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OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo Review

OGX is a drugstore shampoo brand that is well known for adding exotic ingredients to their nutrient rich formulas. OGX shampoos come in distinctive short, round bottles and have become some of my favourite hair care products. This post is my review of the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo and matching conditioner.

In my opinion the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo is the best OGX shampoo for colored hair. If you don’t dye your hair you may find my post on the best OGX shampoos helpful in finding the right shampoo for you.

The OGX Orchid Oil shampoo contains both orchid oil and grapeseed oil which both help to add shine, and protect and amplify color. These oils are also great for fine hair or low porosity hair since they won’t weigh the hair down or leave it leave it looking greasy or lank.

This post is my full review of the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo

OGX ORCHID OIL SHAMPOO REVIEW

OGX Orchid oil shampoo and conditioner review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. I try to make my reviews as helpful as possible for my readers. You can view my product selection and review process here.

What is Orchid Oil?

Orchid oil extract comes from the stems, flowers and root of the Cymbidium orchid. The Cymbidium orchid has been used in cosmetic treatments in China for thousands of years.

Orchid oil is a natural humectant so it seals moisture into the skin and hair, and improves its condition and appearance. It doesn’t have a very distinctive fragrance, but has many beauty benefits.

Orchid is rich in minerals and antioxidants, and also contains high amounts of Anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory properties, and help to protect the hair and skin from oxidative damage. It also contains stillbenoids which can help with skin lightening, and fading dark marks or age spots.

Some well known beauty products which contain orchid oil include the Innisfree Jeju Orchid Enriched Cream, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, Elemis Body Exotics Sweet Orchid Monoi Body Oil, or the White Sands Orchid Bliss Shampoo.

Benefits of Orchid Oil for Hair

When applied to the hair, orchid oil extract adds moisture to the strands, and increases shine, softness and elasticity. It’s a popular ingredient in products designed for hair that has been damaged from heat or chemical treatments.

Orchid oil is a very lightweight oil which absorbs easily into the hair strands and doesn’t leave behind any greasy residue. This makes it great for fine or thin hair, or low porosity hair which is prone to product build up.

Different species of orchid were commonly used in ancient China to promote promote blood flow in the scalp and increase hair growth. Orchid oil also contains natural UVA and UVB filters, which prevent the hair becoming bleached from the sun.

If you dye your hair, orchid oil may also help to retain your color for longer. Color is more likely to fade in hair that has become dry or stripped of its natural oils, or hair that has been exposed to the sun. Orchid oil keeps the hair moisturised and protects it from free radicals caused by UV rays.

How to Use the Orchid Oil Shampoo

To use the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo, apply a generous amount into wet hair and massage into the hair and scalp. After the shampoo has formed a lather, rinse it thoroughly before following with the OGX Colour Protect Orchid Oil Conditioner.

OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

Since orchid doesn’t have a very distinctive smell, the scent of this shampoo is entirely from added perfume. When it comes out of the bottle it has a floral scent and comes out as a clear gel (shown in the image below). Since the product doesn’t contain sulfates you need to apply a generous amount and scrub it well to create a lather.

A photograph showing what the OGX Orchid oil shampoo looks like when it comes out of the bottle

The OGX Orchid Oil conditioner is quite runny in consistency compared with some of the other OGX conditioners I’ve tested. It has a much stronger floral scent compared with the shampoo. It comes out of a bottle a pearlescent white color with a very pale pink tinge. The photograph below shows what the conditioner looks like out of the bottle.

A photograph showing what the OGX Orchid oil conditioner looks like when it comes out of the bottle

I found the shampoo was a little bit too drying for me, but the conditioner was moisturising and left my hair slightly scented. I’m not currently coloring my hair however a couple of my friends who regularly dye their hair told me that they enjoyed using this shampoo and felt it helped to protect their color.

Pros and Cons of the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo

After testing out the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo I would recommend this product for colored hair that gets easily greasy. I think it would be too harsh for hair that is already very dry. This is because it contains a fairly strong cleansing agent (sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate) which could dry out the hair.

Pros

  • Moisturises the hair – the two key ingredients, orchid and grapeseed oil, both help to seal moisture into the hair strands.
  • Contains UV filters – the shampoo protects the hair from UV rays and stops hair color becoming faded or bleached.
  • Sulfate free – the shampoo is free from SLS and SLES which can dry the hair out and irritate the scalp.
  • Won’t weigh the hair down – the oils in this shampoo are both very lightweight so they won’t leave the hair coated or heavy.
  • Pleasant Scent – it has a sweet, floral smell.

Cons

  • May dry the hair out – although the shampoo is sulfate free, the cleanser in it may still be too harsh for certain hair types.
  • Doesn’t lather well – like other OGX shampoos, it won’t form a thick lather since it’s free from SLS and SLES.
  • Not fragrance free – I like the smell of this shampoo, but be aware that it contains a perfume and is not a natural scent. This may bother some people who are sensitive to artificial fragrances.
  • Not cruelty free – currently OGX is not cruelty free

OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo Ingredients

We already know that the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo contains orchid extract, but what else is in the formula?

The second key ingredient in this shampoo is Grapeseed oil.

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mostly omega-6 fatty acids), and can be used to moisturise a dry scalp and reduce flaking or itching.

Grapeseed oil may also be a natural remedy for alopecia. This is because the oil contains procyanidin oligomers which may be able to stimulate hair growth. The key to using grapeseed oil for hair growth is to use it consistently over time.

Another study showed that grapeseed oil contained natural conditioning agents, making it useful for reducing frizz and smoothing the hair strands. Like orchid oil, it is also a very lightweight oil so won’t coat the hair or weigh it down.

FULL INGREDIENTS

OGX sometimes alter the ingredients in their formulas. I will aim to keep this post up-to-date with the latest ingredients, but formulations sometimes differ between countries (I am in England).

The current ingredient list for the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo is as follows:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Cymbidium Grandiflorum (Orchid) Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Benzophenone-4, Polyquaternium-22, PEG-7 Amodimethicone, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polyquaternium-39, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Disodium Tetrapropenyl Succinate, Coconut Acid, Parfum/Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, CI 17200/Red 33.

What Sets the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo Apart from its Competitors?

When researching other major shampoo brands that make orchid oil shampoo, I discovered that there weren’t many out there. The main competitor to the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo was the Biolage Color Last Orchid Shampoo. Both products were designed for color treated hair, and both contain orchid extract as their key ingredient. The comparison table below shows a basic overview of each product.

Comparison Table

Title
OGX
Orchid Oil Shampoo
Biolage
Color Last Orchid Shampoo
Preview
OGX Fade-Defying Orchid Oil Shampoo, 385 ml
Matrix COLORL SH 1L
Hair Type
Color-treated
Color-treated
Key Ingredients
Orchid, Grapeseed oil
Orchid
Sulfate Free
Cruelty Free (PETA certified)
Prime Benefits
Amazon Prime
-
Price
£14.99
£29.99
Quantity
385ml
1 litre
More Information
OGX
Title
Orchid Oil Shampoo
Preview
OGX Fade-Defying Orchid Oil Shampoo, 385 ml
Hair Type
Color-treated
Key Ingredients
Orchid, Grapeseed oil
Sulfate Free
Cruelty Free (PETA certified)
Prime Benefits
Amazon Prime
Price
£14.99
Quantity
385ml
More Information
Biolage
Title
Color Last Orchid Shampoo
Preview
Matrix COLORL SH 1L
Hair Type
Color-treated
Key Ingredients
Orchid
Sulfate Free
Cruelty Free (PETA certified)
Prime Benefits
-
Price
£29.99
Quantity
1 litre
More Information

Last update on 2025-02-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Unfortunately neither the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo, nor the Biolage Color Last Orchid Shampoo are cruelty free.

From the comparison table above we can see that the OGX shampoo is much more affordable than the Biolage orchid shampoo. Even though the Biolage shampoo comes in a larger bottle, the amount you pay for the quantity is still higher than the OGX shampoo.

The Biolage product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate which means it lathers better than the OGX shampoo, but also could dry the hair out more. After reading a number of different reviews across the Internet I found many reviews which said the Biolage shampoo was very drying.

Whether or not you prefer a shampoo with sulfates will depend on your hair type. If you like a shampoo that lathers well and you get very greasy hair then you may prefer the Biolage shampoo to the OGX product. If however your hair becomes easily dry then the OGX shampoo has a more gentle cleanser compared to the Biolage shampoo.

Both products seem to perform equally well when it comes to protecting hair color and preventing fading. They also both leave the hair softer and more manageable. Neither have a particularly strong scent.

The main differences between the two is the use of sulfates in the ingredients list, and the price.

Where You Can Buy the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo

The OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo is available to buy at AmazonBoots, or FeelUnique

OGX Fade-Defying Orchid Oil Shampoo, 385 ml
  • Pflegende Formel – Das OGX Colour Protect Orchid Oil Shampoo...

  • Intensive Haarpflege – Das...

  • Schutz für coloriertes Haar – Die kraftvolle Formel mit...

Last update on 2025-02-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

FAQS ABOUT THE OGX ORCHID OIL SHAMPOO

Is OGX fade defying orchid oil shampoo sulfate free?

Yes! The OGX Orchid Oil shampoo is free from SLS and SLES.

Which OGX shampoo is good for Coloured hair?

All OGX shampoos are sulfate free, so any of them would work well on coloured hair but the OGX Orchid Oil shampoo does a great job at amplifying the hair color and preventing it from fading or becoming bleached.

How I Test Out Products to Review

When I’m testing out a new shampoo I always use the product for at least a month before I write my review. This gives me enough time to test out the product thoroughly.

I also stop using any other products on my hair that could alter the way the shampoo works or the effect it has. My video reviews are always filmed after I have washed my hair with the shampoo with no other product on my hair.

I am aware when I test shampoo products that I have dry, fine and naturally curly hair, and I try to consider how the shampoo might perform on other hair types. In my reviews I give my own opinion of the product but also research other opinions across the internet, as well as discuss the product with my friends.

I am always interested to hear the opinions of my readers on any shampoos I have reviewed on my website, so there is a comment section at the end of each review for this purpose. I hope my reviews are helpful to others but if you have feedback on how I can make them better please let me know.

THIS POST WAS A REVIEW OF THE OGX ORCHID OIL SHAMPOO

Thank you for reading my review of the OGX Orchid Oil Shampoo. If you have tried this shampoo please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought. Are you a fan of OGX shampoos? Which one is your favourite?

Barbara

Sunday 2nd of January 2022

Hi Olivia Loved your video Really helpful in deciding the best shampoo and conditioner for my type of hair. Looking forward to more of the same Thanks Barbara x

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