Organic products are all the rage now, as they act as health-friendly alternatives to beauty and skincare products that contain harsh chemicals which could potentially harm our health in the long term. The Sukin line of products from Australia is one such organic skincare line that has captured my attention. Sold at Watsons, Guardian and a few other local drugstores/pharmacies, Sukin products are readily available for those who do not fancy sulphates, parabens, artificial colours and synthetic fragrances in their skin care products.
Prior to using Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner, I was not paying much attention to which brand of shampoo or conditioner I was using. I hardly scrutinised the ingredients list too, until I found out that Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) was a potentially harmful and harsh chemical found in most soap and shampoos. SLS is used to create the foamy texture in these products, which gives the "squeaky-clean" feeling that is actually an illusion - the amount of foam produced is not a measure of cleanliness, and in fact, SLS is quite drying to the skin and hair. Given that Sukin products do not contain SLS, I was curious to find out how they fared against other products with the foam-creating SLS.
How will Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner (for fine/limp hair) match up? Read after the jump to find out!
Disclaimer: I chose to purchase the Sukin Protein Shampoo instead of the Sukin Shampoo (for normal/all types of hair) because my hair is fine and limp. I have long hair with fine individual strands and my hair lacks volume. If you do not have fine/limp hair, there are other Sukin hair care products that would suit you, such as the normal Sukin shampoo and conditioner.
Why and how are Sukin products organic?
As you can see from the picture below, Sukin products do not contain sulphates, animal derivatives, harsh detergents, petro-chemicals, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, trethanolamine, mineral oils and parabens. This is why they are classified as organic products. For animal lovers, no animal testing was conducted in the making of these products either.
So what goes into an organic hair product then?
According to the labels, Sukin Protein shampoo contains rice and wheat proteins to fortify and reconstruct fine hair, kiwi extract to nourish and nettle and horsetail extracts to promote volume. The main ingredient is water, and it also contains extracts of aloe, soy protein, wheat protein, kiwi fruit, nettle, burdock, horsetail, cocoa, tangerine, mandarin orange, lavender, with a number of natural components of essential oils. No harmful chemicals spotted there.
Sukin Protein conditioner contains mostly the same ingredients, with a few additions such as sesame oil, wheat germ oil, avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, vitamin E and grapefruit seed. These ingredients are generally known to be very nourishing and moisturising.
How do you use Sukin hair products?
When I first started using Sukin Protein Shampoo, I was not used to the non-foamy texture of the shampoo. The shampoo is viscous and transparent, and had a pleasant, slightly fruity smell. As it does not contain SLS, it did not foam at all. You have to massage it into your head, but avoid slathering the entire length of your hair with shampoo. Just the top 1/3 of the hair will do, especially near the scalp where product buildup, dirt and dead skin usually gather. If you shampoo your entire head of hair, the ends tend to get a little dry.
Sukin Protein Conditioner is white and viscous too, often needing a few good shakes of the bottle (while it is closed) to get the conditioner out. It smells slightly fruity, and all you need is a tablespoon sized dollop (for medium to long hair) or a teaspoon sized dollop (for short hair). Massage the conditioner into the bottom 1/3 of your hair - don't apply it all over your hair, especially the scalp, as it has a tendency to get oily more quickly. To allow the conditioner to penetrate the hair shafts properly, I usually apply conditioner then leave it on for a few minutes. While my hair is being conditioned, I will shower as per normal (I tilt my head forwards to get my hair off my body so the running water does not wash off the conditioner). After a few minutes, I will wash off the conditioner. Nearing the end of my shower, I will turn the heater off and rinse my hair with cold water. Warm water allows the conditioner to penetrate into the hair shafts, and cold water seals it in, leaving you with glossy, conditioned hair.
How effective are Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner?
The first time I used these products, I was amazed at how light and bouncy my hair felt when it was dry. No oily, heavy hair after conditioning, and definitely no more oily scalp problems. The shampoo is extremely effective in voluminising the hair and clarifying it at the same time so that the scalp feels clean. My hair was also very glossy when dry, and for the first time in ages, I could go out for 6-8 hours and come back with hair that looked and felt glossy, healthy and light. Prior to that, I was used to my hair progressively getting oilier throughout the day, and when I reached home to shower, my hair would be oily and stringy. Since using Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner, I never have to worry about that again!
If you only had to buy one of the two (these aren't cheap), I would recommend you to buy Sukin Protein Shampoo. I sometimes switch up the conditioner, using L'Oreal Elsève royal jelly hair masks instead, and my hair still feels as conditioned, so I believe that the shampoo makes more of a difference to the state of my hair. That said, both products are very effective, and I have been repurchasing them since early last year, when I started using Sukin hair products.
So... Should I buy Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner?
If you are like me and have fine/limp hair, I would definitely recommend these to you. They have been the most impressive and effective hair products I've used thus far, and the quality is worth the slightly expensive price tag. The only gripe I have is that the Sukin Protein line comes in bottles of 250ml (8.46 fl. oz.), unlike the normal/all hair types Sukin line, that come in a much bigger volume. This means I have to constantly replenish my stock of shampoo and conditioner, especially because I have long hair and use more hair product than others with shorter hair. If Sukin came up with packaging of a larger volume for the Protein line, I would be really grateful for the convenience.
I'm convinced. How much does it cost? Where can I buy it?
You can get it for 11.20 SGD (it's usually on sale) at Watsons. The usual price should be about 15 SGD. The only problem I've had is that the stock is not replenished very quickly, and sometimes go out of stock for a few weeks. If you use Sukin Protein hair products regularly, I would advise you to stock up on a few at one go. Either that or just head to another Watsons outlet to check for stock. I'm not sure if other pharmacies/drugstores stock Sukin products.
Local site Naturaworks.com sells Sukin products as well. Frees shipping on all orders above 80 SGD! They ship worldwide.
For more information...
Check out Sukin's website.
Let's Break It Down
Product Name: Sukin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner
Product type: Hair care products (organic)
Amount of product: 250ml (8.46 fl. oz.)
Price per product: 11.20 SGD (with discount, and discounts are frequent)
Comments: Great for fine/limp hair as it moisturises, clarifies, volumnises and maintains healthy, glossy hair that remains glossy and not oily for up to 8 hours after drying. Sukin Protein Shampoo is an essential I will continue purchasing until they stop producing it. The conditioner can be replaced by another one, if preferred.
Where to buy: Watsons (let me know if you spot it elsewhere!)
To buy or not to buy: Do try it out if you have fine/limp hair. Those with normal hair and try the normal/all hair types range. I would definitely recommend Sukin hair products as a healthier alternative to hair products containing SLS and other chemicals. The higher price may deter some, but if you prioritise health over cost, I'm sure you'd find it worth the while to invest in better hair care products.
Product approved 4.5/5.
Disclaimer: I was not paid, sponsored nor influenced by external sources when reviewing this product. My opinions as expressed in the review are solely my own.
Disclaimer: I was not paid, sponsored nor influenced by external sources when reviewing this product. My opinions as expressed in the review are solely my own.
