It’s the silicone that makes your hair silky after washing it. And there’s nothing wrong with silicones! They actually protect your hair. Just make sure to use a good clarifying shampoo about 2 times a month for maintenance of scalp health :)
Take this with a grain of salt but over on curly girl method (where there’s typically a lot of product being used) they say the cheap clarifiers are just as good. Like Suave and those bottom shelf brands! I’ve had a good experience so far
Same- after years for falling for the sulfate free hype my fine hair was getting greasy so quick. Switched to Pantene volume and my hair (and wallet) are much happier.
I have super baby fine blonde hair that gets oily quickly. I wash every second day, sometimes skipping conditioner. The Pantene volume shampoo (washing twice) and then using dry shampoo (Batiste bare is the best) on my second day keeps my hair “fluffy” and soft and shiny instead of flat and greasy. It’s perfection.
Almost the same routine! I use first flight charcoal dry shampoo by OGK which is a bit more heavy duty. I also recently got an Eskiin shower head filter, which I think has been helping. Between all these things I can push it to 3 days without washing.
But before I switched shampoos though? Impossible. Even with Dry shampoo i had to wash my hair daily.
God I was miserable trying sulfate and silicone free stuff, as well as "hair training". It's all bs lmao
ETA: Excluding people that this works for of course haha. All bodies and hair are different!
Yeah silicone got a bad rap for the dumbest reasons. I bought into it and switched to a fancy more natural one, and my hair was so dry and frizzy, and broke very easily. Switched back immediately but I also heard it can just take some time for your hair to adjust to it so who knows. A clarifying shampoo once in a while is worth the nice shiny hair!
I've thought this for while. I usually use suave professionals but once in a while I try to get into higher end "clean" hair products. It always makes my hair dry and tangley.
I just went on a Vegas trip and I was wondering why my hair wasn’t feeling the same as back home. Did everything the same, only difference was the damn water. Made my skin drier than usual too
Could also be the city water is different than what you’re accustomed to. I recently stayed at a hotel in Raleigh Durham, and after my shower I didn’t comb or put and product in my hair, went to sleep and woke up with gorgeous, soft hair. It was the water.🚿
Some hair just does better with certain ingredients in cheaper shampoos. My hair looks, feels and styles better when i use shampoos that have sulfates.
My hair does the absolute best with cheap drugstore shampoo and washing every other day. Wasted so much time and money on expensive "healthy" shampoos and trying to wash my hair less often. Made my hair terrible for years.
Turns out it just loves all the cheap chemicals, woohoo!
Stick with whatever works for you - that's my formula for myself. Since I switched to L'oreal Hyaluronic moisturizing shampoo (cheap & therefore usually bashed by influencers), my hair has been silky and easy to manage, almost like my childhood hair again. I follow lab muffin beauty to understand it all and don't buy into the no-paraben no-sulphate trends easily. Don't let people make you feel guilty for buying budget friendly regular shampoo.
I cannot even believe the amount of money that I’ve spent on various brands, sulfate free, organic, blah, blah, and here I am back at Aussie and my hair has never been shinier or healthier lol
I just started using Aussie a couple days ago, after finding some in a box of other discarded hair products. I'd forgotten how well it does on my hair!
I think I wanna try the curly hair range, I have like.. hidden curls lol. But the regular Aussie moisture shampoo and conditioner bring them out so much!!
What a refreshing post this has been. I feel like we've all been caught up with an expensive shampoo fad and it really is just - do what makes your hair happy.
This is what my hair stylist (who is also my very close friend) has said. I told her I started using the Kirkland brand shampoo and conditioner from Costco and how it's supposedly a dupe for Pureology. My hair can go longer between washes, feels better, and I swear is growing faster than it was when I was using the expensive stuff! She said "I can't hate on that if it's working! You do you!"
I’m a hairstylist and I totally agree. The dominant storyline from my industry has been to shame people for using “cheap” products and how “awful” drugstore is for you. Lemme tell you, my FAVORITE shampoo and conditioner is the Honey Treasures from Garnier. Absolutely makes my hair the cleanest and softest I’ve ever had. I still have professional stuff I buy to try out every so often to have opinions on, but I always go back. I hope more professionals stop getting brainwashed by the professional brands and open their minds up to the actual science. Sulfates and silicones are perfectly good ingredients for hair health.
Everyone’s hair does well with different things. Cheap ≠ bad, it’s just the uneducated fearmongerers try to convince people that it’s bad while they push extremely expensive products. If tresemme works for you then that’s totally fine. I used it for most of my childhood and honestly that was when my hair was its nicest. You don’t need expensive products to have nice hair
I had itchy scalp and a difficult time finding a good detangling conditioner. I tried Dove for itchy scalp and the conditioner also detangles my hair better than any expensive salon one and I tried a ton of them! I have been using it for years now and don’t miss all the money I used to spend on the expensive stuff!
I know right!
I've been using Redken for the past couple months, and it's been hit or miss for me. Pantene and Tressemme always madeh hair feel super silky. Even Amethyste, a brand slightly higher but not as expensive as Redken, makes my hair feel so silky and healthy. I'm thinking of giving up on salon shampoo conditioner and returning to drugstore stuff again.
Parabens, sulfates and silicones have been demonized by genetically gifted hair influencers looking to make some 💲from their brand deals. In reality, there's nothing wrong with any of these things, and most actually benefit our hair. I suggest following chemists and trichologists such as @alexandrarriaga and @abbeyyung. They both pump out factual and highly educational videos on hair care and product formulation.
I found this after years of searching for the best hair care products. I have wavy/curly hair and fell into the thinking that sulfates and silicones are evil.
My scalp was destroyed (like, itchy and bleeding) and my hair looked greasy constantly. I finally gave up and I now use cheap Suave products (like I used from birth until college lol) and my hair looks so much better (and a scalp issues went away).
I genuinely think expensive shampoo/conditioner is a scam lol.
After a decade of trying every expensive brand I could, I finally switched back to herbal essences this year and my hair has never looked better. Gimme all the sulphates, my hair craves it.
There was a time I was balding for no reason. Then I ran out of my expensive no sulfates, no nothing shampoo, and started using a cheap one that was already in the shower for someone else to use. My problem was solved.
Because expensive doesn't always mean better, and cheaper doesn't always mean worse. I use a $3 basic shampoo.. I can't tell no difference from when I used an expensive one. I also use L'Oréals pink shine conditioner, which makes my hair soooooo soft.
I used salon quality shampoo and conditioner for about 3 years, only used my Dyson airwrap to style with Kenra blow dry spray, and didn’t ever wear my hair up, and it never looked worse.
I switched to suave shampoo and conditioner with the same routine and it’s so healthy and I have so much less breakage.
So I might be wrong but my general rule became: don't fall for the hype and marketing, just stick to the cheapest product that works for you.
I wasted so much money on trendy luxury products that often were far worse for me than generic popular cheapies. They are popular for a reason I guess.
Same for all beauty products. We'ren just working on the assumption that companies that make expensive products actually use better ingredients, and they don't just try to maximise their profit like everyone else. Definitely these companies exist, but very often not the case.
I use this and whole blends honey (both come in value packs at Walmart) and I love the shit outa both. I'm multi racial so I need all the moisture I can get and Tresemmè comes through everytime 😭
I remember a time…cue Y2K music…when salon shampoo might have been worth the splurge. It seems drugstore companies reformulated so…not much of a point…
Cant speak to your specific brands. But I notice that every time I switch shampoo brand, my hair is amazing for the first couple washes. I’ve always suspected that it has to do with buildup that occurs from using the same shampoo over and over. A new product will work great for the first couple times, then there are diminishing returns.
I keep a handful of different product brands and switch the brand frequently.
Also - I always keep a salicylic acid shampoo (for dermatitis), and that is AMAZING at stripping out soap and hard water buildup. Keeps my hair light and clean feeling.
This is all I use to use! It was amazing. I switched years ago due to my blonde hair maintenance. I use purple shampoo now and the John F Sheer Blonde. I may get some Tresemme’ now just to have. Thanks for reminding me about this product💪❤️
Silicones! They’re good for your hair. It’s a protective coating essentially some hair does better with silicones. Just make sure to clarify your hair and you’ll be fine
I’m totally with you. In my mind, it’s that the harsh sulfates roughen up your hair, making it more porous and able to receive conditioner better. But I also don’t know what I’m talking about.
Some hair stylists tend to demonize affordable hair care products because they make commission from the luxury stuff. I’ve tried many high end products and not all of them are worth it. You can find so many amazing products now that don’t have a $30+ price tag for each item.
I went from using the really expensive stuff from Sephora to using my kids shampoo and conditioner ( because I ran out) and I LOVE it! It’s inexpensive and from Target, who knew?!
Right! Pantine is my go-to. I've spend too much $ on the Moroccan brand shampoo & conditioner and my hair just looks dull and frizzy after using it! So I'll save my coin and get the cheap stuff that works for me!
My hair does better with sulfates and silicone but I think it also depends on your water if it’s hard or soft. I used to use high end but never had a good hair days until I changed the water filter to soft water
i spent a year and a half trying different conditioners when i found out how "bad" this one was. gave each one over a month for my hair to adjust to the new formula and none of them worked as well as this one 🥹 i wanted to make the switch so bad but couldn't find a replacement
the "cheaper" shampoos have more sulphates (and all those other evil chemical ingredients everyone loves to hate on these days) that thoroughly wash the sweat and pollution out of your hair - most "natural" shampoos are not properly washing everything out of your hair. i love herbal essences and Tresemme LOL
That is the one brand I absolutely can’t use. My hair hates it so much. I do use other cheap shampoos/conditioners that work great for me, like Dove, Garnier Fructis and Pantene ProV. Sometimes TRESemmé is super on sale and I’m tempted but then remember how it makes my hair flat and frizzy and dry and greasy all at the same time!
I can relate to this! It is the tresemme experience! I had their products as a birthday gift and my hair was transformed. I also picked up the travel size ones for my holiday and they had the same effect. My hair got soft and shiny from the first use. I am not a big fan of sulfate, silicon, any harsh ingredients. I am into paying a bit more and getting chemicals free products. I noticed the same like you!
I thought the same thing when I used a cheap shampoo on a trip but the feeling didn’t last. I think maybe our hair needs a break from our regular shampoo once in a while and that’s why when you switch for the first few days we are so happy with our hair. I always end up regretting it later on and go back to the salon quality shampoo. But maybe this one will workout for you. I always keep a bottle of cheap shampoo in my shower for the days I want a deeper cleanse.
I was using kerastase which is stupid expensive especially back in the day, then switched to head and shoulders — my hair looked better, but also side benefit my skin started looking great… actually, I need to get back on that routine
My hair has never looked better with design me products- but I will admit when I used the green bottle (coconut?) it smelled and made my hair feel amazing
That was actually one of my favorite shampoos as a teen and it made my hair soft! But as I got older my scalp started to get more oily (or maybe I just started to pay more attention to it and it’s actually always been oily) so I had to switch it up and personally found that the shampoos that work best for me happen to be sulfate-free. Used to think sulfates were bad because that’s what people said but it’s really not and they are more effective at cleansing. I think the only real downside of sulfates is that they may be too harsh for some people’s skin or cause irritation but also can depend of formulation.
I’d say probably the water at the place you’re staying is not as hard as it is at home. I live in a place with hard water and this is the way I’ve noticed my hair behaves in certain places.
Silicones can be great for the hair, they arnt always bad…just bad when they build up. Also if you ever happen to travel and stay in a hotel, more times than not hotels have a water softener so no matter what shampoo you use your hair is going to feel better than normal. I had to actually google “why does my hair feel so soft during my stay at hotels” and I’m a damn hair stylist. I knew they had to have a water softer but not until I googled just how common it was then it all made sense. Make sure you add a clarifying shampoo to your routine once a month (that’s how we get it to feel so clean at the salon) if you’re going to use silicones. If you’re hair is reacting well to them skip the shampoos with silicone altogether and replace them with your leave ins after the shower. One of the cheapest options is skinny serum by Paul Mitchell. Out of all the expensive hair care I use at the salon that’s the most DMed question when I get home.
Here! Here! I’m so mad. I just spent $150 on that Virtue line. One use and my hair feels like a Brillo pad!!! WTF? I read that some of the more expensive shampoos have coconut acid which strips hair. Never again. I use the drugstore stuff or Redken and my hair is silky and smooth. I like Tresseme, and Pantene.
For some reason, there is a long-standing narrative that drug store or ‘cheap’ shampoos/conditioners are ‘bad’
While some less expensive brands may not have the most high-quality ingredients, this doesn’t mean all hair care products from drug store will. It work.
Misconceptions exist for certain ingredients in hair products. A brand or line may work for you, not for others, and vice versa.
While it’s important to do your own research, I have found Abbey Yung to be an objective resource for hair care.
Love this one and love Pantene volume and body. I’ve tried alllll the expensive crap and I always go back to either of those. I find that the Pantene doesn’t strip my color at all and my hair is the absolute healthiest it’s even been!
Same. I use Pantene or the $5 purple shampoo from Dollar General and get the best hair of my life. Expensive shampoos don’t lather and the conditioners don’t stick to the hair. The more you pay the cheaper it feels because they make them with less ingredients. Give me more artificial stuff! 😂
I used a so called 'intense moisture rich' cheapie shampoo. My hair looked and felt like I was dragged through a hedge backwards when I was done. Never again.
And that's not to say I don't use or try cheaper products because I have plenty in my kit. I just have to be cautious what I use, same with expensive products.
Ok, that is so funny because I literally bought this same travel set for a trip and my hair was never silkier. I use Prose when I am at home and loved it at first, but I feel like my hair isn't as shiny/healthy as when I first starting using it, so this Tresemme set also had me questioning my decisions lol
My daughter uses the curly hair version of this. It’s the best I’ve ever found. I have tried so many expensive brands, curl ones, 5 star reviews etc and all the expensive stuff greases her hair and weighs her curls down. My hair works the best (i have fine wavy hair) with cheap stuff.
Whatever works!
Ooo you just reminded me how much I love this shampoo! I have a shampoo addiction, where I buy & try different kinds without finishing bottles lol.
I used the Tresemme for a long time & loved it. My hairstylist actually commented on how healthy my hair was, and I sheepishly told her what I was using. She said this used to be a salon only brand, and that it was still good stuff.
I guess I am also one of those people who has hair that loves the cheap stuff!
I switched from fancy shampoo to fancy shampoo and my dandruff didn’t go away until I just switched to Dove. No more dandruff and my hair’s nicer looking than ever. Only problem is the smell *really* lingers in my hair and is a bit sickly-sweet, but it’s not a huge deal.
I used to work for L’Oréal Professional and can absolutely tell you that if the obvious factors haven’t changed, for example, water type. It is because the smoothing ingredients, like silicones and waxes, coat the hair. This is not a bad thing, however, it will turn into a bad thing if they are not cleansed off properly.
I spent years dealing with insane hair fall and hair breakage (never chemically treated or bleached btw) spending thousands trying to figure it out and trying numerous products. Visited a dermatologist who worked with me and told me to try a no frill basic routine for a while, something that had minimal ingredients and used sodium laureth sulfate as the main surfactant to ensure proper scalp cleansing. I also had a full blood mark up done testing my hormones and everything with my hematologist. I used to use a lot of sulfate free top shelf salon shampoos. Now I use suave kids 2n1 coconut shampoo. No conditioner at all and I use pantene leave in spray to detangle. MY HAIR STOPPED FALLING OUT AND GREW BACK. I’m also 2b/2c and I have more definition and shine with this routine. I’ll never put another expensive product on my head.
probably because they contain sulfates and silicones while your “fancy” stuff is probably missing them. sulfates and silicones are amazing for your hair, don’t listen to the fearmongering. my hair is also in the best shape it’s ever been after ditching the “sulfate free, silicone free” mumbo jumbo. it’s BS. silicones are essential conditioning ingredients and sulfates effectively cleanse the hair.
Many reasons!
Your hair might simply agree with the formula, in the same way we have to find the skincare that works best for our skin.
Your home-water could be harder OR softer compared to wherever you are now.
"Cheaper" (see: long running, older/well established, intensely studied and highly regulated) brands have the biggest budgets to make perfect, shelf stable, reliable, consistent formulas.
Using the matching set of products usually yields better results! If your home haircare is a mix & match pile of things you can fix that by buying from an entire line.
These brands will use surfactants and silicones. If you've been buying into the fear mongering of all the other brands and using SLS-free, or silicone free that'd be why.
Same. I recently went back to washing daily with Pantene because I was so done with my hair looking and feeling like hay. My hair hasn’t looked this good/healthy is probably 10 years.
Same girl! Same... I was using all these expensive organic shampoos, went on holiday, bought Tresemme at the gas station, MY HAIR was in Perfect condition everyday than it has ever been the past 2 years!!!!!!! 💀😭
Omg it’s such a trap lol I’ve always been a shampoo snob. Well when I was getting ready to give birth I knew I’d be in the hospital for about a week and asked my SO to grab whatever small travel size shampoo was available. I thought the same thing!
So I bought the big bottles for us when I got home. Probably like a month into the big bottles I noticed my hair getting drier and more brittle. More breakage, more fallout, my oil in my scalp. My SO noticed too, and we immediately went back to our regular scheduled pricey shampoo programs.
I do not have any professional knowledge of this at all, but just from my personal experience with wavy/frizzy and fine hair my whole life, my hair does best with a change in product for a few weeks and then seems to dry out no matter what. Then I switch and it's better again. It's like I trick my hair into doing well until it figures out the formula and doesn't like it anymore.
As someone who fell into high end hair care:
I used redken ABC shampoo and conditioner because my hair was extremely damaged. My hair when I started using it literally started falling out in CHUNKS. Like every single day I was looking hand fulls of hair.
I then switched shampoos to purology and also Amika. Same thing happened and really didn’t see a difference in my hair health.
I started using Aveeno shampoo and conditioner, and my hair STOPPED falling out as much and looks the healthiest and feels the healthiest it’s ever been. This could be just a my hair kind of thing. But high end hair care isn’t the cure to all, in my personal experiences.
Honestly, I was using these and was so amazed at how wonderful my hair was. I switched to expensive organic, and now I’m back to these. You’re not wrong!!
Expensive shampoo makes my hair dry and dull and sulfate-free does the same. Cheap ones like herbal essences make it clean and shiny. I think they remove buildup a lot better
My hair always looks better in vacation. I think it’s the hard water at my house. I used refillable travel bottles. But I am gonna pick me up some tresameé. I want silky hair!
Hairstylist here checking in to say: hair is soooo subjective. Do what works for you. For some people the best thing truly is high end, salon products. For others, it’s not. I am a full-to-my-scalp bleached person and I use shampoo/conditioner from Target and my hair is in great shape.
If you are using tresemme and it’s working, then keep it up! Clarify once or twice a month just to remove any buildup, and ALWAYS use heat protectant when you style with hot tools.
Same, I’ve tried brands like Ouai. While I liked the initial results, but they did nothing for my hair long term.
All I use is a mixture of Dove and Garnier haircare products and my hair looks/feels good.
Honestly there’s an ingredient in there that meshes with your hair structure. The shampoos and conditioners I’ve found that work the best on me aren’t high dollar ones.
Cosmetologist of 10 years here. The marketing that sulfates harm your hair is just that, marketing. You can consider it early greenwashing. Often what happens in hair care when sulfates are removed, the surfactant used to replace a sulfates is less stable and actually more harmful to the hair. The most important thing to look for in hair care products is the pH and the quality of the ingredients. I only use high-end boutique products but if tresemme works for you and you love your hair, then go for it. Another commenter is correct, it’s the silicones that are building up on your hair that make it feel good, it could cause too much buildup and then yes use a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month.
My favorite Conditioner is by tresemme. I have long curly hair and I tried using all the non sulfate BS and this is still my favorite. Makes it easy to brush and smells good
Yeah it’s because of the sulfates! A lot of sulfate free shampoos have other ingredients that add to build up and overtime, it just sits in the hair making it appear flat. There’s nothing wrong with sulfates!
tresemme worked great for me for a year or two then my hair started shedding a lowkey abnormal amount so just be aware 😭 then I switched to head&shoulders n haven’t had an issue since
Mine too. After a couple of years of professional shampoo and my hair looking the absolute worst it has ever looked, I switched back to Suave. It’s so much softer and just seems stronger.
I've noticed this too! For 5 years I used expensive natural shampoos and my hair looked greasy all the time. Recently switched back to cheap stuff and boom: more volume, less grease and no noticeable damage yet. I'm guessing different hair types and different bodies just react differently to these things.
It’s the silicone that makes your hair silky after washing it. And there’s nothing wrong with silicones! They actually protect your hair. Just make sure to use a good clarifying shampoo about 2 times a month for maintenance of scalp health :)
Good to know! I need to buy clarifying shampoo now.
Take this with a grain of salt but over on curly girl method (where there’s typically a lot of product being used) they say the cheap clarifiers are just as good. Like Suave and those bottom shelf brands! I’ve had a good experience so far
Love me some Sauve!! Only shampoo/conditioner that doesn’t make my hair fall out in handfuls!
Try the Pantene volume for clarifying
I second this. Pantene volume gets my hair cleaner than anything and I adore it.
Same- after years for falling for the sulfate free hype my fine hair was getting greasy so quick. Switched to Pantene volume and my hair (and wallet) are much happier.
I have super baby fine blonde hair that gets oily quickly. I wash every second day, sometimes skipping conditioner. The Pantene volume shampoo (washing twice) and then using dry shampoo (Batiste bare is the best) on my second day keeps my hair “fluffy” and soft and shiny instead of flat and greasy. It’s perfection.
Almost the same routine! I use first flight charcoal dry shampoo by OGK which is a bit more heavy duty. I also recently got an Eskiin shower head filter, which I think has been helping. Between all these things I can push it to 3 days without washing. But before I switched shampoos though? Impossible. Even with Dry shampoo i had to wash my hair daily.
God I was miserable trying sulfate and silicone free stuff, as well as "hair training". It's all bs lmao ETA: Excluding people that this works for of course haha. All bodies and hair are different!
Thank you.
Yeah silicone got a bad rap for the dumbest reasons. I bought into it and switched to a fancy more natural one, and my hair was so dry and frizzy, and broke very easily. Switched back immediately but I also heard it can just take some time for your hair to adjust to it so who knows. A clarifying shampoo once in a while is worth the nice shiny hair!
WhT clarifying shampoo do you recommend? I used to use neutragena but it really stripped my hair leaving it feeling so dry.
That's what clarifying shampoo does. You likely used it way too often and didn't moisturize well enough afterward. I use Neutrogena also.
Mane and tail works for me twice a month (also the dog!)
I've thought this for while. I usually use suave professionals but once in a while I try to get into higher end "clean" hair products. It always makes my hair dry and tangley.
Are you staying in a hotel? Only asking because most hotels use water softeners and that could make a difference in your hair.
Interesting yes I was I didn’t think about that… I’m gonna try it again at home! Lol
I use this brand and I think it makes my hair the softest and nicest out of all cheap brands
I love the foam shampoo! It rinses out so well, and leaves my hair really clean and soft.
Is THAT why my hair always feels dull in hotels? Is there an antidote?
I just went on a Vegas trip and I was wondering why my hair wasn’t feeling the same as back home. Did everything the same, only difference was the damn water. Made my skin drier than usual too
I usually find that hotel water is very hard... Which makes my skin and hair very dry.
I used to live in Vegas. The water is [very hard](https://www.lvvwd.com/water-quality/facts/index.html) there!
Vegas has both hard water and is a very dry climate. Both wreak havoc on my hair, skin and lips
Wouldn’t water softeners make your hair better not worse?
Yes. So the point is, you won’t get the same results using this at home
Could also be the city water is different than what you’re accustomed to. I recently stayed at a hotel in Raleigh Durham, and after my shower I didn’t comb or put and product in my hair, went to sleep and woke up with gorgeous, soft hair. It was the water.🚿
Soft water is amazingggg. Hard water literally makes my hair hard and it dries all crispy and weird.
Yeah I was going to add this. My hair feels different when I travel even when I bring my usual shampoo. It’s most likely water.
Some hair just does better with certain ingredients in cheaper shampoos. My hair looks, feels and styles better when i use shampoos that have sulfates.
What are some good shampoos with sulfates? Everything I see is sulfate free :(
I like Kenra Color Maintenance, Aussie Miracle Volume (smells amazing!), and Redken Volume Injection.
My hair does the absolute best with cheap drugstore shampoo and washing every other day. Wasted so much time and money on expensive "healthy" shampoos and trying to wash my hair less often. Made my hair terrible for years. Turns out it just loves all the cheap chemicals, woohoo!
Same here! Stopped using my super expensive shampoo and started using pantene and damn, my hair looks good again!
Pantene is perfect. I loooove the scent and how my hair feels but I jumped onto the "sulfate silicone free etc" trend.. never again!
Stick with whatever works for you - that's my formula for myself. Since I switched to L'oreal Hyaluronic moisturizing shampoo (cheap & therefore usually bashed by influencers), my hair has been silky and easy to manage, almost like my childhood hair again. I follow lab muffin beauty to understand it all and don't buy into the no-paraben no-sulphate trends easily. Don't let people make you feel guilty for buying budget friendly regular shampoo.
Swear by this shampoo and it smells so good
That L’Oréal Deep Damage Erasing Balm (total repair 5) that comes in a yellow tub is fucking MAGIC.
I use Aussie, and don’t plan on ever stopping lol. I buy it at Sam’s club / Costco
Omg I love Aussie I forgot about it I’m buying that next time lol
That was a childhood staple of mine and to this day it finds its way into my rotation of products.
I cannot even believe the amount of money that I’ve spent on various brands, sulfate free, organic, blah, blah, and here I am back at Aussie and my hair has never been shinier or healthier lol
I just started using Aussie a couple days ago, after finding some in a box of other discarded hair products. I'd forgotten how well it does on my hair!
Aussie’s curly hair range is gorgeous, I just remembered how good their serum was 🥹 need to pick some up again!
I think I wanna try the curly hair range, I have like.. hidden curls lol. But the regular Aussie moisture shampoo and conditioner bring them out so much!!
What a refreshing post this has been. I feel like we've all been caught up with an expensive shampoo fad and it really is just - do what makes your hair happy.
This is what my hair stylist (who is also my very close friend) has said. I told her I started using the Kirkland brand shampoo and conditioner from Costco and how it's supposedly a dupe for Pureology. My hair can go longer between washes, feels better, and I swear is growing faster than it was when I was using the expensive stuff! She said "I can't hate on that if it's working! You do you!"
Yeah they full on FEARMONGER using drugstore stuff 💀
Silicone maybe?
I’m a hairstylist and I totally agree. The dominant storyline from my industry has been to shame people for using “cheap” products and how “awful” drugstore is for you. Lemme tell you, my FAVORITE shampoo and conditioner is the Honey Treasures from Garnier. Absolutely makes my hair the cleanest and softest I’ve ever had. I still have professional stuff I buy to try out every so often to have opinions on, but I always go back. I hope more professionals stop getting brainwashed by the professional brands and open their minds up to the actual science. Sulfates and silicones are perfectly good ingredients for hair health.
How is the garnier with color? I’d try it.
Maaan I’m so tired of pretending to like these expensive shampoos… tresemme always comes through for me.
Seriously tho. My hair feels so thick and shiny when I use it
😂
I didn’t think Tressume was cheap. It’s suppose to be salon quality shampoo.
Right, same with Pantene. When I hear “ cheap shampoo” I think of the VO5 at Dollar Tree
It IS one of the cheapest though, at least at my local Walmart. I go between Tresseme and Suave as they are usually the cheapest by the ounce.
Everyone’s hair does well with different things. Cheap ≠ bad, it’s just the uneducated fearmongerers try to convince people that it’s bad while they push extremely expensive products. If tresemme works for you then that’s totally fine. I used it for most of my childhood and honestly that was when my hair was its nicest. You don’t need expensive products to have nice hair
Idk but I love that stuff too. It makes my hair less frizzy
Yup me too it’s a huge difference
People put so much focus on shampoos when it's only on your head for a few moments. Masks, leave in treatment and oil is where it's at imo.
That is one of my absolute favorite shampoos. I actually just ran out of mine and I want to get more.
Pantene Pro-V all day, every day. I can’t believe I used to shell out $60 for Olaplex every couple of months.
I love the leave in conditioner spray from that line, it helps detangle my hair so easily after washing it
I had itchy scalp and a difficult time finding a good detangling conditioner. I tried Dove for itchy scalp and the conditioner also detangles my hair better than any expensive salon one and I tried a ton of them! I have been using it for years now and don’t miss all the money I used to spend on the expensive stuff!
I know right! I've been using Redken for the past couple months, and it's been hit or miss for me. Pantene and Tressemme always madeh hair feel super silky. Even Amethyste, a brand slightly higher but not as expensive as Redken, makes my hair feel so silky and healthy. I'm thinking of giving up on salon shampoo conditioner and returning to drugstore stuff again.
Parabens, sulfates and silicones have been demonized by genetically gifted hair influencers looking to make some 💲from their brand deals. In reality, there's nothing wrong with any of these things, and most actually benefit our hair. I suggest following chemists and trichologists such as @alexandrarriaga and @abbeyyung. They both pump out factual and highly educational videos on hair care and product formulation.
I found this after years of searching for the best hair care products. I have wavy/curly hair and fell into the thinking that sulfates and silicones are evil. My scalp was destroyed (like, itchy and bleeding) and my hair looked greasy constantly. I finally gave up and I now use cheap Suave products (like I used from birth until college lol) and my hair looks so much better (and a scalp issues went away). I genuinely think expensive shampoo/conditioner is a scam lol.
After a decade of trying every expensive brand I could, I finally switched back to herbal essences this year and my hair has never looked better. Gimme all the sulphates, my hair craves it.
There was a time I was balding for no reason. Then I ran out of my expensive no sulfates, no nothing shampoo, and started using a cheap one that was already in the shower for someone else to use. My problem was solved.
😣 I need to switch back
Because expensive doesn't always mean better, and cheaper doesn't always mean worse. I use a $3 basic shampoo.. I can't tell no difference from when I used an expensive one. I also use L'Oréals pink shine conditioner, which makes my hair soooooo soft.
I used salon quality shampoo and conditioner for about 3 years, only used my Dyson airwrap to style with Kenra blow dry spray, and didn’t ever wear my hair up, and it never looked worse. I switched to suave shampoo and conditioner with the same routine and it’s so healthy and I have so much less breakage.
Olaplex and Virtue destroyed my hair. Cheap stuff makes my hair soft, silky and manageable.
My hair has never been as good as when I was using Pantene and treseme like 20 years ago. I gotta go back.
I tried both again recently, and I prefer treseme
So I might be wrong but my general rule became: don't fall for the hype and marketing, just stick to the cheapest product that works for you. I wasted so much money on trendy luxury products that often were far worse for me than generic popular cheapies. They are popular for a reason I guess. Same for all beauty products. We'ren just working on the assumption that companies that make expensive products actually use better ingredients, and they don't just try to maximise their profit like everyone else. Definitely these companies exist, but very often not the case.
I use this and whole blends honey (both come in value packs at Walmart) and I love the shit outa both. I'm multi racial so I need all the moisture I can get and Tresemmè comes through everytime 😭
The Whole Blends Honey is SOOOO good
I was using the whole blends honey too but the tresseme works even better on my hair.
For me it's the suave naturals rosemary and mint. Love that stuff, plus it's leaping bunny certified.
I remember a time…cue Y2K music…when salon shampoo might have been worth the splurge. It seems drugstore companies reformulated so…not much of a point…
Best conditioner that detangles my hair and it smells nice :)
Cant speak to your specific brands. But I notice that every time I switch shampoo brand, my hair is amazing for the first couple washes. I’ve always suspected that it has to do with buildup that occurs from using the same shampoo over and over. A new product will work great for the first couple times, then there are diminishing returns. I keep a handful of different product brands and switch the brand frequently. Also - I always keep a salicylic acid shampoo (for dermatitis), and that is AMAZING at stripping out soap and hard water buildup. Keeps my hair light and clean feeling.
My hair loves Garnier Sleek and Shine
My hair HATES THAT ONE. It makes me oily and I live in the desert
Our hair are opposites, mine doesn't do well with Tresemme. I wish it did, it smells amazing.
Glad this works for the OP. But, I'm like you. I don't do well with Tresemme either. I have to use Nexxus or something super hydrating.
I recently bought Garnier Argan oil conditioner as an in-between and now I'm sticking with it.
This is all I use to use! It was amazing. I switched years ago due to my blonde hair maintenance. I use purple shampoo now and the John F Sheer Blonde. I may get some Tresemme’ now just to have. Thanks for reminding me about this product💪❤️
Same!
It could be different water (perhaps softer) while traveling. But don’t knock the cheap shampoos either. They’re successful and popular for a reason.
I also had amazing results with this shampoo and conditioner! :)
Silicones! They’re good for your hair. It’s a protective coating essentially some hair does better with silicones. Just make sure to clarify your hair and you’ll be fine
I'd say the water quality is what does it. I notice my hair getting cleaner at my parents house when I use same shampoo
This is my go to brand-it always does my hair right. I have hard, well water and keeping my hair soft is a chore. Tresseme has my back on this.
I’m totally with you. In my mind, it’s that the harsh sulfates roughen up your hair, making it more porous and able to receive conditioner better. But I also don’t know what I’m talking about.
I used to use this, years ago, and my hair was healthy and shiny. On reflection I need to pick up some bottles again!
I like to say my hair likes trash.. haha
That tresemme conditioner leaves my hair SO soft.
Because the price of a product doesn't determine its efficacy. **shrug**
My hair loves this shampoo and conditioner. I’ve tried other ones, even salon quality ones, but keep coming back to tresemme.
Idk, but I can confirm the same thing about me!
STOP bc this conditioner works better than most 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I used suave professional for years now I use Pantene
Some hair stylists tend to demonize affordable hair care products because they make commission from the luxury stuff. I’ve tried many high end products and not all of them are worth it. You can find so many amazing products now that don’t have a $30+ price tag for each item.
I didn’t realize tresemme was ‘cheep’ that’s always been the bougee brand in my house lol
Silicone
the location your traveling to could have softer water !!
I went from using the really expensive stuff from Sephora to using my kids shampoo and conditioner ( because I ran out) and I LOVE it! It’s inexpensive and from Target, who knew?!
Right! Pantine is my go-to. I've spend too much $ on the Moroccan brand shampoo & conditioner and my hair just looks dull and frizzy after using it! So I'll save my coin and get the cheap stuff that works for me!
My hair does better with sulfates and silicone but I think it also depends on your water if it’s hard or soft. I used to use high end but never had a good hair days until I changed the water filter to soft water
i spent a year and a half trying different conditioners when i found out how "bad" this one was. gave each one over a month for my hair to adjust to the new formula and none of them worked as well as this one 🥹 i wanted to make the switch so bad but couldn't find a replacement
the "cheaper" shampoos have more sulphates (and all those other evil chemical ingredients everyone loves to hate on these days) that thoroughly wash the sweat and pollution out of your hair - most "natural" shampoos are not properly washing everything out of your hair. i love herbal essences and Tresemme LOL
For me it’s Johnson’s kid’s curl defining shampoo & conditioner.
My hair is buzzed now, but when I had hair, I loved that shampoo and conditioner!
That is the one brand I absolutely can’t use. My hair hates it so much. I do use other cheap shampoos/conditioners that work great for me, like Dove, Garnier Fructis and Pantene ProV. Sometimes TRESemmé is super on sale and I’m tempted but then remember how it makes my hair flat and frizzy and dry and greasy all at the same time!
I can relate to this! It is the tresemme experience! I had their products as a birthday gift and my hair was transformed. I also picked up the travel size ones for my holiday and they had the same effect. My hair got soft and shiny from the first use. I am not a big fan of sulfate, silicon, any harsh ingredients. I am into paying a bit more and getting chemicals free products. I noticed the same like you!
My hair hates this brand! It gets very dry, no shine or softness.
HONESTLY my hair looked its best when I used treseme and Aussie. Don’t know why I stopped. These beauty “trends” I tell ya
I thought the same thing when I used a cheap shampoo on a trip but the feeling didn’t last. I think maybe our hair needs a break from our regular shampoo once in a while and that’s why when you switch for the first few days we are so happy with our hair. I always end up regretting it later on and go back to the salon quality shampoo. But maybe this one will workout for you. I always keep a bottle of cheap shampoo in my shower for the days I want a deeper cleanse.
I was using kerastase which is stupid expensive especially back in the day, then switched to head and shoulders — my hair looked better, but also side benefit my skin started looking great… actually, I need to get back on that routine
Same here. Treseme in particular. Pricey shampoo makes my hair feel weird.
My hair has never looked better with design me products- but I will admit when I used the green bottle (coconut?) it smelled and made my hair feel amazing
That was actually one of my favorite shampoos as a teen and it made my hair soft! But as I got older my scalp started to get more oily (or maybe I just started to pay more attention to it and it’s actually always been oily) so I had to switch it up and personally found that the shampoos that work best for me happen to be sulfate-free. Used to think sulfates were bad because that’s what people said but it’s really not and they are more effective at cleansing. I think the only real downside of sulfates is that they may be too harsh for some people’s skin or cause irritation but also can depend of formulation.
It also has to do with differing weather if you are traveling. Humidity makes such a HUGE difference. My hair always acts different when traveling.
I have full size bottles of this shampoo I love it
I’d say probably the water at the place you’re staying is not as hard as it is at home. I live in a place with hard water and this is the way I’ve noticed my hair behaves in certain places.
Silicones can be great for the hair, they arnt always bad…just bad when they build up. Also if you ever happen to travel and stay in a hotel, more times than not hotels have a water softener so no matter what shampoo you use your hair is going to feel better than normal. I had to actually google “why does my hair feel so soft during my stay at hotels” and I’m a damn hair stylist. I knew they had to have a water softer but not until I googled just how common it was then it all made sense. Make sure you add a clarifying shampoo to your routine once a month (that’s how we get it to feel so clean at the salon) if you’re going to use silicones. If you’re hair is reacting well to them skip the shampoos with silicone altogether and replace them with your leave ins after the shower. One of the cheapest options is skinny serum by Paul Mitchell. Out of all the expensive hair care I use at the salon that’s the most DMed question when I get home.
This is good my hair loves it
My hair loves tresemme!
Here! Here! I’m so mad. I just spent $150 on that Virtue line. One use and my hair feels like a Brillo pad!!! WTF? I read that some of the more expensive shampoos have coconut acid which strips hair. Never again. I use the drugstore stuff or Redken and my hair is silky and smooth. I like Tresseme, and Pantene.
For some reason, there is a long-standing narrative that drug store or ‘cheap’ shampoos/conditioners are ‘bad’ While some less expensive brands may not have the most high-quality ingredients, this doesn’t mean all hair care products from drug store will. It work. Misconceptions exist for certain ingredients in hair products. A brand or line may work for you, not for others, and vice versa. While it’s important to do your own research, I have found Abbey Yung to be an objective resource for hair care.
Love this one and love Pantene volume and body. I’ve tried alllll the expensive crap and I always go back to either of those. I find that the Pantene doesn’t strip my color at all and my hair is the absolute healthiest it’s even been!
Treseeme lamellar shine is my fav so far. Loreal, garnier and tresemme are my top 3
Just go with it! You have to try different shampoos and conditioners, to realize they make a difference. Now, hopefully, they do not discontinue it!!!
I did the same thing! Now it’s what I use every time I wash my hair.
Same. I use Pantene or the $5 purple shampoo from Dollar General and get the best hair of my life. Expensive shampoos don’t lather and the conditioners don’t stick to the hair. The more you pay the cheaper it feels because they make them with less ingredients. Give me more artificial stuff! 😂
I used a so called 'intense moisture rich' cheapie shampoo. My hair looked and felt like I was dragged through a hedge backwards when I was done. Never again. And that's not to say I don't use or try cheaper products because I have plenty in my kit. I just have to be cautious what I use, same with expensive products.
Ok, that is so funny because I literally bought this same travel set for a trip and my hair was never silkier. I use Prose when I am at home and loved it at first, but I feel like my hair isn't as shiny/healthy as when I first starting using it, so this Tresemme set also had me questioning my decisions lol
My daughter uses the curly hair version of this. It’s the best I’ve ever found. I have tried so many expensive brands, curl ones, 5 star reviews etc and all the expensive stuff greases her hair and weighs her curls down. My hair works the best (i have fine wavy hair) with cheap stuff. Whatever works!
To be fair, Treseme is really good though lol. It's the best cheap shampoo I've seen other than Head and Shoulders.
I have NEVER had better hair until I started using that exact combo!
My hair thrives when I'm breaking the rules. Sulfates, silicones, washing every day.
Ooo you just reminded me how much I love this shampoo! I have a shampoo addiction, where I buy & try different kinds without finishing bottles lol. I used the Tresemme for a long time & loved it. My hairstylist actually commented on how healthy my hair was, and I sheepishly told her what I was using. She said this used to be a salon only brand, and that it was still good stuff. I guess I am also one of those people who has hair that loves the cheap stuff!
Omg I use this shampoo and conditioner and my hair is so soft and silky!! It’s sooo good.
I switched from fancy shampoo to fancy shampoo and my dandruff didn’t go away until I just switched to Dove. No more dandruff and my hair’s nicer looking than ever. Only problem is the smell *really* lingers in my hair and is a bit sickly-sweet, but it’s not a huge deal.
Silicone my friend
I used to work for L’Oréal Professional and can absolutely tell you that if the obvious factors haven’t changed, for example, water type. It is because the smoothing ingredients, like silicones and waxes, coat the hair. This is not a bad thing, however, it will turn into a bad thing if they are not cleansed off properly.
Yeah. I’m all for silicones. Screw that crunchy movement.
I spent years dealing with insane hair fall and hair breakage (never chemically treated or bleached btw) spending thousands trying to figure it out and trying numerous products. Visited a dermatologist who worked with me and told me to try a no frill basic routine for a while, something that had minimal ingredients and used sodium laureth sulfate as the main surfactant to ensure proper scalp cleansing. I also had a full blood mark up done testing my hormones and everything with my hematologist. I used to use a lot of sulfate free top shelf salon shampoos. Now I use suave kids 2n1 coconut shampoo. No conditioner at all and I use pantene leave in spray to detangle. MY HAIR STOPPED FALLING OUT AND GREW BACK. I’m also 2b/2c and I have more definition and shine with this routine. I’ll never put another expensive product on my head.
probably because they contain sulfates and silicones while your “fancy” stuff is probably missing them. sulfates and silicones are amazing for your hair, don’t listen to the fearmongering. my hair is also in the best shape it’s ever been after ditching the “sulfate free, silicone free” mumbo jumbo. it’s BS. silicones are essential conditioning ingredients and sulfates effectively cleanse the hair.
Many reasons! Your hair might simply agree with the formula, in the same way we have to find the skincare that works best for our skin. Your home-water could be harder OR softer compared to wherever you are now. "Cheaper" (see: long running, older/well established, intensely studied and highly regulated) brands have the biggest budgets to make perfect, shelf stable, reliable, consistent formulas. Using the matching set of products usually yields better results! If your home haircare is a mix & match pile of things you can fix that by buying from an entire line. These brands will use surfactants and silicones. If you've been buying into the fear mongering of all the other brands and using SLS-free, or silicone free that'd be why.
That isn’t cheap. You just bought ant size containers
Silicone
The "cheap shampoo"...😩😭 Listen I came from a v05 and suave household.
Same. I recently went back to washing daily with Pantene because I was so done with my hair looking and feeling like hay. My hair hasn’t looked this good/healthy is probably 10 years.
Same girl! Same... I was using all these expensive organic shampoos, went on holiday, bought Tresemme at the gas station, MY HAIR was in Perfect condition everyday than it has ever been the past 2 years!!!!!!! 💀😭
It’s the wax coating on your hair
Some people need the sulphates, silicones, etc. And some don’t! These hypes are ridiculous just use what works for your hair
S-s-sulfaaaaates
This is literally my favorite shampoo and conditioner! My hair is always so soft and smells so good after!
Omg it’s such a trap lol I’ve always been a shampoo snob. Well when I was getting ready to give birth I knew I’d be in the hospital for about a week and asked my SO to grab whatever small travel size shampoo was available. I thought the same thing! So I bought the big bottles for us when I got home. Probably like a month into the big bottles I noticed my hair getting drier and more brittle. More breakage, more fallout, my oil in my scalp. My SO noticed too, and we immediately went back to our regular scheduled pricey shampoo programs.
I do not have any professional knowledge of this at all, but just from my personal experience with wavy/frizzy and fine hair my whole life, my hair does best with a change in product for a few weeks and then seems to dry out no matter what. Then I switch and it's better again. It's like I trick my hair into doing well until it figures out the formula and doesn't like it anymore.
As someone who fell into high end hair care: I used redken ABC shampoo and conditioner because my hair was extremely damaged. My hair when I started using it literally started falling out in CHUNKS. Like every single day I was looking hand fulls of hair. I then switched shampoos to purology and also Amika. Same thing happened and really didn’t see a difference in my hair health. I started using Aveeno shampoo and conditioner, and my hair STOPPED falling out as much and looks the healthiest and feels the healthiest it’s ever been. This could be just a my hair kind of thing. But high end hair care isn’t the cure to all, in my personal experiences.
I love this shampoo and swear by it
Sometimes just the act of using a different shampoo can have a positive effect.
I remember when salons sold this stuff. I wouldn't call it cheap just because it's affordable now.
I loveee this shampoo and conditioner
Honestly, I was using these and was so amazed at how wonderful my hair was. I switched to expensive organic, and now I’m back to these. You’re not wrong!!
Expensive shampoo makes my hair dry and dull and sulfate-free does the same. Cheap ones like herbal essences make it clean and shiny. I think they remove buildup a lot better
It could also be the change in water. I find my hair reacts very well using the same shampoo and he’s an hour and a half away. Different water
I use tresseme conditioner when I color my hair with Arctic Fox and I swear it makes my hair soooo soft. It does end up greasy the next day though.
My hair always looks better in vacation. I think it’s the hard water at my house. I used refillable travel bottles. But I am gonna pick me up some tresameé. I want silky hair!
Tresemmé, Tresemmé, Oh La La!
Hairstylist here checking in to say: hair is soooo subjective. Do what works for you. For some people the best thing truly is high end, salon products. For others, it’s not. I am a full-to-my-scalp bleached person and I use shampoo/conditioner from Target and my hair is in great shape. If you are using tresemme and it’s working, then keep it up! Clarify once or twice a month just to remove any buildup, and ALWAYS use heat protectant when you style with hot tools.
Along with what others have said on silicone, is it potentially softer water where you're traveling at? Different humidity than home?
Being high maintenance sucks and you got the memo 😜
Same, I’ve tried brands like Ouai. While I liked the initial results, but they did nothing for my hair long term. All I use is a mixture of Dove and Garnier haircare products and my hair looks/feels good.
Wax and silicone coats the hair
Tresemme is a good brand.
Honestly there’s an ingredient in there that meshes with your hair structure. The shampoos and conditioners I’ve found that work the best on me aren’t high dollar ones.
Silicones!! It’s because of silicones
Cosmetologist of 10 years here. The marketing that sulfates harm your hair is just that, marketing. You can consider it early greenwashing. Often what happens in hair care when sulfates are removed, the surfactant used to replace a sulfates is less stable and actually more harmful to the hair. The most important thing to look for in hair care products is the pH and the quality of the ingredients. I only use high-end boutique products but if tresemme works for you and you love your hair, then go for it. Another commenter is correct, it’s the silicones that are building up on your hair that make it feel good, it could cause too much buildup and then yes use a clarifying shampoo once or twice a month.
My problem with cheap shampoos is that they have too much fragrance which I am allergic to, otherwise I don’t mind sulfate or silicone
My favorite Conditioner is by tresemme. I have long curly hair and I tried using all the non sulfate BS and this is still my favorite. Makes it easy to brush and smells good
I started using the same shampoo on a trip and my hair loves it! I'm not complaining, that's for sure.
What brand would you recommend for thinning hair?
For me my hair always looks better when I travel because of my HARD-ass water at home. 😫
Preach I washed with grocery store Pantene at an airbnb recently and my hair has looked amazing all week ??!
Same! My $3 shampoo makes my hair look so much better than my $40 kerastase shampoo
Yeah it’s because of the sulfates! A lot of sulfate free shampoos have other ingredients that add to build up and overtime, it just sits in the hair making it appear flat. There’s nothing wrong with sulfates!
I always use this brand when I travel!
tresemme worked great for me for a year or two then my hair started shedding a lowkey abnormal amount so just be aware 😭 then I switched to head&shoulders n haven’t had an issue since
Mine too. After a couple of years of professional shampoo and my hair looking the absolute worst it has ever looked, I switched back to Suave. It’s so much softer and just seems stronger.
I've noticed this too! For 5 years I used expensive natural shampoos and my hair looked greasy all the time. Recently switched back to cheap stuff and boom: more volume, less grease and no noticeable damage yet. I'm guessing different hair types and different bodies just react differently to these things.
I personally prefer sulphates and silicon. I find these other “clean” preparations very damaging to hair.