Are there any who still pick their hair products according to smell?

[LadyCelestina]

I think the trend is more towards being ingredient -literate and picking your things according to ingredients,but I'm sure there must be some of you who still choose the best smelling ones :D
I recently picked a bottle of fig conditioner,it smells great,like honey and fruit and cake,and the smell lasts even after being in bar-enviroment with damp hair :o might also buy the shampoo.Also would kill for a bottle of the coconut smelling,orange bottle sunsilk.I don't recall the ingredients,but I wouldn't care if only I could get the product.

What was your latest pick? Which product smells the best according to you,and what scents do you preffer? :)

[Flor]

I always check ingredients first, but if I like the smell, it's definitely a plus. On the other hand, if something fits my ingredients criteria, but I don't like the smell - I would never buy it.

I have however recently bought a bottle of body wash, purely because it smelled so divine, I didn't care what actually was in it ;) It kinda sucks that I cannot figure just WHAT does it actually smell of. It was one of Lidl's Asia LE shower creams.

Oh, also Lush Easter Egg Hunt soap. OMG. Probably the best scent in the world for me! I believe the main scent is Violet Leaf in that one. Sorry, not hair related, but if they made a shampoo with that scent, I'd use it and I wouldn't care about ingredients :D

[Lyv]

I still mainly pick my hair products by scent lol. I do check to see if it's cone free but other than that I just smell and google for reviews. The last one I got was Nature's Gate Aloe conditioner, I think it kinda smells like clean grapes if that makes any sense at all haha. I usually like anything that smells like fruit or cookies and I prefer the ones that will hold onto the scent once it's dry but that's rare for me unless I'm using herbal essences which is almost never. The scent I like the most is my Burt's Bees super shiny mango conditioner, it smells so so good but unfortunately doesn't linger.

[höpönasu]

I prefer products that smell good but inci list comes first.

[Nini]

I'm sensitive to too much scent so I choose my products from that point of view.

As an example I just tried a sample from L'Occitane, a bodylotion. I could smell it on myself even after a couple of trips to the cow shed and in my shirt a few days later when I was doing my laundry, so that is too much for me!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I always choose them according to smell. Unless I am trying something which has been recommended to me. And then I always hope I will like the smell, I love wonderful-smelling hair products!

[ravenreed]

My number one criteria is either that it is scent free or has a scent that doesn't make me ill. Everything else comes after. Number two is how well it works for me. I don't even care what the ingredients are in my Suave Wild Cherry. Seriously. I have tried so many other high end and drug store options, with all the latest and greatest ingredients and every time I wonder WTH WAS I THINKING? I end up with an itchy, flaky scalp, or an allergic reaction, or my hair freaks out... so I go back to my old work horse. I guess I should stop trying to fix what isn't broken.

[Ocelan]

Well I do pick most of my products by smell, or rather lack of it. I mainly have to buy completely unfragranced products so I often don't get to choose my ingredients very well. However the two things I have bought based on ingredients I have had to compromise with the smell. Those are my clarifying shampoo and amodimethicone deep treatment for my old dye damaged ends. Even for those I had to pick the products that had the least smell so that I would be able to live with them.

I wish I could choose more things based on ingredients first and scent second, or even just based on what I think smells good, but even if a smell is somewhat nice I can't handle it on my head even for the duration that my hair dries and usually I can still smell it days afterwards, so I stick no no scents mainly to keep my health and sanity.

[DragonFlyPie]

I don't care what the ingredients are, it must smell good & make my hair feel lovely.
LOL

[White]

Well it's been a while since I don't experiment with new products because I found what works for me so I stick to it. I only have one deep conditioner which smells horrible (to me), but everyone else seems to like the smell. I use it because it's the best hydrating deep conditioner that I have ever used (for my hair, of course), nothing ever comes even close to it, so I have to... suffer. :sad The smell kinda washes out so it is not that horrible, I guess. It smells like raspberry chewing gum, I hate it.
My other hair products smell lovely, though. So, smell is important to me, but the effect that the product has on my hair is my priority.

[CremeTron]

I love my Gliss because of the smell but I continue to use it as it is a mild shampoo as well!

[Toffeemonster]

I don't pick based on smell but since co washing no matter what I pick, my hair smells amazing. The biggest joy in my new hair routine(other than the condition improvements) has been the strong smell that wafts up at me when I let my hair down. It is a total pleasure and surprises me every time. The funny thing is, I've found it doesn't matter what the scent is, they all smell kind of the same in my hair, coconut does not smell coconuty in my hair etc it just smells perfumey no matter the scent.

[MINAKO]

Nope, if it works it works! Going by the smell would mean no argan oil for me, for example. i would rather smell like a baby goat then using an oil that smells nice and doesn' really do alot.

[momschicklets]

I'm one that is very careful about the scent of the products I buy. I like my products to smell nice, but I cannot tolerate a really strong, perfumy scent that lingers all day long...it just makes me feel sick. It's not a big problem with shampoo or conditioner, but I just can't stand hair styling products that smell like old lady perfume or strong pink roses...blech. Often the fragrance will also make my scalp itch and cause me to break out in a rash around my hairline. So yeah....you'll see me in the aisle opening lids and sniffing stuff :bigeyes:

[walterSCAN]

*snip* On the other hand, if something fits my ingredients criteria, but I don't like the smell - I would never buy it. *snip*

This^. I look at the ingredients first, then smell. If I don't love the smell, I keep looking. It can be very time consuming. ...no wonder DH hates to be out shampoo and conditioner shopping with me... :laugh:

[neko_kawaii]

Another who picks products based on lack of scent. Right now I've got what I need. I can't imagine the hassle of trying to find new products that don't stink.

I've found a couple stores that carry mostly subtly scented bar soaps for washing my body with and those can be fun to stand around and sniff and pick out a favorite. I have an unopened mesquite and honey soap I'm looking forward to using once the current (creosote) is gone. It is such a shame most of the market is aimed at people who want to go around smelling like their soap for many days post wash.

[PrincessPhoebe]

I'm another who dislikes strong scents that linger. I don't actually need everything to be fragrance free, but it does need to be a mild scent.

[battles]

Another who picks products based on lack of scent. Right now I've got what I need. I can't imagine the hassle of trying to find new products that don't stink.

I've found a couple stores that carry mostly subtly scented bar soaps for washing my body with and those can be fun to stand around and sniff and pick out a favorite. I have an unopened mesquite and honey soap I'm looking forward to using once the current (creosote) is gone. It is such a shame most of the market is aimed at people who want to go around smelling like their soap for many days post wash.

I recall seeing Paintbox Soapworks (https://www.etsy.com/shop/paintboxsoapworks) stating somewhere that she makes most of her products for people who are sensitive to scents.. I don't find many of them linger, but they smell great while you're using them.

[neko_kawaii]

I recall seeing Paintbox Soapworks (https://www.etsy.com/shop/paintboxsoapworks) stating somewhere that she makes most of her products for people who are sensitive to scents.. I don't find many of them linger, but they smell great while you're using them.

Thanks Battles, those do look beautiful. I just love hand made soaps. I do a pretty good job of restraining myself from buying a new one till the old is starting to get small.

[Larki]

I wouldn't buy a product if I didn't like the way it smelled.

[jacqueline101]

I don't care what the ingredients are, it must smell good & make my hair feel lovely.
LOL

This what I do unless the product has rave reviews.

[Anje]

After lots of experimentation, I keep coming back to the Suave Naturals line, so there are a lot of scents to pick from, most of which are quite similar in their effects on my hair (Tropical Coconut excepted -- it's got protein in it and behaves differently for me and a lot of people).

So I tend to get one of the varieties that smells best to me. I don't like strong sweet floral or food scents, so I limit my selection to some of the milder and cleaner smells.

[molljo]

I think I'm the opposite when it comes to scents. I always look at ingredients first, and the smell is incidental. Before I knew anything about proper hair care, I used to go on scent alone and ended up trashing my hair even more because the scents I liked best were in products that were the worst for my hair. I feel like pretty fragrances are evil and deceptive ;)

[Kelli Kat]

Scent is my first consideration. I have to make sure something is fragrance free or the least amount of fragrance possible before I buy it.

[clioariane]

Fragrance definitely plays a part in the products I choose but it's not the most important factor. I definitely bought Bumble & Bumble Surf Foam Wash shampoo based on the ocean smell though haha

[umbrellabones]

If something has good ingredients and smells good its mine. even if it is just an okay conditioner I'll keep buying it for the smell

[Bagginslover]

Has to be coconut! Shampoo scent isn't too critical, but leave-ins or condish has to be coconut scented, I love it!

[lapushka]

Nope. I go by what my pocket can stand. Not by what my nose can. :lol:

[Nadine <3]

lol, I pick out things for scent. I have products that work great in my hair but the smell isn't a favorite and I rarely use them...instead I use the ones that smell good lol

[Weewah]

I don't care too much about smell, but I've noticed I really dislike how Shea Moisture products smell and I tend to avoid using the stuff I have from that brand. My boyfriend actually mentioned he didn't like how my hair smelled after I used the Restorative conditioner. Also, I did a drunk walgreens hair shopping spree on Friday, and when I'm drunk I'm very sensitive to smell... I could not buy any shea moisture stuff, it all smelled like crap to me at the time. I think it's safe to say i don't like shea moisture products now based on smell.

[renia22]

Scent comes first for me, unless I am having some sort of "hair emergency", then I will buy a product based on performance reviews. I look at ingredients too, but I think I got too picky at one point and made myself crazy eliminating this & that ingredient, and really it wasn't even helpful for hair to be that way... so I'm trying to be more open to different formulations now, but I still look. If it doesn't smell amazing, I will usually pass, though.

[bunnylake]

Scent is very important to me so yeah. Even if something works well, if I don't like the smell I won't wanna use it.

[LMB]

If it smells of vanilla then I'm buying it! :D

I will buy based on smell, but only if it is something I know will also not be bad for my hair.

[Marika]

I'm a "scent person" and have a huge perfume collection but I still don't pick my products according to smell. Mostly because I buy 95 % of all my products from internet and don't have chance to smell them beforehand. I love gourmand scents like chocolate and vanilla & tropical and fruity scents like mango and coconut. I've never ditched a product because of a bad smell but cherry scented products are almost there! :puke:

[Scarlet_Heart]

I love a nice scent, but the ingredients are more important to me. I recently bought a bottle of Prell shampoo because it smelled so good. But I stopped using it because it caused a lot of shedding for me. I don't know why. I need to figure out what the ingredient is that causes that for me because Prell isn't the only one I have an issue with. It ws also kind of drying.

[phedre]

If it smells of vanilla then I'm buying it! :D



Milk_Shake whipped cream leave in conditioner. It smells like frosted vanilla cupcakes, no lie.

[battles]

I'm a very scent oriented person, I looove oil perfumes. If it smells bad, I probably won't use it. But, performance and ingredients are always most important to me. If I had the choice between something slightly stinky that made my hair look like shimmering waterfalls or something with an incredible scent that made it look like straw, I'm going for shimmering waterfalls. And also probably putting some BPAL in my hair to cover the stinky part.

[ErinLeigh]

I think I'm the opposite when it comes to scents. I always look at ingredients first, and the smell is incidental. Before I knew anything about proper hair care, I used to go on scent alone and ended up trashing my hair even more because the scents I liked best were in products that were the worst for my hair. I feel like pretty fragrances are evil and deceptive ;)

Same here.
I now shop online now and base decisions on ingredients and reviews so I never know what to expect and I like that. Kind of like Christmas for me.
I have noticed that most of my products smell pretty neutral lately. I tend to go for the "natural" type ones which usually mean no fun scents anyway. I miss the fun fruity smells sometimes but not enough to be bothered by it. I do get scent triggered migraines (cologne, perfume are the worst for me) but never really had issues with shampoo or conditioner thank goodness. (oh except VO5 Free Me Fresia, It smells awful to me)

[peachyleshy]

I pick according to the scent. I just use drugstore shampoo and conditioner with silicones. I like to use different scents and even stock up on few different ones to rotate throughout the month sometimes. I'm also attracted by catchy names and pretty colors :pinktongue:

[arr]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread so I thought this would be a good place to ask this: does anyone not use a great hair product because you hate the smell? I love Tresseme silicone free conditioners but I find the smell of Tresseme products to be absolutely overpowering. Today I saw the new (un)done line for wavy hair and I thought maybe I could tolerate it. Well my hair is drying and it feels wonderful, just like I remember from Tresseme conditioner, but I'm literally getting a headache. I hate this so much! It's such a big bottle too, I hate to waste it. Am I the only one who finds this brand overpowering?

[endlessly]

I always tend to pick my haircare products based on scent first, then I look at the description to see what it will do for my hair/who it's meant for, and lastly the ingredients. For me, I'm extremely sensitive to certain smells, so I have to be a bit careful, but I also have a strong bias towards certain scents even if it technically isn't meant for my hair type.

For example, if it smells like roses, I will buy it, no questions asked - one of my (many) weird quirks!

The main reason I love Lush as much as I do is because everything smells like the real thing, not just a fake imitation of the scent. If I pick out something claiming to smell of Jasmine, it really does smell like I'm standing next to a pile of Jasmine flowers. So, yes, I tend to shop almost exclusively for the fragrance first!

[*ReiKa*]

I rarely buy anything according to smell to be honest. Ingredients list first. I don't really care if it's a bit smelly, it washes out after a while, I've never had problems so far with smells that linger in my hair.
But I will definitely put back in the shelf anything with a terribly unappealing smell, it has happened. If it's too strong for me, I won't buy it.
But I understand what you mean when you say that it's an "old trend", I remember I used to buy everything according to smell!

[Sterlyn]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread so I thought this would be a good place to ask this: does anyone not use a great hair product because you hate the smell? I love Tresseme silicone free conditioners but I find the smell of Tresseme products to be absolutely overpowering. Today I saw the new (un)done line for wavy hair and I thought maybe I could tolerate it. Well my hair is drying and it feels wonderful, just like I remember from Tresseme conditioner, but I'm literally getting a headache. I hate this so much! It's such a big bottle too, I hate to waste it. Am I the only one who finds this brand overpowering?

Yup, I have had the same problem with certain scents of products bothering me. I really irritates me because it always seems to be something that works for my hair :whip: Just recently I tried one of the Dove conditioners, damage something or other. Loved what it did for my hair, it had all the ingredients that work for me, but the scent gave me a terrible headache. I kept trying to ignore, didn't work. I ended up rewashing my hair to get rid of it. I gave the big bottle to my stepdaughter and what I had left that I had added the purple too I've been using a little bit at a time mixed with other conditioners.

There was also a VO5 conditioner that really bothered me, didn't give me a headache, but I couldn't stand the smell. It was some odd vanilla scent.

Anyway, I feel your pain. Thankfully for me it doesn't happen too often.

[Popsicle]

I find that if the smell irritates my nose or sinuses, then it also bothers my skin. Smelling the products helps me prevent allergic reactions to new products. :bounce:

[truepeacenik]

Another who picks products based on lack of scent. Right now I've got what I need. I can't imagine the hassle of trying to find new products that don't stink.

I've found a couple stores that carry mostly subtly scented bar soaps for washing my body with and those can be fun to stand around and sniff and pick out a favorite. I have an unopened mesquite and honey soap I'm looking forward to using once the current (creosote) is gone. It is such a shame most of the market is aimed at people who want to go around smelling like their soap for many days post wash.
People go days after washing their bodies? I could see a day, but days? They need strong soap scents, then. ;)


I'm a very scent oriented person, I looove oil perfumes. If it smells bad, I probably won't use it. But, performance and ingredients are always most important to me. If I had the choice between something slightly stinky that made my hair look like shimmering waterfalls or something with an incredible scent that made it look like straw, I'm going for shimmering waterfalls. And also probably putting some BPAL in my hair to cover the stinky part.
Same here. I do go for unscented or easily covered. I like to add EO to my conditioners.
I do work in a scent free zone, so having virtually scent free stuff is nice.
However, I could buy any shampoo because I dilute so much. At 1:4 shampoo to water, scent isn't sticking around too long after drying.
Only my clarifying shampoo is used at high concentration. So it's used right before a couple days off.


I find that if the smell irritates my nose or sinuses, then it also bothers my skin. Smelling the products helps me prevent allergic reactions to new products. :bounce:

Also, heavy smells can be covering up funky smelling ingredients. Those typically cause scent headaches and such for me.

Welcome, Popsicle!

[HappyHair87]

I do tend to go by scent. However...there's certain scents I'm tired of...like tresseme. I'm also finicky about coconut scents. For one...I'm so sick of every product geared toward curly hair smelling like coconuts!!!! And then I only like certain types of coconut scents like OGX Coconut Milk...it smells like coconut cake to me. I like that. I hate the smell of herbal essence Hello Hydration!

[truepeacenik]

I'm remembering "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific" that actually was gag worthy. That and Body on Tap.

But Lemon Up and the original 1970s Herbal Esscences were fantastic.