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OGX shampoo review: A budget-friendly fix for dry, damaged hair
The ultra-moisturizing drugstore formulas feel much more expensive than they are.
Here's the truth: I had no idea OGX shampoo was called "OGX shampoo." I only knew it as "that oval-shaped shampoo you can buy at the drugstore that looks fancier than most other shampoos at the drugstore." I knew it as the "coconut milk shampoo" or the "argan oil shampoo" or the moisturizing shampoo my sister uses [true] or the best shampoo I've ever had provided for me in an Airbnb. Life is funny like this. We believe we are steering each and every one of our consumer choices. Instead, our experiences are often haphazard. Without knowing it, I'd been using OGX products for years. The brand, originally called Organix, was founded founded in 1987 in Clearwater, Florida but bought by Johnson & Johnson in 2016 — today it's sold all over the globe.
For whatever reason, over the course of my kismet with OGX shampoos, I'd mostly been acquainted with the brand's Renewing +Cold-Pressed Argan Oil of Morocco formula, which I managed to use whenever I stayed at my sister's house and also in the aforementioned Airbnb. It was good! If you're looking for haircare for normal-to-dry hair, you should try it.
The deal with argan oil is this: a few studies show that the fats contained within it — specifically oleic and linoleic acids — may help repair damaged strands. OGX's formula includes both argan oil and silk proteins, the properties of which can leave hair both moisturized and feeling soft, which it did for me, though it didn't magically repair my split ends (though one could argue, no product could). It has a thick, creamy texture and subtle orange scent and left my hair feeling extremely soft. At under $10, this is a solid budget shampoo for those with dry or damaged hair. My only complaint is that the formula is rich and could weigh down thinner hair.
- Moisturizing formula
- Sulfate free
- Paraben free
- Safe for color-processed hair
- Not a "clean" brand, formula includes chemicals
- May weigh down thinner hair
I liked the OGX Argan Oil shampoo well enough. But then, two years ago, while on vacation in the desert and with a parched-to-the-point unmanageable desert-y hair feel, I picked up a bottle of OGX's Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo at the local supermarket. This is when the hair-hydrating fun began.
OGX's Coconut Milk Shampoo is an ultra-hydrating formula that feels much more expensive than it is.
- Silky, creamy texture
- Pleasant, subtle scent
- Ultra-moisturizing
- Paraben free
- Sulphate free
- Strengthened strands
- Weighed down hair after multiple washes
- Not a clean brand, formula includes chemicals
OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo Review
First things first: my hair is long and straight-ish, fine but not thin. I'm a color-treated blonde, and my coiff has a tendency to go limp and is also on the drier side. When I was vacationing in the desert, it was ultra dry and so was my scalp, but that changed quickly with the coconut milk shampoo.
The first thing I noticed about OGX's formula is it's milky and creamy to the touch. It's truly emollient, almost decadently so — it feels somewhat sumptuous against your skin (which may be the formula's added silicone). The product lathered well but not so well that it was hard to rinse out and the scent was a tropical-coconut, but subtle, not overpowering and didn't linger in the shower after. The whole washing my hair experience was frothy and pleasant, as if I could feel the product soaking in. My first thought was: this shampoo seems much more expensive than it is.
After this initial wash, when I dried my hair, it was ultra soft. The strands themselves felt silkier — even though I hadn't used conditioner — and the brittle appearance was gone. I used this OGX shampoo five more times on our trip, often after swimming in a chlorinated pool. Each time, it left my hair the same: much softer, silkier and more hydrated than it had been before. By the fifth wash, however, I noticed my hair was starting to look a little weighed down, as if I wasn't rinsing the entire product off and it was leaving behind a bit of creamy-oily residue.
Final verdict: This is a solid drugstore-brand shampoo. It has a pleasant smell, a luxurious feel and leaves hair silky and soft. As an everyday shampoo it was a little too hydrating and heavy for my particular hair, but at this price point, it's an excellent option for vacations or when you're participating in activities that dry your hair or to keep on hand at home for when you need an extra moisturizing boost.
Is OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo Color Safe?
Yes! According to the brand "all of our OGX shampoos are gentle and safe enough for color treated hair." This has been my experience as well.
OGX's coconut-milk formula is a good budget choice for many hair types.
Is OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo good for thinning hair?
I'd say this particular OGX shampoo is not the best option for thinning hair — especially if you're trying it for everyday use. The formula is a little heavy for ultra-fine or thinning strands and will most likely leave your 'do looking greasy or flat.
The OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo ingredients
Finally, for those interested, the heroes ingredients of this particular OGX shampoo are coconut milk (cocos nucifera), coconut oil and egg white protein (albumen) all of which have been show to soften, moisturize and, in some cases — like the proteins in egg whites — strengthen hair strands. It's free of parabens and sulfites, but OGX is not considered a "clean" brand.
The entire ingredient list is here:
Water (Aqua), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Albumen, Amodimethicone, Panthenol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Polyquaternium-6, Polyquaternium-10, Trideceth-12, Cetrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance (Parfum)
