Redken All Soft FAIL

[HeatherJenae]

Maybe the ladies and gents here can help me identify the culprit. I was really excited to purchase Redken All Soft shampoo. I got it at Meijer for $15.97 in an 8ish oz bottle. Now, I'm definitely not knocking the product (I don't think), but I washed with it and my scalp was incredibly itchy the next day. I thought it was a fluke, especially because my back was itchy too so I thought I was just having a super dry skin day. Well, I washed with it again, and the next day I about scratched my hair out. I started to put the pieces together. My scalp was breaking out along the headline slightly and I realized that my back was probably itchy because the shampoo was being rinsed out from behind and running down all over my back. So I did an experiment and switched back to my old Suave and not even the slightest itch the next day. The shampoo itself (besides the itching) made my hair incredibly soft and clean looking/feeling. If it hadn't had this side effect, I would totally still be using it. My mom also purchased Redken's Moisture shampoo the same day and has had no ill effects. I've never had this sort of reaction to a shampoo before. What do you think is the irritating agent? Has anyone here ever had this sort of reaction to Redken? I used Infusium 23 conditioner with no problem and also Neutrogena Deep Recovery. I really wonder if it's the shampoo's fault ie. it has extreme drying agents that irritated my already dry scalp or if it's just my skin having an adverse reaction to one of the unique ingredients in this shampoo. I would love to hear your theories or input!

[julliams]

I will be watching this thread too. I am just about the buy the Fresh Curls shampoo and conditioner and to be honest I'm worried about the itchy scalp thing too. I lived with it for YEARS and often it was the expensive shampoos that drove my scalp nuts.

[Darkhorse1]

I've wanted to try Redken but haven't been able to find it in my area--thanks for this input---I don't have dry skin, but my skin does have sensitivities. I'm sorry about your experience! I hope you can return the product--it's clear you have a sensitivity to it. :(

[HeatherJenae]

Thank you for your quick responses! :) Darkhorse 1, I still have about ninety percent of the bottle left and since my mom had no reaction to the Moisture line, I'm going to give my remaining All Soft to her. She loves the Redken Moisture shampoo! So maybe this is just a random fluke with my skin. For a little background, my hair was chemically straightened a few years back and my hair got very damaged. On top of that, I switched from having a very oily scalp to a very dry scalp due to some anti anxiety medication I'm taking. So I've had to change all of my makeup and hair products to deal with this new dryness problem. I'm on a dogged hunt to find a great moisturizing shampoo. Just like Julliams, I was all excited about trying this high end raved about shampoo and was disappointed that it didn't work for me but that doesn't mean it won't work for another dry headed person. Maybe this thread will help us figure that out!

[Captain Nikki]

I have heard of other people having the same bad reaction to it. I have used it with no problems. I didn't find it to be a fantastic product - but the conditioner is great. I don't use it anymore since i'm cone free now & also avoid buying products from companies that test on animals.

[BlueMuse]

It's not redkin, but I have a rash reaction to Herbal Essence. It makes my arms break out in hives, my back, anything my hair touches. Sometimes you're just allergic to something in a shampoo from what I can tell.

[Sundial]

I had an allergic reaction to Redken All Soft too. I tried getting one of Redken's hair wax for DH but he complains that it makes his scalp itch so I stopped getting Redken stuff for us.
I'm not sure if the source of irritation is in all of their products or not, but I didn't want to keep trying stuff that wasn't suitable for us

[Copasetic]

It might not even be any extreme drying agents; just something your skin doesn't react well to. That happens to me once in a while with certain products. They might work well for others, but will leave me itching like crazy.

[HeatherJenae]

Wow, this is so informative. Thank you for your input ladies. I was surprised to hear anyone else have this reaction to Redken as all I had heard was positive things about it. Maybe I'll Goggle it... :)

[Darkhorse1]

I actually had a reaction to Biologe and I LOVED the shampoo,but it made me itch all over. So, I stopped using it. I may try it again as it was a great shampoo--I started testing stuff on my wrist many years ago to see if I had a sensitivity to anything, but that didn't work for Biologe. My hair dresser said you need to test hair products on the back of your neck--we did this with the color she uses on my hair, and I had to laugh because the color cause NO reaction, but the bandaid did! Hahahahah.

[spidermom]

Read the label and see if something is different than the shampoo that doesn't make you itch.

Biolage made my scalp itch, but only after I'd been using it for a few weeks.

[Shany]

I only have the Redken allsoft leave-in cream, so no problem with itchy scalp. I already tried their shampoos and had a rash reaction. I asked the seller which ingredient could do that, but she didn't really know. She said maybe there's too much SLS.

[virgo75]

I didn't have an itchy reaction, but the All Soft shampoo was too heavy for my scalp and didn't feel like it really cleaned my hair. I had a LOT of shedding which I do when something is too heavy for my scalp.

I do like the All Soft conditioner and find the All Soft Heavy Cream to be the superiour product of the 3(shampoo, cond, & heavy cream).

[Viechen]

I am not sure if this is relevant but I have used the Redken Color Shampoo after getting my hair dyed and had the itchy problem afterwards. I did not like the smell of it and how it left my hair feeling stringy as well. I now use "bain de terre" color preserving shampoo and never had a problem with it... Hope this helps a little?

[ademtce]

check the ingredients for Ammonium Laurel Sulfate.
its the single harshest sulfate and usually is the cause of itching scalp form shampoos.

[ratgirldjh]

I had an itching experience with this shampoo and conditioner myself. The first time I used it it made my head itch and I thought it had to be something else and ignored it the best I could... LOL

The second time I used it - I had just finished washing and came out of the bathroom and was showing off my newly shampooed and conditioned hair to my dbf and letting him smell my hair (it does smell pretty good) when all of a sudden he said: 'go look at your face!'.

I went back in the bathroom and my face and neck were covered with red blotches and I was just starting to get hives! Then I noticed I was having trouble breathing! It was horrible!

I had to go back into the shower immediately and re-wash my freshly washed hair with soap and wash everywhere the shampoo or conditioner might have touched me! Finally I got it all off.

It took about an hour or so for the redness to go away and I felt weird til the next day.

I never have used Redken or any salon stuff again. Too scary.

Stop now is my advice - it gets worse and worse.

[TrudieCat]

My hair dresser said you need to test hair products on the back of your neck--we did this with the color she uses on my hair, and I had to laugh because the color cause NO reaction, but the bandaid did! Hahahahah.

LOL - This happens to me with bandaids, too. Every time.


check the ingredients for Ammonium Laurel Sulfate.
its the single harshest sulfate and usually is the cause of itching scalp form shampoos.

While ALS is a harsher sulfate, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's usually the cause of itching scalp from shampoos. :twocents: I, for one, get itchy from methylparaben and/or citric acid (I've been able to narrow it down to one of the two but haven't been able to figure out which it is) but have no itching whatsoever from ALS. Harsher sulfates seem to leave some people with less scalp itch since they are so cleansing. It's really a very individual thing. Sulfates get a bad rap since they bother some people, but they are not always the default problem. Allergies can occur with any substance, even to the apparently "gentlest" or most natural substances.