The first time I heard of salt shampoo I immediately just assumed it was a gimmick. I mean, why on Earth would a person want to load up their scalp with granular bits of salt?? That sounds like the opposite of a luxury, in-shower experience. But, ever-curious about new beauty loot — and intrigued with the uptick in the number of salt shampoo launches — I decided to give it a go, a la Playa's California Salt Shampoo, $38. This is my experience from beginning to end (or should I say from root to end?).

Image via Imaxtree

Lest you think I'm a reckless heathen, you better believe I did my research before plopping a glop of salty shampoo onto my head. I learned that salt shampoos are meant to seriously clean and clarify the scalp, nixing excess grease and sebum, dead skin cells, and product buildup. In addition to working some serious magic on the scalp itself, it also helps clean hair which creates shine, softness, and volume.

Many products are formulated with other helpful ingredients. For example, Playa's California Salt Shampoo contains tea tree oil to further exfoliate, nourish, and restore balance. It also creates a nice tingly, refreshing sensation.

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I have really thick, long hair, so attempting to get the product on all of my hair proved a little tricky. I focused on the scalp, really massaging it in, and then ran residual product down to my ends via my fingers. It definitely took some time to work the product in because of the granular consistency, but I did feel like a got a nice, even coating of the product. I absolutely loved the tingly sensation, which felt invigorating and made the deep-cleansing experience feel more authentic.

Image courtesy of Wendy Gould

I let the shampoo set for about five minutes and then began rinsing. This is where I thought I'd experience the biggest hiccup, but this product is formulated so elegantly that it rinsed out of my hair without any issue. I also worried I'd have that dreaded "squeaky clean" feeling — a sure sign you've stripped your hair of all those nourishing, good oils — but my hair just felt clean and soft.

Another interesting observation is that I did not feel like I had to follow up with a "real" shampoo. True to its name, I felt like I actually got a good shampoo and not just a scalp scrub. I did follow up with my go-to conditioner and then rinsed again.

Image courtesy of Wendy Gould

I'll admit that I was a little nervous about how the salt would affect the texture of my hair once dry. I've tried other scrubs and alternative-ingredient shampoos and my hair often feels crunchy or sticky or weird (like I said, it's very thick and therefore very porous). Once dry, my hair honestly looked and felt and looked shiny, soft, and really healthy. It was even more noticeably shiny and soft than usual, and I relished in the lingering, ultra-clean sensation on my scalp.

Image courtesy of Wendy Gould