As much as I love LUSH’s body lotions, fragrances, lip balms, and other assorted product collections, I’ve never had much luck with their haircare. Sea Spray Hair Mist is one exception; Curly Wurly Conditioning Shampoo is another. It’s a shampoo designed for, yes, curly hair, and it’s packed with typically LUSH ingredients like lemon juice, papaya, eggs, several nourishing butters (cocoa, shea, avocado) and lots and lots of real shredded coconut.

Curly Wurly has a silly name, and it’s not the most prettiest product around—it looks like a pinkish-beige gelatinous pudding—but I’m glad I gave it a try. A dollop of this shampoo, followed by a small amount of medium-weight conditioner, leaves my hair feeling soft and clean, with curls and waves intact and much less frizz than usual. I find myself using fewer taming-and-styling products after I wash with Curly Wurly. After just a few days of using Curly Wurly, my hair actually feels healthier.

Speaking of the coconut, some reviewers on the LUSH website and MakeupAlley complain about Curly Wurly being difficult to use and leaving bits of coconut in their hair. I haven’t had any problems. I’d suggest using Curly Wurly in this way: 1) make sure your hair is thoroughly wet  2) scoop a quarter-size amount of product from the container and dampen it with a few drops of water in the palm of your hand 3) work it through your hair, from scalp to ends, and don’t expect excessive lather like you’d get from a drugstore shampoo 4) rinse well.

(If you’re worried about all the Curly Wurly getting wet from use in the shower, since it’s preservative-free, just transfer a week’s worth of product into a smaller container and work from that instead.)

We have hard, harshly chlorinated water in our neighborhood, and I think Curly Wurly even helps my hair to combat all those rough chemicals. Well done, LUSH!

LUSH Curly Wurly sells for $25.95 for a big 7.8 oz. tub at LUSH.

Product source: I received a small sample of Curly Wurly at a LUSH shop in NYC.

Image:  coconut photo by Hans Braxmeier via Wikimedia.