I Tried Dae’s Botanical-Powered Hair Care Line for a Week — Here’s What It Did to My Wavy, Type 2C Hair

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Hear me out: For someone who covers beauty products day in and day out, I have an incredibly simple (some might say primitive) hair care routine. Under-$20 drugstore shampoo, drugstore conditioner, the occasional texture spray, and off I go. So, when I had the chance to try out hair care bestsellers from Dae — a premium beauty brand, founded in 2020 by trained hairstylist and beauty influencer Amber Fillerup Clark, that prides itself on harnessing the powers of desert-derived botanicals — of course I was all over it.

Each time fall comes around, I notice a marked decrease in volume and an increase in frizz as far as my wavy, type 2C hair goes. And though my strands were much weaker and more limp when I was in the habit of religiously highlighting them a few years back, they still haven’t gotten back to their “virginal” state quite yet (which means I’m always intrigued by products that promise to make your locks stronger, shinier, and healthier via potent nutrients).

Would Dae’s hair care line result in just that? I set out to find out over the course of seven daes.

The first thing from Dae that I tried out at the top of the week was its Signature Shampoo and Conditioner Duo. Right off the bat, I was met with an ingredient list that didn’t joke around. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, aloe leaf juice powder, turmeric root extract, shea butter, orange peel oil, and — the star of the show — hibiscus flower extract, all make for a blend that encourages hair growth, hydrates the scalp, boosts keratin production, flaunts antimicrobial powers, and smells absolutely divine. Both the conditioner and shampoo feature notes of vanilla, orange blossom, and citrus, and I can only describe the overall scent as akin to stepping inside of a fresh salad made with just-ripe fruits.

I appreciated how quickly the Signature Shampoo lathered in my hands, as well as the pretty-in-pink appearance of the Signature Conditioner, whose consistency resembles that of a lotion — being both creamy and easy to spread over your hair, no matter how long it is. This means I didn’t have to use more than three-ish pumps of each product (a win when it comes to sustainability, which is not a shock at all, considering Dae is all about water conservation and recyclable packaging).

After using both brand top-sellers and air-drying my hair, the first thing I witnessed was just how light and bouncy it felt. My waves also looked more defined and the split ends I came into the shower with were a thing of the past. While many specialty shampoos and conditioners leave my roots greasy, this was not the case after trying Dae’s version. The indelible smell lingered — to the point of me thinking of skipping out on my perfume du jour.

Once it was fully dry, I decided to treat my hair to another Dae hit — the Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream + Taming Wand, which recently secured a coveted spot on WWD’s Greatest Hair Products of All Time list. This hair essential is so buzzy right now, it has managed to inspire no shortage of dupes on Amazon (so be sure to verify that you are, indeed, buying from the Dae brand). How special can a styling cream really be? I thought to myself as I unboxed it, but it’s safe to say this tiny-yet-mighty item exceeded all expectations.

Equipped with a wand unlike the one you use each time you put on your mascara, the cream works to add polish, coerce flyaways into compliance, and smooth away frizz on the go. Indeed, it’s small and lightweight enough to store in your go-to designer clutch, while being something you can apply without even needing the guidance of a mirror.

As someone who has struggled with baby hairs long after my baby years, I know all too well the awkwardness of stepping outside thinking your ponytail looks flawless as can be and then being proved otherwise. I trialed the Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream + Taming Wand right after a workout (the lowest of lows when it comes to frizz and flyaways, let me tell you): running the wand through the top of my hair and pulling up the teeny hairs right above my ears. This took only two minutes or so to do, and the results were pretty drastic. My updo immediately looked more put-together, there was noticeable shine throughout my entire mane, and, compared to other flyaway tamers I’ve tested in the past, nothing felt oily, stiff, or sticky.

The wand was also able to not only separate out each of my hair strands but push it up for maximum smoothing action. My hair still retained much-appreciated volume on the top after the whole endeavor, and it didn’t feel like I gave myself a “wet hair” look — which is desirable, to be sure, but in different circumstances. All of these effects lasted for hours after I used the cactus- and dragonfruit-powered product, which was the most impressive part of all.

Further on in the week, once I acquired what one might call “day-three hair,” I decided to try out the Dae Fairy Duster Dry Shampoo. I think I might’ve been biased against it from the start, since I’ve always been, historically speaking, a dry-shampoo hater. This one does things a bit differently, though, being of the non-aerosol variety and instead doling out its magic in powder form.

The amount of product that landed on my root area with one pump was jarring, so make sure to moderate how much you use and keep the bottle four to six inches away from your hair at all times (this I learned from experience). While the powder doesn’t go on clear, it dissipates into your tresses after you massage it in. The formula here is talc-free and prominently features, like the aforementioned 3-In-1 Styling Cream, prickly pear seed oil: not to mention cactus flower extract for greater hair elasticity, Mojave yucca with its scalp-balancing capabilities, and moringa leaf extract for beating back breakage.

After spritzing it on, I was able to skip wash day and defeat “skipping wash day” allegations all the while — because, after the Dae Dry Shampoo goes to work on your hair, it’s practically impossible to tell it hasn’t been cleaned. The usual oiliness I get around my roots? Gone. The flatness I was exposed to with other dry shampoos? A nonissue. The product is small enough to be TSA-friendly and is good for the planet, based on the fact that you can get as many uses out of it as four whole aerosol bottles of dry shampoo with a 4.5-ounce volume each, per Dae.

Lastly, I topped off a week of Dae testing with its Sunsetter Hairspray. The name makes it clear that this spray aims to “[set] styles until the sun comes up,” as the brand puts it, and boasts the signature, invigorating scent that punctuates all Dae bestsellers. Never one for moderation, I made the grave mistake of holding it too close to my head upon the initial application (exactly what happened with the Fairy Duster Dry Shampoo Powder), so the finish did feel a bit crunchy. I was able to remedy this right away by brushing out my hair, which de-clumped it and solved the issue right away. Other takeaways here? I noticed a significant improvement in my hair’s luster, and, stepping outside after applying the hairspray on a particularly humid day, the moisture in the air had nothing on me.

When the week of testing was over, I had no plans to stop pampering my hair with Dae. In fact, I continue to take advantage of the Signature Duo Set and am now more prone to pulling up my hair in a pony or a structured bun, thanks to the magic of the Cactus Fruit 3-In-1 Styling Cream & Taming Wand.

Who knew an Arizona-based brand rooted in the native plants of the desert could make a New York City–based beauty writer so happy?

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Meet the Author

Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly tests out and reports on TikTok-viral beauty favorites.