Your experience with Aveda Products?

Hey there! I`m sorry you`re frustrated with your hair...believe me, I feel your pain! Our hair sounds very similar. I too go for the stick straight, shiny look, and I can DO it; it`s just taken a LOT of experimentation. That said, this is my advice:

1. Educate yourself on hair care ingredients. The brand of a product is not nearly as important as what`s actually in it. Those ingredient lists on the bottle are your best friend. Learn what all those funky words mean and you can quickly cut through the advertizing doublespeak. A good place to start:
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4266/gloss.html
This is a GREAT list of common product ingredients. Not everything is there but I always take it with me when shopping. Find out what works for your hair. People with our hair type can often benefit from silicone derivatives, or words ending in "cone" (dimethicone, cyclomethicone, etc.) Some people don`t like using cones because they can build up. Solution: Deep cleanse with a gentle, effective shampoo once a week.

2. Use a gentle shampoo. Look for sodium laureth sulfate as the detergent ingredient, because it`s one of the mildest out there. Ammonium laureth/lauryl sulfates, the TEAs and sodium LAURYL sulfates are stronger and can dry out your hair with repeated use. Also, don`t wash your hair every day if you can help it.

3. Consider reading Paula Begoun`s book. She`s a consumer advocate author who done a lot of research into hair care. Her book reviews tons of products based upon what`s in them, and you`ll find more expensive doesn`t always mean better. (Although I wouldn`t use Suave on my hair for a million dollars. Well, maybe for a million, but no less....) You`ll also find that many of the products available are almost identical to one another based upon their ingredients. You`ll notice too that there really aren`t any shampoos/conditioners that can straighten your hair, since they don`t stay in your hair after your shower. They can, however, moisturize and smooth the hair cuticle, making your hair flatter and sleeker.

4. Deep condition one a week, if you have the patience. I put in a lot of conditioner, use a heating cap for 15 minutes, then sleep with the conditioner in (romantic, huh?) I REALLY like Aura Almond Cherry Bark conditioner from Sally`s.....very similar to the Aveda product but extremely helpful for my hair. John Frieda`s Frizz Ease Glistening conditioner is FAB on a daily basis....and it`s on sale at Walgreen`s this month :) Also, when you`re in the shower, leave the conditioner on as long as possible.

5. Heating styling is really the only way to really get your hair stick straight and smooth if it`s not naturally that way. Obviously it`s not healthy for your hair, but sometimes a girl`s gotta do what she`s gotta do. I use a paddle brush, some slick gel and a blower dryer on medium-low heat. Works like a charm and it`s straight for three days. No one believes me when I say my hair`s naturally wavy and a frizzball.....they just won`t believe it.

6. Look for a leave-in conditioner with silicone. This can make your hair very shiny (just don`t use too much.) I buy mine from Walmart and it`s called Jhirmack HeatCare. It`s really funky looking....pink and purple but I swear it`s magic. Just don`t overdo it.

7. Remember every reviewer has different hair and different results! :-) Like me. What I do may not work for your hair, and that can explain why others rave about Aveda but you had no luck. Anyway, I`m sorry this post was so long, but I hope it helps you a bit. Good luck! :-)

I like some Aveda (Sap Moss Shampoo, but diluted with water first), don`t like others.

It`s so true - that slick straight shiny stuff doesn`t happen unless that`s your hair or you use some kind of "setting" usually with heat...g

Actually Paula is pro-silicone. She devotes an entire section to extolling its virtues and the "velvety feel" it imparts. Heavy oils and waxes can cause tangly hair, but cyclomethicone, dimethicone, etc, generally do not. It CAN, however, build up since cones are one of the few conditioning agents that do not wash away, so if you`re using a silicone product be sure to deep cleanse once a week. And Elise is right....salon products aren`t the miracle cure especially when many top-dollar products contain the EXACT same ingredients as their proletariat couterparts. (And research shows that there are not different "grades" of ingredients--if the lists are identical, so are the products.) I personally love the beauty supply store--it offers some truly great, quality choices.

I only like the Blue Malve shampoo

I`ve spent lots and lots of money testing different shampoos and conditioners I`ve read about on this site, the ones that I`m left with as a consistant favorite come from Aveda. Nothing makes my hair feel quite as soft and managable. I use the Brilliant line and also am a big fan of the Sap Moss line and the Cherry Bark Conditioner. I love the different smell of the Aveda products and know that when I use them my hair will thank me. The only other products that make my hair as soft are several days in a row of the Aubrey Honeysuckle, and GPB conditioner. But these tend to spoil quickly.

On a side note, I just bought the Phyto Jojoba Shampoo, and my scalp has NEVER been drier. Weird since my scalp is not naturally dry and it`s supposed to be a moisturizing shampoo. ~~~Just goes to show, different strokes for different hair folks.

Has anyone tried the color infusing conditioners? I am thinking of trying either the black or blue malvo. Do they really "add" color? I have dark brown hair. Thanks.

Hi Sophie,

If you are talking to me you are preaching to the choir! I am hopelessley in love with All-Soft, and now that I've found it, I will never stop using it. I used it this morning and I am still stroking the back of my hair just for fun--it's SO SOFT and smells so darn good.

But I still like to switcheroo every third shampoo or so, just for the fun of it

Elissa and Sophie...you gals are so right about All Soft. I honestly don't know if it's the greatest line out there but it makes each shower heaven with the scent. Yum!

My hair is very dry, coarse, thick and wavy.
It drinks conditioner.
I tried about six Aveda products and they wreaked havoc on my hair. It was the worst I had ever seen it.
Then (eventually) I discovered Phytotherathrie. What a relief.