For cheaper products, is there a catch?

by thecollegegirl 15th June 2010, 3:48 pm

hey everyone! i'm a new natural & i've been transitionning for about 7 months. i'm in college & on a budget so, i'm trying to find the best products i can get to take care of my hair at good prices.

i'm reading on this board that a lot of people like Suave conditioners & shampoos but I went on online & looked up the ingredients:

For Suave Coconut Naturals Shampoo:

Water (Aqua), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate,
Ammonium, Chloride, Cocamide MEA, PEG-5 Cocamide, Glycol Distearate,
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance (Parfum), Hydroxypropyl
Methylcellulose, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin,
Citric Acid, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl
Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate [Vitamin E Acetate],
Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Silk Amino Acids, Methylisothiazolinone,
Honey, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)
Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract

Why are there sulfates in this?
I guess my main question is:

In terms of conditioners & shampoos, are the cheaper products lower in quality?
i thought sulfates were bad for hair (I have 4a type hair)

by BajanPrincess82 15th June 2010, 3:53 pm

I personally don't like the Suave conditioners and never tried their shampoos. In my opionion Herbal Essence (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, Long-term Relation) and Garnier Fructisse Sleek and Shine are better cheap conditioners. Actually, they are the main ones that I use.

And yes, sulfates aren't good for your hair or skin. They are very drying.

by ChrsLvsBks 15th June 2010, 4:04 pm

BajanPrincess82 wrote:I personally don't like the Suave conditioners and never tried their shampoos. In my opionion Herbal Essence (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, Long-term Relation) and Garnier Fructisse Sleek and Shine are better cheap conditioners. Actually, they are the main ones that I use.

And yes, sulfates aren't good for your hair or skin. They are very drying.

I agree. Others include Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Conditioner, Aussie Moist, Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Shea Mango and Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil.

Typically these brands have a number of chemicals that are not natural so they are cheaper to make. You can definitely use them and get great results.

by Ebbz 15th June 2010, 4:06 pm

I am a college student as well and I always buy cheap products. I use Suave Conditioner and I love it. It does a good job detangling my hair and I get alot for my money. Herbal Essence is a cheap line and I've heard MANY great reviews on their products, especially shampoos and conditioners. I am using Garnier Fructis now and I have no problem with it. I think the best answer would probably come from someone who has used both cheap products and more expensive products.

by ChrsLvsBks 15th June 2010, 4:14 pm

I have used both cheap and online products. I definitely can vouch to the "awesomeness" of HE HH, Aussie Moist, GF TNF and GF SS.

by moonchild 15th June 2010, 4:27 pm

Have you tried Trader Joe's Nourish Spa shampoo and conditioner? No sulfates in either and I know there are no cones in the conditioner (not 100% on the shampoo). They're $2.99 a bottle and really great. I add oils and honey to the conditioner for a deep conditioner and have gotten great results, but you can cowash with it too.

I also use Suave Almond & Shea for cowashes b/c I like the smell and it works well. HEHH is ok, but I'm not a huge fan.

As for the spendy products, I use Kinky Curly Knot Today as my leave in and I have to say it's well worth the $12. I bought the 8ounce bottle at the end of April and I have about 1/4 left. I use it as a leave in 2x a week and set my twists (mixed with $3 aloe vera gel from Trader Joe's) almost every day, so it definitely lasts.

Good luck!

by Karyn 15th June 2010, 4:34 pm

ChrsLvsBks wrote:
BajanPrincess82 wrote:I personally don't like the Suave conditioners and never tried their shampoos. In my opionion Herbal Essence (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, Long-term Relation) and Garnier Fructisse Sleek and Shine are better cheap conditioners. Actually, they are the main ones that I use.

And yes, sulfates aren't good for your hair or skin. They are very drying.
I agree. Others include Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Conditioner, Aussie Moist, Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Shea Mango and Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil.

Typically these brands have a number of chemicals that are not natural so they are cheaper to make. You can definitely use them and get great results.

do you use this? i have it and right now i'm actually dc-ing with it (mixed with various other things). i was curious as to how other people use it and get good results.

by MeMyHair&theCity 15th June 2010, 4:43 pm

I agree with moonchild. I have spent some serious cash on shampoos & conditioners but, I find that Trader Joes Nourish spa has been the best for my hair & my pocket.

As moonchild said, there are no sulfates or cones in either product but, they do contain parabens (a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries -Wikipedia ). at the very bottom of the ingredients list.

by bholmes87 15th June 2010, 4:47 pm

Karyn I deep condition with the Lustrasilk before I shampoo. I guess technically it's a pre-poo but sometimes I pree-poo overnight in that case! The one I have has mineral oil in it but I still like how it words Smile

I try not to use things with mineral oil (esp. Pink lotion) but all the other "non natural" ingredients are alright by me!!!

by ChrsLvsBks 15th June 2010, 4:51 pm

Karyn wrote:
ChrsLvsBks wrote:
BajanPrincess82 wrote:I personally don't like the Suave conditioners and never tried their shampoos. In my opionion Herbal Essence (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, Long-term Relation) and Garnier Fructisse Sleek and Shine are better cheap conditioners. Actually, they are the main ones that I use.

And yes, sulfates aren't good for your hair or skin. They are very drying.
I agree. Others include Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Conditioner, Aussie Moist, Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Shea Mango and Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil.

Typically these brands have a number of chemicals that are not natural so they are cheaper to make. You can definitely use them and get great results.

do you use this? i have it and right now i'm actually dc-ing with it (mixed with various other things). i was curious as to how other people use it and get good results.

Not yet, I plan on trying each of the Lustrasilk conditioners listed.

by Karyn 15th June 2010, 5:02 pm

bholmes87 wrote:Karyn I deep condition with the Lustrasilk before I shampoo. I guess technically it's a pre-poo but sometimes I pree-poo overnight in that case! The one I have has mineral oil in it but I still like how it words

I try not to use things with mineral oil (esp. Pink lotion) but all the other "non natural" ingredients are alright by me!!!

i pre-pooed with it too! well, i mixed it with evoo and left it on overnight and my hair felt so soft. i don't know why i never tried pre-pooing before! it's awesome Very Happy

ChrsLvsBks wrote:
Karyn wrote:
ChrsLvsBks wrote:
BajanPrincess82 wrote:I personally don't like the Suave conditioners and never tried their shampoos. In my opionion Herbal Essence (Hello Hydration, Totally Twisted, Long-term Relation) and Garnier Fructisse Sleek and Shine are better cheap conditioners. Actually, they are the main ones that I use.

And yes, sulfates aren't good for your hair or skin. They are very drying.
I agree. Others include Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Conditioner, Aussie Moist, Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol, Lustrasilk Shea Mango and Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil.

Typically these brands have a number of chemicals that are not natural so they are cheaper to make. You can definitely use them and get great results.

do you use this? i have it and right now i'm actually dc-ing with it (mixed with various other things). i was curious as to how other people use it and get good results.
Not yet, I plan on trying each of the Lustrasilk conditioners listed.

ah okay. thanks

sorry op for hijacking your thread! ita with hehh and tj's nourish spa being an amazing cheapie conditioner. henna is also pretty cheap, as well as shea butter.

by thecollegegirl 15th June 2010, 6:32 pm

so how can i distinguish between water soluble cones & non-water soluble ones?

& what's worse: sulfates or parabens?

by HappyCurly 15th June 2010, 7:16 pm

I think it depends on your hair as to what is worse. I would pick a paraben over a sulfate.

most products have some sort of preservative. if they didn't, they would get moldy while we wait to buy them. some products don't have parabens, but they have other preservatives that may be just as harmful. so i've just accepted that i'll be using some sort of preservative in my hair. aubrey's makes its own preservative, which they say is better than the regular chemicals.

I don't have to accept using a sulfate, so i don't use one. my scalp isn't dry immediately after i wash it, and i think that may be because i don't use anything with sulfates anymore.

The trader joe's nourish is good , i've used it once. i like the trader joe's tea tree tingle also, that's what i use every week. i know both have preservatives, but i feel like they don't do too much damage in the short time they are in, and i wash them out really well.

by BajanPrincess82 15th June 2010, 8:27 pm

I used to wonder why my hair was so dry and tangled after using certain shampoos...come to find out, they all had sulfates in them! Once I went back to my tried and true shampoo (the old version/formula of Creme of Nature) my hair felt soft, moisturized, and detangled much easier.

by **Lynnieluve** 15th June 2010, 8:43 pm

I'm a "rebel" natural. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I use a sulfate shampoo as well as sulfate free shampoos. The only sulfate shampoo I used is Creme of Nature. It does not dry my hair out and I can detangle my hair with the shampoo. Yes detangle my hair with shampoo. When I rinse it out, my hair is clean but not stripped.

You have to do what's best for your hair though.

by CurlsGalore 17th June 2010, 11:47 pm

OP: It will really come down to trial and error. Like Lynnie and BHolmes, I've used products with a cone and sulfates and no harm done. You may be surprised what your hair will agree with in the long run. Just don't invest in pricey products, because the cheap ones work well, if not better. Just listen to your hair and you will learn what works for you.

by krissyc39 18th June 2010, 2:35 am

Burt's bees has a milk and shea butter bar soap that I got from publix for $3.99. I haven't tried it on my hair but it leaves my face feeling soft and moisturized. I hope it does the same for my hair!

Will try it on my hair soon and give an update

by ChrsLvsBks 18th June 2010, 9:39 am

thecollegegirl wrote:so how can i distinguish between water soluble cones & non-water soluble ones?

& what's worse: sulfates or parabens?

The website LiveCurlyLiveFree.com has a list of the water and non-water soluble 'cones.

by SuperBadd 18th June 2010, 11:19 am

I use the Lustrasilk Mango Butter Cholesterol and I have to say I like it....I've just started using it so I can't wait to see what it does to my hair in a couple of weeks.

by hippychic 18th June 2010, 5:15 pm

i'm modified curly girl! i use suave naturals shampoo in green apple. yes, it has sulfates. yes, it feels better on my hair than any natural shampoo i've ever used (trader joe, aubrey organics, curls for target, other wholefoods brands). all of the natural shampoos left my hair brittle, straw-like and extremely thirsty for moisture. i recently discovered wholefoods 365 brand shampoo. this felt nice(r) on my hair. left me no where near as thirsty as the other shampoos but still not better than suave naturals.

by Brainiac 18th June 2010, 5:58 pm

cheap products mean cheap results. Its best to use all natural products when comes to our hair. Like essential oils for moisturie. A lot of cheap products you find at local stores and and beauty stores like Sally's have harmful ingredients in them and can strip away hair's texture.

It's best to by products online at a reasonable price. Komaza Hair Care and Butters-N-Bars are good places. Both sell products dedeciated to black hair.

by KnottyKinkyMommy 21st June 2010, 7:16 pm

Ummm, there are many cheap (as in cost) products that don't have such horrible ingredients and that actually work. You just have to search and read the labels

A few suggestions....

Shampoo & Conditioner:
These 2 products can be found at most drugstores usually buy one get one free for $6.99:
Renpure Organics Moisturizing Shampoo (red bottle) (sulfate free)
Renpure Organics Moisturizing Conditioner (red bottle) (cone free)

A cheap Deep Conditioner for about 4 bucks and can be purchased anywhere:
A Cholesterol Treatment (there are some that are cone free just read the label)

Moisturizer/Leave-In:
Plane Old Shea Butter (5 bucks at most)
Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier (8 bucks)
Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In (8/9 bucks)

Sealant
Castor Oil (this stuff is the bizzness if you want soft hair and you can find it at any grocery or drugstore for about 5 bucks)

by krissyc39 24th June 2010, 1:21 pm

I'm in Jamaica right now and it's really funny how no one knows anything about Jamaican black castor oil. *Sigh*

by wyldhoney 24th June 2010, 3:06 pm

I think 'Jamaican Black Castor Oil' is just regular castor oil in Jamaica. Ask them for the local or homemade castor oil, you might have more luck.

(That's what it's called in St. Lucia, YMMV)

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