Ouai's Daily Care Duo Gave Me the Most Hydrating Wash Ever

When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, there are formulas that are high-lather, no-lather, volumizing, moisturizing, and everything in between. Even for a beauty editor, it can be hard to navigate so many specific options. Enter Ouai's Daily Care Shampoo and Conditioners.

The idea behind the line is to simplify wash routines by offering formulas based on hair type: thin, medium, or thick (this refers to texture, not density). The concept is easy enough to understand, and the products are certainly easy to use. But here's the million-dollar question: Does it work? I intended to find out. Ahead, my thorough review of Ouai's Daily Care Shampoo and Conditioner for Medium Hair.

Pros + Cons

Pros:

• Repairs damage and split ends
• Adds shine and body
• Sulfate-free
• Packaging is recyclable and refillable

Cons:

• Heavily fragranced
• Conditioner can be heavy

The Bottom Line

Ouai's Daily Care Medium Shampoo and Conditioner aren't going to deliver dramatic results, but you will notice immediate shine, body, and nourishment.

Ouai Daily Care Medium Shampoo & Conditioner $64.00

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About the Shampoo and Conditioner

Daily Care features shampoos and conditioners formulated for fine, medium, and thick hair types. The intention is to cut out confusing marketing and, instead, offer easy-to-use, easy-to-understand formulas that are gentle enough for regular use.

"The daily care space has gotten very noisy and hard to navigate. There are so many options, and they are all problem- or solution-based," says Ouai founder Jen Atkin. "Most people have multiple concerns they want to address, and almost all consumers want healthier hair, regardless of what type of hair they have. We wanted to simplify our daily care offering so it was more intuitive for consumers to shop and choose [from], and we also wanted to be realistic about what we were promising."

How to Choose a Formula

To Ouai's credit, choosing a formula is easy. The idea is you don't have to worry about defining your color, curl type, or length—you just have to be able to identify if you have fine, medium, or thick hair.

About My Hair

I have bleached 2B waves with a well-defined "S" shape (they eventually coil into tighter ringlets at my ends), and my hair is high-porosity, which means it loses moisture quickly. My roots get increasingly oily between washes, but the ends of my hair get increasingly dry; it's tough for my scalp oils to travel down my frizzy, wavy-to-curly strands to hydrate my ends. I see my best hair days when I layer a protein treatment—like keratin—with a leave-in conditioner or hair oil after washing. Ouai's Shampoo and Conditioner for Medium Hair is formulated with both⁠: It has keratin and two different hydrating, strengthening oils.

The Feel

• Medium Hair Shampoo: This shampoo lathers beautifully, and for a sulfate-free formula, that's a feat. Since I go so long between washes, I like a frothy shampoo to combat all that oil and styling product buildup on my roots. The Mercer Street scent is delightful⁠—it combines with your shower steam to make you feel like you're really having a moment at a French spa (rather than standing in a New York City shower).
• Medium Hair Conditioner: The conditioner provided an equally satisfying experience⁠—although the Mercer Street scent starts to smell a bit perfumey when you're double-dosing it (it's in the shampoo and the conditioner). It has a thick, creamy texture that does a really good job of coating strands evenly.

The Results

• Medium Hair Shampoo: Since the wash experience was fairly sudsy, I expected to feel that squeaky-clean, dry scalp feeling. But weirdly enough, my hair actually felt more moisturized from root to tip. And I hadn't even conditioned yet.
• Medium Hair Conditioner: The directions say to squeeze out the excess moisture from your hair and apply a quarter-sized amount of conditioner. But if you have wavy-to-curly hair, I can tell you right now you'll probably need more than that. I followed the instructions exactly but found my ends didn't feel quite as hydrated as I'd like them to be. I used a second helping (with more product concentrated on my ends than on my roots), and it was the perfect serving for me. If your ends don't feel like hay (like mine), a quarter-sized dollop might do it for you. My advice is to start small and add more as needed because this conditioner⁠—with its coconut and babassu oils, as well as kumquat extract⁠—could weigh your hair down if you overdo it.

The Value

You can purchase the Daily Care shampoo as a set for $64 or $32 individually, so these products are definitely priced toward the luxury end of the hair care spectrum. I think the aesthetics, recyclable (and refillable) packaging, and luxe ingredients like kumquat extract justify the price.

If you're like me and prefer to keep your shampoo and conditioner basic to focus on your styling products, this might be something you can skip. But if you're looking to treat yourself, then this is a worthy splurge.

Ouai vs Odele

If you're seeking a similarly Instagram-ready, luxurious hair care experience but don't want to shell out the coins, check out Odele. The brand's Smoothing Shampoo ($12) and Conditioner ($12) are designed to nourish and smooth medium- to coarse-textured hair. Ouai and Odele have similar aesthetics, and both are women-founded brands that pride themselves on offering clean, salon-inspired formulations. The biggest difference between the two? The price. Also, Odele's products are made with natural fragrance, while Ouai's are not (if fragrance is a particular game changer for you).

Final Verdict

Is there a dramatic before and after? No (just as there wouldn't be if I were reviewing a new cleanser or body wash). Daily Care isn't going to transform your hair, but it is packed with nourishing ingredients to smooth its appearance with one use, as well as its health over time.

I prefer to keep things simple with my wash routine, then get more specific with leave-in products to target my needs (like Ouai's Leave-In Conditioner, for example). That makes Daily Care for Medium Hair an effective (and hydrating) cleansing ritual⁠—for me. Everyone is different. If you prefer to get really specific with your shampoo and conditioner formulas, this isn't the line for you.