Thread: Wen Hair Care System

Has anyone tried this hair care product? I am considering it but I am not sure. It's kind f pricey, but I think it would help my hair and especially help my daughters hair. I color my hair and found out recently that I am hypothyroid and my hair is falling out and the texture has changed. It's not as healthy as it used to be.
My daughter has started coloring her hair and she has very very think extremely curly hair. He hair doesn't even get all wet in the shower. That's how thick and curly her hair is. I'm hoping to get some honest reviews/feedback from people who have tried this.

I've tried it and liked it okay. I've also tried a knock-off from Sally that is much cheaper called "one".

Both are essentially a conditioner-only washing system. You can actually wash your hair with any clean-rinsing conditioner (most conditioners have enough surfactants to wash away excess scalp oils). I've also used several of the L'oreal vive pro conditioners to wash my hair.

Basically, you take a generous amount of the product and work it into your scalp. You have to use a larger volume of conditioner than you would shampoo, and more than you would use if you were following a shampoo with conditioner.

Work it in very well and let it set on your head while you do the rest of your showering. Rinse.

That is all. The benefits are that it gets rid of excess oil without overly stripping your hair.

Both Wen and One have lots of silicones, which can over time build up on your hair. But you can do a conditioner-only method with silicone-free conditioners too.

Oh, Mahira I never forget a redhead! I remember now that your daughter was with you at a workshop in St. Louis a while back, Right? I can't remember who, maybe Amel Tafsout or Nourhan Sharif.

Conditioner only is really good for curly hair. It is part of the "Curly Girl" method that is used by many curly-haired people with great success.

it has silicone's? but they say it's all natural. huh, well that alone might make me stay away from it.

Are the Argan based products any use to you? I have thick curly hair and it makes mine nice and soft yet more "controlled". They do claim to be silicone free but of course many are produced just "using" argan oil and may have additives

Originally Posted by ssipes

Oh, Mahira I never forget a redhead! I remember now that your daughter was with you at a workshop in St. Louis a while back, Right? I can't remember who, maybe Amel Tafsout or Nourhan Sharif.

Conditioner only is really good for curly hair. It is part of the "Curly Girl" method that is used by many curly-haired people with great success.

yep. ;-) she was with me, It was Aradia. we've tried the curly girl method and it didn't really do much for her. Her hair keeps getting funky from leave in conditioners. Like it doesn't all get cleaned out. Mine it just made it greasy.

Originally Posted by lplmuk

Are the Argan based products any use to you? I have thick curly hair and it makes mine nice and soft yet more "controlled". They do claim to be silicone free but of course many are produced just "using" argan oil and may have additives

hmm, not sure. I'll look into that one.

Have you tried a simple apple cider vinegar rinse? Haven't encountered anyone who's tried it without result yet. It'll remove silicone (and any other) buildup, too, should you want to try out a product with that stuff in.

I was kinda weirded out by the Wen, because it does not really lather, but I only had a sample and wasn't able to get more than a couple of washes out of it.

I do a modified Curly Girl, no -poo method. I HAVE to wash my hair with shampoo one to two times a week - unless I get really sweaty, in which case it has to be washed more.

When I apply conditioner, I put whole bunch in my hands (like shooter marble size), and rub together, and then apply to my hair from the tips up to the roots (so the most is at the tips), working through my hair. Then I take the tips and vigrously rub them in to the roots. Then I take a big butterfly clip and clip the whole mass of hair onto the top of my head. Then I take the rest of my shower. When I'm all done with the rest of me, I rinse out the conditioner. While I still have a lot of water in my hair, I take a nickel sized dollap of the same conditioner, and mix it in with a nickel sized dollap of this serum that I have. Again, I apply at the roots, and work it up through the roots. Then I take a comb and comb the mixture through my whole head. (Then I dry off...)

Once out of the shower, I "plop" my hair to dry it - making sure to not use a terry cloth towel (I use one of those super large flour sack/dish drying towels). I let it dry in the towel while I'm getting dressed. When I apply product and dry it this way, it seems to not get overly greasy, and I don't get that cruncy wet curls look.

FINALLY I take a blow dryer with a Hot Sock diffuser, flip all my hair over my head, and gently scrunch while blow drying. After a minute or so bent over, I flip all the hair to one side and repeat the drying, then flip to the other and dry some more, and then stand straight up and dry some more. I repeat this method until my hair is about 80% dry, and then let it air dry.

It seems like a lot (ok, well it kinda is, but you get used to it). It makes a big difference when I don't do it - it's totally noticeable.

Really, you just have to keep playing around with different methods and products until you find one that works for you - which sucks, because I hate buying a product and then totally hating it.

I've really learned a lot about my curly hair from Naturallycurly.com. I think Robin told you about the really great stylist that I found up here in Milwaukee from using the salon locater on their website - maybe it could help you find one closer to you...

The product that I'm currently using is called Davines. I've been using the "Love Curl" stuff, but for the summer I'm going to switch to the "Momo Moist" on the recommendation of my stylist (he suggests using the different ones in different seasons to accomodate how much mositure is in the air). You can get it online from Target (for me, it's WAY cheaper that way than from the salon).

Good luck!!!

Wen bills itself as a "cleansing conditioner" when, actually, all conditioners are cleansing conditioners. It is pretty much all silicone, so your hair will look better for a bit, then get funky from the silicone layer.

Also, $50 a month?! Forget it. It's the same thing as buying a bottle of VO5 conditioner (and no silicone!) for $1.

Consider trying the regular curly girl method. no shampoo.
I swear by the 365 fragrance free conditioner for this method. (I was shocked by the bad reviews on the site. I love this stuff and have never had a reaction to it. And my skin is very sensitive...)
365 Everyday Value Fragrance Free Conditioner | WholeFoodsMarket.com
And its cheap too! Like $6 for the large bottle :)
A great leave in for thick curly hair.

The WEN stuff is way overpriced and I'm not impressed with the ingredients either.

I super curly hair and I've been using Aveda's Be Curly conditioner and curl enhancer for 10 years (since it came out). I shampoo once every 3 months.

I am WEN girl, and I love it. I am also an auburn haired girl with natural waves/curls.

The WEN system is actually really good...it isn't the same as regular $1 V05 conditioner at all. There are actually extra cleansing agents that are in them, to help get rid of oils, hair sprays and gels, etc. Depending on which formula you use, the cleansing ingredients might be tea tree oil, lavendar, mint, etc. My lavendar, for instance, feels like Noxema on my head from the cleansing ingredients in it. When I rinse it out, my scalp feels the same way your face might after using Noxema or an astringent on it. It isn't straight conditioner.

The key is using the right WEN for your hair type. Ethnic hair, extremely coarse, damaged, etc. need to use the FIG. This is the richest, most moisturizing. Fine hair, or hair that is limp needs the Lavendar. People with scalp issues, dandruff, etc. need the Tea Tree formula. Almond Mint and Pomegranate are good for normal hair.

I love it...and the WEN polishing cream and volumizing spray have completely replaced my normal gel and hairspray...and my hair color (I touch up grays) doesn't fade from WEN.

AMambriehlmagycblade, I'm glad that Wen works for you. But Wen and V05 from the drugstore are almost identical, except that Wen has silicone.

Both have Water and Cetyl alcohol as main ingredients, and cetyl alcohol is a cleanser, but it is a gentle surfectant. Wen has Glycerin as the second ingredient, this gives hair "slip", but V05 lists this a later (Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate). They each then have their mystery 'herbs and spices' - even cheap or drugstore conditioners have those. Wen then has some additional surfectants, silicone, and preservatives while V05 has surfectants and preservatives.

Those “cleansing agents” are mild surfectants that are in both products. Lavendar, mint, etc aren't in themselves cleansers. (AMambriehlmagycblade's scalp feels like she used noxema, for example, because Wen has added in menthol to that product.)

Wen, like any As Seen on TV product, takes old stuff and repackages it - Wen is a conditioner. All conditioners are cleansing conditioners because they have surfectants that gently cleanse. All conditioners will not fade hair color as quickly because they don't have the detergents and sulfates of shampoos. And shampooing your hair like they direct you in the infomercial will give you benefits from any shampoo or conditioner you use because you are not going to rough up your hair cuticle as much.

I’ve used both, and have the same results with cheap conditioner. I think people should use whatever works best for them, Wen or drugstore conditioner, but there’s (unfortunately) no miracle ingredient in either.

Oh, here's the ingredients from both too -

WEN Sweet Almond Mint -
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat, Protein, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polysorbate 60, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Amodimethicone, Citric Acid, Menthol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum, Limonene.

V05 Calming Chamomile Conditioner -
Water (Agua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Stearalkonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth 21, Glyceryl Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sorbitol, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Helianthus

I don't know...I mean, most baked goods contain flour as a main ingredient, but they don't all taste the same. A Hostess Twinkie is not the same as my grandmother's german chocolate cake from scratch. The main ingredient in both would be flour. ;)

From a recipe standpoint (listing ingredients) you can't really tell at all what the ratio of all of the ingredients are. They are only listed in order of what there is more of. Even if we were talking about regular shampoos...(I am a licensed cosmetologist, by the way) both VO5 and Biolage or Nexxus might have the same first ingredient or two...but it is the recipe that is different, and they don't do the same for the hair.

Window cleaner is another example. In my opinion, generic window cleaners that I have always purchased streak my mirrors. Windex doesn't. They both contain ammonia, but the recipes/amounts of each ingredient are off.

I am just saying, that one can't knock a product unless they try it themselves, and see how it does on their hair. I can say that WEN's polishing creme/styling creme is the only thing that has ever made my hair NOT be a big frizzball in the humidity...and I have tried every brand of gel or pomade or frizz treatment for curly hair or frizz.

Tea tree oil?! Hm, I'm glad I randomly dipped into this thread - I've considered Wen before but am REALLY allergic to tea tree oil. Scratch that one!

As a thick-haired girl myself, I second the suggestion of the argan oil. It works very well with my thick, coarse hair - keeping it moisturised and supple instead of crazy frizz.

I once considered WEN, and thought I could buy it locally - thank God I couldn't! Since then I watched the commercial a few times and became very annoyed about some of the things they said or did. For example in the beginning they say you only need 1 product instead of the 5-6 products we may use when using traditional methods, but at the end they list all their products that you should get, not one, but 3 or 4. Maybe it's just me, but things like that annoy me.
Also, when the main girl, Alissa Milano (sp?) shows up with her dry, coarse hair, claiming she used a regular shampoo, conditioner - yeah right!!
Anyways, rant over :))

My question is: if i use just a good conditioner, like you ladies described, will I see the difference after 1 use or it would take several? I washed my hair with just conditioner once or twice, but my hair didn't feel that clean after that, it didn't have the shine, it was soft, but somehow too heavy, but not in a good way, if that makes sense. Maybe I used a cheaper conditioner, and that was the problem, or should I continue and then over time I will see the difference?

Originally Posted by Marianna

My question is: if i use just a good conditioner, like you ladies described, will I see the difference after 1 use or it would take several? I washed my hair with just conditioner once or twice, but my hair didn't feel that clean after that, it didn't have the shine, it was soft, but somehow too heavy, but not in a good way, if that makes sense. Maybe I used a cheaper conditioner, and that was the problem, or should I continue and then over time I will see the difference?

Did you use a lot of the conditioner? You have to use a lot to do a good conditioner-only wash. You have to work quite a bit into your scalp and spend more time massaging it from scalp to ends than you would for regular shampoo.

If that doesn't work (or if you've already done that), you might try a cleaner-rinsing conditioner. Or go to Sally Beauty and try One, the wen knock off. It is not that expensive if I recall.

Thank you! I don't think I did it right, I just used the conditioner the same way I would have used it after shampoo. I will try it the way you suggested.

Actually there is a really good set of shampoo and conditioner I've been using. They sell it at Henry's / Sprout's, whatever the name is these days, in California. The brand is Dessert Essence (they have a website with the same name), and their line of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion are awesome! I like the coconut, I use the shampoo / cond as much as i can, but they get used up fast. ($8 for each can get expensive, for me).
The ingredients say no parabens, sulfates, silicones, petroleum or glycol based ingeredients. Most of the ingredients are water, a LOT of plants extracts, some oils, and the rest that I assume are not all natural are citric acid, dehudroacetic acid, glycerin, cetrimonium chloride. This is good, right?
It always leaves my hair soft.

Originally Posted by Marianna

The ingredients say no parabens, sulfates, silicones, petroleum or glycol based ingeredients. Most of the ingredients are water, a LOT of plants extracts, some oils, and the rest that I assume are not all natural are citric acid, dehudroacetic acid, glycerin, cetrimonium chloride. This is good, right?
It always leaves my hair soft.

Personally, I think most "all-natural" hair care products are all marketing hype. If you like what the product does and can afford it, then really that is what is important.

"Natural" is a completely meaningless word. Ingredients from plants can be and are just as dangerous/toxic/harmful/irritating as synthetic ingredients. Wigglewhiz's allergy to tea tree oil being a good example.

Parabens are probably not good, but they are used in tiny tiny amounts, and in the case of haircare products, most of that is in contact with your skin for a very short time and then rinsed away. They are preservatives, meaning they keep bacteria and fungi from growing in the product. Just about every preservative that does its job is toxic to some degree. Paraben free just means they are using some other preservative that is not a hot buzz word in the media. The alternative is to use only solid products that won't support microbial growth at all, like old-fashioned soap bars and raw shea butter.

Sulfates like sds are strong surfactants. So, if they dry your hair and skin out too much, sure, using less or using products with slightly weaker surfactants would probably be good.

Petroleum products? Why is this necessarily bad? If you are worried about your ecological footprint, you need to worry about how much petroleum was used in the manufacture, marketing, and transport of the product more than the ingredients used in it.

Silicones are not necessarily bad, not for everyone. My hair is fluffier and more vouminous without silicones, but it also breaks much more easily without silicones. Also, not all silicone-containing compounds are the same -- some are less water soluable than others and can cause build up (depending on your cleansing regimen).

I'm not sure what you mean by glycol-based ingredients. Dipropylene glycol is a common solvent used in cosmetics, and it is pretty inert.

I've been using Wen for a couple of weeks now (the lavender one), and my hair does look better and is much less frizzy. I have thick, fairly coarse (wavy), color-treated hair. I definitely use less than the quantity they recommend, though, so it is lasting longer than I thought it would, considering the price. Once my bottle is gone, I'll be trying "conditioner-only" with a conditioner with a similar ingredients list. I will say I'm pretty happy with the Wen (and I love the lavender smell) but it's not miraculous.