The ritual is built around when you can realistically use each product rather than around a list of steps to memorise. Two happen in the shower, one right after, and two at any point in the day.

In the shower — step one: purify

The Microbiome Balancing Shampoo is where the cycle gets interrupted. Mix a small amount in your hands with water to create a lather, massage it into the scalp, and rinse thoroughly. Repeat if you want to.

It is doing three jobs at once — soothing actives reduce itchiness and visible redness, moisture goes back into the scalp barrier and hair, and excess sebum and visible flakes are cleared away. That last part matters most for odour: less oil on the scalp means less for bacteria to break down.

In the shower — step two: treat the cuticle

The Hair Repair Mask goes on clean, damp lengths and ends. Leave it for five to ten minutes, then rinse. Skip the scalp — this step is for the hair itself.

Shea Butter and a seven-oil botanical blend deeply condition, hydrolyzed keratin repairs damage and reduces porosity, and Zinc PCA keeps the finish light rather than heavy. It also helps shield hair from daily smells and food odours, which is a different problem from scalp odour but usually shows up alongside it.

After the shower — step three: rebalance the roots

Apply a few drops of the Microbiome Root Repair Serum directly onto a clean, dry or towel-dried scalp. Massage it in with your fingertips so it spreads evenly and absorbs. Do not rinse.

This is the step that works on the hours ahead. It controls excess root oil so midday odour does not get started, supports the scalp barrier, and calms sensitive scalps. Niacinamide regulates oil production and improves microcirculation; Symcalmin gives both immediate and longer-lasting relief from itching.

Anytime — step four: protect the strands

Warm a small amount of the Microbiome Frizz Defense Serum between your palms, then distribute it through damp or dry hair from the mid-lengths to the ends. Avoid the scalp. Do not rinse, and style as usual.

Think of it as an invisible raincoat. Phenyl Trimethicone creates a smoothing protective layer that keeps hair controlled in humidity, Squalane deeply moisturises to reduce brittleness, and hydrolyzed keratin strengthens weakened strands.

Anytime — step five: refresh

Shake the Microbiome Odour Defense Mist well, hold it about fifteen to twenty centimetres away, and spray evenly over dry or slightly damp hair, focusing on the mid-lengths and scalp area as needed. It refreshes the hair and the hijab fabric.

Purify, treat, rebalance, protect, refresh — each step covers a different part of the day.

If five feels like a lot

Start with three. The Microbiome Balancing Shampoo, the Microbiome Root Repair Serum and the Microbiome Odour Defense Mist cover cleansing, root rebalancing and refreshing — the three points where scalp odour actually begins and returns. The mask and the frizz serum can join later, when you want to work on the hair itself as well as the scalp.