My hair is horribly dry, and I need moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, plus I need leave-in goop on top of that to keep my curls in line. I get bored with shampoo very easily and I like to switch from day to day. I'm bored with my collection and I want some new smells in my shower!

What I already love, because they smell okay and work well:

Sebastian Laminates (really, the best I've found thus far)
Neutrogena Triple Moisture
Ecru
New York Streets
Slatkin Hydrating (but the orange blossom scent of the shampoo nearly kills me--I hate it!--and the black fig and absinthe conditioner smells like Right Guard Spray on steroids)

What I've tried and will not buy again:

Biosilk (NOT! Waste of good $)
Curly Sexy Hair (left it like straw)
Pantene and almost all other grocery store brands
Ellin Lavin

What other suggestions do you have? Help a girl out!

Phytojoba as shampoo, and for the leave-in conditioner, Phillip B.'s Lovin Leave-in.

I also have dry hair, and really can't do those rinse-off conditioners anymore.

In between shampoos, I just let the hair get wet with water, and comb some palm oil after the shower. Then I style as usual.

Hi Alto,

I've been having great results with Schwarzkopf's Bonacure line. I use the color save shampoo / conditioner. Here's the link to all the products in the Bonacure line:

http://www.haircarechoices.com/details_Schwarzkopf_899.html


Lines I won't ever use again:

Ojon
Frederic Fekkai
Redken
Pantene
Pureology - Something in it burns the skin on my fingers.

Thanks, Chenas. I have tried the Phyto, and while they work well, there's funk in the smell of the most hydrating conditioner that I can't take anymore.

I've not tried Phillip B.'s stuff. I'll have to seek it out.



I also forgot to mention that I love and use the Ojon shampoos and goops as well.

Hi Alto,

Believe it or not, Ojon products dried my hair out. Just thought I'd mention that in case this is what is happening to your hair.


Dawn

Actually, no--I haven't bought the shampoo in a couple of months, chiefly because I can only find it at Sephora and I almost never go there. The conditioning goop is great--if I know I'm going to be able to jump in the shower directly afterward, I'll slime my hair up with it before I get on the treadmill. The sweat and heat helps it work in.

Rub a small amount of any ole type of oil into your scalp and let it sit for at least 30 min. Add more to hair, if necessary. Shampoo with a mild shampoo. I do the same thing pre dreadmill. Works extremely well for my very dry scalp. I prefer almond oil, but baby oil, salad oil - any kind of oil that isn't too viscous - works just fine.

While my hair is dry and curly, it is also fine and thin. Too many of the silicone based products, and also Ojon, leave my hair limp and slimy.

Shiseido Tsubaki. Camellia Oil - smells and works great. My hairdresser has me get it for her! If you have an Asian grocery near you, they may stock it, or it's available through Amazon.

Three words REDKEN ALL SOFT. Shu Eumura has one too!

I was just going to recommend All Soft (I loooove this), but he beat me to it. This stuff ir remarkable.


-Noelle

Well, my hair's getting along fine with Ellin Lavar products lately, I've scarcely used anything else this year.

Product junkie that I am, of course, I've tried lots of other stuff.

Off the top of my head, I think Biolage is generally a dependable line.
Paul Mitchell's Super Charged Conditioner is very moisturizing.

Another issue, though, might be product build up on your hair. If you need to control your curls with goop, it's possible that some of it's not getting washed off completely, which would make it hard for conditioners to penetrate.

Dawn, the Pureology thing is scary. If it burns your fingers, what was it doing to your scalp?

I swore by Pantene for many years, because I loved the way it made my hair look. The blonde version kept my hair blonde long after my highlight appointments, too. But I dropped it. Too many people online complained about it causing shedding and I got suspicious because I had the same problem. I quit using it and the hair grew back!

I have left Pantene before to try cheaper brands and always went back, but it is really over this time, LOL.

When I dropped Pantene, I bought the Suave Humectant version of Humectress, just because I like the smell.
I went through the conditioner really fast and now have a giant bottle of Herbal Essences Coconut conditioner.

I would like to find something more high end than these, though. I just don't trust Suave on a long term basis. Although for the price it is all right, esp. if you have virgin hair. The Suave John Frieda blonde dupe really brings out the highlights.
My husband uses Suave Ocean Breeze. I buy it for him, because it is one of the least girly smelling of the Suave persuasion, lol.

I used to use Aussie products, which smell good and are good, but the Aussie Moist shampoo broke my scalp out. This was several years ago. I don't know if they have changed.

Aubrey Organics - Honeysuckle Rose.

100% natural ingredients!

The ONLY thing that I use anymore. Deeve, I have curly hair and it works great on it!

Cashmere Mist shampoo.

I recently got some at Saks and it's very moisturizing, plus it smells very good!

The Aussie line seems to have gotten a revamp in recent months, (adieu Knot Forgotten), so it's possible they've reformulated the shampoo.

I don't use the Aussie Moist shampoo, but I do use the conditioner from time to time on my length.

I second the Sebastian Laminates and the Redken Allsoft.

Okay, I stopped on the way home last night and bought the Redken All Soft. I tried it today and it's good, but not cooperating with my leave-in conditioner. (Gosh, it's like a freaking recipe that you have to get just right!) I'm going to try it tomorrow with a different leave-in. I'm also going to try to get to Target on Saturday and see if I can find Gaia's Creme stuff.

Seconding Phytojoba and Ojon's conditioners - their shampoos are meh, but the hydrating conditioner works very well for a daily if you can tolerate the smell - Flex-ish and nice to me, but many find it too strong.

Kerasilk. Costs an arm and a leg. Promotes running hands through hair and being transfixed by the experience.

Here's what I would like to find: the planet's best shampoo and conditioner for hard water (and dry hair)!

Every time I've moved since fall 2006 (4 times), I've had to adjust my hair care products for a different water type. This last one/best house is the worst. Man... I know I have good hair, but you sure would not know it now!

Also, it needs to be non-sulfate shampoo.

Did a search on the web....... so, if you have personal experience, please relate!

I think your best bet might be installing a water softener in your shower head.

Interesting... a softener in the shower head? Is that possible?

Oh yes - many of the people who inhabit the long hair boards and hair extension boards swear by investing in special purifier/filter/softeners in their shower heads.

http://hairextensions101.com/main/index.ph...0&Itemid=26

Here is one source from a lady who runs a hair extension on-line store - she has been reliable in the past and her hair always looks amazing in photos I've seen.

The most moisturizing shampoos are the ones without sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates. These are the ones that don't lather very much cause they don't contain detergents that strip and dry out the hair. I use Jason Sea Kelp shampoo & conditioner and they work great. They are even labeled as 'moisturizing' and they really are.

Love Pureology as well but it's too darn expensive.

What was that thick moisturizing white, slightly waxen pomade/deep conditioner that came in a cylindrical plastic jar... and had a very intense "tart orange zest" smell? I used it it much in the 1980's.

Wella Balsam? Wella Kolestral? Something by Queen Helene?

Citre Shine?

Finally, I have something to contribute to this interesting thread. The reason I didn't post before is I've been trying something new and wanted to try it a couple of times before reporting.

I had already been using the Aveda Scalp Benefits shampoo and it did not dry out my hair, even without any additional conditioners or other products. Another benefit from the shampoo is it doesn't make my head feel like it's crawling with insects, as must shampoos do (even some other Aveda types). The only problem was my hair got tangled when I washed it and it was difficult to comb out. Enter Scalp Benefits conditioner, with a lot of the same ingredients as the shampoo. I got this recently and have used it twice. It does a fantastic job of relaxing and moisturizing the hair and making it soft. Not only that but when I was downtown this past week an SA in one of the stores complimented my hair saying it looks so healthy. That was particularly gratifying and surprising as it had been blowing around in the wind just before I went into the store!

Are you thinking about Aussie 3 Minute Miracle? Not a pomade, but a deep conditioner. Your post made me think about the Aussie products I used in the mid to late eighties and early nineties, (I still love the smell), as well as well as "Stiff Stuff" hair spray and "L.A. Looks" hair products. They went well with my Malibu Musk, lol.

Those are the two reasons that I started using the Aubrey Organics - Honeysuckle rose. Hard water and dry hair! It is non sulfate and has NO alcohol. I've been using it for about 6 months and my hair is in much better condition!

We installed a showerhead filter. I'm not sure if the shower head softens or just filters out stuff like clorine. We also replaced our water softner. It works much better now, to soften our water.

Ah! Thank you. It's been a few years since I gave AO a spin, and at that time I was living with different water. I've been thinking recently about trying it again and your post has convinced me to do so. Also, a couple of days ago I came across a very interesting article containing Aubrey's chemist's views on commercial shampoos. Very enlightening.

I bet you were so pleased when the SA complimented your hair. I've never bought any Aveda products, but I sure read a lot of good things about them. One of these days, I may try them.

Yes, that's it.

I just got some 3 Minute Miracle. They have changed the bottle. I love the smell of Aussie products. They had a leave in condtioner called Hair Insurance that I used to spray in my permed and colored hair. I love the smell of their spray gel. They have revamped their products. Many of them, like Sprage, (spray gel), Sprunch Spray, etc. remind me of the days when everyone had permed or puffy or spiky hair.

Ah, the good old days when the smell of Malibu Musk or Electric Youth permeated the air. LOL

Biolage Intense Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner.

I've tried MANY shampoos and conditioners, being a hairstylist. Redken, Rusk, Matrix, Keristase, L'Oreal Professional, Bumble and Bumble, Aveda, Alterna, Paul Mitchell, Joico etc etc....Redken All Soft and Smooth Down are the most moisturizing that I've found...outside of African American ones like Mizani etc. In fact I know more than a few black girls that use Redken.

Wash your hair with a lightweight, silicone-free, protein-free conditioner. I know it sounds really weird, but it's like using a lotion cleanser, it's still mildly surfactant, and won't strip. You just goop on a lot (use cheap, drugstore conditioner like VO5) and massage it through your hair--the technique is best for long or curly hair that's delicate. If you still need extra conditioning on the ends, a bit of leave-in cream (I like PHYTO 7) is a good addition. Almost all shampoos dry out my hair to some degree, though I find that Photonectar is pretty much rich enough to be considered similar to the CO wash/no poo technique.