Pantene & TRESemme Hair Conditioners For Fine Hair

I've decided to review these products together as I think they would suit those with fine hair or curly hair that often get weighed down by hair conditioners.

I picked up Pantene's In-shower Foam Conditioner in Superdrug when I saw it on sale for 50p and decided to give it a go. The benefit of foam conditioners is that it won't weigh down fine hair like some traditional conditioners can do. There are four in-shower foam conditioners in the range: Smooth and Sleek, Sheer Volume, Colour Protect and Repair and Protect. I bought the Repair and Protect without realising it was specifically for fine and damaged hair. It promises "air-light conditioning without the weight." It is SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) free but it does contain parabens (Methyparaben and Propylparaben.) To use it you apply a palm sized amount and run it through the hair from the roots to the tips. You wait until it's absorbed into the hair and then wash it out. The light foam texture is like egg white whipped meringue or hair mousse and felt as light as air in the palm. It has a floral/marine fresh scent which smells really nice.

I have thick hair so I'm probably not the ideal candidate for this particular Pantene in-Shower Foam Conditioner for fine and damaged hair, but I did come across some very positive reviews by people who had thick hair and loved it. I found this easy to use, you could see the foam disappearing as it absorbed into the hair and there were no problems washing it out. It was great at de-tangling my hair in the shower or when I combed my hair afterwards. My hair was softer but it didn't feel that it was very hydrating or nourished. In fact my hair ended up quite frizzy both when I used a hairdryer or air dried my hair.

When comparing it to Pantene's 'regular' hair conditioner from the Repair and Protect range, I found that there wasn't that much difference between them. Both conditioners de-tangled my hair well and made my hair softer. However the in- shower foam conditioner did make my hair frizzy on top. When I used the foam conditioner I ended up using a lot more than my 'regular' conditioner.  Neither of the hair conditioners felt they were nourishing enough to 'repair and protect' my hair. Pantene's Smooth and Sleek shampoo range seems to work better for me- my hair feels moisturised and doesn't frizz my hair as much when I use it.

I may try the Smooth and Sleek in-Shower Foam Hair Conditioner from the range as it might be better suited to me. If you have dry or over processed hair you will need something else that's much more nourishing. If you have dyed hair go for the Colour Protect. Those with fine hair would benefit most from this Pantene's In-Shower Foam Conditioner, so it's worth checking out if you fall into this group.

TRESemme Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner & Shampoo

The principle behind TRESemme's Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner and Shampoo is co-washing or reverse hair washing. This is where you apply conditioner first followed by shampoo. Tresemme's Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner and Shampoo are supposed to prevent flat, lifeless fine hair that is weighed down by traditional hair conditioners. It's also good for those with curly hair. The Pre-wash conditioner contains 'fleximax volumisers' to give hair 'bounce' and 'fibre polishing actives' that 'binds to the hair cuticle..leaving it smoothed and polished.' This conditioner does contain silicones (Dimethicone and Amodimethicone) as most conditioners do, however according to this pre wash conditioner it shouldn't have all the problems that regular conditioner can have (hair that is weighed down and flat.) It does contain two preservatives MCI and MI that can cause skin problems which isn't the greatest thing to have in the ingredients. Tresemme's Beauty-full volume Expert Pre-wash shampoo also has 'fleximax volumisers' to help 'control static, infusing your hair with volume.' You should apply the conditioner first along the length of the hair. Then leave on for 1 minute and wash thoroughly. Then you apply the shampoo. 

I absolutely love the smell of this shampoo and conditioner, it's perfumed and fresh but not overwhelming. You can smell the scent the day you wash your hair but after that it fades. Initially I used a lot of conditioner because I wondered why it wasn't lathering up- before I realised that it was conditioner so it won't lather-silly me! I found that this shampoo and conditioner doesn't control oil very well. My hair looked greasy the next day (day 2) and on day 3 my hair looked flat which is the opposite of what it claims to do. I'm not sure if co-washing works for me or if it's these products, but I suspect it's co-washing as my hair type is completely different from the one it benefits most. Instead of fine or curly hair I have thick, straight hair where volume or static isn't really a problem but I do get oily roots. Because it didn't work well for me I won't be buying it. However if you have curly or fine hair that doesn't get greasy quickly I still think TRESemme Beauty-full volume shampoo and conditioner are worth trying out.

Let me know about your experiences of Co-Washing. Has it worked for you?