CO with a side of guilt...

[Bucatini]

Do you ever feel guilty using a more pricey condish for CO?

Daily I either S&C with Nature's Gate or CO with V05 or Suave or whatever else I can get for 99 cents. For whatever reason I never CO with anything but 'cheap' condish.

Accidentally (lack of sleep?) I did CO with my Nature's Gate fruit organic condish yesterday. It's the orange-patchouli formula. It was GREAT! My hair looked fantastic and felt so soft. Less frizz too. So this morning, I did it again. Even better!

But I feel SOOO guilty about the idea of using handfuls of this stuff at $8 a bottle.

Does anyone else CO with something other than the 99-cent special? Maybe I could try something priced in-between these extremes?

[Riot Crrl]

LOL I do this too.

What I usually do to try to get the best of both worlds is to wash with my cheap, and then I do condition right after with the better stuff, which does not take as much as washing.

[shell78]

Have you tried mixing a cheapie and pricey one together?

I keep a travel bottle of conditioner for road trips and such and wanted to eventually switch to my cheapie but I didn't have a bottle to pour the pricey one into - so I just filled the bottle the rest of the way with the cheapie and shook it real good. The cheapie watered the mixture down a bit and I realized I liked the texture of the mixture better than the richness of the pricey one straight. (My fine hair seems to prefer lighter conditioners over rich, heavy ones)

Mixing the two would give you a nice middle-of-the-road option (provided the scents don't conflict) and you wouldn't feel quite so guilty for using it to co-wash.

[pariate]

Oh yes, I'm guilty of this! I've started "cutting" my cheapy CO conditioner with my Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm, and each time I do it I use more and more of the Biolage. Fortunately I bought a couple of 1094ml tubs of the stuff on eBay and it works out at about £3.70/250ml :D I call that a serious bargain and don't feel anywhere near as guilty as I would otherwise :wink:

I've really noticed the difference in my hair - the frizz has almost disappeared. Before I started doing this I was washing with the cheapy CO and then using the Biolage on my ends, but it just didn't do the trick.

[ChloeDharma]

LOL I do this too.

What I usually do to try to get the best of both worlds is to wash with my cheap, and then I do condition right after with the better stuff, which does not take as much as washing.

This seems the best compromise and i think lots of people do it.
That said....if it still doesn't give you the results you are looking for.....then unless spending that much on hair washing leaves you skint, then i say go for it.....it's your money.....people spend lots of cash on various indulgences.....many of them more expensive and not as "healthy" as a good conditioner.

Of course, the other option you could try is adding things to your cheap conditioner.....maybe honey, aloe, oil, yogurt etc....might get the results without the expense.

[AJoifulNoise]

My conditioners generally cost $3-4. My hair hasn't liked any cheaper stuff I've put on it. I have a couple of more expensive conditioners ($7+), but nothing terribly expensive. I tend to stretch the more expensive ones as far as I can, only using them once every week or every other week.

I don't feel guilty about using more expensive brands, I just know that I can't afford to buy them all the time. So I don't use them as often.

[missy60]

I actually stopped using the cheap conditioner and just water wash and then follow up on the ends with my good conditioner. I do a scalp wash with non sulfate shampoo about once a week or so though. It works better for my thin, fine hair and my scalp loves it.

[SHADOWSCODE46]

Guilty of this and I have got to stop the madness. I usually find myself conditioner washing with Joico conditioners and balms. My hair is very thick and responds very well to a higher end brand of conditioner; less frizz, more softness. But the fact that I can't buy Joico locally in my area, it's expensive, am VERY heavy handed with conditioner, and I conditioner wash everyday is not working out for me :-(

[cobblersmaid]

When I COed, I used Giovanni smooth as silk. The reason I stopped was it was too expensive!

[Elizabeth]

I haven’t been able to bring myself to use the expensive stuff for CO, but I have wondered if the results would be better. Not sure this was a good post for me to read! :)

[Elizabeth]

I haven’t been able to bring myself to use the expensive stuff for CO, but I have wondered if the results would be better. Not sure this was a good post for me to read! :)

[amaiaisabella]

I was just thinking this!

I had used the Vo5, but it was leaving my hair too greasy after. I bought Kiss my Face's Whenever conditioner and am in love! It was 6 bucks, which is expensive for me unless it is a huge container (which it isn't!)

I feel guilty for using so much and I am worried I will run out quickly! But the hair is worth it, right????

[pariate]

I was reckless with my CO today :D I used MOP lemongrass conditioner to wash and MOP mixed greens to nourish my lengths and ends after rinsing the lemongrass. It's still drying but it feels lush and I have major root lift! :cheer: Last time I did this I had great body and shine. Love it ;)

[happymommy]

I mix my 'spensive stuff in with my cheapies. Just enough to make it thicker. I feel your pain, though. I just can't bring myself to CO with handfulls of $13 condish!

[RoseRedDead]

I think I have it even worse. I don't like buying Suave conditioners unless they're on sale!!

I did buy some Trader Joe's (both the Nourish Spa and the orange one), which were about 16 oz each. One was $2.49 and the other was $1.99. I don't CO with either, though. They just don't work very well, so I use the orange for a deep treatment with honey, and the Nourish Spa to put in my mister bottle.

I feel very guilty spending a lot of money on both hair and general beauty items... Weird, no?

[pariate]

I feel very guilty spending a lot of money on both hair and general beauty items... Weird, no?

Not weird, highly admirable! I wish I had that kind of financial conscience. I am terrible with money, it flows through my fingers like water :? I'm better than I used to be but stilll have a lot of work to do there!

[RoseRedDead]

<slightly off-topic>

Not weird, highly admirable! I wish I had that kind of financial conscience. I am terrible with money, it flows through my fingers like water :? I'm better than I used to be but stilll have a lot of work to do there!

I secretly feel that it's a good thing; though sometimes I wonder how I got to be like this... then I look at my family: Dad works out of our home, Mom's a stay-at-home mother, and there are seven of us children. This calls for thrift and economy!

Right now, I'm trying to transition over to baking soda and ACV washes to save even more money. Plus I have this dream/idea of being a roadie for a band in another few years, and I just don't want to be spending a lot of money on stuff for my hair, and I want a routine that will work anywhere with any type of water, and will be inexpensive.

</slightly off-topic>

[pariate]

Good luck with the BS and ACV! It's certainly amazingly economical, not to mention ecologically sound ;) I think there's also something very appealing about using such a pared down routine - going back to grass roots, kind of thing. I tried it for my hair but it didn't quite work out and I couldn't handle the dryness it caused for me :( It works wonders for so many others, so I guess it's just about exerimenting with the dilutions.

:flower:

Will you remember your old and frail LHC mentors when you've got free tickets to hand out for your rock star employers? :lol:

[wintersun99]

................

[RoseRedDead]

Good luck with the BS and ACV! It's certainly amazingly economical, not to mention ecologically sound ;) I think there's also something very appealing about using such a pared down routine - going back to grass roots, kind of thing. I tried it for my hair but it didn't quite work out and I couldn't handle the dryness it caused for me :( It works wonders for so many others, so I guess it's just about exerimenting with the dilutions.

:flower:

I'm still messing with it myself, but I think it'll turn out alright.


Will you remember your old and frail LHC mentors when you've got free tickets to hand out for your rock star employers? :lol:

Sure! :cheese:

[RoseRedDead]

I do too and since joining LHC I've spent more money on hair-stuff then ever before (I didn't even spend much on my hair during my lurker years) and interestingly, I've discovered that my hair likes to be left alone. The more I try to experiment and apply techniques others are successful with, the more I find that my hair gets worse. So, I'm vowing benign neglect and bare-bones treatment for awhile... :eyebrows:

My hair likes to be pretty much left alone too! SMTs don't work for me, a lot of other stuff is just too time-consuming (I feel guilty spending inordinate amounts of time on my personal appearance too; I'm not a "girly" girl) AND money-consuming.

I just get unhappy and nervous and freaked out when I have to do a bunch of "stuff" to myself to make my hair and my stuff presentable!

[pariate]

I'm new to CO (starting today) but this is the method I had in mind :)



I do too and since joining LHC I've spent more money on hair-stuff then ever before (I didn't even spend much on my hair during my lurker years) and interestingly, I've discovered that my hair likes to be left alone. The more I try to experiment and apply techniques others are successful with, the more I find that my hair gets worse. So, I'm vowing benign neglect and bare-bones treatment for awhile... :eyebrows:

I'm actually spending less, which should give you an idea of the disgusting amount I was spending before! It's the wurly thing - I've spent soooo much money on products to tame the frizz etc. I'm much happier now that I CO. I don't use all the overpriced leave-in products that used to litter my shelves. The only thing I want to change is the conditioner I use for CO. Once I've nailed that I'll feel like my routine is totally sorted! :cheese: Yes, I am trying to justify the money I'm going to spend on more CO conditioners for my experiments ;)

[pariate]

I just get unhappy and nervous and freaked out when I have to do a bunch of "stuff" to myself to make my hair and my stuff presentable!

Ditto! I'm a lousy woman :lol: Mascara is for days when I'm making a big effort! :D Ho hum.

I like cassia, but it's a major PITA and have done it maybe four times in a year; SMTs take prep and too much planning for lazy me; and even updos are unknown territory for me. I always mean to do something more interesting, but it usually ends up in bun or a folded ponytail! :rolleyes:

[spidermom]

I hesitate CO with anything I've paid more than $4.00 a bottle for, as CWC uses up conditioner faster than I would like already. I'm not much motivated to keep experimenting with CO anyway; the results have been disappointing more often than not.

[Aqua Gal]

Well, I haven't BUT I happen to have the mandarin orange patchouli in my shower right now. I really like it, but I'm soooooo cheap. Maybe I'll give it a whirl as a CO.

[Carolyn]

I don't feel one iota of guilt for spending money to make myself look and feel better. I'm worth it, dammit :D I use whatever I feel like using for CO. I've used WR or VO5 for a long time but also have used a lot of other conditioners. TJ's and WF are wonderful. I've used Redken, L,Anza and Biolage for CO too with not one pang of guilt. I can cut back in other areas if I have to. The hair comes first ;)

[FrannyG]

I CO generally with the usual cheap brands, but I do have a couple of more expensive bottles. I use them only 2 times a month or so, and so I never feel guilty. Also, I only use it on the hair below the ears or so. I use the cheap stuff to clean my scalp. :)

P.S. When I read the title of this thread on the Mane Forum, I read it as "CO with a side of quilt". I had no idea what that meant. :o

[pariate]

I don't feel one iota of guilt for spending money to make myself look and feel better. I'm worth it, dammit :D I use whatever I feel like using for CO. I've used WR or VO5 for a long time but also have used a lot of other conditioners. TJ's and WF are wonderful. I've used Redken, L,Anza and Biolage for CO too with not one pang of guilt. I can cut back in other areas if I have to. The hair comes first ;)

:lol: :cheer: A girl after my own heart! :D

[Checkers]

I only went no-poo again recently, but I've been determined to get past the greasy period as quickly as possible. I guess greasy doesn't bug me as much as the coated, waxy feeling I had. I suspected the VO5 and tried Avalon moisturizing conditioner yesterdy (along with diluted lemon juice on just the super oily areas) and it was the best washing experiment yet. But since I've given up all of the other hair products I think I could buy almost any conditioner and still spend much less money than I was spending. If cheap works I'll do it for sure, but in this case it wasn't working for me.