End of the bottle blues?

[onyxlioness]

Salutations all, I’ve been a little bit of a lurker here and to be honest I just can’t think of anywhere else to get advice on this so I’m keeping my fingers crossed someone can help me.
I have had an on going issue with my hair (just past my hips length) that I can only think to describe as the “end of the bottle blues”. I’ll buy a new shampoo and conditioner and for the first bottle or even the first few washes, chances are my hair will love it.

It’s super soft, shiny, silky.. happy as Larry, however happy he is... then by the time it gets to the end of the bottle it’s flat, either really frizzy or oily, or both if I’m really lucky and I just don’t know where I’m going wrong. At the moment I’ve got this oily and frizzy look going on and I only washed my hair last night >_<;

I’m not even sure if my hair is dry, oily or normal anymore...

Brands I’ve tried include:
- Aveda
- Dove
- Herbal Essences
- Redken
- Bed Head (Tigi)
- Schwarzkopf
- Aesop
- KMS
- Loreal
- John Frieda
- Tresemme
- Shiseido
- Pantene

And to be honest the list is probably longer than that and I’ve just forgotten...

Is it something my hair could be reacting to? The only thing out of that list that hasn’t been too awful is the Shiseido Tsubaki shampoo with camellia oil in it.

I've tried double washing my hair, using less conditioner, using more conditioner, only conditioning the ends, conditioning the lot..

I just don’t know what my hair is trying to tell me and I desperately want to learn so that I can stop having my hair sit up in a bun so that no one sees it, I want to be proud of these locks and let them out!

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
- Leonie

[Amarante]

Greetings! :D

Have you tried differentiating between using cones or cone-free products? Like maybe it is cone build up that's causing your problems?

[Elia]

Maybe using a clarifying shampoo might help? As Amarante said it could be build up :)

[julierockhead]

Sounds like build up. A variety of things in shampoo can build up in your hair, so at first a new shampoo may be great...then as it's particular bits build up it starts to suck...and when you switch shampoo, it is great because the things in it that build up are different, but soon that one sucks too. It helps to get a good clarifying shampoo to use occasionally - a shampoo designed to remove all buildup - and rotate shampoos frequently. Silicones (stuff ending in "cone" in the ingredients) are notorius for initially making hair look and feel great, then building up on your hair and making it nasty. Another ingredient that is notoriously hard on hair is sodium laurel sulfate, or SLS. Try mild shampoos without SLS and 'cones, and start reading this forum voraciously - you'll be fine. ;)

[Carolyn]

I agree with the others, a clarifying is in order. After that I would suggest you don't use one S & C wash after wash. Rotate your products. What I mean is change what you use each wash. The products you listed are all good but I think you need to switch things around. I used to have the same problem as you. I learned that by rotating my products my hair doesn't "get tired" of the same thing time after time. Some people don't have a problem with using the same products time after time. But some of us do. My hair likes what I call a varied diet of products. If I used my beloved Aveda and Kiehls products wash after wash, I would have lank, dull hair too. If I throw in a few more things and switch around each wash, then I have happy, bouncin' and behavin' hair.

[MidnightStar]

Welcome! I've had the exact same problem with many of the exact same products, so I will echo what's already been said - clarify! A lot of the products you listed have cones in them, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does mean that you'll occasionally have to deal with build up. Suave makes a pretty good daily clarifier that's relatively gentle, and I think VO5 has one as well. I'm mostly cone-free now so I don't have to clarify as often as I used to, but probably once every three weeks or so I find it helps.
I agree with Carolyn as well - rotate your products for a little while and see if that helps, too. My hair tends to get "used" to products, and like her, if I don't use the same one every time my hair seems happier.

[celebriangel]

What everyone else said.

If you're going to use cones, be aware they build up. You can keep using the same products forever, just as long as, whenever your hair starts feeling weird, you clarify with a clarifying shampoo (tressemme do a good one which is cheap and comes in a big bottle). Then you will be able to resume using the same products again.

[spidermom]

OMG; the font is too small. I can't even read that with my computer glasses on.

[pepperminttea]

Rotate your products. What I mean is change what you use each wash. The products you listed are all good but I think you need to switch things around. I used to have the same problem as you. I learned that by rotating my products my hair doesn't "get tired" of the same thing time after time. Some people don't have a problem with using the same products time after time. But some of us do. My hair likes what I call a varied diet of products. If I used my beloved Aveda and Kiehls products wash after wash, I would have lank, dull hair too. If I throw in a few more things and switch around each wash, then I have happy, bouncin' and behavin' hair.

Yes, this! Definitely start by clarifying and following with a deep moisture treatment to 'soft reset' your hair, but from then on after, I'd definitely try rotating your products. I do the same thing, and it really helps. Heavy conditioners tend to stop working as well for me a wash or two, but if I use a different one every time, it just seems to be far more effective. (I currently have three different heavy conditioners, I'm experimenting with a fourth, and always looking for others. :D )

[onyxlioness]

OMG; the font is too small. I can't even read that with my computer glasses on.

*lol* I'm short sighted, so the smaller the easier to read for me.. each to their own I guess ;)

[longhairedlady]

I would clarify and do a deep conditioning treatment.

[onyxlioness]

Thanks for your help everyone! :D As much as it sucks, I'm relieved it's not just me who has experienced this.

Are there any particular products people can suggest? I'm in Australia if that makes a difference stockist wise, although Carolyn, you mentioned Kiehls and Aveda? Anything in particular? They're both relatively easy for me to get a hold of.

Thanks to MidnightStar too, I might try and find that V05 one for a quick fixer :)

[longhairedlady]

I use olive oil for a deep condition treatment. I use a good bit and make sure it is all soaked and I leave it as long as I can, sometimes a day or two. As for clarifying, I am not sure what is available there! I wish I could be more help! :)

[onyxlioness]

That's fantastic longhairedlady, I really appreciate all your and everyone else's help :) it's nice having somewhere to go to ask all of this stuff and get some knowledge under by belt.

I at least have a little help in my other half, his hair used to be as long as mine before he lopped it off so at least he understands and shares the passion *lol*

[MidnightStar]

Thanks for your help everyone! :D As much as it sucks, I'm relieved it's not just me who has experienced this.

Are there any particular products people can suggest? I'm in Australia if that makes a difference stockist wise, although Carolyn, you mentioned Kiehls and Aveda? Anything in particular? They're both relatively easy for me to get a hold of.

Thanks to MidnightStar too, I might try and find that V05 one for a quick fixer :)

I don't know your hair type, so I can only recommend what's worked best for me. :) I mainly CO-wash with VO5 tea therapy vanilla mint, and I use the Giovanni tea tree as a clarifier (it's not really one, but it acts as one for me). I'm *super* sensitive to sulfates in shampoos, so I tend to avoid products that have those in them. If you're looking to avoid sulfates, I can recommend the Giovanni line, because it's worked best for me, and if you're interested in CO-washing, I can recommend VO5 conditioners and most Suave conditioners. I avoid cones because they tend to build up in my fine hair very fast, but there are others on this site who have had great success with cones, and I don't think they're evil, they just don't work great for me if I over-use them. I've not used Kiehl's, but I've used Aveda, and I can tell you that I loved Aveda, it was gentle but cleansing, and I stopped using it only because it was a bit expensive and I have to wash my hair nearly every day. My favorite was the rosemary mint.
Good luck! My own journey to the best products for me was often extremely frustrating, but I couldn't be happier now that I've found *my* products. :D

[islandboo]

I do the same as Carolyn and pepperminttea - rotating among 2 or 3 different products. It drives my DH a bit batty to have 6 bottles in the shower but it works well for me. And do clarify now, but once you start "mixing it up" you shouldn't need to do it as often. I tend to have a variety as well - a very mild shampoo and a bit stronger one for before DTs, and a mild "daily" type conditioner along with a more heavy-duty one. Plus another just for luscious fragrance ;)

[Carolyn]

I do the same as Carolyn and pepperminttea - rotating among 2 or 3 different products. It drives my DH a bit batty to have 6 bottles in the shower but it works well for me. And do clarify now, but once you start "mixing it up" you shouldn't need to do it as often. I tend to have a variety as well - a very mild shampoo and a bit stronger one for before DTs, and a mild "daily" type conditioner along with a more heavy-duty one. Plus another just for luscious fragrance ;)Oh my :D 6 bottles? I probably have 30 or 40 bottles of stuff and more stashed away. 6 bottles would be enough to go away for a week :p but I am very lucky that I don't have to share a bathroom.

[onyxlioness]

Oki doki, so I've got my clarifying purchases set, now I need to get something treatment-y.. Has anyone used Joico? I've recently seen that stocked at my local supermarket so that's a nice easy one to get a hold of. Or is it just a matter of trial and error to find my "normal" shampoos to be used between the odd clarify?

[Carolyn]

I don't think shampoo is as important as conditioner. Do you have anything on hand other than your new clarifying shampoo? If not I'd suggest going with something that is moisturizing. I say that because a lot of us suffer from dry hair and ends. I'd probably go with a couple of moisturizing conditioners too. Maybe one that is heavier and a lighter one. Have you tried Biolage Conditioning Balm? It's cone free and seems to be well liked. Buy the smaller bottles in case you don't like something. Burt Bee's and Garnier seem to be well liked too. The bad thing is you don't know until you try. Oh and after you do your clarifying wash, you might want to give your hair something like a nice moisturizing SMT treatment. Clarifying is meant to strip all the gunk off the hair. Unfortunately that means it will dry your hair out and the moisture needs to be put back in.

[onyxlioness]

I've got plans to basically ditch what I'm using at the moment (Dove) since I'm almost at the end of the bottle anyway and I've bought a couple of conditioners at various levels, so to speak - a light and a heavy really.

Aside from that I have some morrocan oil at home, could that be used after the wash?

And this might seem like a dumb question but I just want to make sure, am I running with a clarifying shampoo and a light conditioner and a treatment for the "soft reset", and others there after? Or am I using just a clarifying shampoo then something heavier for the conditioner? I just want to make sure I do all your wonderful suggestions justice by doing this properly.