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 : )

Original Post by danielle854:

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

I used to use the Sheer Blonde version.  I really liked it, and it did revitalize  my (natural) color.  However, it did smell a bit funny, and also seemed a little stripping (guess it had to be to reveal my blonde).  Not sure how it would be on chemically treated hair.

I have at least six different sets of shampoo and conditioner at any given time.  The cupboard under the bathroom sink is devoted to my collection!  I wash my hair approximately every other day.  It is really long, down to my rear, so every day washing is a pain.  I have noticed that if I invest in a really expensive brand and use it exclusively, that by the end of the bottle I don't love it nearly as much as at first.  By constantly rotating through products, they always seem to work wonders each time.  As for the really cheap brands, White Rain has always dried out my hair.  Some of the Suave & Dove ones are okay.  Tressemme and Pantene work alright.  I love to try new brands! 

Original Post by kaffwynn:

Original Post by danielle854:

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

I used to use the Sheer Blonde version.  I really liked it, and it did revitalize  my (natural) color.  However, it did smell a bit funny, and also seemed a little stripping (guess it had to be to reveal my blonde).  Not sure how it would be on chemically treated hair.

It must be for all natural hair b/c I did try the Sheer Blonde once and couldn't even comb through my hair when I was done!!  I sold my 'once-used' bottles at a yard sale : )

My hair is naturally very curly, but I blow dry and flat iron it every day.  It used to be dry, so I only needed to wash it every other day and then touch up the flat iron the other days.  Lately, though, it looks greasy if I don't wash, so I end up doing 6-7 days/week.

I use Frizz Ease Straight Ahead and love it.  It makes my crazy curly hair easy to comb and straighten.  PS - I didn't like the curly version of Frizz Ease.

I can no longer blow dry it or flat iron it.. it frizzes up like an afro and stays damaged for WEEKS.  I've been to so many hair stylists.. everytime they say the last person just didn't do this or use this method, etc... I tell them.. do not use a blow dryer! My hair is crazy!  They always do what they want and then look at me and say 'What's wrong with your hair???" :P   Me and my cousin are cursed.. the only chicks I know with this cursed hair..

I use this on the bottom and tips of my hairs while still wet and then slick down my frizzy crown with this.  Then I have to wait til' it drys, run my fingers through it and re-fix.. My hair doesn't look good til' bedtime basically.. it's an all day process. ha

I've used everything from really expensive (Bumble Bumble, like $30 per tiny bottle) to super cheap like Pantene. My favorite of both has to be the Dove Ultra Therapy or whatever it's called. It's in the dark blue bottle. I don't like the regular Dove stuff, but the dark blue stuff rocks. My best friend is a hairdresser and she said there's really nothing wrong with it. I like to use a LOT of conditioner because my hair is thick, so I go through it pretty fast.

When I really feel like splurging, I'll buy Bumble Bumble Ultra Gentle shampoo and Super Thick conditioner. Or I really love ABBA products (not the band) but they're also expensive. Pureology is awesome too, especially for colored hair.

Spoiled, do you use a vinegar rinse after washing your hair with soap?  Soap has a high pH (base).  It's pretty rough on the scalp as our skin has a low pH (acid).  If you're not already doing a vinegar rinse you should try it.  Think your hair is nice now, wait until you see the effects of the vinegar on the cuticle of your hair.  Don't need much vinegar for it to work.  And it won't stink once your hair is dry.

I've used everything under the sun.  For example:

Sauve/White Rain dry my hair.
Pantene makes my hair fall out.
John Frida makes my hair limp.
Dove didn't clean my scalp enough.
Tressemme left my hair greasy.
Paul Mitchell would build up on my hair too quickly.
Garnier made my scalp freak out.
Matrix made my hair fall out.

Plus a million others that didn't work worth a hoot.  Right now I'm using Nature's Gate Henna shampoo.  It's working well.  No buildup but it leave my hair smooth yet it's not weighed down.

If your hair is dry give yourself a moisture treatment.  Nuke some honey and mix it with aloe gel (not the kind for sunburn, the plain kind) and some conditioner with no dimethicone or anything like that (anything that ends in -cone).  Wash your hair, then apply the mixture.  Wrap it up in a plastic something (trash bag, shower cap...) and wash out later.  If you want to lighten your hair don't nuke the honey.  You can get from brown to a nice blonde eventually with honey without causing damge.

If your hair needs some protein do a protein pack.  Henna and placenta works well.  There are a million others that you could use too.

Ah, I'll send you a PM.

That's the second time someone's posted that Pantene is super cheap.. I don't think it is... Suave and White Rain are cheap at like a $1-2.... but Pantene is expensive enough for me.. it's like $8-10....

Anything over $12 to me is rich man's shampoo.. ha

Here are some excerpts from a really good article by Mary Hunt (www.debtproofliving.com) on shampoo (originally published October 2002):

Shampoo facts

All shampoo, regardless of the brand, is 80 to 90% water. The rest is detergent with a few drops of fragrance and other additives. There are basically two kinds of detergent: Anionic (harsh) and cationic (gentle). The only part of the shampoo bottle that’s regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the list of ingredients. Manufacturers can and do make any claim they like on the unregulated portions of the label. Water (or some fancy name for good old H2O) will always be the first ingredient. Next comes the detergent. Examples that you might find:

• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - very harsh
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate - harsh
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - still harsh
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - mild, great choice
• TEA Lauryl Sulfate - gentle, good choice
• TEA Laureth Sulfate - gentle, good choice

That’s all you need to know to make your choice. Shampoos often contain antistatic and detangling agents and also thickeners, humectants (moisturizers) and conditioners. But these items are in such small quantities it’s almost a joke. Besides, the detergent washes all of it down the drain when you rinse.

Conditioner. With the money you save on the shampoo, buy a quality conditioner. Unlike the shampoo that gets washed down the drain, the quality of conditioner does make a difference.

I'm going to be the oddball out here and say that I use V05. It is the only shampoo that softens my hair perfectly, leaves it thick and makes it literally squeaky clean!  The fact that they do not use animal testing is also a big reason for my use of it.

i wash my hair every other day, it gets dry and straw like easily... i dont have a set shampoo that i use, i find that whatever i use works the first few times and then doesn't really do the job anymore... but so far i have been happy with loreal vive hydra gloss shampoo w/ royal jelly (and the conditioner too) for very dry hair

Aussie!!

Because they don't test on animals and it smells nice. It doesn't actually feel chemically or detergenty like most shampoo. I like the 3 Minute Miracle for damaged hair. Its awesome.

i really like tresseme.  i used to use the cheapest ones like vo5, suave, etc.. and i never had a problem with my hair feeling like straw as long as i used conditioner.  i do like tresemme though and the big bottles are only about 4 dolllars.

It's not your shampoo that matters in terms of preventing damage to your hair (in my experience, anyway) - it's your conditioner.

I use logics color-sure conditioner and any old shampoo that seems to work for me. though i like the infusium brand for shampoos, they work well and are at drugstore prices...

i get my hair done at an aveda salon here in austin (avant salon & spa) and i really love aveda products. the "color conserve" line is AMAZING. it works great with the aveda color that my stylist uses on me, and it keeps my color vibrant for months until i get around to getting it done again. it is a little pricey ($15 a bottle) but i just use a very small amount when i shampoo/condition. i can make those small bottles last forever that way.

Trader Joe's!

I alternate every few weeks or on whim between the tea tree and the citrus.  Neither one contains lauryl sulfates.  I wash my hair daily, with light brown hair, it shows oil from not washing regularly and I feel icky with unwashed hair.

I use good old "Sheer Blonde," and sometimes I use Herbal Essences for a change (and because it smells better).  I've never thought the price or quality of a shampoo matters that much, in the long run.  And if it does, I don't really care- I mean, my hair's dead anyway, right?  I get it trimmed regularly to get rid of those icky split ends, and my hair seems to do just fine.  But I don't blow dry it or straighten it, so I don't have to deal with heat damage, either.

I usually wash my hair every 2-3 days.  I don't use any products and I rarely even blow dry or use a curling/straigtening iron, so I can usually get away with it.  Plus I wash it twice each time, so it takes several days for the grease to build up enough to be noticeable.  Of course that may change now that I just cut 13 inches off my hair... hmm..

Every time- John Frieda Brillant Brunette. It smells good, doesn't weigh down, creates a nice shine and softness, and isn't too expensive

Every other time- Loprox- a special prescription medicated shampoo for my scalp. 

Once a month or so- John Freida Brillaint Brunette conditioner.  I rub it in really well and then leave it to set for 5-10 min while I do the rest of my showering.. then rinse it out right before I get out.  I don't know if it really does, but it seems to work better if I let it rest and do it's magic for a few min. before rinsing.

I used to use Herbal Essences, though after a while it started to really dry my hair out.  I'm not sure if they changed their formula or what but it was a huge, noticable change all of the sudden. 
I also used to use Neutrogina about once every 2 months just to switch it up and strip my hair of whatever was building up from my normal shampoo.
I also LOVE the feeling of Tea Tree oil.  Makes your scalp all tingly, though I'm not sure how much it did for your hair... there used to be a great shampoo that was primarily tea tree, but I can't remember the name.

Pantene I'll likely never use because I heard they are one of the worst offenders for animal testing. 

Thanks again, everyone, for all the tips!! xoxo

I just wanted to comment on the washing your hair every day...  As a teenager, I decided to try and wash my hair every day, but since I have long and very thick hair, it got to be a pain very quickly, especially since it took about all day to dry.  Therefore, I decided I was going to wean myself off of the daily washings.  And it's exactly that - weaning.  Your scalp, when it gets used to the daily washings, develops/secretes more oil quicker (therefore the oily look on the second day) to compensate for the natural oil stripped away while washing.  If you wash it every two or three days, the oil is still there, but is not developed/secreted as quickly.  All you have to do (if you currently wash your hair on a daily basis) is start washing it every other day (the first week the hair will still look oily on the second day) and hide the oily sheen with a hair band or something similar (the oily sheen is closer to the scalp anyway).  The second week you do this, the hair looks less and less oily on the second day.  By the third week, your hair only starts to look oily on the evening of the second day (closer to 48 hours after you washed it last).  If you wish, you can continue the process after this by making it once in a 3 day wash.  Same process, but this time it takes a little less than 3 weeks.  Believe me, it is totally worth it if your hair is damaged.  And after your hair is completely acclimated to the 1 in 3 days washings, it will only start looking oily on the end of the third day (right when you are supposed to wash it next)!

Sorry for long winded paragraph, but wanted to answer the question that was asked a couple of pages back.  I have great hair (no false modesty here) and I am convinced it is because I am gentle on it.  I wash every 3 days, don't blow dry, don't straighten, and don't use anything beyond conditioner - and I don't have any split ends, my hair doesn't tangle much, and is shiny and smooth. 

And on the topic of shampoo - I love Tresemme as well, but haven't been able to find it for the last couple of years (and they used to sell them in CVS).  Infusium is good.  Pantene does nothing for me that is different from other shampoos.  Dove makes my hair fall out so I hate it.  VO5 doesn't work - really does make hair feel like straw.  Some Suave products are good.  Fructis is also good.