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What Is New Wash by Hairstory? Inside the Detergent-Free Cleanser Changing How Stylists Wash Hair
By Cheryl Gushue
New Wash by Hairstory is a detergent-free hair cleanser that replaces both shampoo and conditioner in one step. Founded in 2015 by Eli Halliwell, Hairstory built New Wash around jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil, and evening primrose oil instead of foaming detergents. It cleanses hair while balancing the scalp’s natural oil production, and it has become one of the most talked-about back-bar products among professional stylists. The brand recently marked a major retail milestone with its arrival at Ulta Beauty.
How Does New Wash Work Without Detergents?
Traditional shampoo relies on sulfates and other detergents to create foam. That foam strips natural oils from the scalp, which is why hair often feels greasy again within a day or two. New Wash skips detergents entirely. It uses a custom blend of essential oils and naturally derived saturated cleansers that bond to dirt, oil, and product buildup without disrupting the scalp barrier.
The catch, and the thing every stylist needs to prep clients for, is that New Wash will not foam. Cleansing cream calls for a different method, built around three things.
Amount: Use enough product for a light, even coating across the scalp and through the lengths. Skimping is the most common reason clients feel like it is not working.
Friction: Work New Wash into the scalp vigorously with fingers or a scalp brush before distributing it through the ends. With no foam to signal coverage, a bit of labor is what activates the product. Add a small splash of water and work it in again until the texture turns milky before moving on to rinsing.
Rinsing: Rinse thoroughly. Squeegee hair with hands or use the scalp brush to help release product. Repeat the process if buildup remains.
The transition from shampoo to cleansing cream takes some getting used to, but the payoff is worth the learning curve. After a couple of weeks, hair feels smoother, silkier, and shinier, with longer-lasting colour and a calmer, happier scalp. Hairstory places a high priority on educating stylists so they can walk clients through that transition with confidence.
What Ingredients Are in New Wash?
The formula centers on jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and evening primrose oil for conditioning, along with aloe barbadensis leaf juice to soothe the scalp. Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine acts as the gentle cleansing agent in place of a detergent, and cetyl alcohol and glycerin help maintain texture and moisture retention. Peppermint oil provides the fragrance in the original formula, and every ingredient is naturally derived and biodegradable. Hairstory is Leaping Bunny certified and has never tested on animals. Stylists working with fragrance-sensitive clients now have an option too. Hairstory recently launched a fragrance-free version of New Wash, built for clients who react to fragrance, including natural essential oils.
Why Are Hairdressers Building Businesses Around New Wash?
Hairstory runs an affiliate model built specifically for the professional channel. A stylist who sells New Wash to a client earns a 25 percent commission on that sale, and keeps earning 25 percent every time that same client reorders directly through Hairstory.com, for as long as they keep buying. That structure gives hairdressers a passive income stream without requiring them to carry costly retail inventory. Many stylists keep New Wash at the back bar for use during services and send clients to Hairstory’s website to buy their own supply going forward.
The model has proven its value beyond convenience. During a single month early in the pandemic, Hairstory paid out more than $125,000 to hairdressers through the affiliate program, giving many stylists a source of income while salons were closed, as reported by Forbes. Hair Story now counts nearly 5,000 affiliated hairdressers in its network, including specialists in hair tattoos and coloring.
What Is the Better Bottle Refill System?
Sustainability is built into the packaging as much as the formula. Hairstory developed the Better Bottle, an endlessly refillable container engineered specifically to handle New Wash’s thick cream consistency. Clients buy the bottle once, then refill it with recyclable pouches instead of buying new plastic bottles with every purchase. The system reduces both plastic waste and water consumption, and it was one of the first refill programs of its kind in the beauty industry.
Why Is New Wash Trending With the Gray Hair Movement?
As more women embrace natural silver and gray hair, Hairstory has answered with New Wash Purple, a toned formula built for blonde, silver, and gray hair. The brand is also releasing a short documentary that follows women through the decision to go gray, featuring Hairstory experts on the emotional and practical sides of the transition. For stylists building a gray hair specialty, New Wash Purple offers both a product and a talking point.
What Is Next for Hairstory?
Hair Story has a new product launch scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, with details still under wraps. The brand has also announced its first collaboration with Sans Savon, extending the same detergent-free, oil-based cleansing philosophy from scalp to a full head-to-toe routine with hand and body products.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is New Wash a shampoo or a conditioner?
New Wash is neither in the traditional sense. It replaces both steps with one detergent-free cream cleanser that cleans and conditions hair at the same time, using oils and fatty alcohols instead of foaming agents.
Why doesn’t New Wash foam?
Foam comes from detergents, and New Wash contains none. Instead of lathering, the formula relies on friction and a light splash of water to turn milky and bond to dirt and buildup. No foam does not mean it is not working; it means the technique needs to change.
Can New Wash be used on color-treated hair?
Yes. Because New Wash removes buildup without stripping protective oils, it is formulated to help color stay vibrant longer than it does with detergent-based shampoo.
How long does it take to adjust to New Wash?
Most clients notice smoother, shinier hair with longer-lasting colour within a couple of weeks. Since there is no foam, the biggest adjustment is technique: using enough product, working it in with real friction until it turns milky, then rinsing thoroughly and repeating if needed.
Is New Wash suitable for oily scalps?
Yes. Hair Story states that shampoo detergents are often the root cause of overproduction, and that switching to New Wash allows the scalp to rebalance oil production over time.
What is the Hairstory affiliate program for stylists?
Stylists earn a 25 percent commission on every New Wash sale they refer, plus 25 percent on every repeat purchase that client makes directly through Hairstory.com, with no retail inventory required.
Is New Wash fragrance-free?
The original formula uses peppermint oil as its only fragrance ingredient. Hairstory also offers a fragrance-free version for clients sensitive to scent, including natural oils.
Does Hairstory make a product for gray hair?
Yes. New Wash Purple is formulated for blonde, silver, and gray hair, alongside a short documentary exploring the decision to go gray.
What is the Better Bottle?
It is Hairstory’s reusable, refillable container built specifically for New Wash’s thick formula, designed to be purchased once and refilled with recyclable pouches.
