What's your worst hair purchase?

[lapushka]

I hope this thread doesn't yet exist, if so, mods feel free to join it up. :)

What's -so far- the worst product for your hair that you ever got? May be multiples! Of what do you say, whoops no, that was a huge mistake right there.

[lapushka]

I don't think I have regrets, or actual bad bad products so far, products that couldn't be salvaged in a way... :hmm: Will have to think on that some more.

Yes! The Inecto coconut conditioner after BSL was a nightmare in tangles.

[Johannah]

I don't think I have regrets, or actual bad bad products so far, products that couldn't be salvaged in a way... :hmm: Will have to think on that some more.

Yes! The Inecto coconut conditioner after BSL was a nightmare in tangles.

Same here!!

Well, pretty much every conditioner/mask that's a little thicker doesn't work for me because I cannot succeed in rinsing it out, making my hair a sticky mess :lol:

[Decoy24601]

Huh, I didn't notice any more tangles from the inecto conditioners :shrug:. In fact, if I used it too many times in a row without shampooing it made my hair limp and greasy. It certainly doesn't detangle like a coney conditioner though.

My worst hair purchase would probably have to be a tie between Garnier Pure Clean conditioner and most Tresemme conditioners. Pure Clean was total :bs:, because it left my hair sooo greasy and waxy, definitely the opposite of clean. Tresemme conditioners make my hair feel terrible and I swear they dry my hair out over time.

[Amenahh]

For me, shampoo bars (hard water here), they made my hair horrible.
Also castor oil - it is just too heavy and sticky and a pain to wash. I prefer other oils

[lapushka]

Aritha, or Shikakai, I don't know which one I tried. Also Baking Soda, and Ghassoul/Rhassoul powder. None of the powders work for me. They turned my hair a velcro-y mess. Noooo way!

[missrandie]

My last set of hair claws. They were already too small! That and they were fragile.

John Frieda radiant red shampoo and conditioner. Both are full to the gills with cones.. I recently started using the shampoo as hand wash. The conditioner got used on an ill behaved wig the other day, but there's plenty if I ever need a cone bomb.

[lithostoic]

Baking soda. What a mistake. Tore my hair up.

[AspenSong]

Straight Argan oil. My hair super super hated it.
Everyday Coconut and Everyday Shea conditioners. I wanted to love these but they just made my hair feel like it was covered in wax. Tried both multiple times. =/

[triumphator!]

Burt's Bees shampoo. I my hair actually squeaked when I rinsed it, it was so rubbery.

[parkmikii]

Dove conditioner and Nivea conditioner for long hair, they make my hair really plastic like and it sheds like crazy.

[Ambystoma]

I've been using the same stuff for ages and don't deviate, but I went through a few plonkers trying to find something that worked well for my little boy's 1a/f/i tangle prone hair. K-pak sulphate free shampoo (the colour lock one) was super drying, and Tresemme Naturals silicone free conditioner left it really coated and waxy and dirty looking.

We hit on the winning combo with L'oreal Eversleek sulphate and silicone free shampoo and conditioner though - I did co wash with the conditioner a bit but once I added the shampoo every wash his tangles became much much easier to comb out.

I also regret my Quecraft fork, it's just the wrong shape/size for my hair and slides out or goes in too tight, I just can't get it right.

[ephemeri]

Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Co-wash!!!

Don't get me wrong, I love Shea Moisture. I think they make great products. And I had already been co-washing my hair with silicone free conditioner for awhile when I bought their co-wash, so I wasn't just starting out. I heard great things about it but after 1 attempt, it did not leave my hair feeling clean at all! It left it coated in waxy substance and I couldn't style it without it looking absolutely terrible. It was so bad I wasn't even willing to give it another shot. So. Bad.

I had to wash it out with shampoo and I gave the bottle away to my friend. Will never recommend or buy again.

[Daydreamer.]

Another interesting thread. For me, there are more products that my hair hates than likes. At the top my head, Aussie products, Giovanni products, Avalon Organics products, Shea Moisture products, coconut oil, castor oil, snap clips, hair elastics....the list goes on...

[CRX<3]

Natures Gate henna comdotioner- made my hair feel both waxy and gummy. Horrible stuff!
Desert Essence green apple conditioner- the scent was icky and made my hair mega greasy and weird. All desert essence products I have tried I think have really disgusting scents, both red grape and coconut.

[Obsidian]

Johnson's and Johnson's natural baby shampoo. It smelled like chemicals and dried my hair horridly.
VO5 conditions are bad too, especially the naturals line, it makes my hair feel waxy and dry.

[Groovy Granny]

Shea Moisture Yucca-Baobab shampoo
The fragrance made me nauseous .....just the thought of it now does too :puke:
I am usually not repulsed like that (and I loved the shea moisture fragrance :shrug:) so it could not be salvaged for any other use.

Argan oil discolored my silver/white.
I was using it alone......and it was in the Shea Moisture products...... and they worked great :(

In the3 years growing out, those were the only 2 products that I had to discontinue altogether....and the yucca-baobab I threw out :p

[restless]

Natures Gate Herbal shampoo and conditioner. The smell was really strong and absolutely awful, I could feel it linger all around me. I used it once and then gave those huge bottles away (and yes, I warned the new owner about the smell, but she insisted because it was so much left).

Some Pantene shampoo and conditioner. My hair looked like a sad, stringy mess. One use and then the bottles had to go.

A Schwarzkopf shampoo that was supposed to "give the hair some volume". I dunno about volume, but I remember the scalp pain. I threw the bottle out faster than I could pronounce the brand name.

And last but not least, my hot pink tangle teezer... I loved it, but it didnt love me back. Instead it caused me lots of breakage before we finally parted ways.

[renia22]

I could fill up a page with individual products, but basically most sulfate free shampoos and the majority conditioners that contain natural oils/ butters. Anything with shea butter specifically is a no-no. Unfortunately, Suave and Vo5 have changed over the years and those are terrible on my hair now too. No baking soda or shampoo bars either. :(

[Spinder]

I've had a lot of product misadventures, but this one (http://ca.iherb.com/Amazon-Organics-MillCreek-Botanicals-Volumizing-Conditioner-Kava-Lemongrass-with-Lavender-12-fl-oz-360-ml/36137?CAWELAID=120225360000001697&gclid=CjwKEAjww_a8BRDB-O-OqZb_vRASJAA9yrc5go68JCqqapiSYTWbPZEcLSzUzRU0bvR5l csCN2s1_RoCr7_w_wcB) stands out in particular. It was awful! It made my hair all rough and sticky and totally gross looking! :(

Mom always liked Infusium 23's spray-in, leave-in conditioner. Honestly? It was horrible for me. It left my hair a grungy, sticky, disgusting looking mess. Hence why I now avoid spray-in conditioner like the plague!

I don't like to bash Ficcare because I know people here practically worship then... but I bought one once and it was just terrible for me. I tried to put it in and the stupid little teeth on the top half of clip caught and snagged my hair. I was NOT impressed and refused to ever wear one again! Metal hair accessories are just a no-no for me!

[Jessiejeb]

Fekkai and Nioxin hair products - horrible and did opposite of volumer

[CarrotTop]

I have so many failed hair products, but I think my biggest regret was the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque. I know there are people who love it, but on my hair, it had no slip and made it a waxy mess. Plus, to date, it was the most expensive hair product I've ever bought. :shrug:

[lapushka]

Oh, yes, now I remember. Probably that Lavera rose shampoo. 2 bottles I had of the stuff. It was still good, well before its expiry date and the consistency turned snotty on me (blobs, slime, runny parts). It wasn't bad bad, but... I no longer wanted to put *that* on my head. My mom now uses it for cleaning out bathroom sinks and the bath in between scrubbing it, so a few times a week. It'll get used up.

[Obsidian]

I have a new one, the shea moisture coconut & hibiscus curl smoothie. The stuff is awful, it does nothing for my curls and makes my hair dry. Thankfully I only bought a small tube, now to find someone who might be able to use it.

[lapushka]

I have a new one, the shea moisture coconut & hibiscus curl smoothie. The stuff is awful, it does nothing for my curls and makes my hair dry. Thankfully I only bought a small tube, now to find someone who might be able to use it.

You mean the original curl enhancing smoothie? I love this one! The key is not to use too much. I need a coinsize (flat) for my classic length, so if you have less hair, use a lot less than that!

[brickworld13]

My hair was not a fan of 3MM at all. It was too much of everything.

[hoggle]

I could fill up a page with individual products, but basically most sulfate free shampoos and the majority conditioners that contain natural oils/ butters. Anything with shea butter specifically is a no-no. Unfortunately, Suave and Vo5 have changed over the years and those are terrible on my hair now too. No baking soda or shampoo bars either. :(

Yes, I came in here to post basically this

[Cherrys]

Nature's Gate Daily Cleansing Shampoo and Conditioner. The original herbal scent. it was the first non-conventional product I tried and I found the smell inexplicably horrible

[Frankenstein]

Aussie 3MM, the version for color-treated hair. Smelled funky and left my hair a disgusting mess that required clarifying to get it normal again.
Sulfate-free shampoos, they just don't get my scalp clean and make my hair feel dry.

[Fru fru]

A hairdryer :p

[Obsidian]

You mean the original curl enhancing smoothie? I love this one! The key is not to use too much. I need a coinsize (flat) for my classic length, so if you have less hair, use a lot less than that!

Yep, that's the stuff. I use a tiny amount, around half of my short pinky nail.
I'll stick with my Johnson's leave in, is so much better for my hair.

[lapushka]

Yep, that's the stuff. I use a tiny amount, around half of my short pinky nail.
I'll stick with my Johnson's leave in, is so much better for my hair.

YMMV, as always. :D
Glad you found something that works! :)

[vampyyri]

Coconut oil, Baby Oil, Olive Oil, Macadamia Oil, Sweet Almond Oil...

My hair just doesn't like oils, unless it's right before a wash :shrug: my hair is a weird creature :lol:

[Seratopia]

Blue magic coconut oil conditioner. I didn't buy it I found it in a cabinet. SO's sister said I could use it. I tried it out and holy moly.. It was NOT coconut oil. I don't know what it was but it was like rubbing straight up bacon grease in my hair. She has dreadlocks so I guess that's what its for not my silky fine hair lol. Keep that stuff away from me! No amount of shampoo got that stuff out I had to use almost a whole bottle of dish soap.

[lapushka]

Blue magic coconut oil conditioner. I didn't buy it I found it in a cabinet. SO's sister said I could use it. I tried it out and holy moly.. It was NOT coconut oil. I don't know what it was but it was like rubbing straight up bacon grease in my hair. She has dreadlocks so I guess that's what its for not my silky fine hair lol. Keep that stuff away from me! No amount of shampoo got that stuff out I had to use almost a whole bottle of dish soap.

I'm not surprised as its main ingredient is mineral oil, straight up, no water first. The directions say to use a small amount. I do hope you didn't rub that stuff all over. ;) It's the same as with baby oil: tiny bits!

[veex]

Bought a bulk deal of a new shampoo which had rave reviews but the smell of it left me with a horrible headache.

Luckily my sister liked it so I didn't have to chunk it.

[vampyyri]

Oh, I've got one... LA Looks Gel. I can't make it work. I prefer the feel of my hair minus the gel sticky/crunchy/hard feeling.

[Seratopia]

I'm not surprised as its main ingredient is mineral oil, straight up, no water first. The directions say to use a small amount. I do hope you didn't rub that stuff all over. ;) It's the same as with baby oil: tiny bits!

I guess I missed the directions lol. :oops: And I did slather it all over... I think I was just excited to try a new product and my common sense went out the window.

Woops. :p

[Shepherdess]

Blue magic coconut oil conditioner. I didn't buy it I found it in a cabinet. SO's sister said I could use it. I tried it out and holy moly.. It was NOT coconut oil. I don't know what it was but it was like rubbing straight up bacon grease in my hair. She has dreadlocks so I guess that's what its for not my silky fine hair lol. Keep that stuff away from me! No amount of shampoo got that stuff out I had to use almost a whole bottle of dish soap.
I did the same thing years ago with the Blue Magic Coconut Conditioner with very similar results. It was terrible trying to get that stuff out! I actually still own it and even used it the other day, which I never thought I would again, though I was having some issues getting some matting out of my hair, so I decided to try a tiny dab of it again after all these years, though this time mixed it with my olive oil, which I don't know if I should have done, though it did seem to work in getting the matted areas out much easier. Hopefully it won't build up or cause trouble now. xD


I'm not surprised as its main ingredient is mineral oil, straight up, no water first. The directions say to use a small amount. I do hope you didn't rub that stuff all over. ;) It's the same as with baby oil: tiny bits!
This is true! Mineral oil really builds up easily if one uses too much, which is partly why I have avoided it mostly the past few years after accidentally over-using it, though I bet that using those tiny amounts is the key to using it properly, which I didn't do back then. :laugh:

[lapushka]

Oh, I've got one... LA Looks Gel. I can't make it work. I prefer the feel of my hair minus the gel sticky/crunchy/hard feeling.

Too bad it sucks. I was still holding out hope that you could finagle it to suit you. But... Oh well, not every product works.


I guess I missed the directions lol. :oops: And I did slather it all over... I think I was just excited to try a new product and my common sense went out the window.

Woops. :p

Happens to all of us at some point! ;) :D

[vampyyri]

Too bad it sucks. I was still holding out hope that you could finagle it to suit you. But... Oh well, not every product works.

I definitely tried! Less product, more product (NO), mixed with oil, mixed with my serum...

I wonder if I can use it for an off the beaten path kind of craft project :lol:

[woodswanderer]

Shampoo bars. Uggh...not for me.

[Obsidian]

Blue magic coconut oil conditioner. I didn't buy it I found it in a cabinet. SO's sister said I could use it. I tried it out and holy moly.. It was NOT coconut oil. I don't know what it was but it was like rubbing straight up bacon grease in my hair. She has dreadlocks so I guess that's what its for not my silky fine hair lol. Keep that stuff away from me! No amount of shampoo got that stuff out I had to use almost a whole bottle of dish soap.

Reminds me of the time in my early teens when my cousin convinced me to use a whole jar of Vaseline in my hair to slick it back for Halloween.

Took weeks of washing with dish soap to remove it.

[lapushka]

I definitely tried! Less product, more product (NO), mixed with oil, mixed with my serum...

I wonder if I can use it for an off the beaten path kind of craft project :lol:

Maybe try a tiny tub of the Eco Styler olive oil version. If that is a no-go, then you basically can't use any gel on your hair, IMMHO. For some people any gel is way too crunchy. Just the way it is.

[vampyyri]

Maybe try a tiny tub of the Eco Styler olive oil version. If that is a no-go, then you basically can't use any gel on your hair, IMMHO. For some people any gel is way too crunchy. Just the way it is.

I will keep a lookout for that when I go get groceries today. Especially if it's a small tub, the waste wouldn't be as bad as throwing out a giant bottle.

[Ashenputtel]

Any type of sulphate free shampoos, I realize now that I have SD and it was just a plain bad idea for me. I tried everything. Ghassoul, regular natural shampoos, shampoo bars it was just plain terrible!

Most cone free condish were also pretty terrible except the old garnier Triple nutrition.

I also bought a beautiful copper flexi with a fairy on it and I really just bought the wrong size. I just can't let it go but there is nothing I can do with a size medium. Too big as a pony holder, too small for everything else.

[Carolyn]

Oh there have been so many over the years.

1. CV shampoo bars, with or without a vinegar rinse. Made my hair strawlike but gummy and coated.

2. Aubrey Organics with or without a vinegar rinse. Same results as CV bars but a little less gummy.

3. "Shampoil" the LHC fad from a few years ago. It really trashed my hair. I need conditioner not some one size fits all shampoo routine.

4. Baking soda to clarify. Even with a very heavy SMT afterwards, it left my hair dry and stripped. What a disaster.

5. Any Pantene product I've ever tried. I either itched to death or had coated (silicones) hair that had to be immediately clarified. Yuck.

6. Claw clips with the rubber coating inside. They rip my hair out.

7. Braidini. I had to cut it out of my hair.

8. African Butterfly clips. I've tried 2 kinds and both ended up tangled in my hair. Both went in the trash can.

9. Baby shampoo. Very harsh and stripping as it's supposed to be. It's made to get rid of cradle cap so I don't think it's a good thing for adults.

[Katem]

a honey shampoo and scented conditioner from lush. the honey made my hair more tangled than ever and super dry. the scented conditioner smelled like a bunch of cleaning chemicals

[QuietVixen]

The worst product I've tried has been baby shampoo. It's made my scalp dry, itchy, and feeling sensitive. It's really harsh at clarifying in my opinion, I don't recommend it.

[lapushka]

I will keep a lookout for that when I go get groceries today. Especially if it's a small tub, the waste wouldn't be as bad as throwing out a giant bottle.

Great. And I do hope this is *the* one for you. I love my Eco Styler. Even though I am trying out alternatives before busting out my giant tub, right now. :)

[Decoy24601]

I will keep a lookout for that when I go get groceries today. Especially if it's a small tub, the waste wouldn't be as bad as throwing out a giant bottle.

I'm not a huge fan of LUSH since I think they're a little gimmicky and overpriced, but they do have some nice hair custards that don't have much crunch to them, but they do have a light hold. If the eco styler doesn't work out either, you could try that (or other hair custards).

[vampyyri]

Aww I couldn't find it :sad: I might have to order it online

[molljo]

Burt's Bees grapefruit conditioner. Zero conditioning at all and left my hair feeling stiff.
Garnier Fructis Curl Scrunch Gel. Stringy, plastic-feeling, limp waves with a lot of frizz. Worst gel ever.

[Decoy24601]

New to my list: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean hair gel. It has almost no hold and even slightly straightened my hair. It also made my hair look very dull. On the plus side, because it has xanthan and acacia gums it made my hair very soft.

[lapushka]

New to my list: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean hair gel. It has almost no hold and even slightly straightened my hair. It also made my hair look very dull. On the plus side, because it has xanthan and acacia gums it made my hair very soft.

Maybe it's great for those in-between days before washing.

[lapushka]

I recently started using it (this Sunday) but it's been in my stash for a long time. The Jacques Dessange Thermo-Liss mask. It says it's for dry, damaged hair and I left it on for the min. time of 3 min. at which point yes, it's supposed to already work. But OMG. Tangles. And I used my standard Garnier mythic olive mask after, so I know it's the first C not playing nice. No. Wouldn't recommend to anybody. And I think this is still being sold (you never know with my depth of stash :lol:).

[BlueWren]

Hair gel that smells like whiskey - the type that reminds you of the 80s
Brushes with those little balls at the tips of the bristles
Permanent hair colour mouse (that I ALWAYS regret the next day)
Argan oil
hair elastics, barrettes, hair clips with teeth!

[lapushka]

Hair gel that smells like whiskey - the type that reminds you of the 80s
Brushes with those little balls at the tips of the bristles
Permanent hair colour mouse (that I ALWAYS regret the next day)
Argan oil
hair elastics, barrettes, hair clips with teeth!

Yes, definitely check to see if the gel does not contain alcohol! These days there are plenty of alcohol-free gels on the market, so it's not worth it. :)

[meteor]

For me, the list goes something like this:

- all brushes I've tried (they poof out my hair and somehow add to tangling), but especially those round brushes (I once thought I'd have to cut all my hair off because a round brush got stuck in it so badly, I might have had a mini heart attack while struggling to get my hair out of its death grip);

- almost all claw-clips, since they tend to break (the notable exception has been those great, much-loved Goody Half Moon Claw Clips (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414d84T3f0L._SY355_.jpg) :crush:);

- all slides/barrettes I've tried (unfortunately, they didn't hold any hair to speak of for me and they broke, slid out, etc).

[lapushka]

For me, the list goes something like this:

- all brushes I've tried (they poof out my hair and somehow add to tangling), but especially those round brushes (I once thought I'd have to cut all my hair off because a round brush got stuck in it so badly, I might have had a mini heart attack while struggling to get my hair out of its death grip);

- almost all claw-clips, since they tend to break (the notable exception has been those great, much-loved Goody Half Moon Claw Clips (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/414d84T3f0L._SY355_.jpg) :crush:);

- all slides/barrettes I've tried (unfortunately, they didn't hold any hair to speak of for me and they broke, slid out, etc).

OMG the barrettes (when I was a teen) and claw clips I've broken (missing teeth), and keep breaking. :lol: About a month ago... I have two nice translucent ones that I use for clipping my length up in a perma-scrunch (curly girl style). I broke one of the two, darn... They're so handy. I have a "supply" of them, but once I run out I'm going to have to order online.

[gustavonut]

Shea butter. Yes I know so many people love it but it made my hair so waxy and it STUNK like hell. :(

[MlleMC]

Johnson's baby shampoo. I'd been using baby shampoo for years because it was the only hypoallergenic shampoo I could find, without any problem. But then, I moved to a new city and couldn't find my usual brand, so I decided to just get the Johnson's one. I never finished the bottle, it was nearly impossible to rinse out of my hair!

[mizukitty]

One of the Tresseme "volume" products... It stuck my hair together like wax *cries*. At least it was free with coupons!

[Spinder]

This stuff (http://www.suryabrasilproducts.com/products/henna-hair-color-power-neutral), which I thought was supposed to be cassia but it wasn't - the label didn't list cassia, but a whole bunch of other herbs and things I didn't want. This horrible stuff made me break out in hives! NEVER AGAIN!! Luckily I went out and bought a bulk packet of pure, actual cassia, and have had no problems with it. Works like a charm!

[lapushka]

This stuff (http://www.suryabrasilproducts.com/products/henna-hair-color-power-neutral), which I thought was supposed to be cassia but it wasn't - the label didn't list cassia, but a whole bunch of other herbs and things I didn't want. This horrible stuff made me break out in hives! NEVER AGAIN!! Luckily I went out and bought a bulk packet of pure, actual cassia, and have had no problems with it. Works like a charm!

It actually has regular henna in it, and amla and such. Not "bad" stuff per sé. I'm sorry though that you couldn't tolerate it. Maybe it's the henna. Be careful in future, if you might be considering it!