The Ordinary has pivoted to haircare and we got to try it ahead of launch

Rating: 9/10

It’s fair to say our tester was cynical about slathering a sulphate-laden shampoo formula over her scalp – especially after being told for a solid few years that they were essentially public enemy number one. The first thing she noticed, though, was that it didn’t foam as much as expected. Aside from being used to cleanse, they’re often incorporated into shampoos and shower gels thanks to their ability to foam and create a sensorial experience.

Here, though, it seems their sole job is to lift dirt, grease and product residue. The Ordinary uses sulphates at a strength of 4 per cent, which they say is gentle enough to respect the integrity of the scalp with minimal chance of irritation – and we would be inclined to agree with that, especially given the sensitive nature of our tester’s scalp.

Post-shampoo, our hair did feel “squeaky clean” – similar to how it feels after using a clarifying formula – and while that feeling isn’t one we always like, it did disappear after using the conditioner. Regardless, our hair definitely felt thoroughly cleansed and the endless dry shampoo build-up disappeared.

Rating: 9/10

There’s nothing worse than a conditioner that leaves hair looking and feeling heavy, weighed down and greasier than before washing – but luckily this product does the opposite of that.

Formulated with behentrimonium chloride, a commonly-used ingredient that works to improve the look and feel of hair immediately, The Ordinary have purposely created a fairly simple conditioner as they believe long term hair health can only be fully achieved with a good scalp regime.

Due to that, it’s fair to say that this is definitely a no-frills formula – so if you’re expecting an all-singing, all-dancing product that promises the world, you will probably be left disappointed. But, if you just want a simple conditioner that you can use every day and know it’s going to deliver, this is the ideal product. It made our tester’s hair feel soft and smooth to the touch and, despite not having a haircut for almost six months, it did make it appear shiny too. A little goes a long way too, and so we imagine this bottle will last a fairly decent amount of time considering the price.

Rating: 8/10

The brand’s hero, this is apparently a first-of-its-kind product that works to improve overall scalp hydration without weighing down the roots. It takes inspiration from The Ordinary’s best selling skincare product of the same name, but the blend of ingredients here have been specifically formulated to mimic the scalp’s natural moisturising factors in order to help prevent water loss while also supporting the delicate skin barrier.

It’s a leave-on treatment product designed to be used after washing, ideally as an overnight treatment that doesn’t need washing out the following morning. It doesn’t need combing through strands and instead should just be applied directly to the scalp – we found it fairly easy, if not a bit time consuming, to part hair and massage it in.

It’s a lightweight, milky formula that has no sticky residue and doesn’t leave a trace once applied, but we seemed to use a lot of product – so instead of covering the whole scalp, our tester decided to focus application onto the drier, flakier, sensitive patches she has which seemed to do the trick.