HELP! please!....

Hi,

Please remember that this my opinion only and based on my own experiences so I hope it helps but I want to remind everyone that they need to find their own way.

I am not sure what texture your hair is so I can`t really comment about the way it acts after you sleep on it.

It sounds to me like you have not hit upon the right combo of shampoo and conditioners. A lot of people swear that drugstore shampoos and conditioners are the same as salon lines. I hav to tell you that I used the drugstore shampoos for years and my hair looked and acted horrible. I didn`t really see a turn around in my hair until I switched to Aveda. Along the way I tried a lot of salon brands and I have 4-5 that really always work for me. Aveda Shampure is great for moisturizing my hair no matter how dry or screwy it is acting. Aveda`s Curessence conditioner also works so great. They are both very very expensive but they work for me so I keep them on hand and alternate them in from time to time.

I also have great luck with Edwin Paul Luxury Shampoo and Deep Conditioner. ARTec Smoothing and conditioner and Moisture Pak work for me. When I need less conditioning I have great luck with Paul Penders. I also like Phytologie products (S88 and #7 and #9).

It has taken me 10 years to figure out what really makes my hair smooth and soft and shiny. Someone recently told me that my hair glows like it has lights hidden somewhere. :-) That was a great compliment but believe me I work super hard at my hair all the time.

What would I advise you to do? First of all, what is your hair type? Is it naturally curly, wavy or straight? Or a comb? What products are you currently using? What products have worked the best in the past? If nothing has really worked, what are you willing to spend on products? Paul Penders and Edwin Paul are more cost affordable but Aveda, even though they make me mad at some of the things they do, kicks butt.

This is how I do my hair:

1. Depending on how dry it is (I have my hair higlighted 4x a year) I apply a warm jojoba oil product into my hair from the middle of my hair down to the ends. I leave on for about 30 minutes and then I shampoo.

2. I use warm water (even though I love hot showers) and alternate between Aveda, Edwin Paul, Paul Penders, Phytologie and ARTec.

3. I do just one shampoo. Rinse and apply a rinse out conditioner. I have found that while mixing and matching is OK I get better results with sticking to a specific brand. So Aveda with Aveda and ARTec with ARTec.

4. I towel blot my hair with a big fluffy towel that soaks up a lot of moisture.

5. I use a detangling spray...Aveda Curessence Spray or Edwin Paul detangler or ARTec Kiwi and a big pick and detangle my hair.

6. I blow dry my bangs straight or else they get super wavy.

7. I twist my damp hair into a big fat knot and stick in hairsticks or a big claw clip. I let my hair air dry. I go to work with my hair damp (which works here in a warmer climate) and then about 2 hours later I unclip my hair, pick it out and it is usually dry. It looks great.

8. I never sleep on my hair when it is even damp or the waves go crazy.

So I think maybe you need to consider washing your hair in the morning or long before you go to bed. Another thought is to use rag curlers and put them into your hair to keep your look smooth. Rag curlers are soft and easy to sleep on.

Another option is to use a satin pillowcase that will keep your hair smoother.

Finally, you can blow dry your hair just enough to remove moisture but not damage the hair. If you decide to do that use the blow dryer on coolest, slowest setting and apply a leave in conditioner.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Hair can be managed...it just takes a little time and practice to learn what works best for you.

Best wishes,
Karen Shelton
HairBoutique.com

Hi Jennifer,

Good topic. Thanks for the thread.

Although I try very hard to repeat this point throughout all my HairBoutique.com articles and the boards, my personal belief in the fact that some salon products are superior to drugstore brands is my own personal opinion. It is based on what I have experienced with my own personal hair since 1988.

What makes salon products superior, in my opinion, is what they do for my hair. Yes, the ingredients make the difference. If you met me and saw my hair in person you would see that I have soft, shiny and undamaged hair. I have old hair since it is very long at 3 inches below my waist. I also have highlighted hair. My hair, with the various salon products I currently use, is easy to manage either wet or dry and I like how it looks and feels.

I never ever had that experience when I was using drugstore products. Never. My hair was painfully dry, no shine, damaged, horrible to comb and had static. It felt bad, looked bad and it was depressing to me. I had problems with split ends and my hair was always sticky, dry and frizzy. Again, probably because of the ingredients in the drugstore products I was buying.

So based on how my hair reacts with some salon products, I personally believe that salon products are better. For me and for my hair. Is that true for everyone? Nope, certainly not.

I am not saying that all drugstore products or bad or that all salon products are good. Not by any stretch. In fact, I encourage people to find their own way. I say this in my articles all the time, over and over.

Have I used all drugstore products? Of course not. That would be virtually impossible. While we do ask our HairBoutique.com "testers" to try many products there is no way that we could possibly try everything. Right now our teen advisors are testing some of the Suave and Pantene products.

I am not trying to lump all drugstore products together like all foods. It is a common thing in the hair and beauty industry to classify products and there are products that are sold "in drugstores and retail" and there are products sold "only in salons". That is how the industry classifies and this is not my own personal classification.

In fact, as a side note, ARTec, Aveda, Paul Mitchell and Matrix, to name a few, are totally against any retail outlets or even web sites selling their products. That is considered "diverting" and is considered highly unethical. Even though some hair websites sell ARTec or Paul Mitchell on their site, they are doing it without the mfg`s permission and if/when ARTec finds out there will most likely be sanctions. There usually are.

I do not sell any products here that are not approved by the manufacturer. We do not divert products and accept that fact that salon products are usually only available in salons. We could sell the drugstore lines if we wanted but have chosen not to do so for a long list of reasons that I won`t go into because it is not related to the topic.

Over the past 30 years I have personally tried all the flavors of Pantene, Aura, Herbal Essence, Vidal Sasson, Prell, Pert and Pert Plus, Salon Selectives, Halsa and Suave, to name a few. I used Revlon`s Flex for years and tried all versions of the Vidal Sasson. I also tried Infusium and the horse shampoo Tail & Mane and just about anything that promised me that I would have shiny hair. I used Alberto Vo5 hot oil, Clairol condition, Clairol shampoos & rinses and I tried Aussie shampoo and conditioners. The products that worked best for me, although not good by any comparison to now, was the Flex and the Suave.

As far as salon products go, again, what works well for some people is based on their individual hair and its needs. I also have tried many many salon products over the past several years.

I used salon products by Paul Mitchell and even though the man was a saint and the salon industry loves the line, it did not work for my hair. I tried the majority of the line. I also tried many of the Redken & Matrix products. Some work for me and some just don`t. I tried George Michael and L`anza and many of the Phytologie products. Some are fantastic for me and some not. George Michael and L`anza were not good for my hair type. I tried Aubrey Hampton with some good and some not so good results. I have used Framesi and KMS products. I also worked my way up and down the Nexxus line and have used Anazai to name just a few of the many "salon" lines I have dabbled in.

I try everything that seems to be designed for my hair type...which is very long, naturally wavy and coarse, naturally dry and highlighted. I tried several of the Abba products designed for my hair type with unhappy results.

So as you can see, I have tried many many salon lines and I only personally use 4-5. I rotate between Aveda, Edwin Paul, Phytologie, ARTec and either Paul Penders or Aubrey Hampton, depending on a variety of factors from the time of year and how my hair is feeling.

I use the Aveda Chamomille shampoo because it helps maintain my highlights for the first few weeks. I use Aubrey Honeysuckle when my hair feels really dry and I love Paul Penders shampoo for the same reason.

It is definitely possible to get proof of what products are superior by the results on your hair. You can, if you want, even go to the labs where they make the products and see what they use. Some will give you a tour, some will not. It depends.

Edwin Paul explained to me personally that there are 40 different types of alcohol blends used in hair care products. Some are very cheap and more damaging. Some are more expensive and less harmful. I quizzed him for an hour about this recently. Also, ARTec reps explained to me about their datum ingredient which is so good for myown personal hair because of the conditioning qualities that it imparts for my dryness.

George Carroll explained to me some time ago that yes indeed, there are different types of sodium laureth sulfate. And yes, some of the blends are a lot worse than others. Some shampoos don`t use it at all, some use a much milder form and some use a much lower concentration. The salon brands tend to use a better quality of everything. Not all, but many.

Recently a famous colorist was talking to me about the "color shampoos" and he told me that even the colors that are used by drugstore lines are inferior to what an ARTec or Aveda would use.

I am not even saying that I know absolutely for sure that the ingredients in salon products are superior or that drugstore ingredients are inferior. Maybe a chemist could tell you the absolute different grades and qualities. I do know after talking to many people that work in the industry that there are very many different grades of the same ingredient.

Can I absolutely prove this? No. But I can say that I trust George Carroll, Mike Trobee (who is a hair chemist) and Edwin Paul (who has personally created all his own products with the help of a lab and his own standards for quality). They have all told me that yes, there is a difference in the ingredients and in the ultimate quality.

If Pantene conditioner works for you or others, that is great. It doesn`t work for me. I wish it did because I would love to save on the costs that I spend on my hair. I spend a lot of money on my hair because my hair acts terrible under most "drugstore" brands. Maybe there is one out there that I have not found yet that would work.

Bottom line, my hair has always reacted so much better to "salon lines". That is my hair and I openly advise people to try and find products designed for their specific hair texture and type.

Maybe they have super healthy hair and can use the "drugstore" brands with good results. Maybe they can`t. Maybe ARTec is great for them, maybe they do better with Paul Mitchell.

I also know that for my hair I have found a few lines that happen to be salon lines and they work fantastic for my hair. They cost more but I know that they will work every time. I have been using Aveda for years and it never lets me down. I am finding a similar experience with Edwin Paul. But that is me and my hair.

I strongly encourage everyone to get to know their hair and based on its type and needs, experiment with products designed for their hair and make their own opinions.

Another comment....yes, buying off the shelf in a drugstore without guidance can offer more potential for mistakes. However, even though some of the lines I use were referred to me by stylists (Aveda and ARTec) some were not and I found them because I knew that I needed certain ingredients for my hair type.

So I think a person getting advice from a hair care expert may actually have better luck at finding the basic type of products to use for their hair but I still think that they still need to experiment on their own to find the absolute best products. This is because salons tend to sell only certain lines, like ARTec or Matrix or Paul Mitchell. So a stylist might advise you to try a product that is good for your hair type but that can be a starting point for comparing to other lines.

I often go into a beauty supply house and tell them that I am looking for deep conditioning products "similar to ARTec Moisture Pak". It is amazing what they will show me. I have found a few products that come close, but other than the Edwin Paul Deep Conditioner, ARTec Moisture Pak and Aveda Curressence, I have not found anything that really does as good a job for me.

Thanks for the topic. In some ways this specific topis, is almost as controversial as politics or religion. I have seen people get very upset about their opinions.

Best wishes,
Karen Shelton
HairBoutique.com

Hi AggiePam,

Thanks for sharing about your hair. I think it is fabulous that you are growing your hair. The longer it gets the more weight your hair will have to help weigh down the waves...well at least that is what happened to me.

How are grocery stores able to sell Paul Mitchell and other salon onlys? There have been tons of information printed in the hair trades (I read all the hair professional mags to keep up on hair trends) and there appears to be a common opinion about what really happens when salon products are sold in retail outlets, on the web or in other unauthorized locations.

I will share the most popular opinions on "diverting" which is what this is called in the hair care industry:

1. Salons/stylists who are approved re-sellers of the "salon only" brands like ARTec and Paul Mitchell & many other salon only brands, will sell out the "back door" to diverters who buy at salon wholesale prices and then sell at a slight markeup to the grocery stores and retail chains. It is impossible for the salon lines to "police" this and the only way they find out is if consumers and/or others report the offenders to the manufacturers. The salons make money by selling in volume, the diverters are the middleguys and they make a cut and then the retail/grocery chains make a cut.

2. Salons/stylists sell products to hair and beauty web sites or partner with sites to sell the products as part of the salon, even though there is no real connection to the web site and the salon in question. This is also illegal since the hair care manufacturers specifically prohibit salons from selling their products online. That is why, as an example, we don`t sell ARTec or Paul Mitchell at HairBoutique.com. It is not approved by either company for Net sales under any circumstances. Not just at HairBoutique.com but any web site at all.

3. The products are illegal "copies". Many labs will "copy" brand names at a fraction of the cost using lower quality ingredients and then copying the label and packaging. They then sell the products for much less than what the real product would cost. Consumers are duped into buying products that are fake and not quality controlled, in most cases. There have been actual cases where consumers have unknowingly bought "copied" products which had inferior ingredients and they developed bad reactions to the products.

Copying products is illegal and when the people doing the copying are caught there are legal and financial consequences.

4. Products are stolen. There are actual cases of theft of products from large beauty supply stores and other places. The thieves resell the "hot" products to retail outlets.

5. Salons set up "ghost shops". This means that someone opens a salon that never really does any hair care work but does qualify to sell manufacturing products. So they will load up on products to sell from their authorized "salon" which is a ghost site.

Hair care manufacturers got wise to this scheme and now they are very careful about ghost shops.

So is the Paul Mitchell at your local Mart the same as at the Paul Mitchell approved salon? Hard to say. One way to tell is to compare the bottles very carefully. There are some small differences that can be spotted if you look closely enough.

Are the products the same at ghost salons or on the Net? Again, hard to say for sure. Unless the products have been officially approved for sale by the manufacturer, you can never know for sure.

One of the reasons we only sell 5 product lines is because we had to get official written permission to sell those lines on the Net. So you can rest assured that Edwin Paul, Vain, Philou, KnottyBoy and Paul Penders are all legit if they come from us.

Can we say the same for sales at other locations? Again, no guarantee. Which means that you should try to buy for a dealer or salon or location that you trust. Also, if they don`t offer a refund and they are not a salon, then you may be more suspicious.

This doesn`t mean that all Marts or retail chains or Net outlets are selling fakes. They may have the real McCoy that was sold through the "backdoor of the salon". However, buyer beware.

Yes, unfortunately Texas is not exempt from diverting, fakes and other shenigans. It happens here in Dallas. I see Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Aveda and even ARTec at the local grocery store. It is too freaky. I would NEVER buy it there. Even though I like the grocery store I could never be sure how they got their hands on it and whether it is authentic or not.

Detanglers are next. :-)

Best wishes,
Karen Shelton
HairBoutique.com

quote:

---

Karen Marie Shelton originally wrote:

Reply to message: 21.876.1

Hi Jennifer,

Good topic. Thanks for the thread.

Although I try very hard to repeat this point throughout all my HairBoutique.com articles and the boards, my personal belief in the fact that some salon products are superior to drugstore brands is my own personal opinion. It is based on what I have experienced with my own personal hair since 1988.

What makes salon products superior, in my opinion, is what they do for my hair. Yes, the ingredients make the difference. If you met me and saw my hair in person you would see that I have soft, shiny and undamaged hair. I have old hair since it is very long at 3 inches below my waist. I also have highlighted hair. My hair, with the various salon products I currently use, is easy to manage either wet or dry and I like how it looks and feels.

I never ever had that experience when I was using drugstore products. Never. My hair was painfully dry, no shine, damaged, horrible to comb and had static. It felt bad, looked bad and it was depressing to me. I had problems with split ends and my hair was always sticky, dry and frizzy. Again, probably because of the ingredients in the drugstore products I was buying.

So based on how my hair reacts with some salon products, I personally believe that salon products are better. For me and for my hair. Is that true for everyone? Nope, certainly not.

I am not saying that all drugstore products or bad or that all salon products are good. Not by any stretch. In fact, I encourage people to find their own way. I say this in my articles all the time, over and over.

Have I used all drugstore products? Of course not. That would be virtually impossible. While we do ask our HairBoutique.com "testers" to try many products there is no way that we could possibly try everything. Right now our teen advisors are testing some of the Suave and Pantene products.

I am not trying to lump all drugstore products together like all foods. It is a common thing in the hair and beauty industry to classify products and there are products that are sold "in drugstores and retail" and there are products sold "only in salons". That is how the industry classifies and this is not my own personal classification.

In fact, as a side note, ARTec, Aveda, Paul Mitchell and Matrix, to name a few, are totally against any retail outlets or even web sites selling their products. That is considered "diverting" and is considered highly unethical. Even though some hair websites sell ARTec or Paul Mitchell on their site, they are doing it without the mfg's permission and if/when ARTec finds out there will most likely be sanctions. There usually are.

I do not sell any products here that are not approved by the manufacturer. We do not divert products and accept that fact that salon products are usually only available in salons. We could sell the drugstore lines if we wanted but have chosen not to do so for a long list of reasons that I won't go into because it is not related to the topic.

Over the past 30 years I have personally tried all the flavors of Pantene, Aura, Herbal Essence, Vidal Sasson, Prell, Pert and Pert Plus, Salon Selectives, Halsa and Suave, to name a few. I used Revlon's Flex for years and tried all versions of the Vidal Sasson. I also tried Infusium and the horse shampoo Tail & Mane and just about anything that promised me that I would have shiny hair. I used Alberto Vo5 hot oil, Clairol condition, Clairol shampoos & rinses and I tried Aussie shampoo and conditioners. The products that worked best for me, although not good by any comparison to now, was the Flex and the Suave.

As far as salon products go, again, what works well for some people is based on their individual hair and its needs. I also have tried many many salon products over the past several years.

I used salon products by Paul Mitchell and even though the man was a saint and the salon industry loves the line, it did not work for my hair. I tried the majority of the line. I also tried many of the Redken & Matrix products. Some work for me and some just don't. I tried George Michael and L'anza and many of the Phytologie products. Some are fantastic for me and some not. George Michael and L'anza were not good for my hair type. I tried Aubrey Hampton with some good and some not so good results. I have used Framesi and KMS products. I also worked my way up and down the Nexxus line and have used Anazai to name just a few of the many "salon" lines I have dabbled in.

I try everything that seems to be designed for my hair type...which is very long, naturally wavy and coarse, naturally dry and highlighted. I tried several of the Abba products designed for my hair type with unhappy results.

So as you can see, I have tried many many salon lines and I only personally use 4-5. I rotate between Aveda, Edwin Paul, Phytologie, ARTec and either Paul Penders or Aubrey Hampton, depending on a variety of factors from the time of year and how my hair is feeling.

I use the Aveda Chamomille shampoo because it helps maintain my highlights for the first few weeks. I use Aubrey Honeysuckle when my hair feels really dry and I love Paul Penders shampoo for the same reason.

It is definitely possible to get proof of what products are superior by the results on your hair. You can, if you want, even go to the labs where they make the products and see what they use. Some will give you a tour, some will not. It depends.

Edwin Paul explained to me personally that there are 40 different types of alcohol blends used in hair care products. Some are very cheap and more damaging. Some are more expensive and less harmful. I quizzed him for an hour about this recently. Also, ARTec reps explained to me about their datum ingredient which is so good for myown personal hair because of the conditioning qualities that it imparts for my dryness.

George Carroll explained to me some time ago that yes indeed, there are different types of sodium laureth sulfate. And yes, some of the blends are a lot worse than others. Some shampoos don't use it at all, some use a much milder form and some use a much lower concentration. The salon brands tend to use a better quality of everything. Not all, but many.

Recently a famous colorist was talking to me about the "color shampoos" and he told me that even the colors that are used by drugstore lines are inferior to what an ARTec or Aveda would use.

I am not even saying that I know absolutely for sure that the ingredients in salon products are superior or that drugstore ingredients are inferior. Maybe a chemist could tell you the absolute different grades and qualities. I do know after talking to many people that work in the industry that there are very many different grades of the same ingredient.

Can I absolutely prove this? No. But I can say that I trust George Carroll, Mike Trobee (who is a hair chemist) and Edwin Paul (who has personally created all his own products with the help of a lab and his own standards for quality). They have all told me that yes, there is a difference in the ingredients and in the ultimate quality.

If Pantene conditioner works for you or others, that is great. It doesn't work for me. I wish it did because I would love to save on the costs that I spend on my hair. I spend a lot of money on my hair because my hair acts terrible under most "drugstore" brands. Maybe there is one out there that I have not found yet that would work.

Bottom line, my hair has always reacted so much better to "salon lines". That is my hair and I openly advise people to try and find products designed for their specific hair texture and type.

Maybe they have super healthy hair and can use the "drugstore" brands with good results. Maybe they can't. Maybe ARTec is great for them, maybe they do better with Paul Mitchell.

I also know that for my hair I have found a few lines that happen to be salon lines and they work fantastic for my hair. They cost more but I know that they will work every time. I have been using Aveda for years and it never lets me down. I am finding a similar experience with Edwin Paul. But that is me and my hair.

I strongly encourage everyone to get to know their hair and based on its type and needs, experiment with products designed for their hair and make their own opinions.

Another comment....yes, buying off the shelf in a drugstore without guidance can offer more potential for mistakes. However, even though some of the lines I use were referred to me by stylists (Aveda and ARTec) some were not and I found them because I knew that I needed certain ingredients for my hair type.

So I think a person getting advice from a hair care expert may actually have better luck at finding the basic type of products to use for their hair but I still think that they still need to experiment on their own to find the absolute best products. This is because salons tend to sell only certain lines, like ARTec or Matrix or Paul Mitchell. So a stylist might advise you to try a product that is good for your hair type but that can be a starting point for comparing to other lines.

I often go into a beauty supply house and tell them that I am looking for deep conditioning products "similar to ARTec Moisture Pak". It is amazing what they will show me. I have found a few products that come close, but other than the Edwin Paul Deep Conditioner, ARTec Moisture Pak and Aveda Curressence, I have not found anything that really does as good a job for me.

Thanks for the topic. In some ways this specific topis, is almost as controversial as politics or religion. I have seen people get very upset about their opinions.

Best wishes,
Karen Shelton
HairBoutique.com

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Hi Karen,

>>my personal belief in the fact that some salon products are superior to drugstore brands is my own personal opinion.

I`m trying to understand your point-of-view, honestly I am, but you`re not giving much concrete information on which to base an opinion.

>>If you met me and saw my hair in person you would see that I have soft, shiny and undamaged hair.

You mention this constantly, and I can find no argument! You obviously have been taking good care of your hair, and it is apparent. But there is often more than one way to accomplish the same task. Also, some people are genetically inclined to produce thick, long hair and some are not. I know some weight-lifters who work out at a minimum, yet are quite toned and chiseled and others who are stringent in diet and exercise and it`s no nearly as apparent that they lift weights. Of course, how we treat our hair will have a bearing, but even those who do everything "perfectly" will not necessarily have the best-looking hair. It`s unfortunate but true!

>>I never ever had that experience when I was using drugstore products. Never.....Over the past 30 years I have personally tried all the flavors of Pantene, Aura, Herbal Essence, Vidal Sasson, Prell, Pert and Pert Plus, Salon Selectives, Halsa and Suave, to name a few. I used Revlon`s Flex for years and tried all versions of the Vidal Sasson. I also tried Infusium and the horse shampoo Tail & Mane and just about anything that promised me that I would have shiny hair.

With all due respect, my hair is much younger and newer than yours, and most of the companies you mention make terrible shampoos that I would never use! And each company makes several shampoos. Some are good and some are not, so a general brand name isn`t as helpful as a specific name of a shampoo within that line. I`m not sure what is more damaging than most of Revlon shampoos and Suave and Prell for someone with coarse drug hair like you!! You`re taking the worst of the drugstore products and pitting them against the best of the salon products. There is no comparison. You could also take the best of the drugstore products and pit them against the worst of the salon products (and there are some very bad ones!) and have a vastly different opinion.

>>Have I used all drugstore products? Of course not......That would be virtually impossible. Maybe there is one out there that I have not found yet that would work. Bottom line, my hair has always reacted so much better to "salon lines".

If you had tried each and every drugstore product, your opinion would carry a lot more weight. I understand that of the brands you tried, you had no success, and that`s unfortunate. But really, you`re only taking a sampling of the worst and comparing it with the best. Is that really a fair assessment?

>>You can, if you want, even go to the labs where they make the products and see what they use.

What chemist in his right mind is going to tell you anything that will make the product that his lab dispenses seem any less than perfect? An unbiased opinion would be much more respected. Our minds are amazing and will believe anything we want. It`s very difficult to remain objective, especially when we`re seduced by compliments and seemingly positive evidence. I`m not faulting you in the least. If I had visited the labs and met the scientists, most likely I`d buy what they had to say about the products they sell as well!

>>Maybe a chemist could tell you the absolute different grades and qualities. I do know after talking to many people that work in the industry that there are very many different grades of the same ingredient.

I can understand different dilutions, but a chemical by definition has a certain number of molecules. If the chemical make-up is altered, wouldn`t it then be a different chemical?

I`m not sure you understand my point. I could buy 100 inferior products at Target or Wal-mart. I could also buy 100 superior products at Target or Wal-mart. You`re using a hand full of products and judging the entire spectrum on the performance of a few of the poorer ones.

Btw, I was out-of-town recently and stranded due to weather and had to stay at a hotel. My hair desperately needed washing, and I reluctantly used the hotel brand of shampoo. Horrors! I don`t even know what it was, but in no way, shape, or form did it perform like a good shampoo should have. One thing upon which we both strongly agree -- all shampoos are not made the same! {grin}

Out of curiosity, have you tried L`Oreal gentle shampoo for color-treated hair? I wear extensions that are comprised of human hair, but the hair has been bleached and permed, and there is precious little cuticle left. Yet this "cheap" drugstore shampoo really is gentle on my hair. No sodium lauryl sulfate in site. Have you ever tried these products:

1) Finesse Revitalizing shampoo for permed, color-treated, or overstyled hair

2) Infusium 23 shampoo UV protection formula for damaged hair

3) White Rain Collections classic care shampoo revitalizing formula

4) Salon Textures by Freeman salon textures volumizing aire shampoo

5) Aura Pure organic shampoo enriched cleansing for all hair types

6) Outrageous by Revlon Daily beautifying shampoo for normal hair

7) Liquid Hair by Wella clarifying shampoo for all hair types

Btw, one interesting thing I have learned since wearing extensions. My natural hair is fine and on the oily side. My extensions are coarse and definitely on the dry side. I went from washing my hair 8-10 times per week to twice a week. I thought for sure that my natural hair would be a dripping oily mess, but amazingly it has adapted well! Obviously, hair needs to be cleansed regularly, but the less frequent washings apparently didn`t stimulate oil production quite as much as the frequent washings. Interesting....

I wish you all the best in the New Year, Karen. Btw, I very much love your new interactive hairstyle gallery! It`s great to be able to target specific styles. I appreciate greatly the work you do to make this one of the very best hair sites on the web.

Jennifer

Hi Jeff,

What about herbal ingredients? Doesn`t their inherent nature make them almost naturally impure? How can you regulate the consistency among all the herbal ingredients found in all the "natural" products? I would think they would be much harder to regulate than chemicals!

Also, the fiscal budget of a huge company like L`Oreal completely overshadows that of smaller companies that produce many of the salon products, so wouldn`t they be more likely to produce more "pure" products and have more research that is involved in their products?

Just wondering.

I do know that salon products have a huge mark-up and stylists are strongly encouraged to recommend them as they are extremely profitable to sell.

Jennifer

Hi Lynn,

I still like the Giovani brand although I am not currently using it on my hair. I think it is a good product line.

However, we started carrying the Paul Penders all natural line a few months ago and all of us here at HB.com love the Paul Penders products. Paul came to Dallas from Malaysia to meet us and talk about his products and how he develops them.

Jean Colombo, who works for HB.com used to work in health food stores as a buyer for years. She tried the PP products years ago and loved them and has been using them forever. She convinced me to sell thePP product line here at HB.com. Jean, Jeff and I are all now using the PP products. I use the PP Rosemary shampoo as one of my alternating brands and it is very gentle on my highlighted hair.

I also still have some Aubrey Organic shampoos that I use and like on an alternating basis. Honeysuckle Rose works great for me.

I still think all three brands, Giovanni, Paul Penders & Aubrey are good and it is hard for me to say what is best. I think again it goes back to everyone finding their own way with products.

Jean Colombo has fine hair and she uses the Paul Penders products for her hair and skin and raves about them. Jean is the same age as me but has a thinner texture.

If you are interested in trying Paul Penders, it is on sale until January 1. Also, all of the Paul Penders products are 100% money back guarantee. Paul is very particular about that since he wants his customers to be happy.

So if you want to try the Paul Penders this is the time to do it. If you have more questions please let me know and I will do my best to help.

If you are really happy with Giovani I don`t want to talk you out of using it but if you want to experiment than I would say that either Paul Penders or Aubrey make great products if you want all natural lines.

Hope that helps. Thanks for your post and for the feedback on Giovani.

Best wishes,
Karen

Hi Sandi,

I met Paul when he came from Malaysia where he lives to Dallas to meet all the people from HairBoutique.com. He is very passionate about his products and was one of the first people to buck the animal testing trend years and years ago in Holland. He also is concerned about making only the best products. I was very impressed with Paul and his ethics regarding hair care. I know for a fact that in the past he has removed products from the shelves because he felt that did not live up to his own personal high expectations.

Thanks for the post.

Best wishes & Happy New Year.

Karen

Karen - I forgot to ask about any recommendations you have regarding smoothing shampoos, conditioners and leave-ins - of the lines you like - specifically what products would you recommend for someone with my hair type - I wash it in cool water and don`t used any heat on it whatsoever. I like the natural product lines and try to stay away from those with alcohol and sulfate derivatives.