View Full Version : No-shampoo method (free) vs. Wen haircare system ($30 up)
There is a very expensive haircare product called Wen out now. A friend raves about how good it's been for her daughter's hair (mind you the girl is 9). I saw the infomercial and it sounded pretty good so I looked up some info and it sounds to me almost exactly like the no-shampoo hairwashing method. It's called "cleansing conditioner" and I guess you give yourself a scalp massage with it then rinse for at least five minutes. I did the no-shampoo method for a while and it's similar, with the added step of stroking your hair with a wet washcloth. I used to use a little bit of conditioner too because otherwise I would get terrible static. Has anyone used this Wen? I am getting the sneaking suspicion it's a glorified no-poo method with something added that smells nice to make it palatable to people who otherwise would be grossed out by not shampooing their hair. If so, the very groomed man named Chaz Dean who hawks it is a genius.
Oops, I guess this should have gone in the products forum. Mods please relocate if so!
From the website:
Key Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat, Protein, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polysorbate 60, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Amodimethicone, Citric Acid, Menthol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum, Limonene).
Oy. Our coop sells simple shampoos with simple ingredients at a much lower price. Sounds like BS to me.
I received the WEN as a gift..I didn't like it. I felt greasy and weighed down. Maybe because I have naturally more oily hair. I would suggest something more simple.
I just use baking soda paste 1x per week (after swimming pool day -- which is today -- then a honey rinse (which helps with my cradle cap). 1x month, I do a honey/coconut oil lightening/conditioning process (this takes about an hour). I don't wash my hair in between, but it requires a boar bristle brush to bring down the oils properly.
It takes a while to get your hair to the once-per-week washing process. And, I don't even shower anymore. I know, weird. I just do a daily sponge bath with water and a bit of soap if i want it. It works out really nicely. Saves power (less hot water heating), saves water (i use a wash cloth and a bit of water to keep it wet and wash), and saves on soap/chemicals/etc on my body/what not. It's also not as time consuming as the shower is.
I know I'm weird. But no, I don't smell (in fact, people often ask me which lotions/perfumes/soaps I use -- and in fact they are just smelling a clean human. (I have had a slight celery scent lately due to juicing, though. LOL). And, my hair is really great -- soft, clean, and very nice. I get lots of complements on my hair. I'm int he process now of seeing if I can grow it down to my waist.
It certainly does save money/time (except that one honey/coconut oil lightening process). DS bathes (shower) once a week and washes his hair then (that's today, after swimming), and DH showers daily, uses soap, and washes his hair every third day (with plain liquid castile/dish soap).
ApatheticNoMore
2-17-13, 5:25pm
The thing about no poo is that shampoo is actually a great product, it makes my hair shiny and beautiful. It's really a lot of bang for the buck in terms of a beauty product, so to have to go through some long withdrawal period to only maybe get something as good, I don't know ...
The thing about no poo is that shampoo is actually a great product, it makes my hair shiny and beautiful. It's really a lot of bang for the buck in terms of a beauty product, so to have to go through some long withdrawal period to only maybe get something as good, I don't know ...
I'm with you. I've tried expensive, cheap, pure, whatever, and I always go back to Pert, which works better than anything else for me. I do rinse with vinegar when I think of it.
I've tried Wen, which smells wonderful and may very well work miracles for some, but it's too labor-intense for me, and dry hair doesn't seem to be my issue, anyway.
I think that, for me, the issue was that no one product ever worked great, and that I needed daily washing for most products (as well as daily conditioning), and it never dealt with the problem of my cradle cap.
After doing some contemplating on the matter -- seeing as I figured that anything could be cured -- over the years I worked on dietary elements and such, but never really considered that my practices of how I cared for my skin would be part of the equation.
Ironically, it took me a while to figure out that the skin on my head is not unlike the skin on the rest of me. I oil wash my face, and it definitely prevents acne. I use coconut oil as deodorant, and straight up I have no smell what so ever. It turns out that the washing with detergents strips natural oils from the skin, which in turn triggers the skin to produce more oil -- often resulting in the acne-prone areas with dry-spots that I'd always had growing up, and then, of course, stinky spots because the over-production of oil also leads to over-production of bacteria which creates the "BO" smell.
Well, with the head, it's the same, except that we all have fungus up there that likes to eat sebum. When we strip the hair and scalp with our shampoos, we are creating a drying effect on the one hand (dandruff), and on the other hand the sebum goes into over-drive. This is why many of us have to 'wash daily" or every-other day. . . because by the end of the day our hair is "oily" because our scalp went into over-drive.
The thing about this -- like in the arm-pits -- is that the fungus-that-loves-sebum also goes into overdrive. So, in addition to drying that leads to dander, the over-production of oil that leads to oily hair, many of us also get oily-scaly sort of "deposits" on our head, which is really fungus plus oil plus dead skin which equals "cradle cap."
By washing less frequently, we decrease the amount of oil production -- and the body will balance it out. Baking soda doesn't strip the scalp, but it does remove excess fungus as well as dirt and any hard mineral deposits in our hair (from city living, pools, etc). After transitioning to a 7 day washing cycle, my hair isn't at all oily -- even by that 7th day -- and by using baking soda paste, I not only have very clean hair, but I also no longer have cradle cap.
The honey rinse works great, too, as it strengthens and conditions the hair while also protecting the scalp with it's anti-microbial properties. Using it as a lightening process, honey and coconut oil both produce natural peroxide (basically mix 1/4 cup honey with 3/4 cup distilled water and 2 tbsp coconut oil and let stand for 45 minutes, then soak the hair with this mixture and let it sit (completely wet the whole time) for up to an hour. This will naturally lighten the hair, while also conditioning it and keeping it strong/healthy, because coconut oil and honey have antimicrobial properties but also conditioning properties that condition both scalp and hair.
Honestly, I finally found something that works. And, it's much more simple overall. It's expensive in that I spend a fair amount on manuka honey, which is an exceptional honey. I also eat the stuff, as well as use it for these wonderful hair purposes (as well as a honey-mask every couple of weeks).
My new project is growing my hair long! I got it down to "armpit length" over the last few years, but I wasn't caring for it properly to grow it longer. The proper regimen includes not using rubber bands and making pony-tails. Instead, I now use a (brand new, gifted!) hair stick (made of bone and maori carved, no less!). And, it also involves getting the hair cut every 3-4 months to remove any dead ends. I also have to brush with my boar bristle brush and use a natural comb (horn, bone are preferred) only -- luckily my maori bone hair stick is a two-prong and I can use it as a comb as well.
I had my hair trimmed to just below shoulder, and set up the appointment to have it done again in April. The hairdresser is actually very supportive of me growing it out -- I want to go for waist-length. Typically, once you are there, you only need biannual to annual trims -- because at that point you are taking good care of your hair (well practiced).
I am excited to see how long it can grow, but i doubt that I will grow to "terminal length" -- I might go to tailbone, though. I don't really know. :)
DW uses Wen. I know nothing about it except it comes in a little box every month. She does have great hair. I use Suave or something out of a jug from Costco or whatever else is on sale. I also have great hair.
My hair is curly, coarse, and tends to be dry because I color it. I wash my hair once or twice a week. I usually wet my hair and condition it 3 to 5 days a week. I've been doing the 'no poo only condition' for about 3 years now, and my hair is healthier than it's ever been! I do use extra moisturizing/color friendly products that are not inexpensive, but I think it's worth it.
I was doing the conditioner-only method of washing hair, then I switched to BS/Vinegar. It was just OK but seemed more work than it was worth. Since getting my hair highlighted, I've gone back to COwashing. This time of year I only wash 3 times a week, but by day 3, which falls on a Sat., it's kinda grungy, and I work that day. So now I'm using Pureology $hampoo on Thurs. so it's OK on Sat.
Since it's quite long now it doesn't get as oily but I hate that scalpy smell. During the warmer months I'll just rinse with water during my shower on my non-washing days.
This winter I experimented with going soapless in the shower so I don't overdry my skin and so far it's going well.
I really wanted the BS/V to work; my hair was so clean and light feeling. It was a PITA to do in the shower though.
I'm with Jane and Gregg on this - just use a basic inexpensive (Suave?) shampoo/creme rinse combo and that's it - no other products. Long very straight fine hair that tends to the oily side so the fewer products I use the better - and it usually looks good. If it's too labor intensive I won't do it. Also use an inexpensive bar soap (Pure and Natural) to wash face and body with Aveeno lotion afterwards. That's my entire "beauty" regiment right there!
ApatheticNoMore
2-19-13, 1:03pm
I was doing the conditioner-only method of washing hair
Yea I've tried that, go too many days without shampoo and my hair looks dull and lifeless (maybe I'd need a special conditioner or whatever, I don't know). But use shampoo at least ever other to every 3 days and hair is shiny and nice looking again and it's not some esoteric thing I have to figure out the secrets of, it's using shampoo and conditioner and getting nice hair in return.
Yea I've tried that, go too many days without shampoo and my hair looks dull and lifeless (maybe I'd need a special conditioner or whatever, I don't know). But use shampoo at least ever other to every 3 days and hair is shiny and nice looking again and it's not some esoteric thing I have to figure out the secrets of, it's using shampoo and conditioner and getting nice hair in return.
I agree. I think it needs a good but gentle cleaning occasionally to remove the build up. BTW, I use cheap VO-5 conditioner (no -cones).
I used to use cheap shampoos but they really strip your hair. I chose Pureology, which is pretty expensive, because it's made for color-treated hair, sulphate-free and is super concentrated. My little bottle should last me well over a year. Since highlighing my hair, other shampoos make my hair instantly seize up; it becomes this stiff water-repelling rat's nest on my head. Never knew hair could be sensitive.
Shikai makes a really nice inexpensive lathering sulphate-free shampoo that cleans well and is gentle on hair.
MissMandy
2-21-13, 11:36am
I received the WEN as a gift..I didn't like it. I felt greasy and weighed down. Maybe because I have naturally more oily hair. I would suggest something more simple.
I usually have the same problem with these things. I pretty much have to wash my hair everyday or I look like a hot mess.
Thanks for all the replies! I think you all have talked some sense into me. I rarely get taken in by those infomercials but I have been on a lifelong quest to find something to "fix" my hair so it touched my weak spot.
Jill,
What is the 'problem' of your hair? :) Perhaps we can put some heads/research together and see what might work. :D
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