Fill me in...

I keep reading about how the "cones" and some other things that are bad for your hair that are in shampoos. There is so much I don't know about all of this. I have long, thin straight hair almost to my hips. It's been this long almost all of my life and I've been having a problem with breakage lately... yada yada yada. I'm just looking for good hair friendly shampoos and conditioners (leave ins too) that arent expensive. (drug store) Even recomendations for things that would be good for my hair type would be useful. Right now i'm using Pantene 2 in 1 (because thats all my mom will use) on the top and just let it rinse from the top trough the length. Then I use Garnier Fructis conditioner for fine hair and Infusium 23 leave in for fine hair. I also put coconut oil on the ends but it makes my hair feel weird when I put it throughout my hair. And what do you think is a good supplement to take for hair? I just started taking a multi vitamin. Thanks for any replies.

I've used conditioners with 'cones, but have never really had a problem with build-up. Fructis was a completely different matter, though. After a while my hair started to feel like it was actually coated with wax. It took a few washes with clarifying shampoo to get the yucky filmy feeling out of my hair. eKatherine is right, you really need to use something to keep that stuff from building up. I've never tried vinegar (but I think I'll give it a try). Neutrogena makes a gentle, effective clarifying shampoo.

I use John Frieda Glistening Creme as one of my regular conditioners. I don't know what's in it, but it makes my hair feel wonderfully soft. Another good, cheap conditioner is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. (I use it about once a week.) My other favourite deep conditioner is Got2b Smooth Emergency Repair Treatment. A good leave-in is Mane 'n Tail Detangler. It's available in most drugstores (usually in the African American hair-care section.) Another good, cheap product in that section is Queen Helene's Cholesterol. It comes in a big tub and costs less than $5 (and that's in Canada where everything is more expensive.)

Hello Shy One, welcome.

Yup... I agree with eKatherine... the products you're using have lots of silicones, and from my own experience with medium-fine hair, cones are terrible... brittle, crispy, tangly hair that resulted in lots of breakage. My advice would be to discard those products now. Your hair will love you for it.

Are salon shampoos really better for your hair? If so, what are some good ones?

i got some Vo5 conditioners today and i didnt see any "cones" in the ingredients

Woah, catt_grrl, your hair is so long i just want to run up and pet it.

I went to the health food store today and bought some Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioner. They were surprisingly cheep. There were so many different kinds just in that brand. I bought the chamomile ones because it says that it is their gentlest one. I was tempted to buy the Henna ones though because it is supposed to bring out your natural highlights. Has anyone used these?