I am so confused about hair products.  I've been reading most of the day and I'm more confused than ever.  What is a good, cheap, shampoo and conditioner?Is Suave ok?  That's what I use because I can afford it.  Does this mean I need to clarify?  How does one clarify? ??? ??? ??? :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/
The last time I was successful at growing my hair I didn't even think about it.  Now that I'm thinking about it I'm afraid I'll fail because of making poor choices.  Any help would be greatly apprecited.  Thanks.

Hey Nancy,

If Suave works for you, great! I'd recommend going with their more expensive shampoos & conditioners, though. Like the Daily Moisture and Humectant, etc. But some people actually fare just fine with the cheap stuff (lucky ducks).

I used Suave from childhood through late teens, but it ravaged my hair badly. I had terrible dry, split ends.  :(  So then I switched to Herbal Essences for a number of years & liked it a lot, then finally switched to Pantene. I find I'm still switching around these days.  :-/

The problems that I personally experienced with Suave was that 1.) the shampoo was way too harsh & contained a lot of ammonia, 2.) the conditioner was far too thin & did absolutely zilch for my hair, 3.) the formulas combined gave my hair a "gummy" feel & made my hairs rub together & stick to each other, causing horrible tangles.  :(
   But there are pros and cons to just about everything, I guess.

What I suggest is to just get out there & try everything. Cheap stuff, salon products & everything in between. That way, you'll know exactly what works for your hair, what doesn't and whether there's a cheaper product that works just as well. Plus, your needs & hair can change over time, so it's good to switch things out when that happens.

Clarifying is essentially clearing your hair of dirt, oils, conditioners & everything else that's on it. You've probably seen shampoos labeled "clarifying." These work well, and you can also use vinegar rinses instead or in addition.
   If you use a shampoo that does not contain cones, you could get by with just using a vinegar rinse. If you normally use a shampoo that does contain cones, you're probably better off using a clarifying shampoo once a week.

Vinegar rinses are quite simply a little vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar) mixed with a lot of water & poured over the hair. Most people here use apple cider vinegar (ACV), but I use white distilled. I pour a little bit of it into the bottom of a 1 Liter or 32 oz. water bottle, fill the rest up with cold water & shake like crazy to mix.

But yeah, since you're new here, I'd encourage you just to try this and try that. Whatever appeals to you. That way you'll likely find something that works wonderfully for your hair and possibly stumble across something new & great that none of us here know about yet.  ;)

Just remember to take it in stride. It's not the end of the world if you do something "wrong." Even if it feels that way.  ;)

Peace!

Angel Spun--

So, you're no hair guru?   You seem to be mine anyway! ;D

Thanks for your help, again it is much appreciated.

For cheap stuff,maybe you'd want to try the Dove line.  Some of them if not all contain no cones.  That is what I heard,but I haven't read the list of ingredients to be honest with you.  You might also want to try something in the health store thats all natural.  Good luck!

lol you're too sweet, Nancy.  ;)  I thank you.

Curlgirl is right about there being no cones in Dove, but they do contain oil. The last time I looked, they were more expensive than Pantene!  :o

I use Suave Milk&Honey conditioner.. I'm absolutely in Loooooooove with the smell.  It also has JoJoba oil in it, and, unlike Angel, I like the fact that it's a light conditioner.  My hair tends to get weighed down easily, and I prefer a lighter conditioner.  But everyone's different.

I also use a vinegar rinse to clarify, but some people use a clarifying shampoo or conditioner and like that better.

That said, everyone's hair is different!  So it all depends on what you like, what works, when it works.  Me, I love to change shapoos all the time, never been really stuck on one brand, though I tend to buy the "moisturizing" kind.  I might suggest trying the little travel-sized bottles you find at the drugstore... that way, you can try a variety of things without shelling out a lot of cash for a large bottle of something you may not use all of.

My washing products are cheap and good: Chagrin Valley all natural shampoo bars and vinegar rinse. ;D
With these shampoo bars, I can skip rinse out conditioner. For leave in, I use a couple of drops of jojoba oil and that's it. The bars are big, cost around $5, and one bar lasts a long time- way longer than liquid shampoos.
   Shampoo bars don't suit for everyone, but for many people, they produce great results. I also like how simple the washing routine with a shampoo bar is. They can be bought in sample size first (cost a bit over $1), and if they don't work for your hair, you can use them as body soap.

Vinegar rinse is supposed to clarify a little, but essentially it balances pH and gives hair extra slip. I do a clarifying treatment 3 or 4 times a year. I mix some baking soda with a natural conditioner, wash my hair with the mix, rinse and immediately follow with a deep treatment. My hair seems to like this. Clarifying treatments shouldn't be done too often though because they can dry hair- essentially they strip hair of all product residue and oils, also the good ones. That's also why clarifying should always be followed with a deep treatment that deposits moisture back to the hair.

Galadriel-

I'm so glad you mentioned the Chagrin Valley shampoo bars.  I've been wanting to try them but I got a little scared when I read about the hard water thing.  I thought I might try, someday.....the Rosemary Mint or the Rosemary Lavender Aloe bars.....any suggestions? ;D

Yes, shampoo bars can react with hard water. The water where I live is very soft, so I haven't many ideas on how to soften water. Shower filters might help..?

I have tried both Rosemary Mint and Rosemary Lavender Aloe. They have very nice, fresh scents (esp. Rosemary Lavender Aloe has a strong scent, but it gets quickly milder in shelf). They are perhaps most similar two shampoo bars I've tried: both are light and fresh. They are T's favorites, but I like Summer Sunshine and Lavender Spice even better.