If you’re one for healthy, head-turning hair, then chances are you’ve heard of Gisou – but you might not have caught wind of the brand’s latest release, it’s honey gloss ceramide therapy hydrating shampoo and conditioner (£42, Gisou.com).
This isn’t the brand’s first foray into shampoo and conditioner. In fact rather, its honey-infused hair wash duo (shampoo: £29, Sephora.co.uk and conditioner: £26, Sephora.co.uk) is a bestseller. But, while the original formulas delivered hydration, nourishment and mirror-like shine, the honey gloss range takes things further and offers all that and more, including a unique scalp-balancing complex.
What does this mean? In short, it’s gentler on the scalp to prevent excess oil production, all while locking in hydration and sloughing away at dead skin. Of course, this sounds great in theory, but I wanted to get hands-on and see these gloss-boosting (and grease-banishing) benefits in real time. Lucky for me, I got hold of the new formulas more than two weeks before they went live. Scroll on for my verdict.
How I tested
The products landed on my desk around two and a half weeks prior to their 7 July launch. In that time, I proceeded with my usual every-other-day wash routine, following the age-old advice of rinsing and repeating at the shampoo stage. I then brushed the conditioner through my wet hair, leaving it to sit for around two to five minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Though the brand advises that its new formulas “[eliminate] the need for multiple hair care products”, they don’t offer heat protection, so I continued to apply my usual heat protection spray before blow-drying and styling.
Throughout this process, I paid attention to the lather created in-shower and how much product was required. I judged how easy the conditioner was to comb through my wet hair and noted any immediate textural changes after rinsing. While using my hair dryer, I made sure to examine the moisture (or lack thereof) around my scalp, noting any grease build-up or volume in this area. Lastly, after using my Dyson airwrap id, I watched to see how well my styling – particularly the face-framing pieces – held with the weight of the Gisou formulas, and if my ends appeared hydrated or dry.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As IndyBest’s beauty writer, Lucy has spent the past year reviewing a myriad of haircare products, from Olaplex dupes to the Babyliss air wand. She’s interviewed hair stylists – including Amy Short, aka Claudia Winkleman’s hairdresser – and is well versed in all things keratin, argan oil and more. Lucy ensures to pay due diligence to every formula she tests and, with the Gisou honey gloss shampoo and conditioner, gave the formulas several weeks to impress. Here’s how she got on.
Gisou honey gloss ceramide therapy hydrating shampoo
Key ingredients: Fermented honey, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, salicylic acid, fruit and vegetable extracts (orange, lemon, carrot), fragrance
Sulphate free: Yes
Hair type: All bar type 4B/C curls and coils (not nourishing enough) and very low porosity hair
Cruelty-free and vegan: Cruelty-free but not vegan, as contains honey
Why we love it
- Lathers well
- Smells wonderful
- Doesn't leave hair brittle
Take note
- Packaging isn't entirely travel-friendly
For starters, this shampoo has one of most ingredients-packed formulas I’ve come across – and it’s not just stuffed full of preservatives. On the contrary, you’ll find salicylic acid to exfoliate the scalp (and encourage healthy hair growth) and the brand’s hero component: fermented Mirsalehi (the name of the Dutch owners’ bee garden) honey.
According to the brand, the fermentation of the honey prompts probiotic production which, in turn, ensures a healthy, balanced scalp. The term balanced scalp can sound wishy washy, but it describes a scalp free from irritation, dryness and greasiness. Perfectly hydrated, neither parched nor over saturated. We’ve all been there when our freshly washed hair appears oily from the offset and, likewise, when washing it more often results in further scalp sebum and build-up. In theory, this is the gripe that Gisou’s honey complex sets out to right.
The formula’s texture is, appropriately, akin to Manuka honey (translucent but not transparent) and has a gorgeous soapy suncream-like smell, much like the rest of the brand’s line-up. It lathers up well with warm water and was easy to rinse, leaving everything from my roots to ends feeling cleansed without stripping.
As I blow-dried my hair with every use, I can’t speak to the formula’s suitability as a sulphate-free shampoo for curly hair (even when air-dried, my hair has only a whisper of a wave). However, having used plenty of shampoos with sulphates in my time, I’ve become accustomed to the appearance of breakage along my mid-lengths afterwards and, I’m pleased to report, I didn’t see that here. Personally, I can’t say I saw reversed damage on two thirds of my hair, but I did enjoy how the formula balanced hydration and weightlessness, leaving my roots looking lofty and refreshed.
And, circling back to the issue of over-shampooing, I found that my hair lasted at least 48 hours before I needed a spritz of dry shampoo and, even then, I could probably go another day before washing.
Buy now £25.00, Gisou.com
Gisou honey gloss ceramide therapy hydrating conditioner
Key ingredients: Fermented honey, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, silk amino acids, coconut oil, shea butter, argan oil, lactic acid, protein (creatine), fruit and vegetable extracts (carrot, grape oil), fragrance
Silicone-free: Yes
Hair type: All bar very fine hair
Cruelty-free and vegan: Cruelty-free but not vegan, as contains honey
Why we love it
- Leaves hair hydrated without weight
- Scent lasts in hair
- 200ml bottle (vs 250ml shampoo) designed to finish at same time as your shampoo
Take note
- Cap/dispenser on base of packaging can be messy on surfaces
If you ask me, the Gisou honey gloss conditioner is the MVP of this duo. As someone with fine strands and medium thickness hair, I often struggle with conditioners that weigh down my mid-lengths, leaving me with zero movability and locks as flat as a pancake. Thanks to Gisou’s blend of proteins, shea butter, hyaluronic acid and argan oil, I saw my hair dreams realised with all-day bounce, long-lasting texture (using a round brush) and plenty of volume throughout.
Read more: This shampoo and conditioner start at £3.33 a bottle - here’s why they’re my favourite
As with the shampoo, the conditioner smelt brilliantly clean and, given that I left it to sit for five minutes before rinsing, it stayed that way for hours after drying. If you do happen to combine it with the brand’s honey-infused hair perfume (£34, Sephora.co.uk), people will definitely be able to smell you before they see you – in the best way possible.
Having tested over two and a half weeks, I shampooed and conditioned my hair around nine times. Because the conditioner features zero heavy silicones, I saw no build-up as those wash days stacked up and, rather, my hair seemed to get softer and stronger over the testing period. I don’t have a single criticism to give the formula, it’s really that good. My one bit of feedback? Both the shampoo and conditioner bottles feature twist-open dispensers. This means that excess formula ends up on the outside of the cap as you slide it closed and, in the case of the conditioner (as it stands on its lid), that the excess smears across your bathroom shelf. Though, from an aesthetics POV, I’m admittedly a fan of the honey dipper lids.
Buy now £25.00, Gisou.com
The verdict: Gisou honey gloss ceramide therapy hydrating shampoo and conditioner
It’s rare that I come across products that impress me as much as these but, I have to say, Gisou has knocked it out of the park with the formulas for its latest honey gloss ceramide shampoo and conditioner. While the shampoo ensures a thorough clean from root to tip without dryness or excess moisture, the conditioner provides the perfect amount of hydration and nourishment, lending itself to long-lasting, voluminous styling. The twist-open caps could do with a bit of a tweak but, aside from that, I’m firmly in camp honey haircare.
