like a quality formula on my head and scalp.
Performance
Rinsing it out felt totally clean and completely rinsed. Not a squeaky, rough clean, not an oily clean, just clean. Like everything had been cleansed from my head and scalp, but not harshly.
ARMURE RECONSTRUCT CONDITIONER
Label

Like if you took a glue stick out of its container and mashed it up in your hand.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Ultra thick and creamy, white. In fact it’s not even liquid. It’s like if you took a glue stick out of its container and mashed it up in your hand.
Experience
This stuff coats your hair like nothing else. I mean full coverage, lubrication, it is just in there. A real treat.
Performance
Really fabulous stuff. If there is any downside I could say the fragrance is just slightly more feminine than masculine, even so it’s still quite pleasant.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
Excellent quality formula and a top performer. Could use this brand going forward and be just fine. If you care about your hair, this is the kind of stuff you want to be using.
BLACK DIAMOND 2-IN-1 SHAMPOO & BODY WASH
Label
- Luxury Men’s Grooming
- Features: Diamond Dust, Charcoal, Wheat Protein, Vitamins And Minerals
Pretty underwhelming.
On the reverse:
Black Diamond 2-in-1 Shampoo and Body Wash is perfect for the man on the go. Whether it is at the gym, in your travel bag or your go-to product in the shower, Black Diamond provides all the luxury benefits a man needs.
Based on the copy alone it was hard for me to take this brand seriously. It struck me as lazy and without much thought, as if buzzwords like “gym” and “travel bag” will connect me to their brand.
The sulfates Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate are listed in the ingredients, so I already know this is not a product I would use. For the sake of this review I still used the products.

It’s black with sparkling “diamond dust.” Are the diamonds going to cut my head?
Fragrance
Look and Feel
First of all it’s black with sparkling “diamond dust,” does this, like, have silica in it? Are the diamonds going to cut my head? What’s it going to do to my hair?
Thick and globby with a nice, full texture.
Experience
Performance
BOURBON SPICE INVIGORATING HAIR AND BEARD CONDITIONER
Label
- Invigorating Hair and Beard Conditioner
- Features: Wheat Protein, Ginger Root, Peppermint, Sacha Inchi, And Coconut Oil
On the reverse: Infused with conditioning properties, our Bourbon Spice stimulates the scalp and skin with ginger root & peppermint extracts. This conditioner is cocktailed with natural herbs and spices that promote healthy hair and beard growth.
Application: Hair: After shampooing, massage a small amount onto scalp in circular motion until distributed evenly. Let product sit for 2 minutes and rinse well. Beard: Using warm water, lather up a small amount of Bourbon Spice and massage, rinse well.
Again I immediately had problems with the copy. First of all, that’s not even a proper conditioning technique. If they didn’t take the care to really understand this industry, what does that say about their product?

Did not feel the slightest bit buzzed, despite the 'bourbon spice.'
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Coated my hair. I could smell the peppermint and ginger root, felt nice enough.
Performance
Softened my hair after using the shampoo. Smoothing and detangling properties mitigated the effects of the shampoo. Did not feel the slightest bit buzzed despite the bourbon spice.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
Initially a shaving and beard care brand, I feel like this company wanted to expand their product line to shampoo & conditioner, slapped some ingredients together, wrote some marketing language they thought would appeal to men and called it a “luxury grooming” product.
The fact the shampoo is sold as shampoo and body wash, and the conditioner sold as hair and beard conditioner, does not inspire confidence that these are quality hair products.
Might be fine for super short hair, would not recommend for long hair. Might be worth trying their shaving and facial care products.

krieger + söhne SHAMPOO
Label
- Man Series
- For All Hair Types
Everything on the bottle is in English, Spanish, French and German...which I found interesting considering the company is listed in Alpharetta, GA, (a seemingly common marketing tactic in the shampoo & conditioner industry).
On the reverse is a paragraph about the formulation, with emphasis on Tea Tree Oil and the list of ingredients, which include Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, immediately indicating this is not a product I would use.

Rinsing it out my hair felt stripped clean, almost sticky, rough against my fingers.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Silvery and soapy, like pump-action hand soap. Opening the bottle and squeezing the shampoo out the space is pretty quickly filled with the strong tea tree/minty vapor, a pretty nice experience.
Experience
Massaging into the scalp and hair produced a medium to light lather, not really sudsy just a bit foamy. The lather decreased as the formula was in my hair.
I could quickly feel the tingling sensation, again pretty nice. I let it sit for two minutes or so, tingly. Especially with the window open and a little breeze tingly and very cool.
Performance
Should have used the hand soap. Rinsing it out my hair felt stripped clean. It felt squeaky, almost sticky, rough rubbing my fingers across. I can actually hear the squeaky, like when you rub against a floaty toy in the pool. Feels stripped, not nice. Running my fingers through they get caught up.
Imagine dragging your fingers across a smooth surface where they glide effortlessly, vs. a surface that causes more friction, almost sticky, where your fingers would jump and dart as they break friction on the surface. That’s what my hair felt like.
krieger + söhne CONDITIONER
Label
- Man Series
- For All Hair Types
On the reverse is a paragraph about the formulation, Peppermint Oil gives the scalp a cool, soothing, relaxing feeling.
This was a problem for me because proper conditioning technique would not have you applying conditioner to your scalp.

My hair was dry and frazzled, my scalp felt dry and tight, like the skin was stretching.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Coated the hair well, hair felt smooth with the conditioner in there, but not ultra-smooth, like I could almost feel micro-minerals in there. Conditioner was pretty ok.
Performance
After blowdrying, my hair felt softer and detangled. However, it was dry and frazzled. My scalp felt dry and tight, like the skin was stretching. Even the color seemed to have lost some shine.
The fragrance didn’t hold so much after the fact.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
I will give them credit for creating a very nice looking brand, a convincing marketing campaign, good photography, videos, an all-around nice job...except the product.
Whether it was the cost of a quality product or a failure to research or whatever the reason, the product itself is not good. If they spent just a little bit more they could have had a product that lived up to the marketing.
As a result, I won’t put this stuff in my hair again and would not recommend for anyone who cares about their hair.
OGLE SHAM Everyday/Color Safe Hydrating Wash
Label
- “I am fearless & happy,” which I found inspiring
- Nag Champa
- I AM

It does in fact smell just like the ancient nag champa incense you burned in your room to cover up the weed smell.
Fragrance
It does in fact smell just like the ancient nag champa incense you burned in your room to cover up the weed smell. It’s quite lovely, though I never would have thought of putting in my hair.
Look and Feel
Super thin and milky. Must have been the thinnest shampoo I’ve ever used, I actually had to cup my hand into a reservoir, fill it with shampoo and slap it onto my head quickly so it wouldn’t run down the drain.
Experience
Despite being so thin it actually lathered up pretty nice and thick, surprisingly so. Massaging it into the scalp it coated everything nicely.
Performance
OGLE RINSE EVERYDAY/COLOR SAFE HYDRATING CONDITIONER
Label
- “I am confident & creative,” also inspiring
- Nag Champa
- I AM
On the reverse:
Natural gloss and infused hydration.
Dang! Infused hydration, this stuff must be insane!

Massaged into the lengths nicely, a thick and enveloping coating.
Fragrance
The scent of nag champa filled the space, which I found delightful.
Look and Feel
Thicker, nice, off-white, a tint of yellowish, creamy. Massaged into the lengths nicely, a thick, enveloping coating.
Experience
With the conditioner in my hair felt very smooth, but also more earthy, natural.
Performance
OGLE AWAKEN DEEP CLEAN SHAMPOO
Label
- “I am kind & amazing”
- Rosemary-Eucalyptus-Mint
- I AM

Like it was left on a bed of salt or minerals that just suck the moisture out.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Performance
It’s certainly clean, if perhaps overstripped. Ultimately it’s a little dry and frizzy. Not like dried out chemically, like it was left on a bed of salt or minerals that just suck the moisture out, like living in Phoenix.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
A good brand experience. I loved the fragrances, the natural feel, even the performance to a degree, even though I was left a bit dried out. I also like having a deep cleanse product, not for daily use but when you really want a deep clean.
Not a product line I would use regularly, but I enjoyed testing it and appreciated the clear effort that was put into the formulation. For what it’s worth the labeling was entertaining. Certainly worth a try.

MOISTURE REPAIR SHAMPOO
Label
- one ‘n only
- Argan Oil
- Derived from Moroccan Argan Trees
- Moisture Repair Shampoo
- Sulphate, phosphate, paraben free
- Repairs damaged hair - Adds volume
- Hydrates & restores moisture
- Color protection
And the same in two other languages. To be honest it feels like they just threw every freakin thing they could on the label. Even so these are some ambitious claims so let’s see what they got.
On reverse:
A gentle cleansing formula that hydrates and restores moisture levels, improving overall health and appearance of the hair.
And so on.

Not too thick, not too thin. Jellylike texture, clearish with a hint of amber.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Not too thick, not too thin. Jellylike texture, clearish with a hint of amber. It would eventually slip through your fingers but only gradually.
Experience
Quite interesting, there is absolutely zero lather. Massaging into the roots and scalp I could feel it getting in there but no suds or foam whatsoever. Instead it almost felt like it mingled or absorbed into my hair. Once it was all in there I almost couldn’t even tell there was anything in my hair.
Performance
Rinses out clean and doesn’t have that squeaky feeling. Fingers glide over wet hair smoothly and silently. It’s not a harsh cleanse by any stretch, very gentle. Hair felt clean but not starched out clean.
MOISTURE REPAIR CONDITIONER
Label
- one ‘n only
- Argan Oil
- Derived from Moroccan Argan Trees
- Moisture Repair Conditioner
- Sulfate, phosphate, paraben free
- Hydrates & restores moisture, detangles, repairs damaged hair, color protection.
On reverse:
A daily conditioner that helps reconstruct the hair, detangles and replenishes moisture levels. Helps condition and smooth the cuticle, repairing split ends. Improves shine and manageability. Provides color protection.
Really got everything there guys.

Frizz is dampened. Fingers glide through smoothly with no catching. Looks and feels amazing.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Performance
Soft, thick, healthy. Frizz is dampened. Fingers glide through smoothly with no catching. Looks and feels amazing. I can still feel that little bit of oily residue on my fingers after running them through my hair, although it didn’t make my hair feel heavy or gunky.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
I quite like this brand and their products. The only downside is that little bit of residue left at the end, but that is far preferred over a dried-out, stripped or squeaky feeling. I feel like my hair is hydrated and moisturized, and the frizz-dampening effects are welcome. High ratings, definitely worth trying and potential for regular go-to use.
SHAMPOO
Label
Excellent logo. Great branding. Something I can buy into.
Unfortunately, the ingredients reveal the product is loaded with sulfates.
Excellent logo. Great branding. Buy some to wash your beard or even for body wash.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Experience
Performance
CONDITIONER
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
I like these guys and their brand. Unfortunately their product is more of a gag or gimmick than something I would put in my hair.
Buy some to wash your beard or even for body wash, if for no other reason to support these guys and have some fun with it. I do not recommend for your hair.

Hair Story is a new and different kind of hair care line, based on the premise that we only need conditioner because the shampoos we use damage our hair, thus requiring conditioner to fix it.
The company sent us their products requesting we review them. Three products are offered:
- New Wash: a hair cleanser that’s better than shampoo and doesn’t require conditioner.
- Hair Balm: a massage-in styling product for use after New Wash.
- Undressed: a styling spray, presumably in the hair spray stratosphere.
The labels on all three products are super minimal which lends well to their minimalist brand feel. All you see is the brand name, product name and a tiny line of text around the bottom with ultra-brief instructions and manufacturing information.
NEW WASH
Label
While the labels are minimal, there is a pamphlet for each product offering more detailed instructions mixed with aspirational fashion descriptives. There is quality writing but wandering between what your experience is going to be like, how to use the product and bashing shampoo.

Zesty, direct, citrusy burst, with a pump top that dispenses a dismally weak little pee stream.
Fragrance
Zesty, direct, citrusy burst. It doesn’t fill the space, but more fragrant when you put it to your nose. A different fragrance than most hair care products, though very nice.
Look and Feel
The instructions in the pamphlet mention twice to “use a lot,” and “not enough = not clean;” pretty brash if that’s simply a way to sell more product, but I took them at face value and used more than I would typically.
Problem was the product comes with this pee-shooter pump top that dispenses a dismally weak little pee stream. No question it would take at least five pumps to use the amount I normally would, but telling me I should really “slather it up” I had to pump the damn thing ten times, pinching my finger twice in the apparatus.
Anyhow, the texture was thick and almost dry. Not at all syrupy or flowy, wouldn’t go through your fingers if you left it in your hand for an hour. I could close my hand on it, open my hand back up and it would only stick to the original side. More textured, like what you would see in most conditioners.
Experience
Following instructions carefully I slathered up that mane, and as I read in the pamphlet there was no lather or foam or suds or anything, very non-soapy. Similar to one ‘n only in the way it feels like it absorbs into your hair. After a while you almost can’t feel it’s there.
I rinsed thoroughly as instructed, and I could tell why. I really had to rinse to get it out of there.
Performance
After rinsing it felt nice and clean. Not squeaky, like that distressed overstripped feeling. Hair felt intact. Refreshed.
HAIR BALM
Label

Added some volume and control, not so strong as a gel or even a mousse.
Fragrance
Look and Feel
Same pump top as New Wash but more practical as the instructions are to start with one pump and add more as you like. More creamy in texture, rubs between your fingers like a light styling cream.
Experience
The instructions are to use Hair Balm with damp hair, then let it air dry. I found this interesting because it means I wouldn’t have to blow dry after washing my hair, an especially appealing notion the longer your hair is.
Rubbing it into my hair was nice. It absorbed quickly with a pleasant fragrance, a nice compliment to the New Wash. I could feel it in my hair, adding some volume and control, not so strong as a gel or even a mousse, but for example when I pushed my hair back on my head it will stay back slightly.
Performance
The instructions say, “you can give it a squeeze occasionally so that it breaks up while drying,” which I did and I could feel it breaking up.
Once my hair was dry I could definitely tell the difference. My hair had a little more texture and volume as opposed to falling flat. It wasn’t crispy or stiff, but the slightest hold which gave it some life. Into the second and third days it still had that little bit of extra texture.
UNDRESSED
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
The Hair Story concept is pretty bold, in what appears to be an attempt to disrupt the hair care industry by eliminating shampoo and conditioner entirely, replacing those products with Hair Story as the alternative.
That’s going to be a difficult uphill battle, with consumers accustomed to these products over decades and lots of big companies with lots of money who don’t wish to see shampoo & conditioner disappear.
That said, the products themselves were up to the test and I’ll give them credit for an ambitious project.
I had a good experience overall. My hair felt clean, without the squeaky, dry, stripped or frazzled feeling. I really liked using Hair Balm almost as an alternative to drying my hair, and the results were positive.
I could see these products being especially nice for medium length hair, though I wonder how the products will hold up with longer hair.
If you are trying to get away from shampoo & conditioner, or if you want to try something new and different, Hair Story is worth a try.
Dove Men+Care / Old Spice / Head & Shoulders

The second ingredient in all four products were sulfates: sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate.
Having reviewed many smaller/local brands, I wanted to test the “mainstream” products, so I found three men’s shampoo & conditioner brands at a local drug store: Dove Men+Care, Old Spice and Head & Shoulders.
Between these three brands, the first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t find any conditioner. There were several 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner products, but no conditioner by itself.
There were a few different fragrances/varieties for each, but essentially the same stuff. Here are the products I chose:
- Dove Men+Care Fortifying Shampoo - Cooling Relief Icy Menthol
- Dove Men+Care Fortifying Shampoo + Conditioner - Thick & Strong With Caffeine + Calcium
- Head & Shoulders Shampoo + Conditioner 2 in 1 Men Advanced Series Swagger Old Spice (I interpreted this as the fragrance)
- Old Spice Fiji 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner
The next thing I found was that the second ingredient in all four products were sulfates: sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate, often with the other of those two also found in the ingredients list.
Initially this came as a surprise. I just figured the big brands would offer higher quality products. Why don’t they?
Why Make Cheap Shampoo & Conditioner?
My theory is most men don’t care much about their shampoo & conditioner.
Before I had long hair I would buy the cheapest shampoo & conditioner I could find, and spending more than $10 would have been absurd. If that's the mentality, it wouldn’t make sense for the big brands to offer higher quality (and thus more expensive) products.
That was before I cared much about my hair. Once it grew long I started caring more, and learning, which eventually led to this shampoo & conditioner for men! Today I wouldn’t use any of these products in my hair unless I was testing and reviewing them for you.
Even so, I tested each brand and got what I expected: dry, stripped, frazzled hair, consistent with other sulfate products.
If you have short hair, or don’t care about your hair, these brands could be fine. If you have long hair or you just want a quality shampoo & conditioner, I do not recommend Dove Men+Care, Old Spice or Head & Shoulders.
The results were awful and consistent with other sulfate brands: dry, stripped and frazzled. I wouldn’t put any of these products into my hair again.

After Thorough Testing
What I can say is there is a lot of junk out there, but many fine products as well. The hair care industry is vast, and everyone is trying to carve out their little slice of the market using buzzwords, packaging and clever marketing.
This extensive research and testing has led us to the development of an apex shampoo & conditioner that sets a new standard for guys who care about their hair.
For the last products in this shampoo & conditioner review for men, I’m proud to reveal...
EPIC CLEANSE CONDITIONING SHAMPOO
Label
With all the claims and marketing on the products we tested, our aim was to keep it clean, minimal and light on the fluff, while still describing the product and making it fun to read.
Here’s what you’ll see on the label:
- EPIC CLEANSE™
- Conditioning Shampoo
- Monumental cleansing and hydrating performance.
- Supports All Hair Types
- Sulfate & Paraben Free
- An epic hydrating shampoo with argan, acaí and flaxseed oils and a blend of conditioning agents that cleanse your hair and scalp while restoring its natural moisture balance.
- Excellent for straight, wavy and curly hair, frizz control, and manes damaged by excessive exposure to environmental elements.
Along with directions for use and ingredients.
Massaging the shampoo into my scalp produced a deep, slow-building lather, not foamy, but thickening as I worked it into the roots.
IDEAL CONDITIONS HYDRATING CONDITIONER
Label
Much like with Epic Cleanse™, we went for clean and minimal while accurately describing the product and making it fun to read.
Here’s what you’ll see on the label:
- IDEAL CONDITIONS™
- Hydrating Conditioner
- Remarkable smoothing and detangling performance.
- Supports All Hair Types
- Sulfate & Paraben Free
- A superior conditioner with essential oils and rich, hydrating emollients. Restores moisture, elasticity and shine, resulting in stronger, more resilient hair, resistant to split ends and breakage.
- Works wonders on straight, wavy and curly hair, for exceptional detangling, combing and shine.
Along with directions for use and ingredients.
My hair is a smooth waterfall running over soft, slippery moss, virtually frictionless, like sliding naked down a waterslide filled with warm baby oil.
OVERALL BRAND EXPERIENCE
Absolutely…..EPIC!!!
I truly believe we hit our marks and ended up with a shampoo & conditioner that stands up to the best out there. Their overall performance is as good as any brand I’ve tested.
If there were a brand in these reviews that’s comparable, I’d say it would be the Seven brand.
Admittedly I am biased, having made the products ourselves. Even so you don’t have to take my word for it, but do peruse the hundreds of reviews from customers who have already been using them.
The Finest of Flow
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Comments
Is “Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate” evil? Or just the Sulfates?
How’s about Laureth-4 without the word Sulfate?
Hey guys, loved the review. I used Dr. Squatch years ago before switching to thelonghairs shampoo/conditioner. Y’all were right about the sticky hair texture drying.
I was wondering has anyone at hq tried products from keepitanchored? I’d love to hear your take on their stuff 🤙
My Only problem with trying your longhair product is flax. I’m highly allergic to flax and it is in a lot of hair products, so I always check. Sorry
I love you tues, use them everyday !
I’d like the same test series with bar shampoos/conditioners! I don’t want to use products in plastics bottles, so use exclusively bar soaps for everything. They seems fine… But I haven’t tested more than a couple
Great call Huxley. We’ll get it in the queue!
Hey man. Do you guys ship the product all the way to Malaysia??
Yes we do! I have been to Malaysia many times, great country man!
Many great shampoos to choose from, I personally like using shampoo from Maple Holistics.
just ordered the shampoo and conditioner. can’t wait to try them! thank you, my dudes!
You got it man!
Nice review, I agree with your Dr Squatch review, nice but not for men with long hair. I’m currently using Paul Mitchell Mirror Smooth but have recently placed an order for epic cleanse shampoo and ideal conditions conditioner. Looking forward to trying the product and leaving a review myself.
Awesome man! Looking forward to your review, thanks for the comment amigo.
Dr Squash is an organic collection, but his shampoos are formulated from decyl and coco glucosides; it can ” glue” the hair in some cases
the conditioner is made with much greasy vegetable matters and for tensive a glutamate based one; it can be unsufficient for detanging curly longhair
Love that you did so much product testing. Thanks for the honesty and clarity. I’m looking forward to giving Epic Cleanse and Ideal Conditioner a try.
It’s comin your way! 🙂
Nice review man!!! I would like to know which shampoo is the best for dandruff later on because I suffer from that. I will for sure get the conditioner tho!
Great research! Thanks for the information.
Thanks for reading amigo!
from a hairy blogger: it’ s an impressive work !!!!
now, i use a homemade shampoo bar made from sodium cocoyl isethionate and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, and a rinse of a sea salt solution of 2 metric grams for 1 gallon of water
and to sceal the moisture, 4 drops of a home made hair oil in the wet hands, then on the hair after the towel: formula 70%vol capric/caprylic triglycerides, 30% jojoba oil
Thank you Chamane and appreciate the recipe!