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Listen, I’m an OG crunchy girl. I’ve mixed my own mascara, moisturized with coconut oil, and risked my entire reputation on natural deodorant. But you can pry my curly hair routine from my cold, dead hands. By all means, douse me in chemicals if it means I don’t have to look like Mia Thermopolis before her princess makeover.
I know all my curly girls are sounding off. We have hair trauma. No one knew how to treat our hair ten years ago — so we’re just now having our glow up. Don’t make us use nontoxic products that jeopardize our integration into normal society.
Anyway, Plaine Products reached out to me recently with a big promise: Curly hair products formulated by pro stylists with 100% natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and no changes to my hair care routine.
I’ll be honest, I had some questions. For one, Plaine Products recommends the same shampoo and conditioner line for both straight and curly hair. And could natural ingredients actually perform like salon-grade products? I decided to test the Plaine Products curly hair line against the biggest curly hair critics I know: My sisters. Here’s our collective Plaine Products review…
Chapters
- The Story Behind Plaine Products & Their Commitment to Climate Action
- How Hard Is It to Make a Clean Hair Care Line?
- I Forced My Curly-Girl Sisters to Try Plaine Products for a Week: Here’s Our Collective Plaine Products Review
- Trying Each Plaine Product in the Curly Hair Line
- Plaine Products Pros and Cons
- How Their Carbon Neutral Recycling System Works
The Story Behind Plaine Products & Their Commitment to Climate Action
I spend a lot of time in the wellness space (writing about ingredient lists is part of my day job). And I’ve always thought it’s really weird when brands go crazy for natural ingredients, but not sustainability. Like… you’ll only use ingredients that grow from the earth, but you’re fine with adding more plastic pollution?? Make. it. make. sense.
(Side note: a huge environmental concern in beauty right now is the microplastics in actual product formulas. Go read everything from Beat the Microbead if you want to see the research.)
One thing I love about Plaine Products is how their commitment to sustainability comes first. We desperately need this in the hair care industry, since 550 million empty shampoo bottles are thrown into landfills every year (that’s just here in the US). Plaine Products’ main goal is to cut down on single-use plastic bottles and give back through climate action. I’m obsessed with this.
How Hard Is It to Make a Clean Hair Care Line?
It’s super hard. Major props to Plaine Products for simply taking on the challenge.
You’ve probably noticed that most organic brands formulate in bars, greenwash their ingredient lists, or their products simply don’t lather. While clean skincare brands are popping up in every corner of the internet, the shampoo, conditioner, and gel space gets cricket sounds.
This is because modern hair products rely heavily on chemicals to work. Formulating a natural product that lathers, cleanses, conditions, and performs without weighing the hair down is a tall order. Not to mention, hair care requires liquid ingredients, which means you need preservatives for shelf stability.
While you could get picky about one or two ingredients on the Plaine Products’ labels, like alcohols (in deep conditioner) or polysorbate (in styling gel), it’s obvious they make a concentrated effort to keep their products genuinely clean. I’m just impressed they pulled that off.
None of that matters if the products don’t perform, though. And Plaine Products makes a big claim: Their stuff is salon-grade. Let’s see how they hold up…
I Forced My Curly-Girl Sisters to Try Plaine Products for a Week: Here’s Our Collective Plaine Product Review
Plaine Products raised my expectations for hair care products, period. That means both clean ingredients and chemical-filled shampoos and conditioners. After a month of using them, I noticed faster hair growth, better definition, softer curls, and subtle scents that stayed in my hair without any chemical support. Here’s a breakdown of each product:
Before (left) and after (right)
Trying Out Each Plaine Product in the Curly Hair Line
Plaine Products Shampoo
What I love about this shampoo is that you can feel it’s a high-quality product as soon as you pump it into your hand. It’s thick and not watery like drugstore products, so a little goes a long way. I also found that it lathers super well for a non-toxic shampoo product. For someone who’s used to natural products, it feels amazing. For someone who’s brand new to the non-toxic life, it might take a bit of getting used to.
Lather is associated with cleanliness, but the suds from mainstream conditioners come from sulfates. So, to formulate a truly natural shampoo, you have to remove the sulfates and find a natural soap that suds. Natural products just don’t give that same chemical result that most people are used to (they shouldn’t). And that can be an adjustment.
Smells Like: I got the cherry almost scent, which is stronger than some of the others. It smells like a natural version of a children’s bubble bath and leaves a bit of scent in my hair after it’s dry.
Feels Like: The formula is thick and not see-through, almost the consistency you’d expect from a conditioner (which to me just feels like a high-quality product, not watered down). When you massage it through your hair, you get that “squeaky clean” sensation.
Plaine Products Conditioner
Fellow curly girls know the “dime-sized amount” instructions on the back of the conditioner bottle have got to be a joke. Hold my beer while I use the entire bottle of travel-sized conditioner for one shower. But this brand focuses on quality, which means the formulas aren’t watered down. For me, this means I’m able to use less conditioner and still get better results. Specifically from this product, I’ve noticed much softer hair and less product waste.
Smells Like: Sweet citrus with a hint of herbs. I got the citrus lavender scent, which is my favorite out of all their scent options. It gives a grounded vibe that’s not overly botanical and doesn’t smell like an artificial fragrance.
Feels Like: Slick and smooth without weighing down hair or feeling greasy. Deeply moisturizing, softening, and massages well into hair. Safe for combing out curls in the shower.
Plaine Products Deep Conditioner
This is maybe my favorite hair care product I’ve ever had (clean or not). It’s super versatile, so you can use it like a hair mask, in place of your conditioner, or just as an extra conditioning step. The reason I love it is that it’s perfect for combing through wet curls. I typically use my regular conditioner for this, which helps smooth some of the tangles, but not all of them. Combing through with the deep conditioner is like combing through butter. It’s basically no work at all and cuts my shower time in half.
Smells Like: A mix of herbs and botanicals, and a bit cucumber-y. The scent I got is Meadow.
Feels Like: Non-greasy butter in your hair. Once it’s well massaged into the ends, your hair will slip right through your fingers.
Plaine Products Deep Conditioner
Plaine Products Styling Gel
I have nightmares about the early 2000s gel cast that my mom insisted “is just the way you style curly hair.” God forbid my hair crunches when I squeeze it into a ponytail.
What surprised me most about this product is that it doesn’t leave a gel cast at all (not even if you use double the product — I tried). It just magically holds my hair in the perfect curl pattern and dries it like those soft, bouncy curls from 1960s films.
I’m not a pro with hair formulas, but I did notice that it looks like a cross between a gel and leave-in conditioner. The product is milky white and doesn’t feel sticky to the touch like a typical gel. It’s also a lightweight product, which is always something I look for since my hair lands somewhere between wavy and tighter curls.
Smells Like: An herb garden. The scent for this one is sage.
Feels Like: Soft and bendable, a hybrid between a leave-in conditioner and a gel. Doesn’t feel sticky in your hands or hair. Your hair dries incredibly soft and there’s no need to break a gel cast.
Plaine Products Hair Repair
Maybe I’m behind on my hair care, but I thought the general rule for refreshing curls was a spray bottle and some leave-in conditioner. This has never been my favorite method, though, because I don’t like encasing my hair in sticky layers of product.
Plaine Products uses a different approach, leaning on either sea salt spray or the hair repair for a low-effort refresh. Using the sea salt, I noticed more volume, textured hair, and moldable curls. The hair repair gives the same effect, but it’s softer and good for split ends, prevents breakage, and it doubles as a heat protectant and detangler. Spraying this in my hair to refresh curls was so easy; this will be my go-to product from now on.
Smells Like: Sweet matcha.
Feels Like: Super lightweight, like water. It doesn’t add any stickiness or crunch to dry hair.
Plaine Products Sea Salt Spray
I’ll be honest. I had to pep-talk my way through using the sea salt spray the first time. This is a product I’ve always envisioned for wavy-haired people who want to add a little more wild, unpredictable curls. But I have enough unpredictable curls without any added products — in fact, I’d love for them to be less wild.
But I was committed to trying the entire curly hair line, and Plaine Products has some great educational material behind why they include sea salt spray. You can use it instead of a hair oil to break your gel cast if you want added curl volume. I also found it great for messy styles that need more thickness and hold — like a chunky fishtail braid.
I’ll pull this out to refresh 3-day-old curls, to fluff out updos, and it’s really good for molding messy curls into ringlets. The only thing to keep in mind is that it does remove some of the softness, so it’s best to use at the end of your hair wash cycle. Expect your curls to feel the same as they would after air-drying from the ocean.
Smells Like: Sweet citrus. It leaves a subtle hint of orange that lasts surprisingly long in my hair. The scent makes the product feel a lot more refined than a bottle of salt water.
Feels Like: Walking out of the ocean and not washing your hair as an act of protest against leaving a beach vacation. It does give a bit more intentional definition and curl than a typical beach wave, though.
Plaine Products Sea Salt Spray
Plaine Products Review: Performance Pros and Cons
✔️ My hair is so soft after using these, which is such a flex for curly hair products. I’m usually fighting the gel cast, but not with these.
✔️ My 3A hair holds its curl for multiple days after washing (with the proper care, of course).
✔️ The products do lather and perform much better than other “natural” brands.
✔️ The scents are overall quite pleasant and really surprised me for how nontoxic the products are. I tend to react to “nontoxic” brands and essential oils, but these give me no headache and leave my hair smelling good.
✔️ Their products come in an unscented version for highly sensitive people, which I always appreciate.
✔️ I’m not contributing to the 550 million plastic bottles being tossed into oceans and landfills.
✔️ I’ve been documenting my post-COVID hair loss recovery journey and actually thought I didn’t have too much ground left to cover. But after a month of using these products, I’ve noticed a whole new round of hair growth, with clumps filling in and growing quickly.
✔️ I appreciate the education the brand has on their specialty products, like the gel, sea salt spray, and hair repair. Based on their recommendations, I experimented with a few new things I wouldn’t have normally tried.
❌ I didn’t really understand the whole concept of returning the bottles at first. You’re supposed to keep your original shipping box and then return each bottle and order a new set. I’d love for plastic-free products to be easier to use. Also, my bottles were passed around the house, so they’re already dented.
There are easy ways to work around this, though. Plaine Products stocks their bottles in many brick-and-mortar locations (there’s one near me) and also offers gallon-sized bottles in their storefront.
❌Speaking of gallon-sized bottles, I’d love to see larger bottles. We curly girls still use a lot of product, even when it’s highly concentrated. I don’t really want to restock and ship my bottles back every three weeks.
❌I have noticed that my hair takes longer to dry when I’m using these products, but the dry time changes with every product I use.
How Their Carbon Neutral Recycling System Works
The whole bottle return system confused me at first, so here’s how it works…
- You’ll order your Plaine Product and decide if you need pumps and sprays, which you can add to your cart along with the aluminum bottles. You only need these if it’s your first time trying the product.
- Once your products arrive, save your box so you can ship them back.
- Use all your products! When you’re almost empty, order another set.
- When the original bottles are empty, you’ll rinse them off and keep the sprays and pumps. Then pack them back in the original box and ship them to the Plaine Products headquarters (the shipping labels are free).
- If you want to avoid the hassle of returning bottles, use their store locator to find a local spot. If I didn’t have a local shop, I’d probably order my favorite products in bulk sizes (you can get them in a gallon).
- Repeat the process each time you’re running low.
Plaine Products Discount Code + Final Thoughts
I’ve always felt so hesitant about putting my hair in the hands of a clean ingredient brand. It’s hard enough to find the right curl cream, gel, and leave-in products from the toxic options — and products are just one step toward the exact science that is a curly hair routine. My expectation was to fight the crunchy, crusty, gel cast and product buildup that I so commonly experience with any new products. My reality was much softer hair, a beautifully defined curl pattern, faster hair growth, and ingredients that match the clean standards I’ve already set for skincare and personal care.
Click here to get your 20% off Plaine Products discount code
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