OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair

Editor's Take

OUAI gets the salon brief right: strong foam and polished lengths, but persistent silicone and a petrochemical-heavy base leave environmental restraint off the receipt.

Four-pillar formula scores

• Performance: 7.8 / 10
• Innovative Ingredients: 6.8 / 10
• Clean Standards: 2.8 / 10
• Formula Sustainability: 2.1 / 10

The Verdict

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate provides a decisive cleanse, tempered by Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate. Amodimethicone, cationic conditioners, and Hydrolyzed Keratin give medium hair noticeable slip and surface smoothing. The trade-off is poor clean-standard alignment, prominent fragrance with disclosed allergens, and a formula burdened by persistent, poorly biodegradable materials. A credible salon-style shampoo for medium hair, not a clean or low-impact pick.

Is OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair clean?

DARE scores OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair by OUAI 2.8 / 10 on Clean Standards, the human-health pillar of the Formulation Architecture Model™. That reading comes from the published INCI list read as a system — preservative, fragrance and surfactant choices in context — not from flagging single ingredients in isolation.

What are the key ingredients in OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair?

The formula leads with Aqua (Water, Eau), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamide Mipa. DARE reads the full INCI list below in order, so position and pairing shape how each ingredient contributes under Performance and Innovative Ingredients.

How does DARE score OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair?

Under the Formulation Architecture Model™, OUAI Shampoo for Medium Hair by OUAI scores Performance 7.8 / 10, Clean Standards 2.8 / 10, Innovative Ingredients 6.8 / 10, and Formula Sustainability 2.1 / 10. Each pillar is scored from the finished formula rather than from isolated ingredient flags.

Read the Formulation Architecture Model™ →

DARE vs single-ingredient apps like Yuka →

Full INCI list

Aqua (Water, Eau), Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamide Mipa, Glycol Distearate, Parfum (Fragrance), Amodimethicone, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Citrus Japonica Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Polyquaternium-7, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Peg-150 Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate, Cetrimonium Chloride (Anti-Static Agent/Agent Antistatique), C11-15 Pareth-7, Laureth-9, Trideceth-12, Cocoglucosides Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopherol, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, CI 15985 (Yellow 6)