Looking for a haircare product that can do it all? By jove, I think I’ve got
it.
I
was flipping through the channels the other day and for some reason I stopped
on Chaz Dean, a celebrity hairstylist. He was talking about a new product he
had developed called WEN. WEN boasted the ability to be a cleanser,
conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, detangler and shaving
crème. It was calling to me . . . Check THIS out.
Instead
of the typical lathering shampoo, WEN was described as a natural cleansing
conditioner that moisturizes the hair with ingredients like chamomile, cherry bark,
sweet almond oil and more. I loved the sound of the natural ingredients
on my hair so I jotted down the number and ran to the phone, against
everything in me saying “Don’t buy from an infomercial . . . Don’t do it. . .
Put down the phone.”
I
made it through the sales pitch and placed my order. You do have to agree to
monthly shipments. I am pleased to report that you are able to cancel or extend
the next shipment when the first box arrives. I knew I would not use as much as
the bottle suggested and it does suggest a heavy dose (a minimum of 16-24 pumps
per wash).
(FRUGAL
BEAUTY TIP #1: By using the product every couple of days, you can stretch it
out but don’t use less than suggested at each washing since it won’t break down
the oils appropriately and you WILL be left with dirty looking hair. I tried it
and I know.)
The
original shipment arrived with everything promised: $29.95 for Sweet Almond
Mint Cleansing Conditioner, Styling Crème, Re Moist Intensive Hair Repair,
Texture Balm and a Wide Tooth Comb. All together, not a bad deal. In fact, I
was pleased with the amount of product for the price compared to other specialty products I have bought. Shipping and tax upped
the final total to $44.04.
The
first day, I followed all the instructions, leaving in the cleansing
conditioner for 3 minutes, washing and adding a little more at the ends
for extra moisturizing. My hair instantly felt luscious and moisturized. I felt
like Melissa Gilbert, one of Chaz’s celebrity clients. How can you not trust
Little House on the Prairie all grown up?
By
the third wash, however, I could feel a heaviness building and for the first
time wondered if I had picked the right product for me. I washed with a normal
drugstore shampoo and instantly felt that light feeling again, leaving me to
wonder if WEN is best used as a conditioning treatment perhaps once a week.
BUT, WEN makers strongly suggest against using a generic shampoo EVER
because of the sodium laurel sulfate in many shampoos which has many
harmful side effects to the hair.
So,
what’s a girl to do? I e-mailed Chaz. Why not? His (very nice) PR rep sent
free bottles of the Lavender and Cucumber Aloe for me to try for this review.
Lavender apparently “creates volume and body without weighing down the hair.”
I needed the Lavender with my straight, dry ends, summer frizz hairdo. (I
need a haircut too but that will have to be another post and that wasn’t their
suggestion).
Actually,
I was told, in regards to the heaviness, that I was not massaging in the
product enough or using enough product to break down oil and dirt. Using more did help,
but I have found that if I am in a hurry and don’t have time for the deep
massaging and can’t seem to get it just right, throwing in a normal shampoo wash about every third wash followed by the WEN is quite
effective. I would still pick ones with no sodium laurel sulfate. Ugly stuff!
(FRUGAL
BEAUTY TIP #2: When possible, get samples to try before buying in large quantity.
You may have to a try a couple of options in any product to get the look for
you. And, check the coupon pages. Try the newest thing out there but don’t do
it at full price.)
WEN Hair:
What do you think? (Gotta love trying to take your own picture! My nose looks really long but I promise I am telling the truth!)
Other WEN products I may need to try are
Sweet Almond Mint, Tea Tree and Fig Bath Salts & Body Oils. Ohh lala. And,
you must see the website with Chaz’s botanical salon. I really must visit
sometime. Wow! The man has a vision. I live on the wrong coast.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Q & A with Chaz Dean himself.
Sarah blogs daily at Genesis Moments.
Lovin your hairdo mom!!!!!!
I agree with your daughter. Looking good, Sarah!
And obviously you are not a sci-fi fan and have not watched Babylon 5. Grown up Melissa Gilbert was an agent for the Shadows (bad guys, sort of… well a B5 fan understands what I mean) and definitely should NOT be trusted!
But your hair looks so lovely I think I may have to try this stuff anyway.
I am in SO MUCH NEED of a good hair care product. My hair feels and looks like straw! (Too much sodium laureth sulfate?)
The flip side: I am a C.H.E.A.P.S.K.A.T.E!! I don’t think I can justify $44 for shampoo…
T- That is hilarious. I made it through years of Star Trek and must have missed Babylon 5. Oh well.
Beth -
From years of experience buying the $1 shampoo at the grocery store, I can completely relate. I was just so fed up with straw hair. Considering that it isn’t just shampoo in the set and that you don’t have to buy separate conditioner, I didn’t think it was bad versus some of the salon shampoos I have bought and tried, always ending back with the one on sale locally.
BUT, I hear what you are saying and really want to focus my posts in coming months on things that allow us to look good and don’t break the budget. If you have other frugal beauty suggestions, I am all ears. I would love to include them in future posts.
I have seen that same infomercial and now, thanks to your review, I don’t think I’ll be buying this. You just gave me enough info to decide it wasn’t for me.
However, I am seriously considering going no-poo soon.
I tried it, and loved it the first 2 days, but now I wouldn’t even use it on the kids. Two major ingredients are glycerin (wax) and panthenol. You won’t find these ingredients in any salon quality shampoo or conditioner, but you sure will find them in the cheapest stuff on the market.
There a much better products on the market, that have much better ingredients.
This is very tempting to try. So funny – because I just caught the infomercial this morning for the first time! Had never heard of it!
I looked up glycerin (a byproduct of soap making not wax) and panthenol and both were given the thumbs up as a moisturizer so I am not sure what the issue is with these ingredients. I would be happy to hear other input if you have it.
“Panthenol, with its humectant-like properties, penetrates into layers beneath the surface of your skin so it can be used to treat a myriad of minor skin disorders and irritations. This natural substance is safe to use on your skin and can even be administered internally.” ezine articles
“Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture to your skin. Glycerin is a natural by-product of the soapmaking process and while commercial manufacturers remove the glycerin for use in their more profitable lotions and creams, handcrafted soap retains glycerin in each and every bar.” pioneerthinking.com
Sarah – I looked for some more info…
On panthenol – taken from – http://www.medic8.com/medicines/Panthenol.html
In cosmetics, panthenol is a humectant, emollient and moisturizer. It binds to hair follicles readily and is a frequent component of shampoos and hair conditioners (in concentrations of 0.1-1%). It coats the hair and seals its surface, lubricating follicles and making strands appear shiny.
In ointments it is mixed with allantoin, in concentrations of up to 2-5%, and is used for treatment of sunburns, mild burns and minor skin disorders.
Pantothenol is not, however, absorbed through the skin and thus has limited effects that are not due to its provitamin character.
I found one sight claiming that glycerin strips hair colour off of hair – http://www.aurel.com/framesi.html
Claiming that it dries out hair in certain climates – http://www.naturallyyoumagazine.com/content.php?id=16
But that’s about all I can find online… hmmm.