Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Shampoo & Conditioner Part 1 (of many)

I think buying hair care products and any type of bath product for that matter is one of my biggest vices. Are those really considered vices or rather providing oneself with common basic needs? To be clean, I think is a human basic need. Well, yes, I have more shampoo and conditioner bottles than you'd see for sale at most salons. I may even have an obnoxious amount of styling products neatly organized in my bathroom cabinets, but before you judge and call me a hoarder, let me be clear: I buy and use all of these products strictly for research purposes. I need to know what's the best shampoo for my thin, color-treated locks and I want to know what's the best product for you.

While researching for myself, I must also consider the needs of others. Sometimes it does make me a bit down when I try a new shampoo and it just doesn't work for my hair type. You must know that doesn't mean the shampoo or product line in general isn't of quality, though there are a lot that are not. It simply means that the mentioned product isn't a fit for you. Like a pair of shoes or a potential partner. You want it to work but that fresh cut, flower-scented conditioner you wanted desperately to love just doesn't love you back. It prefers someone with thicker and normal to dry hair. Le sigh.

Despite my constant researching and testing of new products, I tend to always return to a few of my faithful loves. Kerastase is a fabulous line. For my hair type I use the Volumactive line for fine & delicate hair. The Bain Miroir is also good for my color-treated hair. Neither of the two lines from Kerastase make my hair oily, strip my color or cause product build-up. Trust me, if you use styling products, you want your cleanser to wash away the residue without stripping away color or natural oils that you actually want. If you're going to spend the money to color your hair, I believe, you need to use a product that will preserve your color and treat your hair well. It must be noted that even if you don't color your hair, it's more than okay to use such a product. The same cannot be said for the other way around, as I would rather not wash than use something that won't protect my beloved hair. Gasp!


I'm also a fan of L'oreal Professional hair products. Not always easy to find. Though their site will lead you to a salon in your area where product is available or do what I do and simply order it on Amazon or a beauty website.


Honorable mentions: Holistix daily shampoo and conditioner. Of course, it's good for color-treated hair, no sulfates, paba, paraben or sodium chloride, and a holistic approach to your hair care needs.

Which cleansers do I absolutely despise for any hair type? Which only create more product build-up? Strip hair color? Ah, soon I will post about such products. I think it goes without saying that Pantene and Toni & Guy cleansers will always be bad choices. That's a post for another day. Let me know if you are in search of a new shampoo & conditioner. Chances are, I've tried it and will know if it's right for your hair type and budget. Both extremely important factors.





2 comments:

  1. I love Kerastase, and I do believe if you have damaged hair there is a lot to be said for it's repairative properties. But, It does contain sulphates, and that is a big no no in hair products these days. Sulphates strip your hair color and are, in general, bad. I can't believe they have not yet made a Sulphate free shampoo! I alternate my Kerastase with sulphate free, and that makes me feel better about my addiction to Kerastase.

    However, as a hairdresser, I have to say I am not in love with any one of the sulphate free shampoos. We should do some kind of experiment with them to try and find the best shampoos without sulphates!

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  2. I agree completely. I used Pureology for a short awhile because of that very reason but I have to say, I hated that shampoo. In my experience, it caused so much product build-up. It did preserve color, I guess to a degree, but it didn't wash away all of the styling products in my hair. Always left a film. I don't know. I tried it because it was recommended by a few friends. A lot of people like that line but I didn't.
    I think we do need to try that experiment. I'm on it!

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