Any hair experts here?? Is Pantene really bad for your hair?

[northern*treasure]

I have been told now by 2 different beauticians not to use Pantene and that it is really damaging to hair. I love the Pantene Pro-V conditioner for dry/damaged hair. Is it really that bad? It seems like the only conditioner that has done my hair good. I have long fine blonde hair. I recently got a perm and the beautician told me that it even could strip out my perm if I used it. I would really like some info on this if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[chilibee]

I have been a licensed stylist for almost 30 years and here is something to ponder. The days of product lines being owned by many, many companies has long passed. There are very few dogs in the hunt now--a couple of companies own everything! Also...............many of the products come out of the same factory--just with different labels. I am a firm believer that shampoos are more alike than they are different. When you start to peel away all of the fluff and look at them from a chemical basis--they are sooooo similar in makeup. Why listen to me? I too am an educator for a multinational hair company--and the realtity is that some of what the stylists at the salon say is not true. Are they purposely lying to you? No! Honestly most of them don't really know--they believe what the sales rep or another stylist tells them and they just go from there. As far as Pantene goes--yes it is full of silicone--and silicone is a form of plastic and yes it coats the hair--but is it harmful---probably not. I suggest that all of my clients use a clarifying shampoo at least once a month--twice a month if you are a heavy product user--especially pastes and other waxing substances. These shampoos are more harsh and strip the old products out of the hair. Okay---now as to hair repairing itself. It is correct that the hair is only alive at the root or bulb and the hair on the outside is dead so to speak. The only corrections you can make with the hair shaft deals with the outer cuticle layer. The cuticle is much like scales on a fish. Some people have a much more smooth layer than others. The cuticle is what we "open" up the chemicals when we deposit color. The cuticle opens, the color deposits and then we have to lay the cuticle back down or close it. If you get your hair colored in the salon and feel you hair right after the shampoo and before the conditioner or sealer, it may feel coarse. That is because the scales are still standing up and make the hair shaft feel rough. Bottom line---use the shampoo that works--but clarify!

[lynngehringer]

chilibee - Thank you! You gave the answer I was expecting all along!

[iheartdragonflies]

I did worry about using Pantene on her hair though after I heard it wasn't good. If her hair is already healthy how can it damage it? Is it just bad on already damaged hair? I don't get it.

I would continue using Pantene on your DD's hair, just use very little and rinse out good. Pantene is a good product just like most other haircare products out there. Everyone's hair is different and will take to some products better than others. Take Aussie... some rave about it here but it's an awful product for my hair. I just don't use it and continue to use either Pantene or Suave.

Even with baby fine hair, you may want to consider a spray leave-in conditioner. It works great for hard to comb hair when wet. A few squirts goes a long way. Good luck.

[motoxmom99]

I also agree you should clarify your hair, at least from what I've experienced. I wash my hair every day or every other day and even on the days I do wash it, it does go limp and looks greasy. When I do use a clarifying (sp?) shampoo I can see and feel a Huge difference and styling is so much easier and it doesn't go limp and look greasy later in the day. That's just me though.

I say if IT works for you and your happy with the outcome then USE it! If you notice problems then look at other products, maybe even just adding a clarifying shampoo to your routine. But add one thing at a time.
One more thing.. I was in our local Mall and found some great Matrix conditioner in the clearance bin... CHEAP! So I bought one just to see how it would work. My hubby and my youngest son even noticed a difference and they normally don't notice that kind of stuff. lol My son said mom your hair is so shiny and soft. It was like he wanted to pet my like one of our cats! lol He's such a cutie. Plus I don't have the static fly aways I had with every other conditioner during this Winter dry air.

Like I and others have said, use what works for YOU. Just because something works for me doesn't mean it will work for you. I believe that's true with just about anything.

[sbtier]

Pantene has a new conditioner called Ice Shine that is the best conditioner I've ever used. I have thick, frizzy, wavy hair and it actually makes my hair straight. It gives me just a little shine, which is better than the hay-look I usually sport. People have even started commenting on it. For $4.00 it works much better than Biolage at $22.00.

[princess*of*tides]

Hais is dead, but its appearance is helped by a low pH shampoo, which will smooth the hair cuticle. A more alkaline shampoo, including clarifying shampoos, will open up the cuticles and make hair dull-looking.

[princess*of*tides]

Hais=Hair

[jadedbeautybend]

Just wanted to chime in as another hairdresser, that hair is dead, you can't 'heal' it. You can seal it, fill it, make it appear smoother and shinier, but you can't somehow internally repair it once it's damaged.

Pantene has a higher quanitity of waxlike ingredients, which is WHY it makes your hair seem so smooth and shiny. It seals the cuticle layers down smooth quite well.
Most salon products have silicone based ingredients as well, frankly, and most stylists who will tell you the dire consequences of Pantene's silicone ingredients will also happily sell you a teeny tiny bottle of something like 'shine drops' or 'glossing potion' for $20....which is a bottle of silicone oils!! LOL....

personally I use only organic, natural products and sell only the same, very cautious of chemicals and preservatives, but that's just my own life theory at work. 😉

[jadedbeautybend]

Oh, I meant to say the only way you might run into an issue with Pantene is that because it has so much wax product in it, it CAN interfere with chemical processes, like color and perms, and make them take strangely or not as well,so that is something to keep in mind, a natural clarifier of baking soda paste can be used to strip off any build up , just condition really well after.

[jadedbeautybend]

Natural haircare remedies:

Build up removal: Baking soda paste massaged into hair for 5 minutes then rinsed well.

Moisture: Avacodo and mayonnaise mixed together and applied to damp hair, wrap head in saran wrap and a warm towel for 10-20 minutes
OR
better smelling:
Olive oil, warmed with lavendar and rosemary essential oils, on damp hair under saran wrap and warm towel

[princess*of*tides]

jaded, thank you! The clarifying shampoos have just as many ingredients as the stuff it's trying to get rid of, so I'll give the baking soda mix a try. Can you recommend a ratio of scent to olive oil? And do you have a fave organic shampoo?

[jadedbeautybend]

If you have medium length hair, about 1/2 cup olive oil, warmed either stovetop or in microwave, (WARM, not HOT HOT, you should be able to stick your finger in it) with about 10 drops essential oils.

I usually put on a shower cap or use saran wrap, then put a bath towel in the dryer for a few minutes to get it nice and warm and wrap my head in it.

With organic haircare products, any health food store should have some good things to try, make sure you read labels....if you have colored hair avoid anything with sodium lauryl sulfate (it'll pull out your color), and I personally avoid anything with the preservatives methylparaben or propylparaben.

There shouldn't be anything you can't pronounce or identify on the label! (again, JMO! if others like their chemicals, go for it)

[princess*of*tides]

Thank you!

[northern*treasure]

Jaded-what is the mixture of the baking soda paste you use? Does it dry your hair out any? How long do you leave it in? I have long blonde hair and recently permed. It also has been highlighted in the past. I really do need to clarify but don't know of any good shampoos. If this is a safe alternative I will try this method. I have also heard of using vinegar. Not sure though how safe that is.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. This has been a really informative thread. I have learned a lot from the boards.

[tranquil-gardens]

First, I just want to say that I'm not a hair stylist and I don't know much about the scientific make up of hair. My information is just based on the experience I have had with my hair/hair products.

My hair is dark brown, nearly black and is very thick and around my shoulder blades in length. Years ago I would buy the cheapest product I could find (White Rain, VO5, Suave). During those years my hair was always dry and brittle with split ends and had lots of static, especially in winter but even in summer too just after a wash. About 6" up from the ends of my hair had turned such a light brown that people were asking me if I had bleached or highlighted. This went on for a period of approximately 10 years.

Then I started using all Pantene products. My hair improved slightly. It didn't have as much static and it was less dry. My hair was still really drawn out in color though since I am outdoors and in the sun a lot. I did seem to get a lot of build up on my hair from the Pantene and every so often used either the Pantene clarifying shampoo or I would use about 1 tablespoon of baking soda before washing. (With the baking soda you just make a paste with it and water and gently rub it into your hair for a minute or so. Just be careful and don't get any in your eyes. Then rinse well and shampoo as normal. It works excellent.) It is my opinion that Pantene is the best over the counter product available, at least for me and my hair. I used Pantene exclusively for about 5 years.

Then, about 8 years ago I switched to salon brands. I have tried many including Paul Mitchell, Biolage, ISO, Redken, and many others. For about 2 years I have been using Big Sexy Hair shampoo and conditioner. I think about all of the salon brands are equal and that it is just a matter of finding one you like best as far as scent, texture, foaming ability, etc... My hair started improving as soon as I started using salon brands. I hardly ever have any buildup and if I do it's mainly from using hairspray and then being in the sun all day and the hairspray sort of baking on my hair. The color is not drawn out like before and I don't have broke off, split end hair like I did before. Maybe it is because my hair doesn't have a build up and the brush/comb glides through more easily??? I really don't know.

Anyhow, I get lots of compliments on my hair now. Complete strangers often comment that my hair is shiney or pretty or that it looks healthy or something. And, my Mom and I both have decided that using salon brands isn't really any more expensive than using Pantene or other over the counter brands. With the salon brands it doesn't take near the product as it does with the over the counter brands. In other words, it only takes about a third of the salon brand to do the same job as the over the counter brand, so a bottle of the salon lasts us as long as three bottles of the over the counter. Also, I don't buy a bunch of treatments to help my damaged hair like I used to so I'd say I spend about the same for haircare now as I used to. If I do spend a little more it is definitely worth it to me. I usually buy the Big Sexy Hair products at the salon inside Wal-Mart or from right here on eBay if the seller has good feedback. It is not that expensive.

Some other tips that work for me are:
* The healthier I am inside from diet and exercise is the healthier my hair appears.
* Being very gentle when brushing/combing/styling hair is very important. Keeping hair well conditioned will help keep it from being broken off when styling.
* Dry hair as much as possible with a towel (blot or squeeze, do not rub) before blow drying.
* Do not use overly hot water for washing and rinse hair extremely well after shampoo and before using conditioner.
* Do not overheat hair/scalp with blow dryers and curling irons and such.

I know everyone and their hair is different and this is only my personal opinion and what works for me.