About Fiorley: Natural & Organic Shampoo Australia

I spent years jumping from one "natural" brand to the next, hoping to finally fix my hair. It was a total mess - my roots were so oily I’d have to shower twice a day if I was going out at night, yet my ends were so dry and brittle they felt like straw. I even started shying away from photos because my hair just never looked good.

I couldn’t figure it out. These bottles were shouting about being "non-tox" and "natural," so why was my hair getting worse?

I decided to take a look under the hood and dive into the ingredient labels. What I found was a bit of a marketing trick. Almost all of them were "Sulphate-Free," but they were using surfactants that were just as harsh. One of the most common ones was actually 50% sulfate.

Because these cleaners were so aggressive, they were stripping my scalp bare. My scalp would go into "panic mode" and overproduce oil to protect itself, while my ends - which can't produce their own oil - just became more and more brittle. My hair wasn’t "difficult"; it was just being bullied by its shampoo, leading to what I now know as "Follicle Fatigue."

Solving the Oily Root and Dry End Cycle

That deep dive changed everything. I realised that if I wanted hair that actually behaved, I had to stop the "strip and panic" cycle. I spent a long time learning not just about what to take out, but how to use nourishing ingredients to bring the scalp back into balance. That’s how Fiorley was born.

I realised that harsh cleansers are a lose-lose for everyone. Whether your body reacts with excess oil or extreme dryness, the root cause is the same: a compromised barrier.

 

We take a much kinder approach to cleaning. Instead of one harsh detergent, we use a blend of five gentle, plant-based cleansers, including Ayurvedic Reetha and Shikakai. This works for both ends of the spectrum:

• For the oily-prone: Your scalp doesn’t feel the need to freak out and overproduce oil, so you can actually go more than 12 hours without feeling greasy.
• For the dry-prone: Because we aren't stripping away your natural protection, it doesn't contribute to even more dryness. In fact, we’ve added specific nutrients to nourish the scalp and get it into a healthy pH-balanced (4.5–5.5) state.

 

OUR COMMITMENT 

We don’t believe in "coating" hair to make it look healthy; we believe in actually making it healthy. This is why we are proud to offer a truly natural and organic shampoo:

• No "Stealth" Sulfates: We don't use harsh chemicals disguised as natural ones. If it strips the hair, it’s not in here.
• Phenoxyethanol-Free: We avoid harsh synthetic preservatives and other harsh synthetics that can often cause skin sensitivity.
• Scalp First: We treat the scalp like the foundation. When the scalp is balanced, strong and vibrant hair growth follows naturally.
• The Ayurvedic Infusion: We’ve powered our formulas with organic botanicals. These aren't just for show - they are antioxidant-rich powerhouses that soothe and feed the scalp and support healthy hair growth.
• Family Friendly: Because our cleansers are so mild, they are safe for everyone from babies to adults who choose truly natural shampoo over greenwashed products.

We are passionate about making products that actually work, honest care that leaves your hair feeling exactly how it should.

 

Is Sulfate-Free Shampoo Better for Your Hair?

Not only do we believe it is better, but it's also imperative for your scalp and hair health as well as skin health to ensure you are not using sulphates and stripping non sulphates.

We don’t just claim that sulfates are harsh; we rely on dermatological research to understand how they impact your hair and skin:

1. Why Your Ends Feel Like Straw (Protein Loss)

Hair is primarily composed of a protein called Keratin. Research shows that Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) has a high affinity for these proteins, meaning it doesn't just wash the hair - it actually degrades it.

• The Study: Research in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that sulfates penetrate the hair cuticle and cause significant protein loss from the hair fiber.
• The Impact: Because your ends are the oldest part of your hair, they lack the natural oil protection found at the roots. Sulfates strip them bare, leading to that brittle, "straw-like" texture.
• Read the study here (Journal of Cosmetic Science)

 

2. Why Your Scalp Feels Tight and Itchy (Barrier Breakdown)

Sulphates are so effective at breaking down skin barriers that medical labs actually use them as a "control" to induce skin irritation for testing.

• The Science: A study in the International Journal of Trichology explains that sulfates cause Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL). They break the "tight junctions" of your scalp’s skin cells, allowing essential moisture to evaporate while letting external irritants in.
• The Impact: This is why dry-prone scalps feel immediate itchiness or flakiness after washing. It’s also why we choose to be Phenoxyethanol-free, as a compromised scalp barrier is far more sensitive to synthetic preservatives.
• Read the study here (International Journal of Trichology)

 

3. Why Your Roots Get Greasy So Fast (Reactive Seborrhea)

If you find your hair oily just hours after washing, you aren't "naturally greasy" - you are likely experiencing a biological rebound effect.

• The Science: Dermatological studies on the scalp's "Acid Mantle" show that aggressive degreasing (stripping) with high-strength surfactants disrupts the sebaceous glands' regulation.
• The Impact: When the scalp is stripped of its protective lipid layer, it sends a "danger" signal to the glands to overproduce sebum to rapidly replace the loss. This creates a vicious cycle: the more you strip the oil with harsh shampoos, the faster and harder your scalp works to produce it. Fiorley stops this cycle by cleansing without "triggering" the glands.
• Read the study here (Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology)

 

Protecting Your Health

Your scalp is highly absorbent, making it a gateway to your internal health. We believe daily routines should never impact your family’s long-term wellbeing, which is why we maintain a strict ban on "hidden" disruptors:

No Carcinogenic Contaminants

While many brands use ethoxylated ingredients like PEGs and Polysorbates for texture, we refuse to. These can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogenic byproduct that the EPA warns often goes unlisted on labels.

No Endocrine Disruptors

We strictly ban synthetic "Fragrance", “Parfum”, and Phthalates. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) maintains a library of approximately 4,000 chemical ingredients approved for use in scents. Many of these are Phthalates used to sharpen and extend the scent's life.

In Australia and the US, fragrance formulas are legally protected as Trade Secrets. This means a company is not required to disclose the specific chemicals used to create their signature scent; they can simply note “Fragrance” or “Parfum” on the label.

Peer-reviewed research, such as the landmark Harley et al. study (2019), has linked these hidden chemicals to rising rates of early puberty in children, while other clinical data points to thyroid issues and hormonal disruptions. Instead, we use only small amounts of pure 100% organic Essential Oils for scent.

 

Is Your Shampoo Safe?

This is only just a few categories of ingredients we ban. For a thorough breakdown of shampoo ingredients we don’t use - including the ones that are actually linked to hair thinning and fallout and ones that are banned in the EU and parts of the US - visit our guide: Is Your Shampoo the Reason Behind Your Thinning Hair?