The worst product in the world?

Hello everyone. If you're bored and feeling creative, here's a question for you:

What is the absolute worst hair product you've ever tried, and why was it so wretched?

My vote:
Special FX Straight Out gel. I was in Washington, D.C. during the hottest part of July when I first tried this thick, pink gel. My then-shoulder-length hair was the greasiest, heaviest wreck of snarls the Metro has ever seen. I have pictures of me standing in the subway with hair that still embarasses me.

What's yours?

Hey!
I agree about Pantene- it was the conditioner for me, tho...I saw all of these commercials about it and everyone said that it was the best, so I caved in and bought it. Every time I used it, it seemed that some hair would fall right out of my head; not the couple 2-3 strands you normally get when you condition, and not exactly in handfuls, but a LOT. I used it for about three weeks (thinking there was something wrong me ME), and my hair got noticably thinner. Then I stopped using that junk, and it stopped falling out. I`ve known a couple of other people who have had similar experiences with it. :(

Thanx for the story, Lyris....made me smile. :)

Love to all,
Inga

Rave Perm.

Back in the Big Hair 80s, my sister-in-law decided that she wanted one since several of her friends had it and talked about how great a product it was. The rods weren`t even fully out when we realized we had made a HUGE mistake! Her hair felt sticky and gummy - and we followed the directions to the letter and even left the solution on shorter than recommended. It took MANY conditioning treatments and trims to return her hair to anything resembling normal. As for her friends, they all suddenly got pixie haircuts.

Awful stuff :( but a fun topic, Lyris. ;)

I mean Lyri`s .....my spelling & typing stink`s ..LOL

I had forgotten about Sun-in. Sheesh, what a wreck. In the dead of winter during my high school freshman year I took a bottle of that godforsaken stuff and a blow dryer to my medium brown hair. Apparently I didn't realize that crossing guard-orange is NOT a stylish color choice for natural brunettes....or anyone, for that matter. I had two teachers, a track coach and my band director all comment on my "new" hair color. You know it's pretty bad when the best descriptor they can muster is "new." Yeeeech!

Hi Isla. Consumers have a real love-hate relationship with Pantene. It is by no means a deadly, hair-destroying brand for every user, but it certainly has its wealth of problems. The shampoos tend to be on the harsh side, which is problematic for dry hair, and the conditioners can cause significant buildup due to their film formers and silicone-derivatives. The conditioners won't hurt your hair, but without a good, thorough shampoo they can weigh down fine hair. I used Pantene only briefly during my second year in college and have since discovered lines that I like better.

My husband uses the Mane and Tail conditioner.... He seems to believe it is good stuff. But I snuck a bit and my hair frizzed, so that was that. Has anyone else had good or bad results with it?

I too had a disaster with Sun-In. Back in 1970, the summer before my freshman year in high school, I spent a week at the beach with a bottle of Sun-In and my best friend. We believed we were looking good and even put it on our eyebrows to "match" them to our hair. Imagine the distress when we realized what we had done. And back then 14 year old girls did not color their hair or go to the salon (our mothers were still doing the once a week shampoo, set, tease, spray routine so styling and color were iffy at best). So I spent an entire year growing it out. My head was a stripe for a long time.

My daughter tried it at about the same age and had beautiful results. She has great hair though and at least going to the salon for color correction was an option for her.

Another one that stinks...
Physique products (or at least the couple I've tried).
They don't work at all!!!!! They say that it gives you 20 hour hold...it didn't last 20 minutes.
Oh, well, at least its not expensive. Live & learn! :)

Hi Leslie,

First off, what is your hair like right now? Naturally or colored blonde, dry, frizzy, long, healthy, curly, wavy, etc? Speaking from personal experience, Sun In is a product that warrents serious introspection and caution. Hydrogen peroxide is the lightening ingredient, and while it can help blonde hair lighten up, it comes with a price. The lift process is damaging--that's an inescapable fact, as with virtually all permanent processes.

People who get the scariest results from Sun In are typically medium to dark brunettes whose hair turns orange, not blonde. To go platinum a brunette must use a two-step process, meaning first strip the naturally dark color then apply a toner (blonde color.) Sun In alone cannot lift brown hair all the way to blonde--it stops at about tangerine orange.

As for good shampoos/conditioners, it really depends on your hair type and what you want your hair to do. If your hair is dry, look for shampoos without harsh surfactants such as sodium lauryl (not laureth) sulfate, TEA-lauryl sulfate and sodium c14-16 alkyl benzoate. My personal recommendations: Redken All Soft and Phyto Systeme Hydro-Botanics. As for conditioners, I love Aura Cherry Almond Bark revitalizing conditioner, Frizz Ease Glistening Creme and Mizani Moisturefuse. Good luck Leslie!