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What's the best shampoo/conditioner?

53 replies

JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 04/12/2010 15:57

Let's say that money's no object (or I could just admit that I'm excessively vain about my hair and will justify any expense) - what's the best shampoo/conditioner for thick hair (ie lots of hair - not coarse hair) that's mostly grey underneath all the professionally applied colour?

I've tried:

Kerastase in various flavours and I don't like it much;
Paul Mitchell but not recently.
Lee Stafford - various.
Charles Worthington - various.

And so on...

Pleeeeeeeeease help me to find something that will keep my hair soft, silky and shiney.

OP posts:
Beamur · 04/12/2010 21:57

Paul Mitchell stuff made me itchy.
I've not really indulged with expensive hair products, but am currently using Charles Worthington and my hair (also a bit grey but freshly brunetted) is looking gloriously shiny and sleek.

brimfull · 04/12/2010 21:57

whatever's on offer

TattytinsellooksDevine · 04/12/2010 21:59

Youngblowfish, I have straight, fine hair and am a brunette, coloured, but wear my hair "big" (blowdried, or curled/waved with GHD's) - bit like Cheryl Cole's at the mo as I went mahogany but my style is like hers (minus the extensions!) Grin well I try

So, Ojon - at the moment I've got the Taikawa duo (dark brown packaging) but in the past have had the hydrating duo, thickening duo, etc, and they are all lovely. The first I ever tried were some mini bottles with lots of different types that also came with some of the dry shampoo and a mini hairspray and stuff.

I rate all their products except the hairspray - I dont like the smell and it sort of dulls my hair and makes it immobile but in a bad way, i.e if you lie down it will look wrong. Others may like it but I dont.

But I rate every other product of their's I've tried including all the shampoos and conditioners. I have the restorative treatment and I like it. I dont have blond hair though so interesting to hear what it does to you!

The beauty of QVC of course is that if you hate it you just send it back even if you've used it so any beauty product I want to try that I'm hesitant about, I get from there, for that reason!

PDR · 04/12/2010 22:07

Aveda no question :)

Love the easy to use pump bottles too as I am a lazy cow!

Note - never use empty bottles for shower gel as this can lead to disasterous effects!

ivykaty44 · 04/12/2010 22:14

PoParsnips - I study the ingrediants of shampoo back in a previous life and would be happier to put washing up liquid on my hair and scalp than soem shampoos'. It was friehgtening the ph of some shampoos was nearly 9 which heated up you could actually perm a head of hair...

stick to the washing up liquid PoP

youngblowfish · 04/12/2010 22:19

Parsnips, Tatty, I am much obliged. :) Just about to add Ecover washing up liquid to the Tesco order and set up a QVC account.

kuckingfunt · 04/12/2010 22:20

I have probably tried every brand of shampoo there is! I spent a fortune on it.

I quite like Redken, Paul Mitchell and Aveda. Don't like Keratase or Ojon or Wella.

Everytime a thread comes up on here I recommend the same one. L'oreal Serie Expert Colour Shampoo, Conditioner and for an extra treat the mask. It is the best one ever for me. The intense repair range is also good. I have coloured hair that is quite thick and can look frizzy/dry without the right shampoo. This is absolutely brilliant. Every now and again I get a bit bored of it and decide to try something different. I am always sorry I did though and always go back to this. I have my hair coloured every 5 weeks, wash, blowdry and straighten it every day and it still looks in good condition, I swear this is down to the shampoo and conditioner.

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 04/12/2010 23:17

Oh God I wouldn't use Ecover on hair- it's a detergent! It will strip your hair of any goodness! Can't do much good to your scalp either. I second Kerastase, lovely smell too.

sharbie · 05/12/2010 00:05

re the qvc money back guarantee - don't you have to pay p&p for the product and then pay to return it?

TattytinsellooksDevine · 05/12/2010 07:27

Yes, you do, so in that sense it is not totally risk free but financially its still better than having a basket full of stuff in your bedroom that you dont use that just didn't work out.

I have one of these. I've got probably well over £100 worth of cosmetics of various kinds that for whatever reason I stopped using very soon after purchase. Bronzers that were that bit too orange for my skin. Conditioners that were too heavy. Moisturisers that caused spots. All excellent high end brands and lovely products that just weren't quite right for me.

We should do a swap meet! I'm sure we all have one of these baskets.

Its still better than any returns policy department stores have, which are to return unopened and in their original packaging and with a receipt.

JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 05/12/2010 09:13

Tatty I wish my basket had only had £100 worth of stuff in it Blush

I actually just binned a load of hair/body products - heaven knows how much they all cost.

One of my friends was off to Cuba and took a suitcase full of cosmetics that no-one wanted any more as, apparently, the women there find it hard to get hold of make-up. My old (much unused) stuff must have filled half the suitcase...

I'm a complete pushover for anything new and/or shiney. I am a Marketeer's dream as I have to have the whole matching "set" of anything.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 05/12/2010 09:38

the breastmilksonme - what on earth do you think shampoo is then if not a detergent to clean hair? and there are a lot of shampoos that will strip your hair - head and shoulders for one would strip your hair far worse than ecover

TattytinsellooksDevine · 05/12/2010 10:57

What is "stripping" hair anyway...if not what we are trying to do to get it clean. Strip it of dirt and excess oils.

Obviously a good shampoo will take the dirt and excess oil but not mess with ph balance, and might "give something back" in terms of shine and proteins/keratins etc.

I have always thought that conditioner is more important than shampoo in terms of hair condition (the clue's in the name I guess!) but I have coloured hair so there is something to be said for using a shampoo that is designed not to remove the colour you have just £££ having applied.

I imagine if I washed my hair with ecover it would feel "too clean" - i.e too squeaky, and would need a lot of conditioner to make it combable - but I've never actually done it so I dont know!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 05/12/2010 11:05

I have one of those cupboards drawers-- baskets. God only knows how much it all cost.

I have become much better recently at buying only one or two things in a range rather than the whole lot, but I am bad at deciding to try and new product before I've finished what I've got. Lots of half-empty bottles, pots and tubes in my house!

pipplin · 05/12/2010 11:37

Can anyone help me? I have a lot of fine fizzy which makes it bushy hair(I sound hot) greasy roots with dry ends.
Help me please! I've just had a lot of the length- now just hits my shoulders and I don't like it- i look like a dolly so if I could make it look better that would make me feel better.

pipplin · 05/12/2010 11:37

Off* Blush

Francagoestohollywood · 05/12/2010 11:46

Frederic Fekkai: www.fekkai.com

JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 05/12/2010 13:08

pipplin - I've had so much help on this thread, I feel terrible that I can't advise anything for your hair type...

OP posts:
sharbie · 05/12/2010 18:06

i am way too low maintenace to have £100 worth of beauty stuff Smile £1 deodorant from waitrose and i am spoiling myself.

sharbie · 05/12/2010 18:06

argh sp

JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 05/12/2010 18:41

sharbie - are you a natural beauty? I need all the help I can get these days Smile

OP posts:
sharbie · 05/12/2010 18:48

he he i wish - bad eyesight/undusted mirrors makes me think i look ok

TattytinsellooksDevine · 05/12/2010 21:19

Pipplin - I wouldn't concentrate too much on "condition" as such with your hair, presuming you aren't doing anything out of the ordinary to it. If its not overfried, or overdyed, in terms of styling/colouring, I would go with a good bog standard shampoo and conditioner which isn't too heavy and offers some heat protection.

Then, if you want lovely sleek healthy looking well conditioned hair, you need to learn to style it.

Your hair looks the way it is because its naturally that way. (Assuming you are not doing anything terrible to it anyway).

If you have that kind of hair, you either need to learn to blowdry it properly to tame the frizz that makes it look unhealthy, or perhaps try an Instyler (QVC sell them for risk free trying, JML too, or try the Babyliss version which is the "big hair" which is essentially a rotating round brush styler)

Your roots probably seem greasy because you simply have fine hair. Learn to love dry shampoos and the less you wash the less you need to.

I'm no professional but go to a decent hairdresser and get them to assess your hair - they can do this if washing and drying it - and cutting it - get them to confirm that there is (probably) nothing essentially wrong with the way you are treating it in terms of maintenance, but it needs taming with styling.

My hair looks and seems incredibly healthy even though I dye it and bleach it (highlights anyway) and whilst I look after it with products, the reason it looks so healthy is its simply sleek, straight, well behaved hair, I'm sure of it.

otchayaniye · 06/12/2010 09:49

I actually think the best shampoo and conditioners are ones that don't contain sulfates and silicone and parabens

Not because I'm particularly wedded to 'greenness' but because I've switched to the curly girl method and it's sorted my hair out.

Basically the sulfates strip the hair and the silicones coat it to make it feel smooth. The hair over time lacks moisture and can become brittle.

Some non sulfate shampoos can leave hair with an odd texture or feeling waxy but that's just when the hair is wet. It will usually dry fine.

Best ones I found were the Aubrey Organics ones, but I think some of the Gianni ones in boots (with the vibrator shaped packaging) are nasty free

pipplin · 06/12/2010 17:02

TattytinsellooksDevine- thank you! I was thinking about the Big hair brush. Is it quick to use? Have small baby.

I think it is more to do with style. I do have a natural wave and at this length its doing nothing for it. Its just got very old highlights in which are nearly gone tbh. I dont straighten it until I am wearing it down- at this length, never.
I will wait for it to grow a bit then I will see a decent hairdresser and get it assessed.
I wanted a shaggy grown out bob- I got a rag doll who's owner decided to brush the woolly hair and cut a very random layer in it. :( I am so sad I feel like I did when I was a child and I didn't like my hair.