To think cheap shampoo is just as good?

[hummingbyrd]

Feedback and tips please. Got chatting with some girls at work, much younger. All have fab, straight, silky hair. Mines not so bad I thought, but one of them said you can tell I use a cheap shampoo (not in a nasty way - I said i used cheap shampoo and they said
It shows...)

Trial and error in my experience! Try playing about with deals in the supermarket to find what suits you based on what they're 'solving' (afraid I can't help though - mine is fine and curly so I'm solving the opposite issues!)

I'm happy to use any old shampoo, conditioner though I'm fussy about.

Same with facewash, any will get my skin clean (as long as it's mild) but I'm fussy about moisturiser. Doesn't have to be expensive just suit my skin so Time Delay for me.

I think you have to try lots of different brand and find one that suits your hair.
Expensive ones usually works well, but you can get similar results from the brand that suits your hair, ime.
Just invest a bit more fore hair mask/treatment .

OK. This is how I manage mine. I am encouraging it to be curly rather than straight though:

Wash once or twice a week. Shampooing just strips all the grease off and isn't really necessary more often.

Shampoo mainly around the scalp and roots. They're the greasiest parts. The ends of your hair are drier * so can be cleaned by the shampoo being rinsed off over them. Then put the conditioner on. Leave it on for a good 60 seconds. I comb my hair through whilst conditioning it. Reverse the formula for the shampoo - the ends of hair are driest so more conditioner on them. I never brush my hair and only comb it with conditioner on, to stop the curl being broken up. Rinse thoroughly.

Hand squeeze as much water out as possible but don't wring your hair. Dry carefully with a towel - pat rather than scrub as that breaks the curl up. The whole procedure is about getting moisture into the hair and not disrupting it too much, if that makes sense.

Then apply styling product of choice according to instructions. Choose a moisturising one designed for your hair type and chosen style. If you must blow dry, use a diffuser on a low heat setting and don't keep going until your hair is bone dry, just take the worst of the moisture off.

More on products in a minute!

• that's why they absorb more hair dye and go a slightly different colour.

I love a Hedrin treatment too! It's very concentrated silicone, so coats each hair making them glide over each other, hence the swishiness. (and nits can't grip to it)

semiNormal

Coconut oil is awful for me personally... I get really dandruffy and non-swishy hair.

I tried it twice in a row and it took a few years for my scalp to normalise itself.

I have very fine, dead straight hair. The only thing that makes much difference to mine is using a new shampoo (whether cheap or expensive). Once I've been using it for a few days my hair reverts to normal (limp, dull, breaks easily). I've tried all sorts of more expensive shampoos (including Aveda). Great for the first few days, then just the same as all the others. I don't believe the hype about expensive skincare or haircare products tbh.

Frizz ease mask is also good. Not so good since they changed the formula (I'm still bitter even though they changed it about 10 years ago now), but still good and a moderately priced option.

a few weeks. Not years

I use T-Gel mainly because of dandruff/flaky scalp. Sometimes I use conditioner sometimes I don't.
I think it just really depends on the person/hair. FWIW I have thick, curly, shoulder length naturally red hair.

I read up about shampoos and conditioners. Apparently you should use the cheapest shampoo you can get and the most expensive conditioner. The reason given was that all shampoos just wash your hair and then you rinse if off, whereas some conditioner is left in your hair.

I tend to follow this advice and my hair is lovely.

I love living proof. Amazon have been selling the big bottles at fairly reasonable prices (for living proof). Their dry shampoo is amazing too, my hair just feels clean afterwards.

I use elasticizer once a week too. It's worth the money.

I can't tell what other people use, I think what works well for one may not work so well for another. Each person has products that work well for them. However, if you just do a quick shampoo, it's probably not going to look as good as if you do a really good condition too - regardless of what brand you use.

I can definitely tell on my own hair though; I have a very sensitive scalp and only use Phillip Kingsley products as they are the only ones I can use that don't result in my hair falling out or my scalp being aggravated. His shampoo is a bit pricey but it's quite concentrated so lasts a long time and it always makes my hair look, feel and smell lovely. :-)

I'm so glad I'm not the only hedrin lover Ilostit whenever I tell anyone they look at me as though I'm some sort of freak (with nits)

Moisturising shampoo and good conditioner are your friend. Wash hair only when it needs. Plus product
Yes cheap shampoo is shite

Red hair is naturally thicker or more wiry than a natural blonde, no amount of expensive shampoo can change that. I use cheapish brand shampoo and conditioner and my hair is tinted and highlted, it is in very good condition due to regular trims every 7-8 weeks.

I actually choose my shampoo and conditioner to match the bathroom, not for any properties it promises on the label.

I think that mid range shampoo is much better than cheap but......my sister spends £50 on a bottle each of shampoo and conditioner (tiny bottles too!) and I genuinely cant tell the difference between now and when she used cheaper stuff.

On that live well for less programme the other week they swapped the beauty therapist mum's very expensive shampoo for a cheap 99p supermarket one. She didn't think they'd swapped it...

Also I think it really depend on your age.
As you age, your hair needs more. So what worked 5 years ago till now won't work anymore.

It all depends on your hair. If you have long fine hair, prone to dryness, like mine, it really helps prevent split ends and snapped hairs.

I tried a switch to a supermarket brand, and immediately my hair was tangled and dull.

At the moment I'm using Redken Extreme shampoo, conditioner and no-snap blow dry cream, which is working wonders. The best ever is Kerastase Bain Force, but you can only use it for a few weeks at a time or it makes your hair brittle.

I use caviar repair shampoo and conditioners. Having just been through the lengthy process of lightening my hair from black to blonde I can honestly say that stuff is amazing. I use it about 3 times a week but it's about £20 a bottle. If I need to be a bit more frugal then I usually use elvive or pantene. I use heat protection spray every time I dry my hair and I always put L'Oréal professional mythic oil on the ends before I dry it. I do get complimented on my hair quite a lot and my hairdresser is amazed how it's held up after all the bleaching.

I would bet that those girls spend a lot of time blow drying or straightening their hair, and that's why it looks glossy and well groomed. Nothing to do with their shampoo.

I have very fine hair and I do find that the pearly shampoos like Pantene tend to weigh down my hair and I get a greasy build up after a while. But the clear ones sort that out.

My biggest revelation though was to stop using conditioner. My hair is in great condition, and very fine and goes greasy very quickly. My wonderful hairdresser suggested I stop using conditioner, he said I just don't need it. He's right - I've stopped and it literally makes no difference to my hair. Halved my hair washing costs right there!

I agree with UnGoogleable, straightened hair has a flat surface to reflect light, giving it a shine that curly hair cannot achieve.

I also recommend changing shampoo every few weeks as your hair seems to get "used" to one shampoo and it stops cleansing so effectively.

What a bunch of little cows! They can't bloody tell what shampoo you use.

In my experience the shampoo I use makes no difference whatsoever.

What makes a difference is the conditioner but mostly, the products I put in afterwards and how I style it. I reckon I could wash it in washing up liquid but as long as I used a decent conditioner and then the babyliss big hair it'd look better than salon shampoo and air drying.

I've tried lots of different shampoos over the years, from the very cheap, right up to the very expensive ones you have "prescribed" by hairdressers.

I don't think price is the determining factor. A friend, who has the best hair I've ever seen (thick and shiny) uses Lidl own brand shampoo. I suspect much is down to genes!

However, I think you get the best result from any shampoo by using it sparingly, and using lots of water to lather it up, and rinse thoroughly. If you pay £20 for a bottle, you're more likely to use a small quantity and wash carefully, whereas there is a tendency to over-wash with cheap shampoo, by using more shampoo than you need. This leaves hair dry and brittle.

I use a cheap shampoo and a good mid-range conditioner.