Hairstory customers most often praise New Wash for being a healthy alternative to shampoo and conditioner, while most often cite price as a pain point. Here is what that tension actually sounds like, in customers' own words: the best reviews and the worst, side by side.
Two Things Can Be True
"It has been a week of New Wash thanks to you! It is life changing! My hair feels so clean, light and my curls are full of life! A moment for the scalp… it feels alive, like it is finally breathing! I will NEVER go back!!!!" — lomori4, verified customer
"Sounds great. But $48 bucks for 8 ounces? I'd have to sell my first born to keep up with this." — Alicia Fante-Knox, verified customer
Two things can be true. Our product is in fact a healthy, more sustainable alternative to shampoo, but it's also expensive.
"I am a product junky and always prefer a healthy alternative for my body. I purchased "New Wash" and truly cannot believe the difference it made to my hair, in just ONE application. True story! I even put up a video today to tell others about this system." — karenjbono, verified customer
"I love New Wash for my fine, straight-ish hair — it's a revelation. But my hair still gets greasy by day 2, and I have to wash it every day. Also, it is very expensive... So it's great, but not AS miraculous for me as it might be for others. Because of the expense, too expensive to continue using, although I love it." — Andrea Covets, verified customer
What Do Customers Really Think of New Wash?
They think it's expensive. They think it improves the texture of the hair, but it's expensive. They love the product, but it's pricey. They think it's a time-efficient product, but it's a waste of money. They think it's magic, but they'd have to sell their first born to buy it.
On the health side of that claim, peer-reviewed research shows shampoo formulation can measurably shift the composition of the scalp's bacterial and fungal community, which lines up with why so many reviewers describe a calmer, less irritated scalp after switching.
"I switched to Hair Story because of your recommendation and my sensitive scalp has never felt better. The shedding has all but stopped and my hair looks and feels amazing. Thank you!!" — k_tay67, verified customer
"The price for the size of the bottles is actually insane." — Michelle Yvette Lusby, verified customer
So Why Is New Wash So Expensive?
Here's the situation, and it's pretty simple. We source from sustainable suppliers which are expensive, we use responsible manufacturing partners which are expensive and in an effort to get plastic off our planet we use postconsumer recycled plastic which is more expensive, and we also opt for natural, not synthetic fragrance.
Hairstory co-founder Eli Halliwell has addressed the price question directly when customers push back: early testing found almost no price elasticity for New Wash, people were either willing to try detergent-free cleansing or they weren't, and that held even close to a 40% discount, which points to adoption risk as the real barrier rather than the price tag itself. The company's biggest discounts go to loyal customers rather than new trials: refill subscribers already save 27% per wash, with a loyalty program on the way that pushes that to 30%.
That packaging cost is tied to a real tradeoff. The EPA has found that recycling plastic delivers concrete environmental savings, for instance recycling just 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for more than 25 hours, which is part of the logic behind Hairstory's shift to refill pouches, which use about a third of the plastic of a standard bottle, over single-use bottles alone.
"Finally tried it after following you for 2+ years. Miraculous. I don't even blow dry. My hair looks great and I'm saving so much time." — sweetiedarlingdearest, verified customer
"Damn 72 dollars for less then 250 ml? With long thick hair I never even buy products in such a small amounts and still it doesn't last long." — Anna Eremina, verified customer
"I switched to New Wash back in 2020... I have never been happier! My hair doesn't get split ends nearly as often. I no longer blow it dry on the regular. It's so much happier and healthier. And, I go through a lot less New Wash than I ever did salon shampoos." — chellecrenshaw, verified customer
Why Doesn't New Wash Work for Everyone?
Our customers also claim New Wash makes their hair feel flat, greasy, drab and it doesn't work. Most often than not there are multiple reasons why:
- You're not thoroughly rinsing your hair in the shower.
- You're impatient with the adjustment period, which is at least 21 days.
- You're using the wrong formula/products from our line.
"By far the best hair cleansing product I've ever used. I've been using it for six years and honestly can't imagine using anything else. I also don't travel without it." — thedressupmom, verified customer
"I liked the feel of this shampoo, but it made my fine hair look drab." — Jessica Bramblett Parker, verified customer
Why Are We Magic?
A lot of customers describe our product as magic because their hair can behave naturally, the routine is practical and they can easily style their hair without an overload of products. It's essentially a one-step routine in the shower, so the magic lies in how less is more. It's not just a feeling, either. In Hairstory's own testing, hair kept its color through 100 washes with New Wash versus fading within 10 washes using a conventional shampoo, and 85% of a 103-person test group said they'd permanently abandon traditional shampoo afterward.
"Okay this stuff has changed my hair for the better. So much more texture and it feels so much fuller!" — Kelsey Lloyd, verified customer
"May not have any detergent but it still has a lot of ingredients. Shampoo should only have 2 or 3 ingredients at the most." — Tiffany Johns, verified customer
On the ingredient count specifically, a full side-by-side breakdown against other cleansing creams found New Wash relies on fatty alcohols and essential oils in place of detergents, rather than the longer ingredient lists common in competing products. More ingredients isn't the same as better ones.
Keep reading:
- What Eight Hair Types Think of New Wash
- Oily Hair: What, Why, When – and How to Manage It
- Is Shampoo Bad for Your Hair? Common Shampoo Myths
- Cleansing Cream: Everything You Need to Know
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.
