We all want the same things from our shampoo. No matter our hair type, texture, length, and color, we all want our hair to be healthy, feel clean, and look amazing. Right?
There are plenty of products that can achieve this goal without breaking the bank. I’ve always been a highest value for lowest dollar lady, so I’ve been curious about Kitsch Rice Water Hair Growth Rice Water Shampoo & Conditioner Bars. According to ravings from my friends and feed, they’re life-changing. Let’s see how they compare to my old reliable drugstore option, Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo.
Here we go:
The one that improves hair appearance AND health…Kitsch
I get the vibe Kitsch just wants you to have healthy, happy hair. Their secret ingredient is rice water, which I’ve seen all over social media as a miracle means to repairing damaged hair follicles, preventing split ends, and leading to growth.
There’s evidence of rice protein increasing the appearance of hair volume by 20% after just 5 washes. And while it’s teaming up with vitamins B, C and E and amino acids to strengthen hair, it’s also cleansing locks beautifully.
Dove claims to nourish, moisturize, and protect our hair when used with its coordinating conditioner. It did leave my hair feeling soft, but also flat. And it unfortunately led to buildup in my scalp and roots over time.
The lower-cost shampoo…Dove
In my region, a 12 oz bottle of Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo costs about $5, and a coordinating 12 oz bottle of the Daily Moisture Conditioner costs $5. If your priority is an unbeatable price, there you go.
Kitsch costs $14 for the shampoo bar by itself, and $38 for the conditioner bar bundle, which includes the 2 mesh bags and a scalp exfoliator. They hook you up with all you need to transition to bar shampoo! Subscribe to deliveries every 1, 2, 3, or 6 months and you save 10%. When you consider the thoughtful ingredients, sustainability, and beneficial formulas of this duo, that’s a steal.
Plus the subscription option—with free shipping, no less—means restocking is one less to-do. Time is money, babes.
The 100% clean, sustainable shampoo…Kitsch
Kitsch is free of parabens, phthalates, silicones, sulfates, & artificial fragrance. You’d certainly never miss them in the Kitsch bars! With bar hair products, there’s no need for preservatives or fillers.
It can be a new experience to wash with a soap bar, but I find it comforting that there’s no right or wrong way to do it—you can lather it in your hands or rub the bar right onto your head. Kitsch Shampoo & Conditioner Bars come with recycled plastic mesh bar bags so you can hang them in your shower and use them in the bag if you like. Tidy! Bonus points that they are Leaping Bunny certified and their products are manufactured in the USA.
As for Dove, they have removed phthalates from their plastic packaging but disclaim that some trace amounts may still be found in their products. They’re “in progress” with removing parabens and formaldehyde from their product offerings, but they don’t specify which still have them and which don’t. In the meantime they maintain that these ingredients are fiiiiiine. Well, okay then.
The one committed to reducing plastic…Kitsch
Dove bottles are made from 100% recycled material and are fully recyclable in your curbside bin. We love to see it. But Kitsch removes plastic from their product altogether.
Kitsch bars come in cardboard boxes, and they are a 4ocean Certified Cleanup Partner. For every shampoo or conditioner bar you purchase, 4ocean pulls the equivalent of one shampoo bottle’s worth of plastic from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines.
Verdict: I’m sticking with Kitsch
Kitsch is everywhere: my FYP, my friends’ showers, Ulta, Sephora, Sally’s CVS, Urban Outfitters…everywhere. Now that I’ve tried it, I see why (and pro-tip: they have tons of other bars for almost every hair and skin type). I love how my hair looks and feels with this rice-water-fortified cleanse, and I’m obsessed with the mindful details baked into this brand.
