Selkie sells shampoo and conditioner as a powder: you pour it into a keep-for-life bottle, add tap water, shake, and get 300ml of liquid haircare. Launched in 2024 by chemist Cicely Coops, the brand landed a deal with four Dragons on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den in August 2026, and its Full Starter Kit has since sold out, according to the brand. On 11 October 2026, the Shampoo Starter Kit costs £17.50 on selkiehaircare.com, and refills can come on a subscription. Here is what you get, what it really costs and our take.
From a chemist’s question to the Den
Cicely Coops holds an MSc in Chemistry, and the idea started with a simple question, according to the brand: why do we ship bottles that are mostly water and call it shampoo? Selkie says liquid shampoo is “around 80% water”, so it removes the water and lets you add your own at home. The formulas are made by a B Corp certified manufacturer specialising in powder products, according to the brand.
The first Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner went on sale in 2024. The big moment came on 20 August 2026, when Cicely pitched on Dragons’ Den and all four Dragons in the room (Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett, Deborah Meaden and guest Dragon Jenna Meek) came on board, BusinessCloud reported. Since filming, she told BusinessCloud, Selkie has appeared on a TV shopping channel and joined a beauty accelerator backed by Boots and TikTok Shop. On its own site, the brand now says the Full Starter Kits “sold out in two weeks” and are back on pre-order.
What is in the range?
On 11 October 2026, the official shop lists a short, focused range:
- Selkie: Shampoo Starter Kit, £17.50. Nourishing Shampoo powder in a cardboard tube plus one keep-for-life bottle. In stock, dispatched in two to three days according to the product page.
- Selkie: Full Starter Kit, £35 (£28 on pre-order). Shampoo and conditioner powders with two bottles. Sold out; the pre-order Full Starter Kit is £28 instead of £35, charged today and due to be dispatched “mid November”, according to the page.
- Selkie: Refills, £15 each or £30 for shampoo and conditioner. Each tube makes 300ml, which lasts most people eight to 10 weeks, according to the brand.
- Selkie: spare bottles, £6 each.
The formulas are vegan, sulfate-free, silicone-free and cruelty-free, with 98% natural origin ingredients for the shampoo and 99% for the conditioner, according to the brand. Key ingredients include argan, macadamia and avocado oils and a coconut-derived cleanser.
Source: Selkie (official product and delivery pages, checked on 11 October 2026).
How the subscription works
This is where Selkie becomes a proper letterbox subscription. You buy a starter kit once, then the brand sends refill tubes only (no new bottles) on the rhythm you choose. On 11 October 2026:
- Refills on subscription are 15% cheaper: £12.75 for one tube, £25.50 for the shampoo and conditioner pair. The refill page offers deliveries every six, eight or 10 weeks (the help page mentions eight or 10).
- Starter kits bought on subscription show 20% off: £14 instead of £17.50 for the Shampoo Starter Kit.
- No minimum commitment and no cancellation fee, according to the brand’s delivery and subscriptions page. Selkie says it emails you before every renewal, and you can skip, delay, swap, pause or cancel through a login-free link.
- Delivery is £2.99 by Royal Mail Tracked 48 or £4.99 by Tracked 24, UK only, according to its delivery page.
Our take: a smart format, priced as a premium swap
The idea is sound. Sending water around the country in plastic makes little sense, and a powder in a card tube is lighter, smaller and plastic-free. The refill subscription fits the product perfectly: you are not buying another bottle every time, and the eight to 10 week rhythm matches how long a bottle lasts. The terms are also refreshingly clear, with a reminder before every charge and no minimum term.
It is not cheap shampoo. On subscription, a 300ml bottle of shampoo costs you £12.75, plus postage. If you take the shampoo and conditioner pair every eight weeks, that is £25.50 about six and a half times a year, or roughly £166 a year before delivery. That is salon money rather than supermarket money, and the comparison you should make is with the natural, sulfate-free brands you might buy on the high street, not with a £3 bottle.
What it does not prove. Removing the water changes the packaging and the transport, not how shampoo cleans: once mixed, it is a water-based shampoo like any other, and hard tap water can affect lather and rinsing, as the website Mamabella pointed out in its look at powder-to-liquid haircare in August 2026. Sulfate-free formulas also tend to foam less. Go in expecting a gentle, low-lather wash rather than a bubble bath.
The hype is real, the demand too. The brand’s own product page shows a 4.86 out of 5 rating from verified buyers, but those are on-site reviews. We could not check independent review sites from our desk, and we have not tested Selkie ourselves yet. The sell-out is a good sign of demand, but it also means you wait until mid November for a full kit.
Who is it for?
It will suit you if you want to cut plastic from your bathroom, already pay mid-range prices for sulfate-free haircare, and like the idea of refills simply arriving by post. Start with the £17.50 Shampoo Starter Kit to see how the formula works with your hair and your water before you subscribe. If instead your priority is the lowest cost per wash, or you love a rich lather, a classic bottle (or a solid shampoo bar) will be cheaper and easier.
Our verdict: one of the more convincing eco swaps we have seen this year, with honest subscription terms, but priced as a premium product. Try one bottle first, then switch to the refill subscription if your hair agrees. If you like household refills by post, our look at the Who Gives A Crap subscription covers another plastic-free favourite.
Price and subscription: the essentials
- Shampoo Starter Kit: £17.50 (powder plus one keep-for-life bottle), or £14 on subscription, in stock on 11 October 2026.
- Full Starter Kit: £35, sold out; pre-order at £28, charged today, dispatched mid November according to the brand.
- Refills: £15 per 300ml tube, £30 for the pair; £12.75 and £25.50 on subscription (15% off), every six, eight or 10 weeks.
- Commitment: none; reminder email before each renewal; skip, pause or cancel at any time with no fee, according to the brand.
- Delivery: £2.99 (Tracked 48) or £4.99 (Tracked 24), UK only.
- Not tested by us; the rating quoted is the brand’s own on-site figure.
Curious? Start with the Selkie Shampoo Starter Kit, see the Selkie refills, or browse our beauty subscription boxes.
Questions & reviews
Have a question about this box?
Share a question, opinion or experience. Our team reads every message and will reply.