Best budget shampoo/conditioner

[FelixFelix]

My hair is in a rubbish state. It's quite long (about nipple length) and straight but I sometimes make it wavy with my straighteners. I have a heavy-ish fringe too. It always looks dull unless I've just brushed it, but I can't brush my hair every 5 minutes! I have also developed a weird frizz where I've got new growth around my parting and it just sticks up and looks messy. I wash my hair every night and blow dry before bed. I don't have loads of time to style it as I have an 18 month old to look after, so I either curl it before bed and can just brush it out in to waves in the morning or run over it with the straighteners if I've just blow dried it the night before.

I need to get back in to the routine of caring for my hair but now I'm a SAHM I'm on a tighter budget. I used to spend a horrendous amount of money on trying loads of different products but I can't justify the cost any more.

I'd like to try some SLS free shampoo/conditioner but all the ones I've seen recommended are all very pricey. Are there any cheaper brands who do SLS free stuff? Also think I'd benefit from some sort of smoothing creme or serum. Any recommendations? Will be going to a big Boots tomorrow so need help!

Timotei does one and L'Oréal elvive too. It's quite fashionable at the moment.

I like dove pro age conditioner although I'm young ish

The jasons range and faith in nature are both SLS free, very moisturising but not too heavy. About £5 for a big bottle (often if you by the shampoo you get the matching conditioner half price.) Or use coconut oil to condition

Mentioned these on another thread. Palmer's (yes, the cocoa butter company) Coconut Oil Shampoo, conditioner and they do a Protein Treatment too, in a sachet. Costs £4 a bottle £1 per 100ml so not super budget. The treatment sachet costs £1.99 and I get 4 treatments out of it on my thick shoulder length hair, so maybe two for you.
I found it in a big Superdrug, in the ethnic hair section. It has no sulphates or parabens and my hair is definitely feeling and looking better for it.

Although you have straight hair, some curl cream (boots' own is good) can help with the frizz. It wont curl your hair just sort of seals the moisture.

Your hair sounds like.mine and ive.not found anything brilliant yet.

You could try soaking it in oil (coconut or olive are best) and washing it out after an hour or overnight. It makes my hair softer an less frizzy but only lasts a few days.

The frizz means your hair is dry. So go for moisturisng shampoos. Organix brazil nut one seems.quite good but is a bit pricey.

Silicone serums can make th problem worse as they stop your scalp oils from moisturising your hair by locking them out.

Also, products aimed at african hair is worth a look. Afro hair tends to be very dry and products and advice tends to cater to this problem.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll look them all up.

Particularly interested in the Palmers cocoa butter stuff as I'm a fan! Didn't know they did hair care.

I only use serum on the ends as it makes my hair less fly away but should I stop using it? My hair seems unruly without it.

Superdrug's own brand coconut and sweet almond oil shampoo and conditioner at very good.

What jumps off the page at me is that you're washing and blow drying every day. Is your hair particularly greasy? At that length I'd be going a bit longer between washes. You're stripping your hair of it's natural oils every day - possibly accounts for the frizz and flyaway.

Yes it's always been very greasy since I was a teenager. I've tried every product under the sun and also not washing for however long/various other methods and it's never improved. Occasionally I will leave it a day and use dry shampoo instead but it still feels and looks rank

Quite impressed with the new Aldi range.

I've heard the new dry shampoos are good ...
www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/may/30/beauty-dry-shampoos-without-dust-sali-hughes

It turns out I can save myself a morning blowdry by spraying a little dry shampoo – I use Redken Pillow Proof (£11.75) or Colab (£2.32) – into the roots before bed, then tipping my head upside down and gathering the lengths in a very high, loose ponytail on top of my head. In the morning, my hair has more volume than I could possibly hope to achieve outside a salon.

Ginger I might try dry shampoo before bed and see what happens. I've always just used it in the morning. I would suspect id get a big weird kink in my hair if I put it in a ponytail overnight though!

I started using Alberto apple shampoo and conditioner which is great stuff.

My hair also has what seems like new growth round the parting but I think it has actually broken off after my going swimming and not wetting my hair first.

I have nipple length hair like you and I use a dry shampoo the night before as opposed to in the morning which seems to work much better.

Alberto Balsam, I use the Blueberry shampoo and conditioner. After I wash it I put Boots style works serum on it. I've said it on a few threads like this before, but I used to spend £40/50 a month on hair stuff now it's a fiver and my hair has never been in better condition.

I have nipple length curly, frizzy hair.

Another for Alberto Balsam. I do use other hair care stuff, but the truth is, AB is fantastically good.

I pay £1 per bottle and my hair looks and feels great, what's not to love?

I would say leave off with the straighteners and blow drying- I'm not surprised it's 'in a rubbish state'

I'm surprised at the Alberto Balsam comments! I always thought it wouldn't be that good as its dead cheap. I'll have to try it!

My hair isn't actually that damaged from blow drying and straighteners. I always dry on a low heat setting and my hair is very straight anyway so I just have to run the straighteners over my fringe and the front bits. It gets regularly trimmed and was always nice when I had the cash to spend on good products. At the moment I'm just using Aldi's version on tresseme shampoo with no conditioner or any other products, so that's why it looks shit.

If you use nothing else, use a heat protection spray if you're using straighteners.

Superdrugs Pro Vitamin (less than £1.50)

Used it today -nice.
Might have to get the matching conditioner .

I'd go for poundland shampoo then Aussie Moise conditioners. They are fab , ?4 and there is a deep treatment one and a coloured or damaged hair one. They tamed my hilights frizz and it feels so soft. I put the one for damaged hair onto dry hair and left for an hour then rinsed, totaly different hair ! Now i just add after shampooing, comb thru to ends and then rinse.