What kind of shampoo do you use??

Are expensive shampoos really worth it?? 

I grew up on Redken hair products.  Then I got married and had to pay off a wedding and started using Dove products since they are quite a bit cheaper.  Then I got bored with my hair, went from long blonde hair to short dark chocolate hair...and now I'm slowly getting back to blonde.  During this process my hair is getting damaged, so I just started using S Factor products.  At nearly $30 for a bottle of shampoo...I'm wondering if it's really worth it.  Are the expensive shampoos really that much better than regular store brands??  It does smell really nice though : )  However, my pocketbook isn't enjoying it as much as my nose is...

Any tips, professional or not, are greatly appreciated : )

Depends on the product.  I never noticed any difference with the well known expensive stuff like Redken, Paul Mitchell, or Matrix, so I decided to save a little money and be content with either Pantene or Tresemme.  However, my mom introduced me to Ojon products, and that stuff is awesome.  After two weeks of using shampoo and conditioner (~ $28 a bottle), my hair stopped snapping, no more split ends, and frizz practically non existant.  When I ran out, I started using the store stuff describing itself as "fortifying" and "anti snap" formula, and now it's coming back again.  I'm thinking about investing again.

in my personal experience, the cheapest shampoos will dry out my hair (suave, white rain, the $1.99 range)

i am also fascinated by the high prices of hair products - this is a change in the past 10 years - we never used to have $35 shampoo as an option

i am using American Crew shampoo and conditioner right now, which is mens' shampoo, but i haven't noticed any manly side effects from using it -- it's the only 'salon quality' mens' shampoo on that aisle at target and it costs about 1/3 as much as the ones for women -- i like how shiny my hair is when i use the daily shampoo and daily conditioner

i like to change my shampoo brand once or twice a year - i have the idea that this is good for my hair - dunno if it really is or not, but i like how healthy and shiny my hair is so i'll probably keep doing this

looking forward to the responses in this thread  :)

Suave.

The only reason why you would spend more is a placebo effect (I spend more, the advertising tells me it's better, therefore, I'm going to perceive that it is better, lest I go insane).  :D

I just bought some Aveda shampoo and for $14 a bottle, was expecting a little more. So far, it's been making my scalp really oily.... I may go back to whatever's on sale :)

i use tresemme.  pretty cheap, and the big bottles last a long time.  the last time i got my hair cut, the receptionist was unpacking inventory and asked my girl (erin - she rocks) about a product.  erin said it was for adding moisture and strength, and was good for "women over 40."  so i said, "I need that."  erin said, "No you don't.  your hair is very healthy."

that is why erin rocks.

but i've tried some of those store brands that are supposed to be exactly like name brands.  they're not.

I use Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine :)

I prefer not to use the cheaper ones (Suave, White Rain, Pantene, ect...) because I think they make my hair feel really gross and dry, but GF isn't much more expensive and it makes my hair feel great :) So, I just stick with that.

My sister's in beauty school, and she said that she learned that people really shouldn't use the shampoo's most use, because they aren't really healthy for our scalp (or something along those lines).  They dry it out or something.  So, in other words, they are worth it, even if they are expensive.

I myself am a Pantene girl.  I have verrrry long and thick hair, and so I need a good shampoo to get to it all...lol   I also have tried the $1 a bottle shampoo's...not sooo good.  You can even get the generic brand of pantene at walmart.  I love the equate brand...it smells gorgeous....

Pantene. I have naturally curly hair and it's the only shampoo that really conditions my hair.  The more expensive kinds just don't work.  There was a condidtioner that was even better but they quit making it.. Physique Deep Hydrating Conditioner.. I miss that stuff!

I'm pretty much obsessive about my hair.  I've tried the fancy products that my salon sells, but honestly, I don't think they make a difference.  I think the key to healthy hair is not abusing it.  I don't blow dry/straighten/curl my hair.  I don't brush it while it is wet, and I shampoo no more than every other day.

That being said, of the drug store products, I've had some bad experiences.  I would stay away from Pantene products (they literally have lacquer in them, that's why it makes it look so shiny).  Also, the Garnier Fructis SUPER strips your hair.  The Aveda shampoo just made me feel like I had squirrel turds in my hair, but I did like the smell.

I really like the L'Oreal products the most for a drug store brand.  I usually get the ones for damaged hair (even though mine isn't), because my hair is long and I want the extra conditioning.

Original Post by dnrothx:

Suave.

The only reason why you would spend more is a placebo effect (I spend more, the advertising tells me it's better, therefore, I'm going to perceive that it is better, lest I go insane).  :D

 just not true! if i wash my long hair with suave or something along those lines, it feels like straw. super cheap shampoos are WAY more harsh on your hair.

i use salon products, like matrix, because my mom is a hair stylist and gets me them cheap. if she ever quits working though, i'll still use the good stuff and take the hit in my wallet! 

I use tresemme right now.  I like the shampoo and conditioner they make for curly hair.

Some of the really cheap brands dry out my hair and give me really bad frizz.  Not a good thing for naturally curly hair :(  I used to use an awesome suave product but they stopped making it about two years ago... I run into this all the time.  I find something I like and the company always stops making it!

If I had the money to throw around, I'd probably give some of the more expensive ones a shot just to check it out.  Till I hit that point though I'll stick with this stuff :)

Thanks for all the tips!!  I'm familiar w/ all of the brands mentioned except for Ojon.  I looked it up and it seems like it would be really nice. It's along the lines of S Factor, I believe.  Does Ojon smell really nice??

I also never considered using men's shampoo.  Does it smell like a man though??  My hair is damage right now...so maybe I need some of that lacquer found in Pantene : )  I'm definitely not interested in squirrel turds though - yikes!!!  I have smelled Aveda products, but I haven't used them.

I see that some of you use Treseme and no one has had anything negative to say about that one.  Maybe when I'm having a rough month and can't shell out the extra $$ for $30 shampoo, I'll try that kind.

I was also wondering about who shampoos their hair every day vs. every other day.  I blow dry and flat iron my hair...so I have been trying the every other day thing to save on damage...but sometimes it's hard not wash it!!  AND, fact or myth: you should rinse out your conditioner with cold water??

Original Post by kaffwynn:
 I would stay away from Pantene products (they literally have lacquer in them, that's why it makes it look so shiny). 

Where did you hear that? I looked online and found nothing about lacquer..but I did find this.

Basically the girl was told by a hair stylist that Pantene has wax or plastic in it that makes your hair smooth but the girl had been using it and liked it.. here's the response:

please don’t fall into the trap of believing everything your stylist tells you. (That’s one of the The Beauty Brains Basic Beliefs.) While most stylists are very talented at cutting and styling hair, they’re not very talented at interpreting cosmetic formulations.

The truth is, Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner formulas are believed to be among the best in the industry by those of us in the cosmetic science side of the business. It makes sense if you think about it. P&G, makers of Pantene, have a HUGE research budget. Certainly larger than any salon company. That means they can afford to dedicate resources to developing and testing the best formulas possible. We’ve seen Pantene formulas beat the pants of salon products in blind consumer testing. (The products are hidden or blinded, not the consumers)

Original Post by inlove07:

Does Ojon smell really nice??

 The oil is derived from a nut, so it smells pretty nutty (and a little sweet) as they don't put a lot of extra fragance in their products, if any.

And it is typically better to wash your hair every other day - every day can dry it out, even with the best shampoo/conditioner.  If your hair is feeling a little gross in between washings, you can always do a dry shampoo thing - there are ways to make your own, but there are some available made by different companies (including Ojon).

Seems weird but I use Diana's olive oil hand soap on my hair.  It is from my dollar store and is the only product that helps my extremely dry scalp.  I have tried a lot of different products, some very expensive.

I tell people about it and get strange looks, but those that try it love it.

I used some of my Christmas $$$ from my parents to buy me some Paul Mitchell shampoo, conditioner, and styling glaze last year. I loved it and it lasted a long time. I generally wash my hair every other day. If it doesn't look or feel dirty I don't wash it.

Now that my Paul Mitchell treat is all gone, I have decided on Dove. I have very long, thick, coarse hair, and Dove does a really good job making my hair soft and shiny and brushable.

Brilliantly Brunette by John Frida. It's good for color treated specifically brown hair.

The American Crew smells pretty good.  Definitely not fruity or flowery, but, to me, it just smells clean. (I have long, fine hair, btw)

If you want to minimize damage to your hair, try this.

Shampoo once a week.  Use just the conditioner (without the shampoo) 4-7 times a week.  Conditioners do also have a small amount of gentle cleansers in them, so if you massage conditioner into your scalp, you'll get the benefit of cleaning AND the benefit of conditioning.

If you have oily hair, don't try this - only if your hair is dry/damaged/frizzy.

Use your judgment about whether to condition every day or every other day, based on your results.

every day.  well, almost.

Regarding Pantene, I think it is one of those things that got implanted in my head about a decade ago, probably by a stylist.  I did give it another chance with a sample size, and it is still far too "slick" of a conditioner and totally weighed my hair down.

So, yeah, I'm suseptable to propaganda, but at least I didn't ban it for life.  Still don't like it though.  :)