Confirmed: The Secret to Expensive-Looking, Glossy Winter Hair Is This Unsung Shower Step

I’ll be honest: There’s not much I won’t try in the pursuit of glossy hair. Hydrating hair masks, temporary in-shower glazes, and a trove of serums and oils are in constant rotation to maintain the shine and softness of my mane. But while it’s helpful to treat your strands with ultra-hydrating products for that healthy sheen, the one thing most shoppers overlook is where those shiny locks are growing from—and that, my friend, would be your scalp.

Our scalps can be scary terrains in winter due to a buildup of dandruff (which is very common and happens to almost everyone!). Dandruff, or the white flaky bits that litter your roots like snow, is a natural occurrence when your scalp is irritated by dry weather, agitating products (temporary hair dye is a common offender), or skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Many people deal with these pesky flakes every once in a while, which is why beauty editors always keep dandruff shampoo stocked in their showers—even if they don’t openly advertise it. But after testing a new shampoo-and-conditioner duo from Briogeo that treated my scalp like skincare and blasted dandruff into oblivion, I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops.

The Products

Briogeo is the culprit behind so many of Who What Wear’s favorite haircare products, from growth serums to slick-back wax sticks. (No, really, the Brioego Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick won a WWW Beauty Award in 2025.) But as someone with eczema, these newest additions to the Briogeo lineup have become winter necessities that I wish I had access to years ago.

This shampoo is infused with exfoliating salicylic acid and detoxifying charcoal, which includes a combination of AHA and BHAs to cleanse and calm the scalp chemically rather than physically. Salt, sugar, and beads are physical exfoliants often found in other dandruff shampoos, which are great for sloughing dead skin, but can ultimately aggravate dry scalps if used too frequently. Think of this shampoo like a milky toner or mild chemical peel for your scalp: it’s gentle on dry, irritated skin, sweeps away flakes for better penetration, and hydrates your strands for calmer, healthier, and altogether shinier hair.

You may recognize its hero ingredient, salicylic acid, from the acne aisle (it’s in so many products for acne-prone skin), but this shampoo and conditioner set exemplifies why it’s also a game-changer for your scalp. “Because salicylic acid is a keratolytic agent, meaning it exfoliates dead skin cells by breaking cell-to-cell adhesion, it can remove scaly, flaky skin and thus improve the appearance of dandruff," board-certified dermatologist Rachel Westbay, MD, FAAD, previously told WWW.

But this formula doesn’t stop there. In addition to its skin-clearing and scalp de-gunking benefits, the shampoo is enhanced with sodium PCA, which penetrates the dermis and deeply hydrates your scalp to ward off any future flakes. However, the thing that wraps it all together is the matching conditioner.

If Briogeo’s dandruff shampoo is a toner for your scalp and hair, the conditioner is a moisturizer. Think of it as the colloidal oatmeal bath that home remedy experts often recommend for eczema, because this silky formula contains exactly that (plus a nourishing elixir of coconut oil, bisabolol, and 1.8% salicylic acid).

You’ll notice that this treatment has a smaller amount of salicylic acid because the shampoo has already done the heavy lifting; this is just a final, gentle dose. (Perfect for wintertime.) The coconut oil, oatmeal, and bisabolol work together to soothe dryness and inject an extra layer of hydration into your scalp and strands. But if you arched a brow at the idea of slathering conditioner onto your scalp, I don’t blame you—it’s the only one in my entire collection that encourages you to do so.

Real Testing Results

To set the scene: I tested this shampoo for two weeks, between a frigid Chicago climate and dry, cold New York City, which meant that my scalp was especially dehydrated by the time these bottles arrived at my doorstep.

Despite my excitement to be rid of those pesky flakes, I’ll be honest—I have an overflow of shampoos and conditioners in my shower vying for a morsel of attention with each wash. It’s hard to stick to a routine when your job is to test new products, but I found myself genuinely wanting to stick to this duo because of how shiny and healthy my hair looked (and felt!) after each rinse.

Dandruff shampoos aren’t known for being the most luxurious or producing a rich lather, but this formula did just that. It was surprisingly easy to suds up my strands in the shower, and the shampoo left my hair feeling squeaky-clean. I was impressed to see a flake-free scalp after my first wash and shocked when my dandruff lessened altogether once both products were fully incorporated into my routine.

While I could wax poetic about the shampoo, the conditioner was one of the more impressive shower treatments I’ve tried in a minute. Most conditioners are formulated to be applied from mid-lengths of your strands to the ends, but this one is different. Because it's made to soothe dry scalps, you can actually use this product all over your roots—no oily or greasy results, just a hydrated and residue-free scalp. (I got bangs almost two months ago, and this is the only conditioner I've been able to use on them fearlessly.)

But that's far from where the Briogeo hair goodness ends. Keep scrolling to find more products for healthy, glossy winter hair below.

Shop Glossy Winter Hair Products