Made for dry, porous, moisture-deprived hair.

It is an everyday retail shampoo that works for anyone with that hair concern, whatever the length. People with fine or oily hair, or an oily scalp, will usually get on better with a lighter or clarifying shampoo, since this one is built around oil.

Most moisturizing shampoos lean on conditioning polymers or humectants and leave the oil for a leave-in later. Oil Renew puts the oil into the shampoo: Biolage's micro-oil particles of soybean oil are carried in the lather, which the brand says makes it the highest concentration of oil in a shampoo. For hair that is porous and quick to lose moisture, that means the first step of the routine is already putting oil back rather than only cleaning.

It is also silicone-free, so the softness comes from the oil and conditioning agents rather than a silicone film.

Apply to wet hair with a massaging motion.

Lather, then rinse.

Follow with Biolage Advanced Oil Renew Conditioner for best results.

Pros:

• The oil is part of the wash itself, as micro-oil particles, rather than a separate step afterwards
• Silicone-free, so there is no silicone coating to build up
• Made to work with Oil Renew Conditioner and Multi-Tasking Oil-In-Cream, where Biolage reports reduced porosity after one use

Cons:

• Uses Sodium Laureth Sulfate, so it is not a sulfate-free shampoo
• Contains fragrance and fragrance allergens such as linalool, limonene and coumarin, which some sensitive scalps react to
• An oil-rich cleanse can feel heavy on fine or oily hair
• The strongest results Biolage quotes are for the full three-product system, not the shampoo alone