TikTok Was Right About About This Crown-Cleansing Shampoo, and My Flaky Scalp Says Thank You

I’m a big advocate for the slick-back hair trend — so much so that I found myself putting an endless array of heat tools and products in my locks every single day to give it that clean, model-off-duty slick pony. But, a few months ago, I noticed that my scalp was weathering the impact of all these different creams, serums and slick sticks. That’s why, when my editor approached me about trying STRAAND’s new Crown Cleanse Shampoo, I can’t tell you how fast I typed “YES!!!!” into our Slack chat.

Now, for context, I’ve tried many haircare products and scalp treatments in my time. Having wavy (and at times, frizzy) natural curls meant I spent the better half of my teenage years trying brand after brand hoping that one day, I’d finally find a product does exactly what it says it will on my locks. So, as you can imagine, I went into this trial with an open mind but a little bit of warranted scepticism.

So, to start — what is the STRAAND Crown Cleanse shampoo?

In short, your scalp is host to a bunch of different microbes (from bacteria and fungi through to environmental toxins) that live on its surface and feed on sebum (your hair’s natural oil). A balanced scalp microbiome is one where diverse bacteria work together as a team to strengthen the skin’s surface layer and create a habitat for follicles to thrive and roots to grow.

Treating the skin on your head like you would your face and body gives it a better chance at thriving. That’s where STRAAND’s Crown Cleanse comes in because its specially curated formula (packed with prebiotics) focuses on removing all that product build-up, eradicating any excess grime and balancing the biome — all without stripping your locks entirely.

It’s also cruelty-free, vegan, Aussie-made and natural.

First impressions?

I started trying it the week it arrived, and my first initial thoughts were that:

It smells really good

It smells really natural, and dare I say, minty? But not in a weird breath mint kind of way — a really nice natural essential oil type of scent. It’s also strong enough to enjoy without it being overbearing to the point of a headache.

I spoke to Meagan Pate, the founder of STRAAND and she said one of her friends likened the scent to “a dreamy resort,” and there’s simply no better analogy for it. It smells like a spa retreat.

Using it in conjunction with the scalp brush is dreamy

The scalp brush that they sell alongside the shampoo is also literally iconic. Often, washing your hair can feel like a chore, but this makes it feel like an extra little treat. It does get a bit stuck in longer hair that easily gets knotty, though, so keep that in mind if your locks are lengthy.

The affordable price point

A bottle of this shampoo costs a nice $24 and holds 350mL, which is so much more accessible than those high-end brands that retail products for upwards of $100. I’ve been using the shampoo for a month now, too, and it’s still going relatively strong in terms of capacity.

How did it stack up in the long-term?

It really helped my dandruff/dry scalp skin

This particular picture isn’t my own hair, but the before and after above is one and the same as what happened to my own locks because my front scalp line and the middle part were very much dry and flaky after using all my slick-back products. Then, after only switching out the one thing in my routine (aka adding the STRAAND Crown Cleanse), I saw a noticeable reduction in all the rogue flakes I’d often find scattered throughout my hair. It definitely took a few weeks, though — so don’t give up early if you don’t see results right away!

My hair was way less oily between washes 

I’m someone who used to get quite oily hair between washes to the point that I’d often have to give it a full wash every two days. Not only is this SO draining when it comes to organising my social calendar around my hair wash days (IYKYK), but it strips your hair of its natural, healthy oils that allow it to grow and flourish.

After a month now of using this dry scalp treatment, I can noticeably let my hair last up to four to five days before it needs another wash (provided I haven’t doused it in slick-back products). For full transparency, I do pop a spritz of dry shampoo on it during the later days, though. But it holds up pretty well for the better part of those days.

My hair is so much more glossy and shiny

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No further comment. The proof is in the pudding this video.