About Hairstory
Hairstory is a no-frills hair care brand that’s working to change what we think we know about our curls. The brand challenges the status quo by teaching customers a new way to wash and care for their hair.
The company’s line of professional hair washes (not shampoos), conditioners, waxes, and volumizing sprays uses only the essential ingredients as well as naturally derived necessities. Plus, customers can purchase a refill bag when their hair wash runs out.
Hairstory’s ability to help people embrace their hair has inspired 108,000 followers on Instagram and 50,000 on Facebook. The innovative collection has also been featured in Allure, Forbes, The New York Times, Glamour, and The Cut.
Can this brand take your curls to the next level? This Hairstory hair care review is here to find out. We’ll take a close look at the brand, its best sellers, customer reviews, promotions, and more to help you decide if their products are worth adding to your routine.
Hairstory Overview
In 2014, you may have been bombarded with articles saying that the founder of Bumble & Bumble advised his customers to stop using shampoo, a product the brand was known for. While this was confusing at the time, Michael Gordon’s views are now starting to make sense.
Michael spent years running one of the world’s leading hair care brands and watching trends evolve in the industry. When women started using only conditioners (i.e. co-washes), he started paying closer attention to what shampoos actually did. The answer? Shampoos tried to cover up and fix the damage these products actually caused.
So he teamed up with fellow Hairstory founder, Eli Halliwell (also a Bumble & Bumble executive), to launch Hairstory in 2014. The brand’s washes are formulated without the detergents found in regular shampoos. Instead, you’ll find essential oils and natural ingredients in the bottles. Plus, the company’s New Wash also replaces your conditioner.
While the brand is good for our hair, it also tries to do good for our earth. As a member of 1% for the Planet, Hairstory donates a portion of its proceeds to eco-friendly causes. The company also offers a refill plan to help curb unnecessary waste.
The company is headquartered in New York City, NY, where the Hairstory studio is also located.
Now that you know a bit more about the brand and its origins, this Hairstory hair care review will cover the pros and cons.
Pros
Wide range of professional hair care including washes, conditioners, heat protectants and waxes
Free of sulfates and other harmful ingredients
Products extend the time between washes
Thousands of positive testimonials attesting to the quality and effectiveness of the company’s products
1% for the Planet member
Subscription for regular deliveries, 5%-10% savings and free shipping available
Afterpay installment payments available
Cons
More expensive than the average hair care product line
May take some time for your hair to get used to the ingredient
Hairstory reports oily scalp in reviews
Hairstory review
Hairstory helps you get the most out of your hair. By using products with natural ingredients to cleanse and condition without stripping our hair’s essential oils, you will notice healthier and shinier locks.
The brand also offers products that add moisture, protection and volume – without the nasty stuff that comes with conventional hair products from big brands. In this Hairstory review, we’ll introduce you to the brand’s best-selling products that can help you get to know your hair better.
Fall in love with your natural hair again. We are all born with great hair, but over the years of using synthetic products, heat styling, excessive bleaching, and chemical treatments, our hair has become foreign to us. New Wash Original is designed to help us get back to basics.
This cleanser contains hair-friendly essential oils like peppermint oil, as well as protein-building keratin. These ingredients work together to cleanse and strengthen hair without damaging your scalp. Thanks to the lack of harmful detergents, you’ll notice a more balanced scalp and healthier-feeling hair that doesn’t need conditioning.
Safe for any hair type, the New Wash Original retails for $40-$90.
There’s nothing like a good deep cleanse to feel shiny and new. A good cleanse, whether in your kitchen, closet, or hair, makes all the difference. The New Wash Deep works a little harder than the original if your curls need a little extra TLC.
Natural Hairstory ingredients like aloe and apple extracts cleanse your hair while ensuring it retains its shine. Just like the original product, your curls will feel soft and silky after use, so you can skip the conditioner. Transform your hair care routine with the New Wash Deep for $40-$90.
Hair Balm is designed for those of us who don’t have the time or patience to blow-dry and style our hair every day. This 3-in-1 cream works as a leave-in conditioner while also enhancing curls and fighting frizz. The result? Desirable hair without all the extra steps.
Products like Hairstory’s Hair Balm are a great tool to keep your hair in shape when you’re taking a break from heat styling. For thick and voluminous hair, this balm adds a little weight to hair to keep it calm and controlled. It’s also effective on straight hair to add shine or create a sexy, tousled look.
Make the $36 Hair Balm (4 oz) your secret weapon to get your long locks under control.
Hairstory Wax gives you the style you want without hesitation. It’s waterproof, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have helmet head. Shape your hair to your heart’s contentโthis product works hard so you don’t have to.
This product offers medium hold and will calm or smooth on frizzy hair days when the humidity is high. It helps tame flyaways and give you control over your hairstyle. Add the $34 Wax (1.75 oz) to your arsenal of hair care products.
Some of us don’t want to wash our hair every day, or even every other day. This attitude is probably why dry shampoos have mushroomed in recent years. But why not use one that’s free of all that toxic stuff?
Hairstory’s powder helps extend the time between washes without causing damage. A favorite among gym-goers on their lunch break, a good dry shampoo can take your hair from greasy and stringy to professional and pumped up in seconds.
Powder doesn’t leave behind a visible white paste. Instead, its micro-mist is lightweight and leaves hair feeling silky. Your locks will also be nourished thanks to the rosehip extract and sunflower seed oil incorporated into its formula. A 1.35-ounce bottle of this game-changing product costs $36.
This Hairstory review looked at the effects that heat styling can have on hair. Split ends, dry hair and brittle strands are perfectly protected with the Dressed Up Hair Protector. This superhero protects your precious locks from the heat of your blow dryer, curling iron, flat iron or even the hot sun.
It styles and protects at the same time. The Dressed Up Hair Protector adds some body and structure to hair and helps hold your style – even when no heat was involved. Effective on thick and fine hair, this product gives your hair a fighting chance for $36 (4 oz).
Everyone needs a little volume every now and then, whether it’s for mood or for their hair. Although the last two decades have been dedicated to sleek, straight styles, there’s no denying how volume can jazz up your look. But don’t worryโyou don’t need cans of toxic aerosol for that. Lift works with natural resins and quinoa to naturally hold everything in place.
Create a messy look or add fullness to the roots for styles that need some bounce. On second day, simply tousle your hair to jazz up your style. An 8-ounce bottle of Lift volumizing spray costs $38.
If one of your favorite things to do when you go to the salon is massage your scalp, then the Scalp Brush could be your new best friend. It stimulates blood flow to your scalp, promotes hair growth, and removes buildup. Plus, it’s an incredibly relaxing self-care ritual.
The silicone bristles also help rinse your favorite products, like the Hairstory no-shampoo washes, out of your hair. Plus, the ergonomic design means you can hold it firmly and steadily to apply just the right amount of pressure. A must-have for your new shampoo-free journey, the scalp brush costs $10.
If all the products you just read about sound promising, then the New Wash Original Kit is a great place to start. Featuring three of the brand’s most popular products, this bundle will help you get the most out of your hair. You’ll get:
An 8oz bottle of New Wash Original
A silicone scalp brush
A 1.35oz powder
Together, this oil and dirt-fighting team will extend the time between washes. Plus, you’ll have to worry less about whether or not your hair looks great, because yes, it does! This low-maintenance hair kit costs $76 and allows you to set up your own Hairstory natural hair salon at home.
Hairstory Subscription Review
Nothing is worse than jumping in the shower and realizing there’s no shampoo. You’ve already used up your current shampoo, so it looks like you’re skipping wash day. Well, with a subscription to Hairstory’s New Wash, you can get your must-have hair care product delivered straight to your door at regular intervals.
Customers should first take the Hairstory test to find out which New Wash is right for them. They can then select additional products from the company’s recommendations and specify how often they want everything delivered.
Depending on your results in the test, choose between Rich Wash, Original, or Deep Clean. Then decide between 8oz, 20oz, and 32oz bottles. If you choose a larger size, the 20oz bottles are 5% off when you subscribe, and the 32oz bottles save 10%.
Next, choose the frequency you want your New Wash delivered. Your options are:
8oz bottle: every 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 10 weeks
20oz bottle: all of the above plus 12 or 14 weeks
32oz bottle: all of the above plus 16, 20 or 22 weeks
If you purchase one of the two larger sizes, you’ll also receive a free refillable shower caddy, but all purchases come with a free refillable travel caddy or jar.
Shipping is always free for New Wash Refill Club members. If you need to pause your order, simply select “next dispatch date” in your account, which will skip that month and ship the next month’s order. Cancellations are possible at any time.
If you choose to make a one-off purchase, you can alternatively choose to pay in interest-free instalments with Afterpay. This option is not available for subscriptions.
Hairstory Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Although the products look promising, in this Hairstory hair care review, we wanted to find out what customers actually say about the brand. We gathered testimonials from the company’s website, Amazon, and Reddit to get a clearer picture of the products. Let’s start by looking at the positives.
On the company’s website, comments indicate that the products help them get healthy, long, and clean hair. Its best-selling items have received hundreds to thousands of reviews, many with 4/5 stars or more:
New Wash Original: 7,400 reviews and an average of 4.1/5 stars
New Wash Rich: over 800 reviews and an average of 4.3/5 stars
New Wash Deep: over 900 reviews and an average of 3.8/5 stars
Hair Conditioner: 1,000 reviews and an average of 4.2/5 stars
Dressed Up Hair Protector: over 300 reviews and an average of 4.1/5 stars
Undressed Texturizing Spray: over 300 reviews and an average of 4.1/5 stars
We decided to dive deeper into the Hairstory New Wash reviews because it is the brand’s most iconic product. Commenters praise this product for the feel it makes their hair feel. One reviewer noted that others have noticed the positive change in their hair:
“I have 2a curly hair and my hair feels soft and curls well. I saw my mom for the first time in a while (you know, pandemic) and she immediately said my hair looks super healthy. I was already washing it every 2-3 days, but this bought me another day as long as I didn’t get it wet.”
Other Hairstory reviews report that the company has an excellent customer service team: “For the first time, I can skip washing without my roots getting greasy and my scalp doesn’t itch. Plus, the customer service is so great!”
On the other hand, 1-star testimonials mention “limp and greasy” results as well as “dry, tangled hair.” While these opinions are pretty negative, they were pretty rare. We reached out to other review sites to see if these issues were common.
On Amazon, Hairstory New Wash has 4/5 stars from 129 customers. One customer who gave the product a 5-star rating says how healthy her hair is and how much it has grown: “I’ve used it before for my daughter’s psoriasis, so I know it’s an incredible product. This shampoo has done magic to my scalp and hair. My hair has grown tremendously.”
Other products fare similarly. The hair balm, for example, received 4.1/5 stars from over 200 reviews. Customers report that their hair feels soft and smooth. It also has a pleasant, light floral scent.
Meanwhile, Hairstory threads on Reddit discuss the pros and cons of the brand’s products. One user loves New Wash: “I have incredibly demanding hair though, and this product is the closest thing to a product that cleans without washing it out or leaving residue.”
Overall, most customers seem to have positive experiences with the brand’s products. There are thousands of reports reporting healthier and silkier hair that stays cleaner longer and grows faster. On the other hand, about 15% of customers report drier, frizzier locks after switching to Hairstory’s New Wash. While that’s a relatively low percentage, it’s worth keeping in mind.
Are Hairstory's hair products worth it?
The reviews are in, and while some customers report less-than-ideal results, most users love the brand’s products. This Hairstory hair care review looked at how to use the products and it’s not conclusive.
Hairstory specifically states that there is a specific way to use the hair wash and that transitioning your hair from synthetic to natural products can take some time. This could be due to improper use of the products or not giving the hair enough time to adjust. Fortunately, you have 30 days to return your products if they don’t deliver the results you want.
Hairstory products are used by professional stylists, and that says a lot. We also like that the brand challenges the way we think about our hair and how we treat it. All in all, this Hairstory review recommends the brand if you want to take your hair care to the next level.
Hairstory Promotions and Discounts
If you choose to subscribe, you’ll save 5% to 10% on all your 20-32 oz deliveries.
Where to Buy Hairstory Hair Care Products
You can buy the brand’s products directly from Hairstory.com. Some products are also available through Amazon and certain hair salons.
FAQ
What is Hairstory?
Hairstory is a sulfate-free hair wash and conditioner in one. It rebalances your scalp and hair for healthier locks. Instead of harmful chemicals, New Wash contains essential oils and natural ingredients like Rosa Centifolia flower water.
How do you use Hairstory?
To use the brand’s legendary washes, according to this Hairstory hair care review, you need to hop in the shower and follow these steps:
Wet your hair
Cover your hair with New Wash
Scrub your scalp vigorously
Rinse thoroughly. Squeeze the wash out of your hair and make sure there is no residue in it.
Follow steps 2 to 4.
How long does Hairstory take to work?
The Hairstory LOC method locks moisture into your hair. The time depends on how porous your hair is. Depending on your individual hair, it may take up to 3 weeks to work.
What is Hairstory's shipping policy?
The company ships to 50 states. Hairstory also offers shipping to Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the EU, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. The brand offers free shipping on your first order. All subsequent orders cost the equivalent of about $4 to $6. Orders are always free for New Wash Refill Club members.
The wait time for your delivery varies depending on your location. You will receive an estimate during checkout. To track your order, go to the Hairstory login page and log in to your account.
What is Hairstory's return policy?
This Hairstory hair care review found that opened products can be returned for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. If your product was unopened, it can be exchanged for another item or returned for a refund if you do not plan to use it. If you received a damaged product, notify the company as soon as possible.
The brand does not refund shipping costs. In addition, customers must cover return shipping costs. To initiate a refund, contact the company through the Help Center. The team will give you instructions on what to do next.


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