Review : Kracie Ichikami Shampoo and Conditioner

Shampoo Product Description
Pure Japanese herbal essence is known as hair care ingredient from the ancient times. Repairs damage and moisturizes hair. Fine lather gently cleanses hair without damages caused by friction while shampoo. Gentle wild cherry blossom aroma.

Conditioner Product Description
Pure Japanese herbal essence is known as hair care ingredient from the ancient times. Natural oil smoothens hair and protects it from damages caused by friction. Gentle wild cherry blossom aroma.

The name Ichikami is inspired by an ancient Japanese proverb that translates to "Hair comes first, appearance comes second." Developed by Kracie, the Ichikami hair care range combines carefully selected Japanese botanical ingredients with modern science and technology to create products that help maintain healthy, trouble-free hair while offering a refreshing Sakura-inspired fragrance.

The Ichikami series is formulated with Rice Premium EX (containing rice bran-derived essence, oil, and protein) together with six types of traditional Japanese herbal extracts, including camellia, soapberry, walnut, sasanqua, and sakura. One of the brand's key selling points is its silicone-free formula, which focuses on promoting a healthier scalp and naturally beautiful hair without relying on ingredients that merely create a temporary silky feel.

As one of Japan's popular drugstore hair care brands that has gained a loyal following across Asia, I was curious to find out what made it so well-loved. I picked up a trial set containing a 40ml shampoo and conditioner for just $3.90 during a Japanese fair at Liang Court.

The packaging is simple and fuss-free. The shampoo comes in a white bottle, while the conditioner is housed in a black bottle, making them easy to differentiate. Nothing overly fancy, but clean and functional.

The Sakura fragrance is noticeable when you first open the bottles and take a sniff. It has a pleasant, fruity-floral scent, although it fades quite quickly once applied to the hair.

The shampoo has a pearlescent appearance with a slight sheen, while the conditioner has a richer, creamy consistency with a milky beige colour.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the shampoo lathered. It cleansed my hair effectively without leaving it feeling stripped or dry. The conditioner provided a decent amount of softness and smoothness, although I found that the shampoo also worked well when paired with conditioners from other brands.

When used together, the shampoo and conditioner left my hair feeling smoother and easier to detangle. While the results were not dramatically transformative, they performed better than many hair care products I had previously tried and delivered consistently good results.

Overall, the Ichikami shampoo and conditioner make a solid everyday hair care duo. They cleanse well, provide light smoothing benefits, and offer a pleasant Sakura scent without weighing the hair down. While they may not be the most impressive products I've ever used, they certainly live up to their reputation as a reliable Japanese drugstore favourite.

Interestingly, the @cosme Ichikami Premium Hair Mask was ranked No. 1 in the Hair Pack/Treatment category in 2010. It definitely sounds tempting and may be the next product I try from the range once I work through the mountain of hair products already waiting in my stash!

Shampoo Japanese Herbs :
Hiougi (Belamcanda chinensis), Camellia extract, Soapberry, Yusuru essence (originated from Rice bran), Yusuru Lipid (originated from Rice bran)

Conditioner Japanese Herbs :
Hiougi (Belamcanda chinensis), Camellia extract, Yusuru essence (originated from Rice bran), Yusuru oil (originated from Rice bran), Yusuru Lipid (originated from Rice bran)

Where To Purchase : Shopee

Kracie Ichikami Shampoo and Conditioner

Shampoo Ingredients:
water (aqua), tea-lauroyl sarcosinate, palm kernel amidopropyl betaine, ppg-2 cocamide, cocamide mea, glycol distearate, tea-lauryl sulfate, fragrance (parfum), sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, citric acid, polyquaternium-10, guar nydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, disodium edta, alcohol, polyquaternium-7, oryza sativa (rice) germ oil, butylene glycol, caramel, hydrolyzed rice protein, phytosteryl rice branate, methylparaben, sapindus mukurossi peel extract, propylparaben, oryza sativa (rice) bran extract, camellia japonica seed extract, phenoxyethanol, belamcanda chinensis root extract

Conditioner Ingredients:
water (aqua), stearyl alcohol, glycosyl trehalose, behenamidopropyl dimethylamine, dimethicone, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, amodimethicone, fragrance (parfum), behenyl pg-trimonium chloride, paraffine, lactic acid, behenyl alcohol, c12-14 pareth-7, methylparaben, phenyl trimethicone, hydroxyethylcellulose, bis-isobutyl peg-14/amodimethicone copolymer, alcohol. c12-14 pareth-5, ceteth-25, propylene glycol, oryza sativa (rice) germ oil, ceteth-5, caramel, acetic acid, citric acid, magnesium nitrate, sodium benzoate, phytosteryl rice branate, sodium salycylate, btylene glycol, hydrolyzed rice protein, camellia japonica seed extract, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, tocopherol, oryza sativa (rice) bran extract, phenoxyethanol, belamcanda chinensis root extract