Carmen Tal was running a salon in Montreal when her own hair gave out. Over-processed color had left it dry and damaged, and on a trip to Israel in 2006, a salon in Tel Aviv treated it with argan oil. Nuvo Magazine tells the story: her hair came back shiny and smooth, and she and her then-husband Ofer set out to bring the treatment home. The brand's own story page puts it more simply, saying she wanted to share it.

Moroccanoil launched in early 2007 with one product, the oil in the amber bottle with the turquoise label. Fox News reported that the company started with ten employees. Everything else, including the shampoo, came later and was built around that oil.

That is why Moroccanoil shampoo smells the way it does. The warm, spicy scent people call the Moroccanoil smell runs through almost everything, and argan oil is in nearly every bottle.

The first grid is eight Moroccanoil shampoos, starting with the Hydrating Shampoo, which is the one most people should try first. The second grid is the matching conditioners, three masks and the original Moroccanoil Treatment.

One tip before you shop: Moroccanoil sorts its line by hair need, and the word on the front of the bottle, like Hydration, Repair or Volume, is the fastest way to choose.

The Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo is the everyday bottle and the one I would start with. It is a daily shampoo with argan oil, and the brand says it is free of sulfates like SLS and SLES, with vitamins A and E and red algae for dry hair. It is gentle enough to use every day.

If your hair is damaged, Moisture Repair adds protein to help prevent breakage. Extra Volume is for fine, limp hair that needs body. Frizz Control is for humidity, flyaways and static, which makes it the one to pack for a trip somewhere humid.

For the scalp, Scalp Balancing Shampoo is sulfate free with salicylic acid and niacinamide, to calm flakes, oil and itch. Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo tones brass in blonde, lightened brunette and grey hair. Clarifying Shampoo lifts buildup from products, hard water and chlorine, so it is a good reset after a week of swimming.

Every shampoo here shares the same warm scent, so you can mix and match without clashing. The last one is Curl Enhancing Shampoo, with argan oil to bring back elasticity and shine to curls, and it cleans gently enough that curls stay soft.

What I would skip: the Clarifying Shampoo as your daily. It is meant to strip buildup, so use it once a week and go back to Hydrating or Moisture Repair the rest of the time.

The most famous thing in this grid is not a shampoo at all. Moroccanoil Treatment is the original argan oil in the amber bottle, the product the whole brand was built on. The brand says it smooths frizz, detangles, conditions, protects from heat and boosts shine. A pump or two through damp lengths before drying is the classic way to use it, and a drop also tames dry ends between washes.

For conditioners, the Hydrating and Moisture Repair versions match their shampoos, and the Extra Volume Conditioner detangles without weighing fine hair down. Blonde Perfecting Purple Conditioner keeps the toning going for blondes and silver hair.

Then there are three masks, and each is for a different head of hair. Intense Hydrating Mask is rich and made for medium to thick dry hair. Weightless Hydrating Mask is the version for fine hair that still feels dry. Restorative Hair Mask is protein-rich, for weakened hair that breaks.

A pairing tip from salon washes: put the mask on after shampoo, clip your hair up, and leave it on while you wash your face and do everything else. Five to seven minutes is plenty.

What I would skip: the Intense mask on fine hair. The Weightless one exists for a reason, and it is the one that will not leave your hair flat.

I think the easiest way into Moroccanoil shampoo is to start where Carmen Tal started, with the oil. Use the Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner for a week, add a pump of Treatment to damp ends, and see how your hair feels. If it wants more, add the mask that matches your hair's thickness. The line grew out of one salon treatment in 2006, and it still works best as a simple routine. And if you love the scent, it lingers on your pillow the next morning too.