Gifted DISCLAIMER:
I asked The Powder Shampoo company on Instagram if they could send me some of their items to review on my blog and they kindly send me most of their products to try.
To get 20% OFF, use my code ROBYN and buy HERE*
Who Are The Powder Shampoo?
The Powder Shampoo is an innovative company that makes powdered shampoo, conditioner and body washes in metal containers. The founder, Jlyyn Chen, said:
I saw that the plastic pollution crisis would materially impact the future of my 3 children, so I decided to create a brand that would allow people to make small, impactful changes everyday. I realised many industry practices simply didn’t make sense in today’s world. I envisioned a brand that would retain high efficacy with pleasure and ease of use. It was also important to create it without creating plastic packaging.
First Impressions
The concept was interesting, but I wasn’t sure the powder would lather properly. How wrong was I! The lathering ability of the shampoo and body powders were so much better and faster than any shampoo, soap or shower gels I have used in the past.
Practice makes perfect with these powdered products. The first time I used it, I accidentally inhaled a tiny bit of powder when I excitedly shook it out the container. A few quick tips for newbies to powdered wash products:
- Keep the container close to your body when slowly turning the container to let the powder out to prevent projecting it into the surrounding air.
- Mix the powder slowly over the top of where the product will be going (ie scalp/body/hands) to reduce product loss.
I had a few very minor initial struggles with opening the containers, as follows:
- Some metal seals were tricky to open and (annoyingly) sticky, and one of them was partially open with some powder leakage.
- A couple of the holed lids became stuck to the main lids, so they kept coming off together when the holed lid is supposed to remain in place (I may have just been unlucky to receive some faulty ones).
eco & Ethical CREDENTIALS
I was very impressed with the eco and ethical credentials of The Powder Shampoo company. I couldn’t fault it – this is a first for me regarding hair care products:
- 100% recyclable containers (aluminium and metal seals) – 80% of Aluminium is recycled vs only 9% of plastics
- Refillable – compostable paper refill pouches.
- 100% recyclable postage packaging (appropriate size cardboard box, paper tape, paper protective packaging to prevent them moving around during transport)
- Prevents landfill – saving 2-10 plastic bottles per product
- Water free – prevents fresh water use, saving 2-10 litres per product
- Plant 1 tree for every product sold. At the time of writing their website says they have planted 148,722 trees. That is so cool.
- Cruelty free and certified vegan.
- Plastic free – no microplastic creation
- Paraben free
- Sulphate free
- Refillable – compostable pouches
Powder Body Wash: MARRY (a fragrance you like)
The lathering ability of the powder body washes was fantastic, and the best of all the powdered products I tried. It was better than any body wash or shower gel I have ever tried. It made showering fun. I enjoyed sprinkling the powder on my body and lathering it that way, as well as lathering with my hands first. I ordinarily find baths/showers a tedious necessity, but now I look forward to my showers as I get to use these fun body wash powders.
The mini size is absolutely perfect for taking on holiday or for your post-gym/swim shower. It is small enough to fit in your bag and not take up luggage weight. For regular use, I would definitely opt for the larger 70ml size, and buy the compostable refills thereafter.
Lavender & Chamomile Body Wash: Marry
- I loved the this so much. The floral lavender smell was heavenly, calming and not too overpowering. The ingredients include Lavender, Chamomile, Butterfly Pea and Blue Spirulina.
Lemongrass & Ginger Body Wash: Avoid
- Unfortunately I didn’t get on with this fragrance – smelling it made me feel nauseated. As I don’t like the smell of ginger or lemon, I asked my nan who loves ginger and lemon for her opinion on it. My nan agreed that the smell wasn’t pleasant and not something she wanted to put on her body. The ingredients include Lemongrass, Turmeric, Ginger and Green Spirulina.
I would really like to see a fragrance free option for those who have sensitivities to smells or fragrant ingredients. I think the Lemongrass & Ginger fragrance could be updated with another option, such as Lemon & Oranges for the citrus lovers, or a Summer Berries one for the fruity gals.
Powder Shampoo: MarrY (A fragrance you like)
I was very impressed at how quickly the shampoo powders lathered up and got to work with coating my hair in it.
I cannot state enough how brilliant the powdered shampoo is. When lathered on the hair it feels like a purposeful lather rather than a performative lather you find with all the other “bad” (Phthalates, SLS, etc) shampoos, which lather so much that you can give yourself an uncontrollable beehive hairstyle. It felt so amazing. I can’t quite put it into words. But it felt like what it should feel like when we clean our hair. I have never had that experience with washing my hair before, but now every shampoo day will feel amazing.
Another win for me is it has worked wonders on my sensitive skin. My scalp irritation has calmed down massively since using this shampoo. For years I have dealt with small scabs on my scalp from regular irritation and itching. I feel that with this powdered shampoo, I will finally be able to heal my scalp. For this alone, thank you The Powder Shampoo!
At £20-25 per 70g shampoo bottle, these are not a cheap shampoo to buy, however, they are made with quality ingredients and materials that don’t cost the planet, and that counts for something in my book.
I needed 3-4 powdered lathers to fully coat my very long hair. It’s hard to say exactly how long the product will last me. I anticipate I won’t get the up to 70 uses as I naturally use more product with every wash. The good thing is that once you find a product you like, you can keep the metal container and pay a more affordable £12-£14 per 50ml for a refillable compostable pouch. I’ll be happy if I only need to buy a refill pouch twice a year.
My only critique of the powder shampoos was that they were not filled up to the top of the container – being only partially full. To improve, The Powder Shampoo could fill the containers with more powder. This way customers won’t need to order them as often, making it more eco friendly. UPDATE: The Powder Shampoo informed me that the reason they do not completely fill up the containers is for the following reasons:
- ease of use – it would be difficult to shake or dispense the powder properly if the bottle was filled to the top
- protection from moisture – in case the bottle is exposed to humidity, the extra space helps avoid the powder fro getting wet and clumping
It would be cool to see a fragrance free option for those with sensitivities to smells or fragrant ingredients.
Grapefruit & Thyme Shampoo: Marry
- This was my favourite by far – it has a refreshing fruity/citrusy smell to it. The ingredients include Grapefruit, Liquorice Root, Pre+Probiotics and Thyme.
Peppermint & Thyme Shampoo: Snog
- Whilst this wasn’t my favourite, I would have been quite happy to use it, had I not discovered the Grapefruit & Thyme shampoo. It smelt like an earthy minty smell, similar to natural/eco friendly toothpastes. I will use it for occasional use, such as post work out shower or post swim, but not for my regular hair washing, as the Grapefruit & Thyme one is much more superior in scent. I would say it’s a scent that would be acceptable to a man of all the available scents, and this is backed by my (male) partner agreeing with me. The ingredients include Peppermint, Papaya, Zinc and Thyme.
Tea Tree & Thyme Shampoo: Avoid
- I didn’t get on with this one. The tea tree made my scalp tingle in a way that I wasn’t comfortable with (to be fair, all tea tree products I have tried has this effect on my scalp) and it smelt like head lice treatment which was off-putting. The ingredients include Tea Tree, Willow Tree, Xylitol and Thyme.
Other Available Fragrances:
- Camellia & Geranium Shampoo – whilst I didn’t try this, I would expect it to have a feminine floral scent like the Geranium & Rosemary Conditioner does, as it has similar fragrant ingredients. For me, I am not keen on flowery scents and find them too overpowering. The ingredients include Camelia, Geranium, Olive Oil and Tamanu Oil.
- Bergamont & Thyme Shampoo – As I didn’t try this or a similar product, I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving an opinion on it. The ingredients include Bergamot, Ginger & Ginseng, Biotin and Thyme.
Powder Conditioner: Avoid (for now)
I really wanted to love these conditioners. Sadly I found a few difficulties:
- Unlike the body wash and shampoo powder, I couldn’t get much powder with each shake/pour of the container. It took me a long time to get enough powder to lather properly throughout my hair. Long term would cause a lot of frustration in the shower. Plus it would make showers unnecessarily long (and increase water use – not eco friendly).
- Unlike the body wash and shampoo powder, the conditioner powder didn’t dissolve completely and had persistent lumps after mixing thoroughly.
- Once my hair dried, it felt a weird mix of frizzy on top, oily on my scalp and flat through my lengths. I had to wash my hair again quite soon after washing it, which is something I am trying to avoid. For now, I will keep using argan or jojoba oil on my wet hair after shampooing, to condition my hair.
Bergamot & Rosemary Conditioner: Avoid
- My favourite of the conditioner scents, pleasant, not overpowering, lightly refreshing smell. Due to the ineffectiveness of the product as above, I would still avoid buying at present. The ingredients include Bergamot, Tamanu Oil, Rosemary and Olive Oil.
Geranium & Rosemary: Avoid
- Feminine floral scent, which I felt was too overwhelming (may be down to personal taste). The ingredients include Geranium, Camelia, Rosemary and Olive Oil.
The powdered conditioner products needs a little more thought to combat the issues I experienced. Originally The Powder Shampoo didn’t have a powdered conditioner product, but created one due to high demand from their customers enjoying their powdered shampoo. It’s clear the company is always evolving and taking on customer feedback. I have every confidence that they will iterate further to create an excellent powdered conditioner in the (hopefully) near future.
Final Words
I am very grateful to be gifted products from The Powder Shampoo. Overall I loved the body wash and shampoo foaming abilities. I have already bought refills for Lavender & Chamomile body wash and Grapefruit & Thyme shampoo. I am excited to see how the compostable refills work, as they are more cost effective and eco friendly.
It goes without saying, but I wanted to mention how beautiful the containers are. The impressive containers make my bathroom look colourful and put together. Meanwhile, they serve a purpose of reducing waste and doing an exceptional job of keeping me clean and toxic fee.
I highly recommend checking out their products in the mini sizes if you are on the fence. They are perfect for travelling or going swimming; being leakproof and lightweight. If you like them, you can get the bigger size and then continue with the more affordable refills thereafter.
To get 20% OFF, use my code ROBYN and buy HERE*
*contains affiliate link, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, it does not affect the price you pay
If you have used The Powder Shampoo products before, let me know in the comments how you got on with them and what fragrances you have tried.
