California Naturals, the Clean Hair and Body Line From the Founder of Playa

California Naturals, the Clean Hair and Body Line From the Founder of Playa

California Naturals is the clean hair and body line from Shelby Wild, the founder behind Playa. Here is how I would build a shower around the brand, plus gentle shampoos and body washes from other brands.

Shelby Wild already had one hair brand behind her when she started California Naturals. She founded Playa in 2017, a prestige line built around a sun-kissed California lifestyle, and sold it in 2020. In July 2023 she came back with California Naturals, a clean hair care brand that launched direct to consumer with a simple point of view: clean formulas should not be reserved for a small, high-end audience. Vanity Fair quoted her saying she wanted to make something super sustainable and super natural that would push bigger players to do better.

That background shows in how California Naturals is built. The scents read like a trip, the formulas stay light, and the lineup is organized by what your hair needs. Classic Clean Shampoo in Toasted Coconut is the daily cleanser, and the brand says it removes dirt, buildup and grease without stripping. The matching Conditioner promises softness without weighing hair down. In Summer Fig, the Super Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner lean on marula oil, aloe and avocado oil for dry or damaged hair.

Then there is the Re:GRO pair. The shampoo is made with biotin, rosemary, zinc and caffeine, and the conditioner is sulfate, paraben and silicone free. The Deep Repair Hair Mask in Rose Garden is a creamy mask, and the Leave-In Conditioner with Rose Water and Argan Oil is a spritz for damp hair.

My test: pick one scent family for the week and use the shampoo and conditioner together before you add a mask.

Big numbers collage titled CALIFORNIA NATURALS, six products numbered one to six with each product set beside its number: California Naturals Classic Clean Shampoo in Toasted Coconut, California Naturals Super Moisture Shampoo in Summer Fig, California Naturals Re:GRO Shampoo, California Naturals Deep Repair Hair Mask in Rose Garden, California Naturals Glow Body Lotion in Sunset Citrus and Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Shampoo
California Naturals

California Naturals shampoos, conditioners and hair treatments

Body care, curl care and the styling extras

This is where California Naturals steps out of the hair aisle. Classic Clean Body Lotion in Toasted Coconut is described as a non-greasy daily lotion that sinks in fast, so it pairs naturally with the coconut shampoo above. The Glow Body Lotion in Sunset Citrus is the richer one, made with shea butter, hyaluronic acid and sea buckthorn oil. I would keep that one for after a long day in the sun.

The Exfoliating Body Scrub uses sugar to buff away dry, dull skin and coconut oil to hydrate, and the brand says it leaves no greasy residue. On the wash side, the Classic Clean Body Wash 2-Pack in Toasted Coconut is a light gel-to-foam, and the Glow Body Wash 2-Pack in Sunset Citrus is a golden oil gel with sea buckthorn and moringa. The Sensitive Skin Body Wash 2-Pack is fragrance free, for anyone who wants the brand without a scent.

For hair, the Daily Vitamin Hair Styler is a light-to-medium hold styler that the brand says smooths frizz without feeling heavy. The Curl Shampoo and Conditioner Set is made for wavy, curly and coily types 2B to 4C.

A pairing tip: use the Glow Body Wash and the Glow Body Lotion together so the Sunset Citrus scent stays consistent from shower to skin.

What I would skip: scrubbing every day. Sugar scrubs are happiest once or twice a week.

More California Naturals: body care, curl care and styling

Gentle shampoos and body washes from other brands

California Naturals is gentle by design, but sometimes you want a different formula, and these are the ones I would try next. Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Shampoo is fragrance free, hypoallergenic and made with aloe, oat milk and green tea extract, so it is where I would send anyone who reacts to scents. Nécessaire The Shampoo is a hyaluronic acid and niacinamide scalp cleanse that the brand describes as a daily maintenance shampoo. Vegamour GRO Revitalizing Shampoo uses biotin and caffeine and is formulated without silicones, which makes it a neighbor to the Re:GRO shampoo.

dae Signature Shampoo is color safe and built around a desert botanical blend and false daisy extract, for straight and wavy hair. Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo leans on argan oil and algae for dry hair, and the brand says it is free of sulfates.

The body washes: OUAI St. Barts Gentle Body Wash smells like dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose and amber, with rosehip and jojoba oils. Nécessaire The Body Wash in Eucalyptus is a multi-oil cleanse with niacinamide and pure eucalyptus oil. amika Shower Thoughts is a gel with glycerin and gentle fruit AHAs, and it lists sea buckthorn oil just like the Glow wash above.

A quick test: if a new shampoo leaves your scalp tight, go back to a fragrance-free one like Briogeo for two washes.

What I would skip: layering a body wash with a strong scent over a hair routine that is already heavily perfumed. Choose one star.

Gentle shampoos and body washes from other brands

How I would choose

Start with your hair, since it is the brand's home base. Dry or damaged hair goes to Summer Fig, everyday cleansing goes to Toasted Coconut, and thinning concerns go to Re:GRO. Add body care only after the hair routine feels right. If your skin is sensitive, the fragrance-free body wash and Briogeo's shampoo are the quiet answers. If you want more than the brand makes, like a scalp cleanse or a eucalyptus wash, the other brands fill in the gaps. Whatever you choose, give a new shampoo at least a couple of washes before you judge it.