Hairstory co-founder Eli Halliwell recently sat down for an Ask Me Anything on r/NoPoo, the Reddit community built around no-poo and natural haircare methods. The AMA ran live on Sunday, June 28th and then continued for a full week afterward so more members could ask questions and get real answers.
Below is a summarized Q&A pulled directly from the AMA, covering scalp health, pricing and fragrance-free formulation. You can read the full AMA thread on r/NoPoo for the complete back-and-forth.
A note before we get into it: none of this is medical advice. If you're dealing with persistent flaking, itching or scalp irritation, a board-certified dermatologist is the right person to diagnose what's actually going on.
Can Switching to New Wash Cause a New Dandruff Patch?
Q: u/lavenderdreamclouds — Seven months on New Wash after years of minor recurring scalp itchiness, but a new, localized flaky patch showed up mid-summer after stretching wash days to once a week. Could this be from not washing often enough, and what else could help?
A: Eli Halliwell
I'm not a dermatologist, but it sounds like whatever you have now is maybe unrelated to what you had in the past. I do think it is important to clean your scalp and keep it balanced, but if you're not using lots of styling products or anything that can build up then I'm guessing your current approach is fine.
His suggestion: Pre-Wash, a micellar scalp cleanser applied dry, left to sit and then rinsed out, either before New Wash or on a separate day.
It is a very gentle yet very effective cleanser and there are studies that show it really helps with scalp health, particularly preserving the health of your microbiome. It doesn't strip it away and it has prebiotics in it to feed your good bacteria.
He pointed to his own Substack post walking through the research behind the glycolipids used in Pre-Wash's micellar water and he also recommended working a scalp brush over the area to bring blood flow to those cells, even without much product on it.
What If New Wash Makes Existing Dandruff Worse?
Q: u/womenaremyfavguy — A history of dandruff that got worse, not better, on New Wash, with more flaking, itching and buildup. Pre-Wash and a scalp brush helped at first but the dandruff always came back. Any other tips?
A: Eli Halliwell
That pattern you're describing, improvement with Pre-Wash and the brush but then regression, actually has a precedent I've seen. Two people I know went through something similar after switching from aggressive anti-dandruff shampoos: their scalps seemed to get worse before dramatically improving. But that was more of a one-time storm, and it sounds like yours is ongoing. At that point, it may be less about the product and more about an underlying scalp condition that New Wash alone can't resolve.
His recommendation: loop in a dermatologist to rule out an underlying condition before troubleshooting further. Dandruff has more than one root cause, and the fix for one type can make another type worse, which is exactly why a diagnosis should come before a haircare fix, not after.
Why Does New Wash Cost More Than Regular Shampoo?
Q: u/shonaich — Why is customer acquisition marketing so expensive, and has Hairstory considered leaning harder into affiliate marketing through stylists and hairdressers instead?
A: Eli Halliwell
Affiliate marketing, especially through our hairdresser network, is a more affordable way to acquire customers, and we love that channel. The candid truth: over the past few years, while digital marketing costs have skyrocketed, we'd likely have gone out of business without the combination of our hairdressers and our loyal repeat customers. That said, new customers acquired through hairdressers haven't grown at all in the past four years and are down about 33% from their peak. Our biggest spend areas are unsurprisingly Meta, Amazon and Google.
He also shared that a Reddit comment on r/dailywash proposing a change to hairdresser margins had sparked a real internal conversation at Hairstory about whether structural changes could accelerate hairdresser-channel growth.
Q: u/lerrdite — New Wash is the best co-wash tried so far for hair manageability and scalp response, but the price makes it hard to justify repurchasing. Are there plans, beyond subscriptions, to bring the price down?
A: Eli Halliwell
Our focus has been to reduce the cost for repeat, loyal customers as much as we can, and we're about to launch a loyalty program as the next step. Unfortunately, we simply are unable to replicate the benefits of New Wash at a price point that is in line with mass products. It takes us a year to break even on a new customer and we are not yet a consistently profitable business as a result.
He also shared some numbers behind the price conversation. When asked how customers actually talk about price in reviews, an internal analysis found that 14.5% of Hairstory reviews mention price at all. Of those, 45% land positive (worth it, saves money, or "pricey but love it"), 27% land negative (too expensive, not worth it, cancelled), and 28% are neutral. Eli was upfront about the selection bias in that data (people who write reviews aren't a random sample), and just as upfront that a meaningful share of customers do walk away over cost. He also noted that prior investor research on the customer base found close to a third of Hairstory customers earn under $50K a year, which he framed against the fact that New Wash is priced to replace both shampoo and conditioner, not just shampoo.
Is There a Truly Fragrance-Free Version of New Wash?
Q: u/Visible-Scientist-46 — The "fragrance-free" formula still lists rosa centifolia water, peppermint, lavender extract, calendula extract and chamomile extract, all of which carry their own natural scent compounds. Is a truly fragrance-free cleanser possible?
A: Eli Halliwell
Our new fragrance free version of New Wash is indeed fragrance free. The ingredients you are referencing are part of our cleansing system and, while they could theoretically contribute scent, at the levels used and given how the product is applied, they fall below the perceptible threshold for most people. We've tested it thoroughly with people who have been allergic to our other scented formulations and they did not react to Fragrance Free, but you never know.
The commenter held her ground, pointing out that plant extracts and essential oils are recognized fragrance allergens for people with allergic contact dermatitis, regardless of whether they're synthetic or "natural." Eli's follow-up:
I really appreciate your feedback on this and I will pass it along to the Hairstory team. I hadn't been aware of these ingredients myself, so this is valuable.
If you're managing a fragrance allergy or contact dermatitis, that exchange is worth reading in full before assuming New Wash Fragrance Free is automatically safe for you. Hairstory does offer refunds if a formula doesn't work out.
Eli is continuing to answer questions in the original thread. If you have one of your own, head to the r/NoPoo AMA and ask.
Keep Reading
- How Do You Get Rid of Dandruff?
- Dandruff vs Dry Scalp: Causes, Treatments, and How to Tell the Difference
- How to Improve Your Scalp Health
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Is a Stripper. And Not the Fun Kind.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a board-certified dermatologist or qualified healthcare provider if you have concerns about your hair or scalp health.
