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HollyG
March 18th, 2012, 08:17 AM
I'm more intrigued really (especially as i've heard sleek and straight is good for frizz/flyaways which i have). Every time i do something such as google pantene it always comes up saying that it's the worst thing you can put on your hair as it covers it in a layer of wax which can cause damage.
If that's true how come so many people on LHC (who obviously know a lot about hair) use it?
I guess i'm a little rebellious too, if i see every where saying don't do something i get an urge to do it haha
thanks

Amber_Maiden
March 18th, 2012, 08:48 AM
I don't use it, but not because of the reasons you mentioned. I don't use it because it contains SLS.

RedBlue
March 18th, 2012, 09:05 AM
I have only used Pantene once or twice. When I was younger, I would go to my dad's house every other weekend. When he was renovating the main bathroom, my brother and I had to use the master bath. The only shampoo my step mom used at the time was Pantene. I was a little scared to use it, because my mom is a cosmotologist and told me that Pantene had/has wax in it. I didn't particularly like the way my hair felt after using the shampoo and conditioner, but that probably was because my step mom and I have totally different hair types! She has naturally blonde, thin, fine hair. I have naturally dark, thick, wurly hair.

longhairedwolf
March 18th, 2012, 09:12 AM
I have thick wavy hair. I use Pantene and swear by it. It makes my hair so smooth and shiny. I use a clarifying shampoo once a month or so, and have never had any problems with build up. My hair is very healthy too. I see no evidence of split ends or breakage, and that's despite the fact that I colour my hair and blow dry it every two days after I wash. I would try the Pantene. If you like the results, I see no reason not to stick with it.

HintOfMint
March 18th, 2012, 09:15 AM
I haven't used it since middle of high school (so, about ten years). I'm trying to remember why I stopped using it. I remember it was a very conscious decision to never use Pantene again. I remember thinking that it turned my hair into a dry, poofy mess. Granted, that was years before I really thought about how products affect my hair, so I have no idea if the dryness was buildup or the harshness of the shampoo (which I vigorously scrubbed up and down my length).
I also can't remember the kind I used, so I very well could have been using the wrong formula for my hair.

It may work for you and it's a fairly inexpensive drugstore brand so it's worth trying. Also, my experience was years and years ago, the formulas are guaranteed to have changed since then.

Kelikea
March 18th, 2012, 09:22 AM
I used to use Pantene, a long time ago, maybe 15 or so years ago? My BF liked the way it smelled:) I had hip-length hair then, but I don't remember it being in quite as good shape as it is now. It did not curl as well. But then again, I hardly ever got my hair cut or trimmed at all. I think I stopped using it because it was more expensive and I was broke. After years of suffering with a terribly itchy scalp, I am afraid to use anything with sls or cheap fragrance on my scalp. Yes, I use cheap stuff on my length, but I won't let it touch my scalp. Mostly I use organic stuff on my scalp.

elbow chic
March 18th, 2012, 09:29 AM
I've been using it for at least ten years now. Really I think the whole "wax" thing is urban legendry. Probably you could get some buildup if you used the conditioners regularly and never clarified, but that's something you'd have to do with most any product.

Annibelle
March 18th, 2012, 09:55 AM
SO used it when we met, so I started using it, too (the smooth and sleek one), and it definitely straightened out my easy-to-straighten waves, but also left my hair really dry. I used it for years, though, because I thought my hair would be ugly no matter what I used. :o His hair looked great with it, though-- but he's got naturally straight hair. (He's now using the Burt's Bees I use, though, and his hair looks just as good as it did with Pantene. I think he could wash his hair in bird poop and it'd look great. :p )

racrane
March 18th, 2012, 09:58 AM
I like to use it, on occasion. It works nice for me. I switch it up though. I have to admit I love the smells herbal essences has, and I use that when my boyfriend is around as he likes my hair. But it's worth a shot - it's fairly inexpensive. :)

milkyway
March 18th, 2012, 10:02 AM
I tried Pantene a few times. I tend to use it at my mothers' house because she has been using it for years. I agree with everyone who said it made their hair dry and poofy, I had the same result. It seems like if I only use it once or twice in a row it isn't too bad, but if I use it more than that scalp gets itchy and hair feels really dry.
I'm guessing it has a lot to do with type of hair. Mine's quite fine.

HollyG
March 18th, 2012, 10:08 AM
Thanks for all the replies :-)
I never put 2 and 2 together about clarifying it lol
I may well give it a go next time then especially as i'm growing my hair and the more it grows the frizzier it gets (i do get it cut every month too). I've just got to use my others as my hair dries easily with the same one and i have Boots, HE and L'oreal haha

lapushka
March 18th, 2012, 10:27 AM
The only thing by Pantene I use anymore is the Aqua Light shampoo. I quite like it! :D

pepperminttea
March 18th, 2012, 11:13 AM
I have a couple of the conditioners in the 'cone-y part of my routine at the moment (it's always in rotation), I haven't noticed more build-up from those than any other 'cone-y conditioner. :shrug: I vote urban myth, too.

Diamond.Eyes
March 18th, 2012, 11:32 AM
I don't use it, and I never will. I go to cosmetology school, and we recently watched a demonstration on drugstore products such as Pantene and Herbal Essences being used on hair, and it scared me. We viewed strands of hair under a microscope before application and after. After the application the hair was absolutely covered in silicone and wax. It was basically smothering the hair and creating a thick barrier in which moisture couldn't enter the hair shaft. It is definitely not a good choice if you want truly healthy hair.

jacqueline101
March 18th, 2012, 12:49 PM
I used the ice shine 2 in 1 I liked it that was in 08. I never had an issues with it.

Coffeebug
March 18th, 2012, 01:19 PM
I'm mostly using Pantene Aqua Light at the moment. It's not perfect, but it's better than anything else I've tried and it does make hair smell good.

Miss Catrina
March 18th, 2012, 02:57 PM
Pantene is infamous at my cos. school too. I remember my family used to use it when I was younger, and it is the only shampoo that I have ever experienced build-up with - not visibly (that I recall), but my scalp started itching and I had to switch to Garnier.

Sillage
March 18th, 2012, 03:00 PM
I tried one of their conditioners once because it's what a classmate of mine used. Made my hair a waxy sticky mess. Her hair always looked great tho!

kidari
March 18th, 2012, 03:07 PM
I didn't use Pantene, because of all the horrible things I've heard about it. Then I found out that some of the people I know who have the most gorgeous long hair I've ever seen exclusively use Pantene. I slept over at my friend's house and she only has Pantene so I used it since I had no choice and it made my hair so nice! I was shocked. It relaxes all of the kinks and waves in my hair and makes it air dry sleek and straight with a glossy finish. I'm a product junkie so I can't stick with just a few brands and I'm always trying something new, but Pantene is a brand that is always somehow in my product rotation now.

HintOfMint
March 18th, 2012, 03:08 PM
I don't use it, and I never will. I go to cosmetology school, and we recently watched a demonstration on drugstore products such as Pantene and Herbal Essences being used on hair, and it scared me. We viewed strands of hair under a microscope before application and after. After the application the hair was absolutely covered in silicone and wax. It was basically smothering the hair and creating a thick barrier in which moisture couldn't enter the hair shaft. It is definitely not a good choice if you want truly healthy hair.

I'm not trying to be argumentative at all, but I'm curious about one thing. Was this a drugstore vs. salon products demonstration? Did you see hair that had salon products on it underneath a microscope to compare? I ask because there are several salon brands like Paul Mitchell and Fekkai that have silicones and polyquats in them, so there should be a coating effect there as well. If there was a comparison, was there a difference in how they were deposited? (Amount, smoothness... etc.)

Mrsbaybeegurl
March 18th, 2012, 03:17 PM
I don't use it, and I never will. I go to cosmetology school, and we recently watched a demonstration on drugstore products such as Pantene and Herbal Essences being used on hair, and it scared me. We viewed strands of hair under a microscope before application and after. After the application the hair was absolutely covered in silicone and wax. It was basically smothering the hair and creating a thick barrier in which moisture couldn't enter the hair shaft. It is definitely not a good choice if you want truly healthy hair.

I think this is why many people can get away with it "working for them" But the problem is once people switch products and all that wax strips off...their hair gets dry and in terrible condition...they then switch back to Pantene and it "fixes" the issue. It usually makes hair appear healthy...but since you got a first hand look under a microscope, you know what's really going on.

I'm not saying there aren't some people that can successfully use Pantene, they wouldn't be in business if no one could...but I DO think there's a lot of hype, tons of chemicals and a fake-healthy underlying many (not all) of it's users. It's the same way people like "cones" and it works for them...other people find "cones" damaging and some find damage revealed after they discontinue them and don't know whether their hair needs the cones or if it was the cause of them thinking their hair was healthy, only to be found in terrible shape without the "fillers" cones provide.

Mirsha
March 18th, 2012, 03:23 PM
Excuse me for being stupid, but I think the barrier on the hair is the point of conditioners.

I have used Pantene, but I just prefer Elvive and Gliss Kur. My attraction to pink bottles goes beyond the results I get from conditioners :o

HintOfMint
March 27th, 2012, 10:57 PM
Reviving this thread to say that I found another purpose for pantene-- heatless straightening.
Is it straight up coated with silicone to the point where the vast majority of my waves are killed? Yup. But sometimes I want a straight look, and I'm pretty happy with that for now.

holomi
March 27th, 2012, 11:04 PM
I don't see how Pantene is so bad, when many of their ingredients are the same as salon products. Also, they do tons of research on hair. Just something to think about.

jessa
March 27th, 2012, 11:18 PM
i thought the 'wax' coating that people spoke about in pantene was just the silicones?

caadam
March 27th, 2012, 11:50 PM
You know, I've known some ladies who use Pantene religiously. These same women say that if they stop using it, their hair is terrible looking and feeling. But when they use Pantene, their hair is shiny, soft, and manageable.

To me, that isn't a sign that Pantene is actually beneficial for their hair—to me, that's a sign that Pantene is covering up a lot of damage to their hair that has occurred over time, so when they stop using Pantene, the product starts coming off and the damage is revealed.

Thus, I don't think Pantene is really all that great if you want to treat and get rid of damage, because all it would be doing is covering it up and you wouldn't be able to see it. I think Pantene is good for a "once in a while" effect, though, but certainly not something to keep the hair in a natural state of healthiness.

MasCat
March 28th, 2012, 03:01 AM
I was at my family home last weekend, and didn't have my shampoo r condish with me, so I eneded up usin Head and Shoulders shampoo (I figured it's clarifying time anyway) and Pantene conditioner.

It's been four days. My hair looks vedy good (shiny, slippery, looks healthy) but has a bit of a plastic feel to it ant the static is awful. And because of the staticit is a bit too "fluffy", so I try to keep it in check with fox's conditioning cream.

anyway I'll see after my next wash :)

Syrena
March 28th, 2012, 03:46 AM
I tried Pantene and I hate it! My hair is straight ans sleek. When I washed it with Pantene shampoo it felt like it wasn't washed at all. My scalp looked so grease. I will never repurchase it again! However I am using organic products on my hair atm.

caiti42
March 28th, 2012, 04:33 AM
I personally didn't like it, but that doesn't mean that it is bad for everyone. If your hair likes it then don't give up a good thing!

MaiCarInMtl
March 28th, 2012, 08:14 AM
Works for my hair but I don't use it at the moment - I'm trying to work through my stash and trying to figure out what my hair likes.

Like a few others, I would like to know what the rest of the results were for the demo in which Diamond.Eyes participated.

HintOfMint
March 28th, 2012, 09:07 AM
You know, I've known some ladies who use Pantene religiously. These same women say that if they stop using it, their hair is terrible looking and feeling. But when they use Pantene, their hair is shiny, soft, and manageable.

To me, that isn't a sign that Pantene is actually beneficial for their hair—to me, that's a sign that Pantene is covering up a lot of damage to their hair that has occurred over time, so when they stop using Pantene, the product starts coming off and the damage is revealed.

Thus, I don't think Pantene is really all that great if you want to treat and get rid of damage, because all it would be doing is covering it up and you wouldn't be able to see it. I think Pantene is good for a "once in a while" effect, though, but certainly not something to keep the hair in a natural state of healthiness.

I also think that because of all the silicone in it, it can kill a lot of waves, even strong waves, and make it seem straighter than it is. If you go through life thinking that you have straight hair, and you treat it as such, when you stop using it, the curls and waves pop up and all of a sudden, you have no idea what to do with it. So you brush it, and treat it like straight hair, except now you have masses of frizz.

Panth
March 30th, 2012, 11:57 AM
You know, I've known some ladies who use Pantene religiously. These same women say that if they stop using it, their hair is terrible looking and feeling. But when they use Pantene, their hair is shiny, soft, and manageable.

To me, that isn't a sign that Pantene is actually beneficial for their hair—to me, that's a sign that Pantene is covering up a lot of damage to their hair that has occurred over time, so when they stop using Pantene, the product starts coming off and the damage is revealed.

Thus, I don't think Pantene is really all that great if you want to treat and get rid of damage, because all it would be doing is covering it up and you wouldn't be able to see it. I think Pantene is good for a "once in a while" effect, though, but certainly not something to keep the hair in a natural state of healthiness.

I've used Pantene masses. Various types, then switched to other things (including uber-"natural" stuff, like oil shampoo or cat nip rinses), then switched back. I have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever.

Switching off Pantene didn't reveal masses of damage (or, no more than is hidden by any other coney conditioner).

I think HintOfMint's explaination is more likely:


I also think that because of all the silicone in it, it can kill a lot of waves, even strong waves, and make it seem straighter than it is. If you go through life thinking that you have straight hair, and you treat it as such, when you stop using it, the curls and waves pop up and all of a sudden, you have no idea what to do with it. So you brush it, and treat it like straight hair, except now you have masses of frizz.

The only time I have ever had a problem with Pantene was when I ( not knowing what a mistake I was doing) spent a while using an SLS-free shampoo (Weleda) with Pantene conditioner, whilst trying to use up old bottles. Obviously, the shampoo couldn't remove the conditioner as effectively as a SLS-containing one would and I got masses of build-up and weird effects from that (mostly tangles).

TBH, Pantene is my old standby. I try stuff, use it for a few months, then revert back to Pantene. I don't see why it would be any more harmful than any other SLS-containing shampoo and cone-containing conditioner. I like the slip it gives - it's the best, and saves my hair from loads of damage it would otherwise get from tangles.

door72067
March 30th, 2012, 12:12 PM
before I went sulfate-free I used Pantene, but would have to switch every few months or so because my hair would just get unruly (I am a curly girl)

I think now it was probably the build-up and needing to clarify (which I was unaware of needing to do)

but I never saw it pull my curls out...I used the formula for curly hair

Kes
March 30th, 2012, 12:25 PM
I used Pantene repair and protect, as others have said it left my hair feeling very dry. Worst of all it made my scalp at the nape of my neck itch so badly I would scratch it until I drew blood unless I washed it every 3rd day. Since joining the LHC I CWC with Body Shop shampoo, it is longer, thicker and softer and I can now go 6/7 days between washes.

caadam
March 30th, 2012, 12:32 PM
I've used Pantene masses. Various types, then switched to other things (including uber-"natural" stuff, like oil shampoo or cat nip rinses), then switched back. I have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever.

Switching off Pantene didn't reveal masses of damage (or, no more than is hidden by any other coney conditioner).


Well, I realize that the women I do know that had the experience I described don't represent everyone. lol However, I still don't find Pantene to be the best in general, and for them and for me, it's done nothing but cover up damage and weigh hair down.

sfgirl
March 30th, 2012, 01:48 PM
I used Pantene beautiful lengths shampoo and conditioner before. I didn't mind it! The only reason I didn't switch was because I was fiercely loyal to herbal essence at the time. :)

Ravenwind
March 30th, 2012, 01:51 PM
I use Pantene Thick to Medium Dry to Moisurized shampoo. I love it! I've been using it for quite a while now and my hair is a lot softer and smoother.

Anje
March 30th, 2012, 02:25 PM
I don't use them. My personal experience is that silicones tend to make my hair get dried out a couple days after washing, so I prefer to avoid them. Pantene tends to be fairly silicone-heavy, so I stick with the cheap silicone-free stuff instead.

Not that silicones are evil -- lots of people have good luck with them, even prefer their hair with them. I'm just not one of them.

Panth
March 31st, 2012, 01:39 PM
Well, I realize that the women I do know that had the experience I described don't represent everyone. lol However, I still don't find Pantene to be the best in general, and for them and for me, it's done nothing but cover up damage and weigh hair down.

Well, see, this is the beauty of LHC - everything is really YMMV, including Pantene! :p

janeytilllie
April 1st, 2012, 04:40 AM
I use Pantene Smooth and Sleek. I switch up between Timotei Shimmer Shine and Inecto cone free conditioner.

I clarify once a month then use Inecto. My hair isn't any different. So the Pantene covering hair in wax to give an illusion of healthiness is untrue for me.

I really like using Pantene and Timotei they are my favourite conditioners.

However all our hair is different so It a YMMV really :)