Unico Hair
Well, its been a tough few weeks, what with all that hair washing - but we've got some great, honest and open results from our Green Beings testing panel on the Unico range of shampoo and conditioners.
Thanks again to our testers Kylee, Claire, Amelia, oh and me – I wasn't missing out on this one. Read on to find out what we thought.
Kylee tried out the volumising range
Hairtype
Shoulder length, fine, gets a little frizzy on the ends, no colouring or treatment - all natural.
Hair is washed every day usually with Pantene/Herbal Essence.
Verdict
Shampoo- my hair has absolutely never felt cleaner from the very first wash. The scent was very light. Only a small amount is needed to get a good lather so it is lasting longer than other shampoos I have used. Conditioner - nice clean scent. Not greasy feeling and washed out easily, keeping the cleansed feel that the shampoo brought about. I could easily comb knots out of my hair with the conditioner in and it didn't feel heavy or dense & slimy. It didn't make my hair glossy at all but I did notice that my oiliness at the roots did not appear as obviously by the evening.
In terms of the packaging I loved the fact you are able to see how much is left due to the clear packaging. Very handy.
The bottle is a good size to hold whilst in the shower. It did seem a small bottle on first appearance but the product does the job well on a small amount used.
I was very happy that it is Australian Made & Owned as I would prefer to support local.
The all natural ingredients, particularly the essential oils is very appealing. I would've liked the scents to be a little stronger as a personal preference. But it is a lovely natural scent and doesn't smell like a cheap perfume scent at all which is great.
Would you buy it or recommend it to friends?
I would consider buying this shampoo and conditioner definitely. My daughter used it (unknowingly to me) the other day and said her teacher was asking what products did she use in her hair because she loved the scent!
Claire tried out the sensitive range
Hairtype
Shoulder length wavy and natural with a tendancy to be frizzy and dry. Sensitive scalp.
I wash my hair every day using Kerastase as it leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny and most importantly doesn't irritate my scalp.
Verdict
The product was great for about 3 weeks and then my scalp started to show signs of dryness. However this is the most promising eco hair product I have tried. I think the packaging looks great and liked the essential oils.
Would you buy it or recommend it to friends?
I would use perhaps in conjunction with the Kerastase. I would recommend it to friends.
Amelia tried out the intensive range
Hairtype
Short, straight and coloured, some skin sensitivity and prone to dryness in winter. Washes hair 2-3 times a week.
Verdict
My first impression was that the smell was lovely and I was really looking forward to trying them. The combination of lavender, rosemary and cypress essential oils was just divine and really refreshing and invigorating. I also loved the simple, green packaging and the smooth shape of the bottles.
As for the performance, I liked the way the Unico products made my hair look and feel for about a day after I’d washed it, but I found that my hair became limp and greasy quite quickly and I had to wash it every day to maintain the look and feel I wanted. I also noticed an increase in the dry, flaky skin I tend to develop on my scalp during the colder months. This product seemed to irritate my scalp even more than usual. Such a shame, because I really wanted to love this product! The scent alone was incredible, and the little bottles were a good size for fitting in amongst all the other products in the shower. They’d be great for travel too.
As far as Unico’s eco credentials go, I don’t think they were made clear enough on the packaging. If I saw this range on the shelf in a retail environment, the fact that they are packaging in green bottles would be enough to lead me to think they were somehow natural or eco-friendly and I would probably pick them up to investigate further. However, this is a widely-used tactic buy companies these days, and it’s not enough to convince savvy shoppers of your eco-cred. I think Unico would do well to tout their eco claims a little more aggressively, as this is such a growing market and I think consumers are quite skeptical and critical when it comes to choosing products with which they are ethically comfortable.
Would you buy it or recommend it to friends?
Based on my experiences with this particular product, I would not buy it or recommend it. However, I do wonder if the Sensitive range might have been a better choice for me. I mainly chose the Intensive range because of my coloured hair, but perhaps Sensitive would have been more gentle on my scalp.
Jo tried out the sensitive range
Hairtype
Long, straight hair. Using a range of shampoos and conditioners depending on what is left in the bathroom. Washes hair 2-3 times a week.
Verdict
I got the chance to smell all the shampoos and conditioners. The sensitive shampoo and conditioners did not smell as strongly as the others, but that is probably to minimise irritation. I really enjoyed using this product and it felt like a bit of a treat. My hair definitely felt different when using it, clean and soft during shampooing, and minimal conditioner was required to leave my hair tangle free and soft. This product left my hair smelling great, feeling soft and looking really shiny. After recently having a baby my hair started falling out and it has been growing back, so I have a few tufty bits of regrowth. Other shampoos I have used make my hair a bit fluffy, Unico seemed to also make my hair appear smoother.
Would you buy it or recommend it to friends?
I would recommend this product, I love the fact that it contains natural and local ingredients. It is slightly more expensive than standard supermarket brands so for those who don't mind splashing out this product would be great.
I would buy this product again. I really like the smell of freshly shampooed hair so I'd be keen to try out 'volumising' as it had such a lovely scent which was also slightly stronger.
For more information visit the Unico website.