Product Review: Art-Noise Japanese Hair Salon's SHA Base Care Shampoo and Treatment

Thanks to the folks at Beauty Undercover, I got a treatment done at Art-Noise Japanese Hair Salon (Holland Village) last November and got a glimpse of healthy hair after a long time of seeing straw on my head :P The friendly stylists at Art-Noise sent me home with a bottle of their specially formulated SHA shampoo and treatment so I could better test the product with continued use. 

The shampoo and treatment come in a very simple and pretty package. Just as I would expect from the Japanese! 

A close-up shot of the shampoo. 

I don't read Japanese, but here's a picture for those of you who can! 

For the rest of us who don't understand Japanese, here's more information:

SHA Base Care Shampoo ($65)

Benefits for scalp:

• Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, a degreasing, emulsifier and foaming agent used in many hair and cleaning products. The salon shared that this ingredient is used to help clarify and wash the scalp more completely.
• Glucosyl Hesperidin, a flavonoid compound known to stimulate blood circulation. The salon included this in their shampoo formula to increase the scalp's blood circulation.
• 9 kinds of herbal extracts (including licorice and chamomile), which the salon included to moisturize the scalp, suppress dandruff and reduce scalp irritation.

Benefits for hair:

Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, a plant-derived ingredient that is said to help repair skin and hair, while also functioning as an emulsifier in cosmetic formulas (to keep unlike substances from separating; e.g. oil and water).

Polyquaternium-61, a newly innovated chemical that is said to retain 3.5x water than hyaluronic acid, keeping the hair moisturised and allowing hair colours to remain vibrant for longer periods of time.

Customers who had tried the product for a month reportedly saw healthier and more voluminous hair. With my badly damaged hair (from countless rounds of salon and home colouring sessions), I couldn't wait to try it!

A close-up shot of the treatment.

Again, don't understand Japanese, but some of you may!

More information about this treatment product:

SHA Base Care Treatment ($65)

Benefits for scalp:

• Capryloyl Glycine, an ingredient that restrains bacterium and controls sebum secretion. The salon also shared that this was included to help suppress dandruff and speed up hair growth.
• Aloe Vera, to help soothe the scalp.
• 9 kinds of herbal extracts (including licorice and chamomile), to moisturize the scalp, suppress dandruff and reduce scalp irritation

Benefits for hair:

Hydrolysed Keratin, a common cosmetic ingredient, with studies showing significant increases in skin elasticity and hydration after topical application of the ingredient. The salon shared that this was included to help make thin hair more bouncy.

Hydrolysed Collagen, a form of collagen. When used topically, it acts as a texture conditioner and moisturiser. The salon included this product to make coarse hair softer.

Hydroxypropyl Chitosan, a derivative of chitosan. Chitosan (a cellulose-like biopolymer found mainly in the exoskeleton of marine animals, e.g. crabs, shrimps) forms a clear, elastic film on hair, increasing its softness and mechanical strength. Art-Noise shared that this was included to accelerate regeneration of the hair cuticle, and is supposed to make hair stronger and shinier over time.

 Phew~ I did quite a bit of googling and researching to understand the different ingredients in the shampoo and treatment products.

Now on to actual usage!

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Just a tiny bit of shampoo (about the size of a 50-cent coin) is enough for one wash. 

Not too different from the usual shampoo texture, this SHA shampoo has a neutral smell and foams up quick! There's hardly any resistance whenever I apply the shampoo to my hair (I'm talking about the sort of resistance that I sometimes feel when using other shampoos that don't seem to lather unless I shampoo a second time).

Again, a tiny bit of product goes a long way with the SHA treatment. I used this much treatment product each time (about the size of a 50-cent coin) to condition my hair after shampooing. 

The treatment product feels rich and has a thick, heavy texture, with a somewhat nutty smell. Leave it in for about 10 minutes, wash it off, and the hair feels smooth and conditioned!

On days when I find my hair somewhat dry after wash, I apply a tiny bit of SHA treatment to my hair after towelling dry, and blow-dry my hair after. This makes my hair quite silky and soft for the rest of the day (Yukie's genius tip!). 

Be careful not to apply too much as the heavy texture of the treatment will weigh your hair down and make it look oily (I know this because I made that mistake :P). 

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I've been using the SHA Base Care shampoo and treatment for slightly over a month now. I think one bottle of each has enough product to last you for more than 2 months - I still have plenty of product left after using it everyday. 

Do I see a marked difference between using the SHA line and other hair products I've tried? Unfortunately, not really. To be fair, I had a Brazilian Blowout treatment done just before I had the chance to start using this shampoo and treatment, and was told that the keratin layer from my brazilian blowout treatment would seal my hair cuticles and make it hard for other chemicals to penetrate. Which could be why I didn't see a marked difference after a month of using these two products.

Also, eczema runs in my family and I may have scalp psoriasis and not dandruff. I guess the SHA line may be more suitable for those with mild cases of dandruff and itchy scalp.

Will I be purchasing the shampoo and treatment again after finishing my current bottles? Probably not. Although the treatment does leave my hair feeling smoother than it normally is, the shampoo and treatment's purported effects of moisturising scalp, suppressing dandruff and reducing itchiness did not apply to me. I also don't quite know how to appreciate the treatment's nutty smell.

SHA Base Care Shampoo & Treatment

Pros:

• A little bit of product goes a long way
• Shampoo foams up very quickly (for those who love lather!)
• Treatment leaves hair soft and smooth
• A tiny bit of treatment can be left in hair for a more lasting effect throughout the day

Cons:

• A little pricey ($65 a bottle)
• Treatment has a somewhat nutty, artificial smell
• Purported effects don't seem to be obvious on very badly damaged hair

It may not have worked for me, but that might be because my hair is really too damaged. Or special :P

The SHA Base Care Shampoo and Treatment are used in all of Art-Noise's hair services. If you're curious about the SHA line and would like to give it a try, consider popping by the salon to give any of their treatments a go and decide for yourself! The SHA line can also be purchased directly from the salon (though they don't always have them in stock, so do check!).

Hair Treatment at Art-Noise Japanese Hair Salon (Holland Village)

Famous hair salon Art-Noise from Ikebukuro in Tokyo, Japan has finally set up shop in Holland Village! Right before my exciting colouring session, I had the privilege of visiting Art-Noise with Beauty Undercover, to get their famous SHA treatment products for my horrendous hair.

Art-Noise's in-house treatment, SHA, is specially formulated to replenish essential amino acids and moisture within the hair and scalp. SHA uses a mixture of plant extract and active ingredients to clear the scalp of excessive oil and impurities, suppress dandruff and lock in more water for healthier looking hair. 

I love how the salon has laminated signs on their tables to better explain the SHA treatment procedure and effects.

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SHA Base Care Treatment

Care for Scalp

* treatment moisturises and softens scalp

* contains Capryloyl Glycine (for hair growth)

* ingredient suppresses dandruff, sebum secretion and reductase (the cause of hair loss)

* contains organic Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice for better scalp condition

* 9 types of herbal extracts that moisturise hair and scalp, suppress itch, tighten scalp and reduce inflammation

Care for Damaged Hair

* without using silicons, 4 types of natural oils are included to moisturise hair

* for hard texture hair, Hydrolysed Collagen's moisturising effect gives softness

* for thin hair, Hydrolysed Keratin gives bounciness

* for damaged hair, Hydroxipropyl Chitosan accelerates the regeneration of the hair cuticle, making hair stronger and shinier

* by using Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, the treatment better penetrates inside the hair with a short processing time and coats the hair surface

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 So here's the customary shot of my Before hair. Gross as usual.

Very comfortable and luxurious seats. Always a plus.

Because Yukie was appalled at my hair condition (can't blame her, I wake up every morning with the same scare when I look at myself in the mirror), she offered to give me a quick trim and a hair wash+treatment to start me off on my SHA treatment journey. 

Right after the cut, Yukie starts off the treatment process with a hair wash, using the SHA shampoo. But this isn't just any other hair wash, it's a hair wash using carbonated water to wash away the build up of dirt and other nasties that accumulate on our hair shaft.

 Then it's on to a pampering head massage to encourage blood circulation of the scalp. I love scalp massages!

After 10 minutes or so of letting the treatment work its magic on my hair, it's wash-off time and on to blow dry to see the results.

An interesting note: Yukie applied a tiny bit of SHA treatment (about the size of a 20 cent coin) on my hair right after washing the shampoo+treatment off, saying that leaving a tiny bit of the treatment in the hair is an option if I prefer to give my hair that tiny bit of extra moisture. Just apply a little bit and blow dry!

Blow dry done. Doesn't the hair look much better already?

So much better!

Happy me with pretty Yukie, the skilful hairstylist.

My afterthoughts:

Experience at Art-Noise Japanese Hair Salon (Holland Village): 9/10

True to their reputation, Japanese hair stylists are exceedingly careful and focus a lot on hair health. Yukie was no exception, and I felt like my hair was in really good hands! Friendly and polite, the stylists at Art-Noise definitely won't make you feel out of place or awkward.

SHA Treatment: 8/10

The treatment definitely made my hair super smooth and soft. Unfortunately, like the last treatment I did, the effects didn't last past the next hair wash at home. My hair's extremely damaged from all the processing I've put it through the past year, so my hair cuticles no longer retain moisture well. My hair needs extreme SOS.

The SHA Shampoo and Base Care Treatment is extensively used in all of Art-Noise's hair services (e.g. perm/rebonding/head spa) and those interested in using SHA products can purchase them from Art-Noise directly. They're not always in stock though, so do call to check if they're available!

The good folks at Art-Noise also sent me home with a bottle of the SHA shampoo and treatment so I can better see the results with continued use. 

Another review on the SHA shampoo and treatment up in a few weeks!