C3 Head Wash Review: Does It Live Up To The Hype?

If you’ve stumbled upon C3 Head Wash in an article about the best head wash products, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

Every bald man and his dog recommends it, so I thought I’d see if it lived up to the hype.

C3 created this product as an alternative to regular cosmetic shampoos, which are generally not great for a bald head. They claim that it hydrates your head while maintaining the natural balance of the oils in your scalp.

As someone who has been shaving his head for almost 20 years, this is the product I didn’t know I needed. I knew that bald guys still need to use shampoo for scalp care, but I just used whichever shampoo my wife or kids had in the shower at the time. 

Then I’d reach for the moisturizer as soon as I was done. Essentially, I’ve been dehydrating my bald head with harsh chemicals and then relying on moisturizer to rehydrate my scalp.

Feels counterproductive, right?

So, here are my honest thoughts having tested C3 Head Wash:

Read on for the in-depth review, including pros & cons, and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Does it work?

Simply put, what I like most about this product is that it does what it claims to do. I get a great clean, without my scalp feeling dry or flaking afterward. 

Pros

Scalp health

The main reason to love C3 is that it’s simply good for your scalp. 

Ingredients include Myristamidopropyl PG-dimonium Chloride Phosphate – a mild skin conditioner that helps to balance the oils on the skin’s surface.

This keeps my scalp soft and smooth without causing dryness or irritation.

Paraben-free

This ingredient is also antimicrobial, which keeps the product preserved without the need for additional chemical preservatives.

Most shampoos use parabens to stop mold and bacteria growth, but with health concerns and environmental risks surrounding parabens, many cosmetic manufacturers are now finding alternatives. 

Parabens have been linked to some worrying health conditions, especially in women, but also harm the environment when they are disposed of via our shower drains. 

As someone who is environmentally conscious, it’s reassuring to know that C3 has left these harmful chemicals out of their bottles. 

Hydration

The website says your scalp will feel hydrated, and while I wouldn’t go that far, it certainly doesn’t give me that same horrible dry feeling that regular soap or shampoo does. 

From researching C3 as a company, I found out that this is because most shampoos contain sulfates. These act as foaming agents to create the lather that reassures us that the product is giving us a thorough clean. 

In reality, it’s unnecessary. C3 lathers slightly thanks to an ingredient called PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, a plant-based emulsifier derived from coconuts. This gives a slight foaming effect but nothing like the science experiment/foam party-style reaction that you’d expect from your regular shampoo. 

The trade-off for the lack of lather is the absence of sulfates, which also dry your scalp. I’ve previously used whatever shampoo my wife has bought and left in the shower, including the kids’ shampoo (which is usually better than hers as they’re formulated for sensitive skin/scalps). 

With those products, I couldn’t wait to dry off and reach for the moisturizer, as they had a major dehydrating effect on my scalp. After using them, my bald head absorbed the lotion like a sponge, showing how badly they had stripped my scalp of its natural moisture.

This wasn’t the case at all with C3. Instead of nasty sulfates, they use propanediol, which is derived from corn sugar. This ingredient helps balance the skin’s pH and moisturizes the skin.

This is what sets C3 apart from regular shampoos. The fact that no dehydration occurred is a massive plus. After rinsing, my head felt clean without being stripped completely of the important natural oils that keep my scalp healthy. 

The excess buildup was gone, but the head wasn’t left feeling dehydrated. I toweled off and added moisturizer as always, but this time it was because it was part of my daily scalp care routine, rather than feeling like I needed to moisturize because my scalp was about to flake off. 

Value for money

The bottle suggests six pumps but honestly, I’ve been using three. This is easily enough to thoroughly clean my head and face, with the bonus that the bottle will last twice as long. 

Well-made

The branding is very cool, and the bottle is well-made with a pump action dispenser that, unlike some, doesn’t feel like it will break after a week or two. 

Cons

Taste!

Okay, so you’re not supposed to drink it.

But as C3 is also a face wash you can’t really help getting it on your lips, and when that happens you’ll know about it!

The taste is bitter and the first time I used it I had to rinse my mouth with shower water to get rid of it. Not a huge deal, but safe to say I won’t make that mistake again!

International availability

If you’re a US customer, C3 Head Wash offers good value for money, especially as you only really need to use half the recommended amount. 

However, being based in the UK, the product is available on Amazon but for almost double the price to buy in the US. 

This is a real shame, as C3 would no doubt be really popular over here. We have our fair share of baldies, and many of us take scalp maintenance seriously. 

Sadly, we’re priced out of what is essentially a US-only product. I reached out to C3 to check whether they planned to set up distribution in the UK and their representative Melissa was kind enough to get back to me.

Melissa said: “It’s something we are aware of and working to remedy.

“While we would love to already be up and running with distribution in the UK, it is a complex endeavor and it’s taking quite a long time to sort out the logistics.”

The verdict

If you’re in the US, C3 Head Wash is, without doubt, the best option I’ve found to clean your bald head. 

The product works exactly as intended, leaving my head really clean and free of excess dirt, sweat, and buildup, without stripping away all the natural oils from my scalp. 

It’s clear that C3 designed this product with two objectives in mind: to look after your scalp and the planet at the same time. 

The lack of sulfates is noticeable compared to regular shampoos, and it’s great to know that you’re using a product that doesn’t add harmful parabens and other chemicals. 

The only sticking point for me (and most people in the UK, I imagine) is the price. Paying over £37 to have the product shipped to the UK just isn’t practical. If you’re in the US, you can buy it for $19 with free delivery on Amazon. 

So while I won’t be ordering another bottle until C3 can find a way to improve UK distribution, I’d recommend this to anyone in the US as it’s a genuinely excellent shampoo alternative from a company that really seems to care what goes into their products. 

Remember, while C3 Head Wash is a great choice for baldies, always check the ingredients in case you’re allergic, and do a patch test with any new product to make sure it agrees with your skin. If you need some alternatives, check out this guide to the best shampoos and head washes for bald men. 

Was there anything else you wanted to know about C3 Head Wash that I missed from this review? Let me know in the comments below.

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