I’ve Tried Every Viral REHAB. Product: Here Are My 9 Picks You Shouldn’t Sleep On
Main image – Courtesy of writer
There are many adjectives you could use to describe my natural hair…‘Triangular’, for example.
‘Fluffy’ also springs to mind. As does ‘untamed’.
You see, since my teens I’ve had the kind of locks that are so dry they only respond to gallons of conditioner/serum/oils to keep them in any kind of health.
A regular highlights habit since I was 19 has done nothing to help with my hair’s overall dehydrated, damaged condition too. Which is why for the intervening (ahem) 20 years since, I’ve tried literally hundreds of haircare brands and products searching for the ones that will *actually* hydrate, repair, and tame my hair.
One brand that hadn’t made its way onto my shower shelf until it became a finalist in this year’s Live That Glow beauty awards though, was REHAB.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Founded in 2022 by best friends Vicky Ellis and Anastasia Tozer- and since backed by British celebrity Stacey Soloman– REHAB. is billed as an eco-conscious line of products that will “reinvigorate tired hair to its full glossy potential.” Just what I needed then.
But we’ve all been duped by hype before, so when the brand (very generously) sent me nearly every one of their hair and body care products- including their entire line of flagship hair oil capsules- I was sceptical whether any of it would really be able to make a dent in my hair’s condition.
After six weeks of testing though, I can happily say I’m a complete convert. My hair’s both looking and feeling silkier and more nourished, while there are a couple of body care products I’ve loved using too.
So after trying nearly every product from this brand, which ones actually made the most impact on my overall beauty routine? Below are my 9 top picks that I genuinely rate.
1. Dose 1.0 Hair Oil Capsules
My favourite products of the entire line- the serum capsules- are probably the brand’s most iconic too.
REHAB. has a total of six types of hair oil capsules in its lineup. These biodegradable pods (you just pour hot water over the empty capsule once you’re done and it dissolves), are filled with a blend of different ingredients to target different concerns (lack of shine, scalp conditioner, fine hair etc).
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a massive serum fan – my hair just drinks it up. And each of these capsules seems to give me the exact perfect amount of product to actually make an impact on my hair (no stingy portions here).
Having said that though, anyone with less needy hair than mine might feel that the quantity in each capsule is a bit too much for them – and it’s not immediately obvious how you would store any excess product once you’ve actually opened a capsule.
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I did find that a couple of capsule types were stiffer than others too, making it slightly hard to twist the tops off them.
Apart from that though, I absolutely love this concept. They’re not only relatively environmentally friendly (as there’s less plastic being used for pumps etc), but the capsules keep the product fresh if you’re not going to be using all your serum in, say, a six month period.
And Dose 1.0 Hair Oil (£26 from Boots UK /$36 from REHAB. US) in particular just seems to be the perfect weight for my fine, yet very dry, strands.
A blend of Moroccan oil, aloe vera oil, jojoba oil, and vitamins A, B5, C and E (and yes, silicones), it doesn’t give quite the same shine as the High Shine Finishing Oil (see more below) but this oil never fails to make my hair feel softer and more nourished for days after using it.
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It can be applied to both wet and dry hair, but since I’m addicted to my John Frieda Frizz Ease Leave-In Conditioner and Phillip Kingsley Frizz Fighting Gloss on freshly-washed hair, I’ve mainly been using this a. After styling, and b. The night before washing for conditioning.
It also absorbs quickly. In fact, I’ve found all of the capsules in the range have more of a dry oil texture than a silicone/serum like feel- and smells *divine*; warm, lightly floral, and sophisticated.
The result? Softer, less frizzy hair (that smells amazing).
2. Sunshine Spritz UV Protection Hair Oil
UV can actually cause more damage than heat styling (ask any dermatologist), and a long run of anaemia last year unfortunately left my already dry hair even weaker than normal.
Protecting my hair from the sun has become more of a priority to prevent further breakage then, and these sunshine-orange capsules contain octocrylene to provide UV protection, as well as baobab oil for a hit of antioxidants, and coconut and olive oils for moisture.
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With a magnolia and coconut scent, the Sunshine Spritz oil (£26 from Boots UK /$36 from REHAB. US) not only gives my hair a gorgeous shine and protects it against further UV damage, it also transports me to visions of tropical beaches with one whiff. It also tames frizzies without weighing my hair down, which is a definite bonus in hot weather.
The one downside? If you were to use these capsules for daily UV protection, it would get pricey pretty quickly since you only get 30 doses in each bottle. For holidays or summer sun shielding though I would definitely recommend them.
3. High Shine Lip Oil
To a non-hair product now and REHAB’s answer to the now ubiquitous lip oil.
While I’m not always the biggest lip oil fan- I can find them a little slippy feeling- I do love a high gloss look, and this product doesn’t disappoint.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Yes, this lip oil has a slightly wet feel it, but by god does it create a good shine. This product really is super glossy, and also leaves my mouth feeling moisturised for hours.
High Shine Lip Oil (£16 from REHAB. UK /$18 from REHAB. US) also has a creme caramel style fragrance, which I love, and comes with a cooling (and massive) doe foot applicator – both of which make this product feel like a treat to use.
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If I could change anything about this oil though, I wish it had UV protection. REHAB. does actually offer a separate SPF lip oil, but I just think that it would be great to see UV coverage as standard here – especially given what we know about lip products, UV and hyperpigmentation.
4. Dose 1.1 Fine Hair Oil
Back to the hair oils, and this time one specially formulated for fine hair types.
The product in these little blue capsules absorbs even quicker into my hair than the rest of the oils in REHAB’s collection – probably because it’s formulated with a lighter blend of macadamia, camellia and sweet almond oils.
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While the Dose 1.1 Fine Hair Oil (£26 from Boots UK /$36 from REHAB. US) was one of the batches of capsules I found most difficult to twist open, I got on really well with the product itself.
I’ve found it’s perfect on days when my hair is already feeling conditioned (for example, when I’ve just used a hair mask), and doesn’t need a ton of moisture but still needs something to tame flyaways.
Those who don’t enjoy heavier products on their hair would probably also find this a rich-enough pre-shampoo treatment.
5. Dose 2.0 High Shine Finishing Oil
And to the final of my favourite hair oils; the Dose 2.0 High Shine Finishing Oil (£26 from Boots UK /$36 from REHAB. US).
Overall, this is probably my joint favourite product with the Dose 1.0 capsules as it really does give such a beautiful shine if I’ve styled my hair straight.
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Even if not though, you’ll see in the images below how it instantly makes even my rough-dried hair look tamer without needing to use further heat.
It also smells incredible and I’ve actually received compliments on my ‘perfume’ while having this in my hair, which has definitely been a bonus.
Before (L) and after (R). Image – Courtesy of writer
Containing squalane, glycerin and grapeseed oil, these cream-coloured capsules also seem to have a similar effect to the Sunshine Spritz product in keeping frizz at bay, even when it’s humid outside. One I’ll definitely keep repurchasing.
6. Retreat Body Wash Sheets
These biodegradable body wash sheets are new to REHAB., only launching this summer. And even though I have slightly mixed feelings about them, I can see why they’re already becoming a cult product.
First up, the positives. I love that there’s almost no waste here – the outer box here is made from recyclable cardboard, while the sachets the sheets come in actually dissolve in warm water (like the hair oil capsules).
Because the individual sheet design here is basically paper thin, this body wash couldn’t be easier to pack. Whether you’re going to a festival, camping, or are just tight on carry on space, it would be difficult to see a situation in which you couldn’t fit a few of these in your bag.
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You also get a huge amount of body wash from one little sheet and the lather itself is beautiful – rich, silky and creamy; almost like a shaving foam consistency (in fact, I regularly use these to shave with). My skin almost doesn’t need a moisturiser after using, which surprised me.
Overall, for a fairly functional-looking product the Retreat Body Wash Sheets (£24 from Boots UK /$34 from REHAB. US) actually offer impressive skin results.
Now for my quibbles.
Firstly, because these sheets are designed to turn to foam on contact with water, it’s very difficult to know where to put these down in the shower since they basically turn to mush if they come into contact with any moisture.
For the same reason, you’ll need to open the actual sachet before you get into the shower since it all becomes much harder to work with when wet.
Because these come as individual square sheets too, unless you soap your entire body in one go, I’ve found you need to rip these up into smaller sections in order to have enough individual amounts of soap to wash the various sections of your body (which does require a little more maths than my average shower typically takes).
You also only get 25 in a pack, which is a little random considering most people shower every day and don’t want to have to buy product more than once a month.
You could of course split these in half and probably still get enough lather out of one sheet for two showers but you’d have to store them very far from water otherwise they start breaking down.
And finally, you do have to put some amount of work in to get a lather going from these sheets by rubbing them between your hands. While this isn’t a problem for me, this might not suit anyone with mobility issues or is used to super quick showers.
Overall- even though I have mixed feelings when it comes to their practicality for every day use- I’m actually kind of blown away by how much I love these sheets.
They’re creamy, moisturising, and weirdly fun to use if you have the time. They’re also super practical for travel, so if you’re looking for a space saving body cleanser for travel; run, don’t walk, to these.
7. Hair Tamer
This tiny, mascara wand type hair product was another big winner for me.
Designed to tame baby hair and flyaways and to perfect a slick bun, I tried this product in a very hot, very humid Spanish summer where my hair was going full medusa on a daily basis.
And I can honestly say this instantly tames even my own very stubborn frizz halo. If you apply enough product, not one flyaway will be left standing – and it also stays it like that all day.
Hair Tamer (£20 from Boots UK /$28 from REHAB. US) doesn’t leave strands looking or feeling at all greasy (this was my concern), but it does take about 20 minutes to fully dry down and can leave hair looking a little damp looking in the meantime.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Perfect for keeping in my handbag for any unexpected humidity-based disasters, I really love the packaging here. The tube is dainty enough to be travel-friendly, but the wand is long enough and bristly enough to have an impact on hair.
Fellow frizzy hair girlies rejoice – help is finally at hand.
8. Essential Dry Shampoo
I should preface this section by saying that I’m not a major dry shampoo user, as I find my very dry hair doesn’t often get greasy between washes.
When I do use one though, I’m shamefully more of an aerosol user, simply for ease of use. Which is why I was surprised at how much I loved this one.
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It’s still easy to use- you just shake the bottle and then squeeze the tube to let a small puff of dry shampoo shoot out- but without the same level of environmental damage.
Essential Dry Shampoo (£24 from Boots UK /$34 from REHAB. US) is also very effective. The brand says to leave this for a few minutes before working it into your roots, which I’ve found not only gets rid of any look or feel of grease but also means absolutely zero white residue.
Meanwhile, this dry shampoo still offers an impressive amount of volume, like its aerosol cousins.
9. Vital Hair Brush
And finally, my favourite of REHAB’s tools – its biodegradable flexible brush.
While I’m a huge fan of my Altesse Studio boar bristle brush, which has been slowly nursing my fragile hair back to life for the past four months (boar bristles help to redistribute oils from your scalp through your ends for a daily hit of moisture), it’s not a brush I’d use for blowdrying.
Instead, I’ve found REHAB’s Vital Hair Brush (£16 from Boots UK /$23 from REHAB. US) is perfect for helping me heat style my hair on days when I’m not using my beloved T3 Aire 360.
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Not only is it very well vented, but the brush paddle itself is flexible, which means I’m much less likely to snag my (extremely knotty) hair while drying it. This in turn has helped to dramatically cut down on the hair I’m shedding while styling.
I will say that the REHAB. logo half smudged off the brush where I’d been handling it after only a few uses though, which is probably an issue the brand should look into.
Otherwise, both for its effect, as well as for its price, I’m really impressed with this one.
The takeaway
Overall, I’m a big fan – not only of REHAB’s eco credentials but also by the sheer effectiveness of its range. Meanwhile, the prices are on the luxury end but aren’t out-of-this-world expensive either, which is great to see.
I can genuinely say that my hair looks and feels healthier for using some of the brand’s bestsellers for the last six weeks, and the 9 products above will be on my repurchase list for the foreseeable future.
If there’s one product I’d really like to see from this brand though? A reparative oil.
REHAB. has got the conditioning/nourishing oil capsules nailed, but a protein-infused version that could get to work on processed, damaged hair would be amazing too.
Let’s see what this growing brand comes up with next.
Get Glowing!
