So of course in my pursuit, I am bringing you along for the ride-if you hadn't figured that out already! HA HA.
This weeks entry into the revolving contest is Wen Cleansing Conditioner (which was recently awarded the coveted Shecky’s “Beauty at Its Best Award” for Best Shampoo and Conditioner- making it worth a purview in my opinion)..
Wen was developed by celebrity hairstylist Chaz Dean, after years of seeing the damage caused by ordinary shampoos on his clients’ hair. Wen takes an unique approach to cleaning and conditioning hair in a single-step process (something ELSE that caught my eye and made me want to try it!). It’s made with natural ingredients and avoids damaging detergents usually found in shampoos (no alcohol laurel sulfates here!) — so it won’t strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils, which means its proven to retain color longer (aha-ANOTHER reason to try it) .Your hair should be left with sheen, moisture and better manageability. Oh and the name? “WEN” is “NEW” spelled backwards. Reluctant clients become dedicated and loyal fans after trying it – including celebrities like Jennie Garth, Finola Hughes and Melissa Gilbert. Now we all know they seem to have GREAT looking hair, and no I know better than to believe all the hype, but it did sound interesting right????
I received a 12 oz bottle of the Wen Cleansing Conditioner from Health Star PR for Wen Products to try and review. Yippee- a LARGE bottle to review- how cool is that? The WEN website advised that it takes at least 15 days to see a difference in your hair. So I decided to give it the full 15 days (actually went 18, but who's counting? ).
Wen cleanses hair thoroughly with astringent and antibacterial properties but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos. You should use anywear between 16 and 24 pumps of conditioner PER shampoo. The idea is to have 8 for your front, 8 for the back, and if you have longer hair, 8 for the ends. My hair is not much past my shoulders, so I decided to opt for 16 total on the first go-round. You should leave on hair for 3-5 minutes. I usually wash my hair first, so the timing worked out well for me. First, I ADORE the smell- it's like minty almond and boy does it smell CLEAN. Unfortunately, the smell fades very quickly- I couldn't smell it much about 4 hours later. Second, the no lather takes some getting used to, but you CAN feel that it is cleaner, so you know it's doing it's job.
Wen recommends using the same cleaning conditioner as an after-product by applying a few pumps on your wet hair in the shower, before you get out. So in the spirit of testing, I went ahead and tried that the first time I used the product. I found that my hair was drying QUICKER than usual (always a plus- mine takes FOREVER to completely dry). I had to work that night, so I ended up laying down 2 hours later for a quick catnap and found when I woke up that the humidity in the room had not helped (had been cold, then got warm, so hubby turned off heater, but no air flow...). It was extremely bad, just poofy and eding toward frizzy, with more volume than I like. Wen claims it will give you NATURAL and normal volume, so I figured this was gonna be a downside somewhat. No on their website they claim after 2 weeks that problem will go away, so I was still game. Plus, my hair was really soft.
Three days later I washed my hair again with Wen, BUT this time I used the 24 pumps, and skipped the after-product use. I went straight to work, so there was not much humidity attacking my hair. I found that my hair stayed softer and felt more babyish- you know like a 2 or 3 year olds hair? It also was better under control and the volume was acceptible, as it curled somewhat. Ok, so far, not so bad, onward we go!
By this point I really couldn't tell that it was keeping my hair color better, as I had used an in-between root only color, and it never lasts long anyways.
On the next shampoo I tried the 24 pumps again, and used only 1 pump of the cleanser for the after-product. Results were better. My hair was definitely clean and free of ANY buildup, still soft and silky (though it was abvious I needed a trim already!) and due to it being about 32 degrees outside, it was manageable. There was the extra volume, but it was more than acceptble.
I then colored my hair with the regular dye and on my next shampoo used 20 pumps and none for after-product (see how great I was about tetsing all variables for you? HA). I had the same results- clean, soft, and as a I began calling it - fluffy. It felt like cat's hair- fine, soft and raised up a bit? And even after a quick trim of the ends, you could see where I needed more cut!
On my last shampoo before writing this review I used 22 pumps and 1 for after conditioner. I did take another catnap before work, so it got laid on.Same results as last time, though the "fluffiness" seemed to be coming down some, even though it was humid out again.My color did appear to be lasting better, so that was a huge plus!
I should point out here that Wen claims on its website to have before/after pictures that show the fluffiness I was talking about, and it going away in 2-3 weeks. So it's possible I just need to keep using it to see if it will go down some more to where I would be happy with it.
I did find that the Wen saved me alot of time when washing my hair, and for the price was comparable to the Loreal Ever Pure shampoo/conditioner system in smell and cleaning, without stripping hair of essential oils. I would probably go with the Wen over the Loreal, only because of the time saved and the bottle seems to be lasting much longer than Loreal's products, mkaing it more cost-effective.
Wen also has a Styling Crème (2oz) that is supposed to help promote moisture, shine and body-manage split ends and provide texture improvement and frizz control. I'm not sure if this would help or not with my situation because humidity and hair are always an unique and lethal combo to begin with....
Wen also has a Re-Moist Intensive Hair Repair Mask (2oz) that is designed for use before and after any chemical treatment, or when hair has been stressed. It is designed to add ultimate moisture, body, and shine to restore your hair and it’s strengthening action to extremely damaged hair. Again, I'm not sure if this would help or not.
I'm sure if I was in a salon they would have me use all 3 products, but at home that is pricey and as I;m not sure if it would resolve my issue, I probably won;t buy them for now.
Wen also has a Texture Balm (10g) which is a finishing touch for creating looks with definition, separation and texture, providing hold and shape for either long or short hairstyles. Again, probably would help, but not sure.
Wen DOES have something going for it that not many products do: Shine to the Last Pump 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee- they're so sure theWEN products will work for you, they're offering a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you're not delighted with the results, simply return the products within 60 days of delivery and we'll refund the purchase price (less S&H) - even if the containers are empty. When was the last time you heard that? Makes it worthwhile to try!
In closing I would say Wen is definitely in the Top3 choices for haircare for me. I love hoe much time it saves, the wonderful smell, and the softness it gives my hair. You may not have the 'fluffiness' that I had because of the severe humidity we have.
So go check it out today- it's ONLY available online and at Chaz' Hollywood salon. They're running a $29.95 special online that includes: 12oz. WEN Cleansing Conditioner, 2oz. WEN Styling Crème, 2oz. WEN Re-Moist Intensive Hair Repair Mask and FREE Bonuses: 0g. WEN Texture Balm and WEN Wide Tooth Shower Comb. Not too bad to try out all the products since the 60 day money back guarantee is in effect!
Disclosure: I did NOT receive the cleansing conditioner from WEN/ Health Star in the hopes of a positive review, I received it free to try and review, no matter what my opinion. While it worked great for me, your results may be different, because we're all HUMAN and DIFFERENT, so PLEASE keep that in mind when making up YOUR mind whether to try it out or not!