Is Osmo Any Good? A UK Salon's Honest Review
Thomas StrangwoodIf you've been looking at Osmo products and wondering whether they're worth it, you're in exactly the right place. We use the entire Osmo Backwash range at Revive Hair Artists in Codsall, so this isn't a review based on a sample or a quick trial — it's based on daily professional use across a full range of clients and hair types.
Short version: Osmo is genuinely excellent, and significantly underrated given how good the products actually are. Here's our honest take.
What is Osmo?
Osmo is a British professional haircare and styling brand that's been around for over two decades. Unlike a lot of professional brands, Osmo is entirely developed and manufactured in the UK, which gives them a lot of control over quality. They make everything from shampoos and treatments to styling waxes, pastes and finishing products.
They're not as high-profile in the UK consumer market as brands like Moroccanoil or Olaplex, but within the professional trade they're extremely well-regarded. The price point is honest — you're paying for professional-grade formulas without a premium brand markup — and the results back that up.
Is Osmo shampoo good?
Yes, across the board. The Osmo Backwash shampoo range covers pretty much every hair concern you can think of — moisture, volume, colour care, blonde toning, scalp health, shine — and the formulas are consistently high quality. Here's our honest breakdown of the key shampoos:
Osmo Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo — our personal favourite
I'll be upfront: this is my personal favourite shampoo in the entire Osmo range, and it's the one I reach for myself. The Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo is a deep-cleansing, scalp-focused formula designed to remove product buildup, excess oil and environmental residue without stripping the hair.
What makes it stand out is how clean your scalp feels afterwards — genuinely clean, not that squeaky-dry feeling you sometimes get from a harsh clarifying shampoo. It's gentle enough for regular use while still being effective enough to make a real difference if your scalp tends toward buildup or oiliness.
If you use a lot of styling products, live in a hard water area, or just feel like your scalp never quite feels fresh — this is the one. In the salon we use it as a first wash on clients who come in with heavy product buildup before any treatment. The difference it makes is immediately noticeable.
Shop Osmo Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo →
Osmo Super Silver No Yellow Shampoo
This is one of the most well-known products in the entire Osmo range and with good reason — it's one of the most effective toning shampoos we've come across. The violet pigments neutralise yellow and brassy tones in blonde, highlighted and grey hair, and it does it noticeably faster and more effectively than a lot of comparable purple shampoos.
One thing worth knowing: this shampoo is strong. Leave it on for too long and it will deposit a purple tint. We always tell clients to start with 1–2 minutes and build up from there based on how their hair responds. Used correctly, the results are genuinely impressive — cool, clean blonde tones between colour appointments.
It's available in both 400ml and 1 litre sizes. The 1 litre is excellent value for anyone using it regularly.
Shop Osmo Super Silver No Yellow Shampoo →
Osmo Super Ice Brightening Shampoo
Where the Super Silver targets yellow tones, Super Ice goes after orange and warm brassy tones — making it particularly useful for icy blonde or Scandinavian blonde results. The blue-black formula is incredibly pigmented and delivers a cooler, ashier result than most alternatives.
Like Super Silver, it's powerful stuff. A little goes a long way and timing matters. For clients who want a crisp, cool blonde result between appointments, this is one of the best options in the professional market.
Shop Osmo Super Ice Brightening Shampoo →
Osmo Deep Moisture Hydrating Shampoo
For dry, brittle or over-processed hair, the Deep Moisture range is the one to reach for. The Hydrating Shampoo is rich but doesn't leave hair heavy or weighed down — it strikes the balance well, which is harder to achieve than it sounds in a moisturising shampoo.
We use this alongside the Deep Moisture Intensive Repair Mask on clients who come in with particularly dry or chemically damaged hair, and the combination is excellent. The shampoo preps the hair and the mask does the heavy lifting on repair.
Shop Osmo Deep Moisture Hydrating Shampoo →
Osmo Colour Save Colour Protect Shampoo
Osmo's Colour Save range is specifically designed for colour-treated hair. The shampoo is sulphate-free, contains an Anti-Fade System, and uses UV filters to protect colour from sun damage — a detail a lot of colour care shampoos overlook. It also removes dulling residues to keep colour looking vibrant wash after wash.
For clients who've invested in a colour service and want to maintain the result at home, this is a genuinely solid recommendation. The matching conditioner is equally good and we'd recommend using both together for best results.
Shop Osmo Colour Save Colour Protect Shampoo →
Osmo styling products — are they any good?
Yes, and this is where Osmo has a real edge. Their styling range is one of the most comprehensive and consistently high-performing we've come across in the professional market. Every product does exactly what it says on the tin, without fuss.
Osmo Shaper Maker — my personal favourite styling product
If I had to pick one product from the entire Osmo styling range, this would be it. The Shaper Maker is a pliable, medium-hold wax that gives texture, definition and shape without rigidity. It works on dry or towel-dried hair, and it's reworkable throughout the day — so you can adjust your style without it looking stiff or product-heavy.
What I like most about it is the versatility. It works equally well on short textured cuts, longer styles that need separation, and anything in between. It's not shiny or greasy, it gives a natural finish, and it doesn't build up with repeated use the way some waxes do.
In the salon we use it to finish most textured cuts before clients leave the chair. Client feedback on it is consistently good — people come back asking what we used. That's the best endorsement a styling product can get.
Other Osmo styling products worth knowing about
Osmo Matte Clay Extreme — for anyone who wants serious hold with a completely matte finish. Great for short cuts, crops and styles where you want definition without shine. One of the strongest holds in the range.
Osmo Clay Wax — sits between the Shaper Maker and Matte Clay Extreme. Medium-high hold, low shine. Good all-rounder for textured styles on medium-length hair.
Osmo Fibre Paste — for thicker, coarser hair that needs something with more grip. Pliable hold with a natural finish. Works well on longer styles too.
Osmo Thermal Defense Heat Protector — a lightweight heat protection spray that works well before blow-drying or heat styling. Doesn't make hair feel heavy and sits well under other styling products.
Osmo Blinding Shine Illuminating Shampoo — if your hair needs a lustre boost, this is the one. Works on any hair type and delivers noticeably more shine than a standard shampoo. Great for dark hair in particular.
Is Osmo made in the UK?
Yes — and this is one of the things we genuinely appreciate about the brand. Osmo products are developed and manufactured in the UK, which gives them a quality consistency that's harder to maintain when you're outsourcing production. It also means their formulas are developed with UK water hardness and UK climate conditions in mind, which makes a difference in performance.
How does Osmo compare to other professional brands?
Vs Schwarzkopf Professional: Schwarzkopf has broader salon distribution but Osmo competes well on formula quality and significantly undercuts on price. The styling ranges in particular are comparable in performance.
Vs Wella Professionals: Wella is excellent across the board, but Osmo's toning shampoos — particularly Super Silver and Super Ice — are more potent and deliver faster results than Wella's equivalent products.
Vs L'Oréal Professionnel: L'Oréal has the marketing muscle and the distribution, but Osmo regularly matches or beats it on the specific products it makes. The Scalp Therapy range has no real equivalent in the L'Oréal Backwash line at the same price point.
The honest summary: Osmo punches well above its weight for a brand of its size. If more people knew about it, it would be considerably more widely used. It tends to be discovered by stylists who try it, immediately rate it, and switch without looking back.
Our verdict
Osmo is a brand we recommend without hesitation. We use the Backwash range in the salon every day, and the results speak for themselves. The shampoos are thoughtfully formulated, the treatments work, and the styling products — particularly the Shaper Maker — are among the best in the professional market at any price.
If you've never tried Osmo, the Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo and Shaper Maker are the two products I'd start with. Both are immediately impressive and both tend to convert people into long-term Osmo fans.
Frequently asked questions about Osmo
Is Osmo a professional brand?
Yes. Osmo is a professional haircare and styling brand that's been supplying salons across the UK for over two decades. All products are professional-grade and available through professional retailers. We stock and use the full Backwash range at Revive Hair Artists in Codsall.
Is Osmo shampoo sulphate-free?
Several Osmo shampoos are sulphate-free, including the Colour Save range. Check the individual product descriptions for specific formulations. If sulphate-free is important to you — for colour protection, scalp sensitivity or keratin-treated hair — the Colour Save range is the place to start.
How long does Osmo Super Silver take to work?
For most hair types, 1–3 minutes is enough to neutralise yellow tones. We always recommend starting at the lower end of the timing range and building up. Leave it too long and you risk a purple tint — which is fixable, but easier to avoid by being conservative with timing first.
Is Osmo Shaper Maker good for fine hair?
Yes, it's one of the better options for fine hair because it gives texture and definition without weight. Use a small amount on dry hair, work it through the ends first and then the mid-lengths. Fine hair usually needs less product than you think — start with a pea-sized amount and build up if needed.
Where is Osmo made?
Osmo products are developed and manufactured in the UK. The brand has been UK-based since its founding, which is relatively rare in the professional haircare market and something we value.
Is Osmo good for colour-treated hair?
Yes — particularly the Colour Save range, which is specifically designed to protect and extend colour vibrancy. The sulphate-free formula, Anti-Fade System and UV filters work together to keep colour looking fresh between appointments. Pair with the Colour Save Conditioner for best results.
Can I use Osmo Scalp Therapy Detoxify Shampoo every day?
It's gentle enough for regular use, but because it's a deep-cleansing formula, most people don't need to use it at every wash. We'd suggest using it once or twice a week as a first wash, or whenever your scalp needs a reset. On other wash days, pair it with a shampoo suited to your hair type — like Deep Moisture if your hair is dry, or Colour Save if you're colour-treated.
Thomas Strangwood is one of the founders of Revive Hair Artists in Codsall, Wolverhampton. The salon has been using and recommending professional haircare to clients for over 16 years.
