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I've heard the sodium versiom is quite harmful to hair, but a little earlier I got some Pantene Pro-v Repair & Protect because I'm plagued with damage, but I digress. The main ingredient for the shampoo is the stuff in the title, and I *think* I read somewhere that Ammonium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate isn't as harmful, is that true?
Pantene is the worst shampoo. The best available in drugstore is l'oréal.
ALS and SLS are surfactants (cleaners). ALS is a bit more harsh but is okay every week or so in a clarifying shampoo. The main problem with SLS is that with some people it can irritate their scalps. you ought to use different types of shampoos, alternating between them, for example a clarifying shampoo, then a day or two off, then a volumizing shampoo, day or two off, then back to the clarifier, conditioning only on the days off. A good shampoo made by L'Oreal is Vive Fresh-Shine Shampoo for Frequent Use on All Hair Types. An excellent volumizer is TIGI Bed Head Control Freak shampoo. These are good for hair that is normal to thin (thin meaning thin strands, not thinning as in balding).
That could cause problems then, as I wash mine very day and simply don't have time to adjust my scalp otherwise. Suppose I gotta look for (yet) another shampoo :( This stuff works so well aswell, my hair is incredibly soft, split and and damage free, it doesn't tangle even in the wind and I've only used it once!
Here's the deal with Pantene Pro-V: This line of products is kind of like the good cop bad cop of hair care. Pantene's conditioners are some of the best available--I like the Full and Thick and Daily Moisture Renewal ones myself, but the shampoos are a different story. I am hesitant to advise against them because you like the one you have, and I'm sure your hair is different from mine so I'll just tell you what the problems are and let you decide. Almost all Pantene shampoos have ammonium xylenesulfonate in them. this compound swells the hair shaft which can be good in the short term for fine or thin hair, but over time it causes dryness for hair and scalp irritation. I mentioned sodium lauryl sulfate before. Some of the Pantene shampoos contain it and it is also a drying and irritating cleanser.
Okay, so, that's the general information but it is up to you whether it applies to you or not (after looking at the ingredients in your product label to see if it has these of course).
While I'm not comfortable pushing something that works for me, I'd like to offer an alternative and I do like the bed head control freak stuff except that it may be harder to find and it is a bit on the expensive side. for me, the cost isn't too awful because I use so little of it every few days. that's the shampoo. the control freak conditioner is insanely expensive.
I'll keep my eyes open for Bed Head Control Freak, and if I can find any I'll have a go. Sadly the line of Pantene I use does have that compound, so I'll have to watch out, but it's a shame because it's the best shampoo/conditioner I've ever used :(
I hate to throw out shampoo I've bought and only do it if it's _really_bad. maybe used sparingly the pantene will be okay. i'll be interested to find out what you think of the control freak shampoo if you try it.
I had no luck finding the control freak stuff in the supermarket, but I'm going to do a conditioner only wash routine starting tomorrow. Which is basically washing with conditioner for one or two days and shampoo on the third, or whenever you decide it's necessary.
okay i don't know what country you live in but I apologize for not mentioning earlier that the control freak stuff is available at Target (around here at least). If you have a Target store in your area it might have it.
I live in England, so that could be a problem. But I've been using Pantene for a few days, and my god my hair has never looked or felt better, and people have said it looks shinier and in better condition.
okay then, good luck--if you ever change your mind, TIGI the maker of bed head control freak is an Italian company and I'm sure it is available somewhere in the U.K. A few other good ones: Citre Shine Colour Brilliance Shampoo, Citre Shine Moisture Burst Shampoo, got2b So Smooth Creme Shampoo, and Charles Worthingington Results Everyday Shine Shampoo for Dull Lifeless Hair.
I found a TIGI U.K. webpage and on it there is a link to a page where you can type in your town/city and get a list of stockists. it appears that in the U.K. TIGI products are sold by salons. that explains why you could not find it. link is below...
Use of "coarse/fine" and "dense/sparse" will avoid the confusion that the pair of words "thick/thin" means both of those.
Bill
I've never heard of those other products, because it seems supermarkets only stock the big name brands. I'm going into town on Monday, so I'll look in smaller shops.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a styling gel called Bed Head? I'm sure I've seen the brand somewhere.