The makers of Pantene are out to fix bad hair, and I’m not sure I’m buying it. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, shampoo sales for this drug-store darling slipped considerably in 2009, leaving the company scratching it’s, um, head, and scrambling to reinvent the brand. Pantene’s new campaign features product categories like “Frizzy to Smooth,” aimed to solve common hair challenges. Who knows if the formulas have actually changed or if this is just a matter of rewording. The company also redesigned the packaging so it’s easier to spot on shelves. Since I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used Pantene products (they always felt a bit too chemical), I took the bait and bought the Flat to Full shampoo for $4. It was just OK. Definitely too squeaky clean (ie drying) for my taste. I’m just one person though, so wondered what you all think of Pantene—do you use it? Love it? Leave your rants/raves below!
Filed Under: bad hair day, conditioner, flat to full, frizzy to smooth, pantene, shampoo
I use Pantene, but don’t love it. In fact, I use one product for long hair on the back of my hair, and a different one for body on the crown. I just can’t bring myself to spend big bucks on products at the salon.
I have fine hair, luckily a lot of it, and I am prone to dryness/damage, which can make fine hair flat.
A lot of people want to use volumizing shampoo’s but for me, they just dried my hair out more and make it flat.
I have been using Shu Uemura, Bumble and Bumble and even though I love both of those lines the reality is, I am a college student. $50 for a bottle of shampoo is not in my current budget, even $25 is not in my budget.
So, decided to try to Pantene Fine hair shampoo and conditioner for wait, what? Fine hair that is prone to dryness? No way! Someone actually figured that out?!??!?
So far, so good. My hair is smooth, full, bouncy and shiny. I am giving it a thumbs up and I am picky.
Suzy, I also have fine hair, complicated by dryness. Thanks for your input. I just may give iPantene a try.
Thanks, BB, for your sacrifice in using your own lovely self to test so many beauty products for your fan club.
@Suzy and @Barb – I have the same problem! And I have the shampoo for you: Sojourn. It’s from Elan Sassoon, Vidal’s son, and it’s incredibly gentle and non-drying but much more volumizing than the Pantene. More important: It’s very reasonably priced for a salon line. Here’s a locator: http://www.sojournbeauty.com/distribution%20finder.html
I’ve used Pantene (for color treated hair) for almost 2 decades, and probably through multiple formulations. I stick with it because of the many compliments I’ve recieved from colorists and their assistants about my healthy hair. Of course I don’t know if my hair is healthy in spite of or because of the Pantene products. : ) However, my hair seems to be the opposite type of the other commenters–coarse and oily.
No Pantene for me. Way too chemical filled. Tested on animals. Blech. There are lovely eco- & animal-friendly products available and they are the only ones I use on my hair. Frizzy to smooth is just not as important as the quality of ingredients and the treatment of animals.
I find Pantene to be just like Head & Shoulders – - good to use in my fine, straight hair every once and a while and for no more than just a few days in succession. I usually keep a travel size around for these once and a while washes. When I do use it, my hair turns out shiney and smooth and appears healthy. I don’t have dandruff issues, but H&S seems to have the same effect for me. My sis-in-law has the same success with the once and a while H&S wash – last I checked.
Yish, I’m not a fan of most of Pantene’s products. My main beef is the residue-y feeling it leaves. I have used their detangler/leave-in conditioner off and on for years now, though, and hope that it still exists now that they’ve reinvented their lines.
I used to use pantene and it always left a film on my scalp. Gross. Once I switched to Biolage my hair immediately perked up. Problem is, Biolage is kinda pricey. Thanks for your input on alternative, less expensive shampoos. I just might give em a try!
Being the ingredient snob I am, I won’t touch it!