Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Bad Shampoo Alert

Good afternoon. I have emerged from blogging hibernation to shine a light on a very important matter. In brief, Nexxus Color Assure sulfate free shampoo and conditioner are terrible products. Do not buy them. After using them for several weeks, my hair has literally never looked worse (I am including the spiral perm episode and the time I accidentally dyed it purple). It's frizzy yet lifeless; at once greasy and dry.

I bought the Nexxus crap several weeks ago, because CVS was out of my preferred Salma Hayek products for color treated hair. As I am well into my dotage, I've been crankily coloring my hair for a few years; my stylist says the color lasts longer if one uses a special shampoo. So I obey.

The purchase of the offending items coincided with a visit to the salon, which had just switched to Aveda hair color from Goldwell. At first I suspected that my hair didn't like the Aveda. Or that this horrific winter we've been having has rendered it dull and dry, with random greasy areas.  So I carried on using the Nexxus every third day, which is how often I wash my hair.

Finally,  it dawned on me: the shampoo! It's "Sulfate Free." Apparently, sulfates, while bad for the environment or human health or whatever the problem (I was going to research it, but I can't take it on), are what make shampoo actually work.

Yesterday, I used some hotel shampoo and conditioner, and my hair looked immediately better. Not fantastic, mind you. It may take a while before the memory of the Nexxus has faded from my follicles. I don't like to waste things, but the shampoo and conditioner will be disposed of.

To recap, this stuff stinks.

4 comments:

  1. Yeah, this anti-sulfate thing really is unwarranted. Some of them can be drying (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) but most of them are fine and help with cleansing. Sorry they sucked but I'm glad you're back!

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  2. I'm still bitter that they've take phosphates out of dishwashing detergent....

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  3. pretty nice blog, following :)

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  4. Sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners can be amazing, especially if you have wavy/curly hair. However, they are a lifestyle. First of all, you have to use them for at least a month before your hair gets used to them. Most importantly you cannot use styling products containing any kind of silicone or pomades/waxes that don't easily wash out because they leave a high level of buildup, which sulfate-free shampoos cannot remove. So you break the cycle of too much buildup leading to harsh cleansers to remove it. It's a commitment,but worth it, IMHO.

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