Review: LUSH Big Shampoo

One of LUSH’s most popular potted hair products, Big is a volumising shampoo designed to give you divine, mermaid hair whilst adding body and shine.

The main ingredients in Big consist of Coarse Sea Salt, Lime Juice, Lemon Infusion and Toothed Wrack Seaweed. Big is usually referred to as the ‘sea salt shampoo’ as it makes up the vast majority of the product, with sea salt increasing volume in the hair, whilst deeply cleansing and exfoliating the scalp. Toothed wrack seaweed contains large amounts of vitamins and minerals which strengthen the hair, whilst the citrus infusions and juices boost shine.

Big also contains hints of Neroli oil, Orange Flower absolute and vanilla absolute, which combine together to create quite a light, perfumed Neroli scent. It is nowhere near as heavy as Orange Blossom or Happy Happy Joy Joy, but has a pleasant floral lift to it which makes it one of my favourite ever LUSH scents.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well Big lathers, even when using such a small amount of product. I mistakenly used a whole small sample pot at once the first time I tried Big, which resulted in a LOT of excess suds.

I now find I can get three uses out of a small sample pot as the amount you really need to use is minimal, taking me two whole months to use up a 100g tub. I have newly ordered a 330g tub, which I am expecting to get around six months use out of.

After my first few uses I was absolutely smitten with Big. My hair smelled incredible, with the delicate scent clinging to it for hours, and the beachy waves it created perfectly mimicked the effects of going for a swim in the sea.

I loved how it lifted my roots and gave them fabulous volume, whilst treating my scalp to a good scrub with the chunky salt crystals.

However, a problem I found the longer I used Big shampoo is that it leaves my hair almost too clean. Every wash seems to strip my hair completely of its natural oils, and whilst this gives my hair great volume and beachy waves, it dries it out like crazy! This isn’t exactly ideal as I have such thick hair anyway that tends to lean towards the drier side.

I have also noticed that I can only go one day between hair washes when I use Big, as the intense cleansing results in my scalp over-producing natural oils to replenish my hair, leaving me with oily roots only the next day.

Finally, AVOID THIS SHAMPOO IF YOU HAVE COLOURED HAIR. I cannot stress that enough. The combination of sea salt and lemon juice in Big actually managed to strip my hair of Caca Rouge Henna, which is almost impossible to remove. I dread to think of the effect it would have on other types of dye.

To conclude, I think my hair might be a little too thick for regular use with Big. I think the ideal hair type for Big shampoo would be fine to normal hair which leans on the oily side. I think the sea salt would be perfect for neutralising excess oils, whilst the volumising effect is perfect for thickening and adding lift to fine hair.

Have you tried this volumising, sea salt shampoo yet?