The hack
Hair syrup is the latest must-have viral product, and promises the softest strands of your life. But is it truly buzz-worthy – or just another marketing gimmick?
The test
Meet Hair Syrup, a hair oil that’s going viral on TikTok, formulated as a pre-wash treatment. I know what you’re thinking: that sounds familiar. That’s because it is: VO5’s hot-oil treatments in the 1980s had a similar approach.
But hair oiling has been part of Indian beauty routines for centuries, as a bonding ritual and as a way to nourish the hair and scalp. Having been brought up with this – and having seen the “trend” of hair oiling go viral without credit to its ayurvedic origins – I do have to point out the element of cultural appropriation here. Nevertheless, for this trial, I applied the syrup – which appears to be an oil with a fun name – to my dry lengths and scalp for an hour, then rinsed and shampooed it out. My hair felt softer and looked shinier, as it always does when using a mask or hair oil.
The verdict
The product is nice enough and does make your hair softer and better conditioned – so on that basis it works. But if you want to go authentic, Dabur Amla Jasmine Hair Oil, is used in the same way, is unbeatable, and smells gorgeous.
