Herbal Essence: Good for hair?

[Horsetuna]

A friend swears by it and two others use it. I was pondering picking up HE's for dry/damaged hair shampoo, pin-straight conditioner and the split end repair leave in gunk. What are your opinions?

[HildeMV]

It works great for me! And my mom. :p

[AJoifulNoise]

My regular conditioners are the Hello Hydration, None of Your Frizzness, and Tousle Me Softly. :D Works great for me.

[Wanderer09]

My hair doesn't like them very much. I think it may be all the cones, even though it does okay with most other coney products. I used the purple Herbal Essences stuff for curly hair for years, and always wondered why my hair always felt crunchy and dry.

Lots of people like HE though. You'll never know until you experiment. :)

[teela1978]

I've liked hello hydration when I used it. I tend to use cheap shampoo with average priced conditioners though, so I can't say anything about the shampoos as I've never tried them.

[Horsetuna]

Unable to wait, I grabbed some. I got these three:

Pin straight Shampoo
Rejuvenation for dry/damaged hair
Long locks leave-in conditioner gunk.


By the time I got step 1 done, my hair was already feeling different :) It was limper and felt smoother.

Step 2, I did mostly the roots and doused it completely. I DID break the rule and put al ittle conditioner a little further up, to take care of any short hairs that may have split ends. Just a tiny bit though.


Step 3: I had never done this before, so basically finger combed/patted/gently rubbed it in. I found a lot of loose hairs. Not going to worry yet though - My theory is that the hairs were naturally shed and merely got caught up in the other hairs. sound theory?

we'll see how it is when its' dry. Its toweled now, very lightly wrapped to dry.

Wish me luck!

[Horsetuna]

ETA: I'm going to do this process once a week. Does that sound good? I wonder what to do when I have to bathe sooner than that (and I will have to I know!). Just not shampoo/condition it, but let it get wet?

[RancheroTheBee]

I never liked it much, as it's pretty coney and the Hello Hydration really dried out my hair after a while (ironically...)

[Dolly]

I really enjoy the HE conditioners, but my hair loves cones, too.....my faves of the HE line are Long-Term Relationship and Hello Hydration.....

I normally use CV shampoo bars, and follow with a coney conditioner such as one of the HE's, TreSemme, or Aussie......

[Shermie Girl]

My hair is a cone hog and likes the HE. I am using Dangerously Straight, right now and really like it. I am thinking of trying Long Term Relationship, maybe Hello Hydration, too. :D

HE products are really coney and I find that they work best for me if I clarify regularly. :)

[Zombiekins]

It seems like "regular" shampoos are too harsh, and conditioners aren't conditioning enough for my annoyingly difficult hair.

However, I can say that using Herbal Essences's Hello Hydration during the henna rinsing process is awesome. It smells great and the silicones really make it easy to rinse out the henna. Plus I leave a little in at the end without rinsing to help detangle afterward. I doubt it would work for me as a regular conditioner, but during certain times HE's products are nice. Good price too.

[Dolly]

My hair is a cone hog and likes the HE. I am using Dangerously Straight, right now and really like it. I am thinking of trying Long Term Relationship, maybe Hello Hydration, too. :D

HE products are really coney and I find that they work best for me if I clarify regularly. :)


Cone hog.....sounds exactly like my hair!! My hair is a big mess when I go cone-free.....

My stylist gave me a little trim today, and she actually asked me what conditioner I had used, because my hair felt "really nice".....it was Hello Hydration......

I agree though, clarifying regularly is important.....

[AJoifulNoise]

I agree though, clarifying regularly is important.....

Yes, this. I clarify once a week with the Hello Hydration conditioner. When I don't my hair gets really weighed down.

[BeatlesFanGirl]

No way Herbal Essences... It's full of sls and cones and other harmful ingredients. I tried it years ago (when I didn't really know about organic haircare and body care) and it was real crap.

Plus:
1 - I hate corporations that pretend to be 'herbal' and 'organic' when in reality they are far from it.

2 - I don't use products that were tested on animals - There is a campaign against Herbal Essences (whis is a brand of Procter and Gamble) called "Hurtful Essences" because they test on pregnant rats. Read more on this website: http://www.hurtfulessences.org/index.php

PG is **** - I don't use any of their products. I don't use any products of any big corporations that test on animals or produce things that pollute the environment.

[enfys]

BeatlesFanGirl, there is information about animal testing on Herbal Essences website here: http://www.herbalessences.com/us/faq/default.jsp#11

Herbal Essences name suggests to me they use the essence of herbs and plants, extracts of certain things, which they do.

I use their clarifying shampoo and like it, but the aroma is rather strong. They recently reformulated all their products so you may find it does/doesn't work for you even if it did/didn't before. At least it's not expensive to find out.

If you only want to wash/wet your hair weekly I highly recommend a shower cap. Pin your hair up under it and it'll stay dry everywhere except the edges if you're anything like me!

[Gypsy]

I love Hello Hydration. It's the only product I can use to leave my hair in it's natural curl without having to use other products to help define the curls as well as providing moisture.
To be honest, though, I liked their previous formulas, before the revamp. They had a blackberry combo that was really great.

[Dolly]

Herbal Essences name suggests to me they use the essence of herbs and plants, extracts of certain things, which they do.




That is what I think, too......Herbal Essences never claimed to be organic or all natural, to my knowledge.......their first "line", which consisted of a green, herbal-smelling shampoo and condish, was around when I was a young girl, over 35 years ago, and it was mostly for scent purposes, because the green, herbal scent was big then.....

[klcqtee]

I've been using the kind for curly hair (in the bright purple bottle, not the Tousle Me Softly), and I always loved it. Made my hair soft and silky, and it also keeps my hair pretty tangle free.

Recently though, I've found the smell to be a little over powering, and it feels like I never quite get all the conditioner out of my hair the day after wash day. But by the second or third day, my hair is back to it's usual state (though still very soft and mostly tangle free).

[Gypsy]

That is what I think, too......Herbal Essences never claimed to be organic or all natural, to my knowledge.......their first "line", which consisted of a green, herbal-smelling shampoo and condish, was around when I was a young girl, over 35 years ago, and it was mostly for scent purposes, because the green, herbal scent was big then.....

I remember that.
You'd think they would keep that formula around, just to keep the "Herbal" thing available.
I seem to remember I liked that smell, but it was so long ago, I don't know. Maybe I did like it because it was unusual back then.

[Dars]

I loved using HE before LHC, the best smelling hair products ever! But really they weren't anything amazing to me and way overpriced.


Step 2, I did mostly the roots and doused it completely. I DID break the rule and put al ittle conditioner a little further up, to take care of any short hairs that may have split ends. Just a tiny bit though.
I think you meant the ends when you said the roots? There are no rules about putting conditioner "further up" aka on the scalp, nor nothing wrong with doing so. Some people including myself CO (conditioner only washes) successfully.


ETA: I'm going to do this process once a week. Does that sound good? I wonder what to do when I have to bathe sooner than that (and I will have to I know!). Just not shampoo/condition it, but let it get wet?
How often you choose to wash or not wash is entirely your decision. :) There are plenty of things you may wish to do when not washing your hair. You could; put it up out of the way, showercap on, WO wash or rinse, CO, misting it, etc.

[Horsetuna]

I was thinking of a shower cap, but I find i 'sweat' a bit while in the tub, at least I feel like I am on my head. It could be simply steam collecting but it makes me feel icky.

And yes, I said roots but meant ends there, doh.

hair is already feeling softer and looks nicer... tangles seem to be less frequent as well.

[cobblersmaid]

I love hello hydration. The others I have tried build up way too fast on me. I clarify every other month, but I only wash once a week.

[K_Angel]

I'm so glad you started this thread!!!

Today, after many many many tries at herbal conditioners, I bought Hydrolicious Reconditioning Conditioner.

I was feeling weirdly guilty for buying it! :shrug:

It made my hair sooooooooooooooooo silky and moisturized! Like it hasn't felt for at least a year!

I'm just hoping that it has some redeeming value in my hair and that it's not just the cones "waxing" over my hair?

I did notice it took out all my waves.... so, maybe I should try one of their other products? But to not have to work for an hour through the tangles was just such a treat!!!!!

Ok, I'm feeling better now, I've admitted that I've gone back to cones! :rollin:

[K_Angel]

I just went to HE web site and found the ingredients for five of them:

Hydralicious reconditioning conditioner

Ingredients: water/eau, stearyl alcohol, dimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, cetyl alcohol, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) extract, hydrolyzed algae extract, fragrance/parfum, benzyl alcohol, disodium edta, sodium hydroxide, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, red 33, blue 1


Hydralicious Self-targeting conditoner for balance from root to tip

Ingredients: water/eau, stearyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride, cetyl alcohol, dimethicone, vanilla tahitensis fruit extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, fragrance/parfum, benzyl alcohol, disodium edta, sodium hydroxide, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, red 33


Hello Hydration Moisturizing conditioner

Ingredients: water, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, vanilla planifolia fruit extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, glutamic acid, fragrance, bisaminopropyl dimethicone, benzyl alcohol, edta, propylene glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, citric acid, blue 1


Tousle me softly conditioner

Ingredients: water, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, viola odorata flower/leaf extract, punica granatum extract, glutamic acid, fragrance, bis-aminopropyl dimethicone, benzyl alcohol, edta, sodium chloride, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, citric acid, blue 1, red 33.


Totally twisted curls & waves conditioner

Ingredients: water, stearyl alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, dimethicone, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf stem extract, jade plant (crassula argentea) extract, fragrance, glutamic acid, benzyl alcohol, edta, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, citric acid, ext violet 2.

[K_Angel]

I guess this is a bit of a hijacking? I'm sorry if it is.

Given the above ingredients list, what would have been taking my waves out by using Hydralicious reconditioning conditioner?

And which one do you think would work the same way (GREAT slip/tangle free silky softness) but not weigh down my hair????

TIA :blossom:

[Aer]

When I still used commercial shampoos, I really didn't like this brand. I tried their different options, and their conditioners left me disappointed. But I have met some people who seem to have really good results with them.

[JCFantasy23]

My hair gets build up from the cones in Herbal Essences

[GlassEyes]

Huh. Looks like some of them have water-soluble cones. Bisapropyl= water-soluble, if memory serves.

[TiaKitty]

I like them but find them expensive on my budget. I did splurge and buy the Toussle Me Softly mousse for my daughter's hair. I used it to "try it out (Hee-hee, I just wanted to use it!)" before she use it. I liked it well enough, but...

I was accosted in the supermarket by some strange lady who burried her face in my hair without permission and told me I smelled like angel's farts!!! That was one of the richest hair-related things that has happened to me! It *was* Halloween, though...