Oh dear...wen haircare

[error]

So my mom has an insane addiction to HSN lol , and well she ordered a product called Wen . This product was not the most informative when it came to its directions or ingredients for that matter ,and it came in a large pump container. The kind of container that you would get when buying a hand lotion in bulk, anyhow the product was Wen cucumber aloe shampoo . Smelt nothing like cucumber or aloe and as I had mentioned there were no real directions of usage ! So I read the vague tag it came with and the tag read "17 pumps for mid length hair " I do not have enough hands to hold 17 pumps of goopy hair product so I went with three , already an obnoxious amount of product . The smell was awful but I really could not put my finger on it , I applied all over like the directions said and the directions also said keep product on as long as possible the longer the better . The longer the better I am not even joking lol so I apply it , it had a very odd texture it was really thick and felt like lotion and silicon mixed , obscene amounts of silicon I was not liking it , and as I had this product sitting on my hair the smell started to hit me , anyone ever use bengay? yep had the scent of bengay , or icy hot . But that is not all folks it had the feel of bengay , icyhot and torture all mixed together . My hair is about classic length and not to be obscene but imagine bengay down the length of you're spine and into you're butt crack AWFUL . So I am getting ready to go on a date and my body starts feeling sickly like feverish from the sensation of warm water and weirdly chemical cool skin scalp .... buttcrack... I felt like I was submerged in an awful chemical in a science lab , not only that but I stunk. Now I am going nuts rinsing this awful monster evil out of my hair and like a total wuss I start to cry , I was thinkin in my head , wow I am normally told I smell like strawberries , or coconut , you know something pleasant , now all I can think of is the man lookin at me like yeesh girl , you smell like grandpa! On top of it , I am imagining all my hair falling out due to this horrible substance . Ladies , I do not normally sit around bashing products but please for the love of god , someone either explain to me how this stuff is actually decent and good for you (since a lot of you ladies are way more knowledgeable on hair care then I ) or take my word and steer clear of this horror ! I warn all of yee! :demon: pure evil!

[mallorykay13]

Thank you for the warning. Icy hot smells like mint life-savers on steroids to me.

[error]

Thank you for the warning. Icy hot smells like mint life-savers on steroids to me. lol the perfect description , it is almost painful using wen . Highly unbearable to all the senses and my hair did not even feel nice after all the torture , it actually felt weighed down , almost gritty , looked like it needed to be washed!

[Roseate]

You might get someone to take it off your hands on the swap board, I think we have a couple members here who use it. Doesn't sound like you'll be using up the rest of the bottle!:laugh:

[error]

haha that is a good idea , I should find out who uses the product on the boards! Maybe they actually know more about it , after the smell and feeling I was def. a bit scared!

[wvgemini]

Oh my. :lol: that was the funniest warning I've ever read! Oh, I'm sorry for laughing at your burning buttcrack but ...

And I will be staying away from Wen now!

[emelnd]

Bengay has one of the most horrible scents known to mankind.

[Thinthondiel]

Thank you for the warning. Icy hot smells like mint life-savers on steroids to me.

I've never smelled it, but judging by that description it sounds like maybe it smells something like tiger balm? I've always loved the smell of tiger balm (my dad used to use it on my mum's neck/back when I was a kid), but I'm not sure I'd want my hair to smell like that.

Btw., did you get rid of the smell, error?

[ladonna]

And now I am no longer thinking of trying Wen.... I was going to make a thread asking if it worked good.

[Becky Safari]

Hahaha your description "cracked" me up

[Mommyof4]

The WEN I tried was the Almond scented one.. It didn't smell horrible or tingle, but it made my hair look awful and dirty. I did an acv rinse and gave the bottle to a friend :)

[Kelikea]

So, what was the outcome? How did your hair look/feel? Did you get actually, physically ill from it? How was your date? ;)

[error]

So, what was the outcome? How did your hair look/feel? Did you get actually, physically ill from it? How was your date? ;)
lol mommyof4 put it best .. makes you're hair look dirty! I would imagine an almond scent being much greater , but yes it felt odd and my hair looked real dirty i ended up doing some ..sly updo to cover the dirty texture lol . I managed to cover the scent the best I could with some warm vanilla sugar body spray from bath and body works (it seems no matter how much you spray on it does not over power but tends to cover up gross smells) I must say it was an awkward night for me lol!

[AnnaJamila]

I didn't care for wen that much either. You can get better results (with less silicone and a nice scent) from Suave conditioner.

I thought the almond one smelled fine, but I think it's much better suited for wurly girls!

[Megz]

Mmm, nuttin like Bengay on crack in the morning. Well, good to know! I had a feeling that stuff was chock full of nasty chemicals, especially since the ingredients are hard to find. The insane number of pumps rule is something else that I've always found suspicious or a bit scammy.

[SilverMcFly17]

I loved using Wen. It does take some getting used to and it does require a lot of product for my thin BSL hair. Best to do that in stages. 3 pumps; rub in, 3 more; rub in elsewhere on and on. I did learn I could use a lot less if I combed it through with a shower comb. It does however wreck your hair from anything else. I used it for many months and then ran out. I tried using just whatever was under the sink... Those were some rough times. I think now it must have been the 'cones.

[julierockhead]

This Wen scam was actually how I found LHC. I saw the infomercial for this "new" way of washing hair *snorts!* that this guy Chaz Dean supposedly invented. Anyway, started researching, found a product called Hair One that is Sally's knockoff of Wen...then read about CO washing and ended up here.:cloud9:

He probably lurked on the hair forums, read about CO washing, and fancied it up to sell to the gullible. Have you SEEN how much this stuff COSTS?:rant:

[SilverMcFly17]

It's cheaper if you buy from amazon or e bay.

[error]

This Wen scam was actually how I found LHC. I saw the infomercial for this "new" way of washing hair *snorts!* that this guy Chaz Dean supposedly invented. Anyway, started researching, found a product called Hair One that is Sally's knockoff of Wen...then read about CO washing and ended up here.:cloud9:

He probably lurked on the hair forums, read about CO washing, and fancied it up to sell to the gullible. Have you SEEN how much this stuff COSTS?:rant: oh really!!!! i had no idea what it was I found a wen commercial and it seems like a super scam to lure in shopaholics like my mother . It is a real shame I still can not seem to find an ingredients list on this product . The way my hair felt afterwards was real filthy and almost brittle , I was scared to mess with it for a while and thankfully afterwards I had a full week off to do nothing so ok and this is gross but decided against washing my hair all week , instead I made my trusty concoction of honey castor oil and olive oil mixed it up , slopped it on and wrapped it with a warm damp cloth left this stuff on for super long (it always makes my hair super happy and soft ) I think afterwards it sort of forgave me for its torturous shower experience ...

[Kome]

Ohmahgosh!!! LOL. So funny, but I'm so sorry. How did your date go??? I hope he didn't tell you you smelt like his puppy after or a bath or something. Haha. Poor thing! That sucks! Quick! Rinse yourself off in vinegar! No, wait......

[fairytalehair]

Your story was hilarious, but i am so sorry you went thru that! and yes 17 pumps is such an odd number... who has time for that... you'd think they'd redesign the pump so more comes out with each plunge instead of having to count like that!

[chickpea]

There's a long thread about WEN products here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=68147). It's too bad the product was a disaster for your hair. It may be that your hair and skin are sensitive to the menthol in WEN, which might explain the reaction. I've been using the pomegranate cleanser for 2 months now and love it, but I recognize it may not work for everyone, just as other products people have raved about here have been awful on my hair. ;)

I'm puzzled though that you cannot find the ingredients. They are on the bottle I have, but perhaps your mother bought a trial size that doesn't have them listed. Mine also came with a booklet that includes an ingredient list along with instructions on how to use the product. I don't bother to count the number of pumps, I just use enough to cover all of my hair and mix with a little water until it's creamy.

[fluffybunny]

Gee, I never thought about this hazard of classic length hair... must select products that are safe for those sensitive areas :D :D :D

[mrs_coffee]

That was so funny! It seems like people have a love/hate feeling toward WEN. Lots of people complain that it makes their hair dirty, but curly people seem to love it. I've never tried it because if I CO wash I just use Suave and it works great.

[CastaDiva]

Thanks for the warning and for sharing your experience! I was thinking of buying the wen products myself, but not anymore:D

[Patty lou]

This guy Chaz Dean was on QVC with his WEN junk and people was buying it a crazy rate, he made it sound like the gratest thing since "sliced bread " was invented. I wonder what these woman who become "Hair Models" hair acctually
is really like after all the junk applied and the hot irons etc.
Probably like straw!

Patty lou

[GingerSnapO]

Yikes! Your Wen experience was nothing like mine. Obviously everyone's experiences are different, but Wen has been working really well for me. I don't like the expense, so I'm trying other CO options, but I haven't found one that works as well as Wen for me so far.

[chickpea]

Yikes! Your Wen experience was nothing like mine. Obviously everyone's experiences are different, but Wen has been working really well for me. I don't like the expense, so I'm trying other CO options, but I haven't found one that works as well as Wen for me so far.

It's been working great for me too. I tried CO washing for about a year after reading the Curly Girl handbook, but wasn't happy with any of the conditioners I used, including Devacurl products. I experimented with shampoo bars and natural cleansers like shikakai, but in the end I did not have much success with these.

I hope you find something less expensive that works, but if you can afford it I see nothing wrong with spending money on a product that you like. I figure the money I save by not going to a salon makes up for it.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Hmm,, menthol in a hair product. Doesn't sound too appetizing.

I have menthol crystals that I use occasionally. They make for a refreshing lotion in the summertime but I really don't think I would want it on my hair. It seems like it would be a bit harsh.

I would think you could possibly get the same results by mixing a bit of Tea Tree oil in your CO wash if you wanted and astringent.

[Buggheart]

I don't have an issue with Wen either except for the price. I find the menthol tingle refreshing and liked only having to use one product.

[mojavewolf1]

You might get someone to take it off your hands on the swap board, I think we have a couple members here who use it. Doesn't sound like you'll be using up the rest of the bottle!:laugh:
where is the swap board?? I have never seen it?? Thanks!:rolleyes::confused:

[StephanieB]

I'm puzzled though that you cannot find the ingredients. They are on the bottle I have, but perhaps your mother bought a trial size that doesn't have them listed. Mine also came with a booklet that includes an ingredient list along with instructions on how to use the product. I don't bother to count the number of pumps, I just use enough to cover all of my hair and mix with a little water until it's creamy.
I, too, am puzzled. I tried WEN and the ingredients were listed on the bottle or jar of each of the WEN products - as American law dictates for all commercial products. I don't know where the o.p. lives.

I found the stuff to work no better, and no worse, than any other conditioner for CO. CO just doesn't work well for my hair.

I always used the cucumber stuff for oily hair, but it never smelled like the o.p. described... how odd. Maybe she got a bad batch?

[StephanieB]

where is the swap board?? I have never seen it?? Thanks!:rolleyes::confused:
On the main Discussion Forums page, all the way towards the bottom, between the
Skin, Makeup & Fashion Forum and the Archived Forums.

Do you scroll up and down the pages here? There's lots besides the Mane Forum. :)

[MandyBeth]

I love the smell and feel of menthol, but I am odd. Never tried Wen as when I looked, there was only a fig version, and I am allergic to figs. Now, I know my hair HATES CO, so I won't buy over priced condish that seems the same as V05 or Suave.

[prairiegirl]

That's funny... I love wen products!! I think it's a pleasant almondy-minty scent... and it makes my hair sooo nice. Sounds like your hair didn't like it though!

[ScarlettAdelle]

When I saw the infomercial, which was incredibly vague at best, I was immediately turned off to trying it. Thanks. Bengay and Icyhot is most definitely not what I ever want to smell like.

[dragonette@1]

I like Wen, it is in my regular rotation permanently. I have thin, fine hair, and enjoy the Lavender Wen mixture several times a week. And the ingredient list is on the label and the website.