Vanicream Shampoo Review | Fragrance-Free Shampoo for Sensitive Scalps
A friend mentioned that her dermatologist had recommended Vanicream Shampoo, which immediately made me curious. My scalp reacts to all sorts of things, so I’m always interested when I hear about products aimed at people with sensitive skin.
I wanted to find out whether it would actually clean my hair well, how it coped with product build-up, and most importantly whether my scalp would tolerate it.
Best for
Sensitive scalps
Fragrance-free hair care
Dandruff-prone scalps
People wanting a clarifying shampoo to help with product build up
Not ideal for
Anyone who enjoys strongly scented shampoos
People who like lots of lather
Very dry hair unless paired with rich or leave in conditioner
Vanicream doesn’t really have the whole natural shampoo thing going on. In fact, it looks more like something you’d find in a dermatologist’s office than a health food shop.
That said, when I looked at the ingredients, it actually felt quite aligned with what I usually look for. The formula is very simple, it’s free from a lot of common irritants, and while EWG scores aren’t everything, it does have a score of 2. That’s better than quite a few products that make a much bigger fuss about being natural.
If the name sounds unfamiliar, that’s partly because Vanicream Shampoo used to be sold as Free & Clear Shampoo. The branding has changed, but it’s the same basic idea – a very simple, fragrance-free shampoo aimed at sensitive scalps.
(I only recommend products I genuinely like. If you buy through my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
First impressions
The shampoo itself is completely clear and has no scent at all. I do actually like a bit of fragrance in a shampoo, but mostly because it makes washing my hair feel nicer. I don’t particularly care if the scent lasts. Still, fragrance can be made up of all sorts of ingredients that aren’t individually listed, so I’m prepared to sacrifice that.
It’s also quite runny.
I’d read a few reviews saying that people found they needed conditioner with it, so I used a rich leave-in conditioner afterwards.
Using it
Like most sulfate-free shampoos, it didn’t produce loads of foam. I’m fairly used to this because most of the shampoos I use are sulfate free, but if you’re not, it can be a slightly confusing experience. You don’t get that obvious feeling that your hair is definitely being cleaned.
One thing I liked was the bottle. It has a click-top lid that’s easy to open one-handed and isn’t a disaster if you accidentally knock it over in the shower.
What surprised me was that although it seemed very gentle, it also seemed quite good at removing product build-up. I’d almost expected those two things not to go together.
Results
So far, so good.
My hair felt clean afterwards, perhaps even slightly squeaky-clean, which surprised me given how gentle the shampoo seems to be. After using a rich leave-in conditioner, it looked soft and reasonably shiny.
Most importantly, my scalp seems perfectly happy with it so far.
I’ll update this review in a few days with how my scalp gets on and how long I can go before feeling the need to wash my hair again.
Overall
Vanicream wasn’t really on my radar. The bottle looks more like something you’d find in a dermatologist’s office than a product you’d be excited to display in your shower.
Still, it’s turning out to be an interesting wildcard. Despite the very clinical appearance and no-frills formula, it seems both gentle and surprisingly effective at cleaning my hair.
It’s early days, and I’ll update this review once I’ve used it for longer, but so far I’m pleasantly surprised.
