I’ve been using the Curlsmith Wash and Scrub Detox Pro-biotic Clarifying shampoo for a few months (since late summer). Today, I will share my thoughts on the pros and cons; in order to give a quick and honest Curlsmith clarifying shampoo review on how it worked on my curly hair.
Product Claims
Before I get into my Curlsmith clarifying shampoo review, I’ll share the company’s claims for this product. Here are Curlsmith’s Wash & Scrub Detox Pro-biotic claims (from product description on Ulta.com):
- Purifies and deeply cleanses the scalp while still being gentle.
- Exfoliates the scalp, getting rid of product build-up and dead skin cells.
- Helps strengthen the hair’s protective barrier, the Microbiome.
- Doesn’t strip the hair of its natural moisture.
- Helps soothe and treat dry, itchy and flaky scalp.
- Creates a nice, light foam that effectively cleanses the hair.
- Micro-fine scrub particles easily penetrate through the roots and wash out without residues.
- Safe for color-treated hair.
How I felt the Probiotic Clarifying Shampoo Performed
This shampoo left much to be desired. It contained “micro-fine exfoliating particles” that I was excited about, unfortunately it was very difficult to get it to reach my scalp so I barely felt it. If they want it to be exfoliating then the particles would need to be larger; it felt only slightly grainy like the finest milled sand which isn’t enough to get to my scalp.
This shampoo left residue on my scalp that felt like product build up. I thought I was not sufficiently rinsing so I tried double rinsing and still had the same issue where my scalp was itchy and had build up when I would scratch it. It is ironic that it is meant to be a clarifying shampoo, but instead of removing product build up it adds a film of its own. It may be the probiotic barrier that leaves this feeling, however, it left my hair feeling as if it wasn’t clean which isn’t worth it for me.
My Honest Review of Curlsmith Clarifying Shampoo
I cannot recommend the Curlsmith Clarifying shampoo for curly hair. Even if your scalp was on the drier side, it would become itchy with the build up that is left behind. I only tried this out because I use stylers from this brand that work really well; also, I saw many videos and social media posts from curly hair influencers that raved about this product.
I give it a 1 star rating because I just don’t see a use case for this shampoo, especially not for curly hair routines that have a wash day once or twice a week.
If you are looking for a clarifying shampoo that works really well for all hair types, I recommend Malibu C Un-Do-Goo (affiliate link) which is a chelating shampoo (can be drying so only use once or twice a month depending on your stylers/build up). Additionally, I suggest the Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Clarifying shampoo (affiliate link) if you want a good cleanse on a more frequent basis.
Check out my other Curly Hair posts for more product reviews, pictures, and videos.
