Banishing Bad Hair Days since 1997!™
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed -
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Forum Locked"Over the Counter" Hair Products

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
AL View Drop Down
Unregistered
Unregistered
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: "Over the Counter" Hair Products
    Posted: February 01 2000 at 11:43am
Good Day,

Does anyone have suggestions for products that can be purchased at drug stores and such? If so, what was the result and what is you hair like?

I have blond hair, just past my shoulders (one length). I am growing it out, so I rarely ever use a blow dryer except in the winter, because I get sick real easy. It is a fine to medium texture, but I have a lot of hair! I have a span of 4 inches or so under the first layer in the back that is naturally wavy starting directly at the scalp, so it is a bit course. My hair stylist said in all of her years (she is a level 4 designer)only two people (me being one of them) has she seen hair like this before. It is very healthy and I go for regular trims 8 weeks. I find it difficult to get the right conditioner more then anything, I have to use so much and the expensive conditioners weigh heavily on my wallet. When it is wet, it feels like straw and knotted up, but once it is dry it is real silky, but still course underneath. I use to use Pantene, but was told it was no good for your hair.

Any info greatly appreciated!

Thanks
AL
Back to Top
Jennifer View Drop Down
Member
Member


Joined: November 30 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 748
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jennifer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2000 at 1:08pm
I hope you'll bear with me, but the gullibility of people just astounds me. And I've been there, too!

Professional products use the *very* same ingredients that over-the-counter products use. Obviously, each company uses different ingredients and in different amounts. It's the particular ingredient, not the manufacturer, that makes a product "good" or "bad," not where it was purchased.

It sounds like your hair is wonderfully healthy, but it didn't get that way by itself! I guarantee that if you told a stylist that you were using professional products, she would say that your healthy hair is a result of those products. It's amazing that stylists always ask what kind of products you use *before* telling you the condition of your hair! If your hair is very healthy, you are told how *much* healthier it would be if only you used their expensive products!!

Bottom line: There are excellent and bad products in both professional and OTC products. Some of Pantene's products are excellent and some contain ingredients which are potentially irritating and drying (potentially means it may or may not affect you, obviously).

I don't mean to get down on stylists, but many of them stand to gain financially when you purchase products from them. I'm not saying you never should. I use both professional and OTC products. But please don't think that just because you paid a low price for a product at a drugstore that it is automatically bad for your hair or that a professional product is automatically good for your hair. It simply isn't so!!

For specific products, please check messages written below by me, where I've mentioned specific OTC products that are generally real good for healthy hair.

Jennifer
Back to Top
Sunflowergirl View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: November 09 2004
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sunflowergirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2000 at 5:49am

Hi Jennifer :)

How are you? Miss chatting with you! I just read your post and am curious about something. You mentioned certain Pantene products are excellent for the hair. Which specific Panteneproducts? I'm interested in this because many people I've met seem to swear by Pantene. I've used it before, but stopped because (like a lot of other shampoos)it seemed to irritate my sensitive scalp and cause it to break out. I've also heardthat Pantene is not good for the hair. I don't know if that's true or not. I just know that Pantene doesn't seem to be good for my scalp or hair. Maybe it would be good on other people though.

Thanks!!

Maria :)
Back to Top
Ally View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: June 02 2002
Status: Offline
Points: 55
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ally Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2000 at 8:27am
Al,

I wish you'd been around a few weeks ago when we had the Drugstore vs. Salon Brand debate. Jena and Maria convinced me to experiment with cheaper shampoos. And I'm glad they did.

I found a line called Thicker, Fuller Hair that I ADORE. And it's $3.99 a bottle as opposed to $30 or so for Aveda.

I say start experimenting. Even if you find a lot of throwbacks, it's still cheaper than shelling out for the expensive stuff. You're bound to find something that works well. (Hint: Try a big supermarket. They're now carrying a lot of "Crossover" brands.)

Ally
Back to Top
Jennifer View Drop Down
Member
Member


Joined: November 30 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 748
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jennifer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2000 at 8:45pm
Bonjour Maria!

Life just keeps getting busier and busier, doesn't it?!
Obviously, a "good" product is only good for you if you like the results! It's still so interesting to me that someone will say a general brand name and give an opinion on whether it's good or bad instead of the specific item. It's kind of like saying you bought a bad hairspray in Boston, therefore all hairsprays in Boston are no good for you!

The biggest potential problem with Pantene is in their shampoos, most of which contain the ingredient ammonium xylenesulfonate, which can be very drying. And from Paula Begoun's book, she says that many of the shampoos have a high pH "that can be a problem for the hair and scalp for dryness and irritation." And it sounds like it obviously caused irritation for you. However, one of their better shampoos is Pro-Vitamin Pyrithione Zinc Anti-Dandruff shampoo. Actually, my daughter has mild dandruff and uses this one and it works very well for her.

However, the vast majority of their conditioners are "good" in the sense that they don't contain any potentially irritating or drying ingredients. But that doesn't mean they'll work for everyone.

Hope this help!

Jennifer

Back to Top
Jenn View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: July 23 2001
Status: Offline
Points: 3
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jenn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 03 2000 at 8:31am
I recently had my hair highlighted at a salon. They spent a good 15 minutes trying to tell me how much better salon products are than the drugstore kind. I was convinced, and since I had never tried salon products before, I bought Aveda shampoo and conditioner. I also tried Biolage deep conditioner. I tried it out, and right away, I noticed that my hair was dry, tangly and unmanageble. It wouldn't even hold a curl. I thought it was just because of the processing done on my hair. I used Aveda for about a week and a half but I couldn't stand it anymore so I switched back to my regular shampoo (Thermasilk, which I've always adored, it's my best friend) and sure enough, My hair feels like the way it used to even before I highlighted.
Obviously, Aveda didn't work for me. Neither did Biolage, But there may be another salon product that may. But right now, I already know Thermasilk works and I'm very happy with it so I'll stop searching for now.
Use what works for YOU no matter what brand it is. We all have different hair and you can't assume one product, be it drugstore or salon product will work for you because it works on another person.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down