The Natural Hair Care Guide
Everything we know about washing, treating and living with hair that isn't being stripped twice a week. This is our reference guide - written to be returned to rather than read once, and updated as we learn more.
If you are new to sulphate-free haircare, start with the transition guide below. If you already know what you are looking for, the sections are arranged by subject.
Start here - the three most useful pieces
Shampoo and conditioner
Most of what makes natural haircare feel difficult happens in the first month. Conventional shampoo is built around sulphates, which foam enormously and strip efficiently - and your scalp spends years calibrating its oil production to that. Change the cleanser and there is a gap of a few weeks while the scalp catches up.
Knowing that in advance is most of the battle.
- Switching to natural shampoo: what really happens in the first six weeks - an honest week-by-week account of the transition, including what to change if week three tests your patience.
- What ingredients should you avoid in shampoo? - how to read an Australian cosmetic label, ingredient by ingredient.
- The real cost of natural shampoo in Australia - the arithmetic on cost per wash, and why refills change it.
- Best natural shampoo and sulphate-free conditioner - what to look for in a vegan Australian formula.
- Why natural shampoo can transform your hair and scalp health
- Choosing a natural conditioner
- How natural shampoo and conditioner make hair healthier
Treatments and masks
A weekly treatment does more for dry or damaged hair than any change of shampoo. It is also the step most people skip, usually because they are unsure how long to leave it on or how often to use it.
- How to use a natural hair mask for maximum results
- Natural hair repair: restoring dry, damaged hair
- Deep repair for dry, damaged or grey hair
- Five natural DIY hair treatments that actually work
- Rice water for hair: benefits and how to use it
Hair oils
Oils are the most misunderstood part of a haircare routine - too much and hair looks greasy, too little and the ends stay dry. Placement matters more than quantity.
- The benefits of organic hair oil
- Natural hair oil: nourishing hair with organic ingredients
- Kakadu plum hair oil - one of our native botanicals, and why it earns its place.
- How pure essential oils support hair health
Scalp health and thinning hair
Most lasting improvement starts at the scalp - and thinning, in particular, is far more often hormonal, nutritional or stress-related than it is a product problem.
If your hair has changed suddenly and significantly, please speak to your GP before changing your routine. Shampoo is not the first place to look.
- Seven steps to a healthier scalp
- Thinning hair after 40
- Minimising hair thinning and volume loss naturally
Australian conditions
Humidity, salt water, chlorine and hard water all change how hair behaves - and they change it more than most people credit. Two people using the same bottle in Adelaide and Byron Bay can have genuinely different experiences.
Which Pure Earth routine suits your hair
We make two haircare ranges, and the choice between them is simpler than it looks.
Extra Gentle is our original formula - lightweight, suited to fine or normal hair, and the mildest option if you wash often. It pairs with our Extra Gentle Conditioner, or take both in the Extra Gentle duo.
Extra Hydrating, with Lemon Myrtle and Emu Apple, is for normal to dry, thick, coarse or colour-treated hair that needs more moisture. It pairs with the Extra Hydrating Conditioner, or the Extra Hydrating duo.
For dry, damaged or colour-treated hair, our Deep Nourishing Hair Treatment Mask - a Gold winner at the Clean + Conscious Awards - is worth adding weekly.
If you would rather not commit to full sizes while you work out which suits you, the Retreat Sample Pack has travel sizes of both routines.
Common questions
How long does the natural shampoo transition take?
Two to four weeks for most people, with weeks two and three the most noticeable. If you were washing daily with a strongly stripping shampoo it can take closer to six. Some people notice no transition at all.
Why doesn't natural shampoo lather?
Lather comes from sulphates, which are excellent foaming agents and only incidentally good cleansers. Foam is a marketing feature, not a measure of how clean your hair is getting.
Is natural shampoo safe for colour-treated hair?
Yes, and it is usually the better choice. Sulphates lift colour molecules out of the hair shaft efficiently, which is why colour fades faster with conventional shampoo.
How often should I use a hair mask?
Once a week is enough for most hair. Dry, coarse, colour-treated or heat-styled hair may benefit from twice.
Does hard water affect my hair?
Considerably. Dissolved calcium and magnesium react with cleansers, reduce lather and leave a film that reads as dull or rough. A fortnightly apple cider vinegar rinse and a longer rinse in general both help.
About Pure Earth
We are an Australian natural hair, body and skincare brand based in the Northern Rivers, NSW. Every formula is made in Australia with native botanicals, packaged in refillable aluminium rather than plastic, and free of sulphates, silicones and synthetic fragrance. We give 1% of every sale to One Tree Planted and the Stars Foundation.