Playa is a clean hair care brand made in the U.S. that launched in 2017 (and is now sold in Sephora!) Their philosophy is based around minimalistic no-fuss haircare hence only having 5 products in their line. They even have their own recycling program where they’ll send you a prepaid mailing label for your empty Playa products to send back for recycling.

Specs:

Size: 1.35 fl oz/40mL
Scent: “sophisticated take on 'beachy' with notes of black coconut, orange blossom, fresh sandalwood, and pacific musk.” -from their website
Packaging: Frosted glass with dropper
SLS, paraben, and silicone free
Cruelty Free
Texture: Dry Oil

Claims:

This weightless blend of natural oils penetrates deeply to radically transform your hair and impart shine. The silicone-free formula repairs damaged strands, infuses moisture, tames frizz and protects from UV damage.

Ingredients:

Derived Coconut Oil Base of (Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate), *Undecane, *Tridecane, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Fragrance.

Performance:

Let me tell you first about the packaging. It’s gorgeous. But I have an issue with it because within a month of use, the cap cracked and the dropper also became flawed somehow. When I go to press the cap to gather product, I only get 1/4 of the dropper full, and when I press the button to disperse, not all of it gets dispensed. Instead there’s a little bit of the product that I feel like gets trapped and won’t come out until you pump it a few times. I’m not sure if it’s the cap, or the dropper, or a vacuum problem!

Okay, actual product. The scent of this is beachy-floral-y and definitely disctinct to Playa products. The scent lingers for awhile, which I don’t mind because I like the scent and not too strong. This hair oil feels like a a dry oil, not greasy and surprisingly doesn’t weigh my hair down. I apply a half dropper-full worth to damp hair mid-shaft down before blow drying and it leaves my hair even smoother and softer than it would’ve been without it. And the best part is that it still feels clean as long as you don’t go too overboard with it. I also love that this is silicone free because not many hair products are. Usually brands will include silicones to purposely to trick you into thinking your hair is smoother when in actuality it’s just silicones coating your hair. But not Playa! A big plus is also that the oils included in here (kukui+apricot+sunflower) penetrates the hair to moisturize hair shafts from the inside out and provides protection from UV damage (so your hair doesn’t fry in that oil!). Very innovative imo! And I appreciate these little details a lot perhaps because I barely do anything with my hair. I definitely don’t care for my hair nearly as much as I do with my skin.

And when you’re done using any of these Playa products, Playa has a program where they will send you a prepaid mailing label so you can send these back for recycling. Definitely a very thoughtful gesture considering this brand is called Playa and is a clean hair care brand.

If you want to know about the conditioner+shampoo duo, here’s my review here.

Verdict:

Yes! $38 is a bit hefty but I really think a little goes a long way, and that’s saying a lot because I have A LOT of thick hair. This product is just such a joy to use every single time and I haven’t found another product like it that doesn’t leave my hair feeling heavy/greasy. I would snag this when it goes on sale and grab a couple! I just wish that for the price, Playa would upgrade the packaging (and possibly give a little more! 50mL at least? Pls?).

Save Some $:

The max discount I’ve seen on their website is a 20% off deal during Black Friday sale. But since they’re sold on Amazon/Sephora/NET-A-PORTER/REVOLVE, keep an eye out for deals on those retailers. Of course, I’ll update this post if I find something similar and more affordable. But as of right now, this is extraordinary in my book.

*All opinions are my own! Like always whether I include this disclaimer on the bottom of my reviews or not.

Playa Ritual Hair Oil-Retail $38