ORS Hair Care UK.

Who ORS is for

ORS, short for Organic Root Stimulator, is one of the long-standing names in Black and textured hair care. The range is built around olive oil, and it covers natural curls, relaxed hair, locs and children's hair, which is unusual for a single brand. Prices sit in the everyday bracket rather than the salon one, and the bottles are large, so it tends to be what people buy when they have a lot of hair to get through.

The sub-ranges, and what each one is for

Olive Oil is the original line and the most familiar: the Creme Hair Dress, the Replenishing Conditioner in the big 33.8 oz bottle, the Nourishing Sheen Spray and the Moisturising Hair Lotion with castor oil. This is the everyday maintenance end of the brand and it suits relaxed and natural hair alike.

Curlshow is the definition line, made for wash and gos and twist outs. Curl Style Milk for softening, Curl Creator as an elongating jelly, Curl Style Mousse for volume and the Leave-In Conditioner Gel where you want hold and slip in one step. Max Moisture is the hydration line, running from a sulphate-free shampoo through a deep treatment conditioner to a leave-in, a daily curl creme and a styling lotion.

HAIRepair covers scalp and heat: the Scalp Rescuing Detox Masque and Renew Concentrate for a scalp that feels tight and itchy, Vital Oils, the Intense Moisture Creme and the Silkening Serum Thermal Protector. HAIRestore is where the Hair Mayonnaise lives, still one of the better value strengthening treatments for hair that has been over-processed. The Girls line covers children, with a scalp lotion and a gentler edge gel.

Building a routine from the range

A straightforward ORS wash day looks like this. Cleanse with Max Moisture Sulfate-Free Shampoo, then Max Moisture Deep Treatment Conditioner under a cap for twenty minutes. On damp hair, Max Moisture Leave-In Conditioner, then Curlshow Curl Creator or Olive Oil Curl Clumping Gel depending on how much hold you want. Seal the ends with Vital Oils. Between washes, the Nourishing Sheen Spray revives dull hair and the Moisturising Hair Lotion goes on the ends.

Why the range works in British conditions

Hard water through London and the south-east coats the strand with minerals, which is why so many people here find their hair feels rough despite conditioning constantly. The HAIRepair Scalp Rescuing Detox Masque is useful as a periodic reset, and the sulphate-free shampoo is gentle enough to use frequently in between.

For weather, the Curlshow gels and jellies hold up when summer humidity climbs to 75 to 90 percent and looser definition drops out. From October, when central heating takes indoor air down to around 30 percent humidity, the heavier Olive Oil creams and the Hair Mayonnaise are the better call.