I've been using Jason shampoo and conditioner for over a year.  I really like both, they make my hair very shiny and manageable.  But...... temptation is always great and difficult to resist.  A month ago I decided to try a Pantene conditioner.  In the past I have used Pantene with fairly good results, but build up was always an issue.  I thought, well I know how to handle that, lets give this a try.  Having hair that was less prone to tangles is always good.  The particular conditioner is one for blondes.  It is supposed to enhance the blonde highlights and "keep color from fading".  Ok, I don't color my hair, but I figured the blonde highlights that I naturally have could use a boost.

Initially I felt the conditioner did provide good slick for my hair, but as time went on, I realized the slick was primarily on the shower floor, which was not a good thing for me in my unstable condition with my ankles.  But I was careful and continued to use it.  I thought my hair looked nice, but couldn't really tell if the blonde was being enhanced or not.

I have almost finished the bottle of conditioner (I admit it - I've been glopping it on to use it faster).  This weekend I was frustrated with tangles and hair that just didn't look good except in a bun.  Even my braids were sticking out everywhere.  So I decided to go back to my Jason conditioner.  

WOW!  Now I know I won't use the Pantene again.  I washed with the Jason shampoo, as usual (no changes there), then used about half the amount of conditioner that I had been using with the Pantene.  When I rinsed it out, immediately I felt how smooth and tangle free my hair was.  My comb thru in the shower was easy - almost no tangles to deal with.  

My hair dried faster than with the Pantene conditioner.  It had few tangles, had nice soft waves in it.  And the SHINE!!  My hair has soooo much more shine.

My unprofessional, unscientific opinion.... the Pantene conditioner was over coating the hair with who knows what.  I know there are some -cones, but I'm sure the "color enhancer" also leaves a deposit.  My guess is that is what made my hair tangle more and be less manageable.

So, the Pantene, once again will be abandoned and I will return to my Jason shampoo and conditioner.  I love the shine on my hair - the natural colors are better enhanced with the shine than with any other deposits left on the hair.

That's my story.  ;D

I love Jason too and would never change again! http://smilies.sofrayt.com/1/b0/pray.gif
Did you know Jason has a color enchancing shampoo?  I've been looking for it up here but haven't found it yet. http://smilies.sofrayt.com/1/950/captain.gif

I've been using the Henna Highlighting shampoo and conditioner.  I bought it thru Vitamin Shoppe, but they say it is discontinued.  :P  I guess it is a good thing I stocked up the last time I ordered!

Jason does have a couple of color enhancing shampoos.  The one for blondes/light brown has chamomile and marigold in it.  I might try this next time I need to get more.

Vitamin Shoppe Jason Shampoo

Bikerbraid,

  Pantene is what I have been using for months now!  I need to find some Jason conditioner and try that.  Where might I find that brand?  I would love to give it a try.

Jim

The Jason brand is typically carried at health food type stores.  I've always bought it on line at http://www.VitaminShoppe.com.  Another site that carries some of the line is http://www.drugstore.com.

Some Pantene products are not as bad as others.  Just because what I used did not work for me, does not necessarily mean it would be bad for you.  But trying something else, you might find something better!

lol BB...you sound just like me with my battle between Pantene and Herbal Essences.  ::)

The Pantene Expressions line isn't really designed to "enhance" colour, as it has no pigments to do this. Rather, it is meant to keep the colour you already have (natural or not) from fading. At least that's how it was explained to me. It was designed for colour-treated hair, so the formulas are supposed to be super gentle, which makes it ideal for natural hair, too.

Perhaps part of the reason that the conditioner didn't work well for you was because you used the Jason shampoo with it instead of the matching Pantene shampoo. Like formulas are designed to work together, so this might have been part of the problem.
   It could also be that your hair just isn't a fan of dimethicone, which is now the only cone ingredient found in Pantene products. Or it could be that the conditioners in Pantene were just too heavy for your hair.

You're right about temptation...but in the end, I find it's better to resist it and just keep going with what you know will work for you.  ;)

I've been using the Pantene Restorative shampoo,condtioner and deep conditioner and am not overly imprressed.  Hard to impress a New Yorker,I guess! :P ::)  I think I'm going to give Jason's a try.  So I either will be on the"band wagon" or not! :D

Angel Spun;
Yes - it is part of the Expressions line (couldn't think of the word this morning - argh!).  

I am usually a proponent of using the matching shampoo and conditioner, but I thought I would take that "flying leap" and just this once try to mix and match.  I think the major issue was that the conditioner was just to "heavy" for my fine hair.  I had also noticed that my hair was getting greasy/oily much faster than when I use the Jason conditioner, which is another indicator of "heavy" conditioners.

BB: I totally hear you. Only it was the shampoos that were causing the greasies for me, not the conditioners. Weird, eh?
   
I guess some hair likes it, some doesn't. I have the finest hair imaginable and yet for some reason, Pantene conditioners have been the only ones that really did a good job actually conditioning my hair and really helping with the tangles.
   But the shampoos...especially Daily Moisture Renewal - ugh!!!  >:(  :P  Just makes me want to scream.

As of now, I don't know. I like Pantene. I liked Herbal Essences until they screwed it up royally. *shrug* I think the only thing that works is to try everything.  ;)

I know Pantene works for many people and I knew they had reformulated since the last time I had used it, that's why I gave it a try.  I guess we all come back to "if it works, don't change!".  [Except for the occasional curiousity "test".  ;D]

I've been a die-hard pantene user for um-teen years now, it was always pantene, and nothing but.  But lately I've just been less impressed with the results I've been getting, so I decided to venture into the unknown.  At my last hair appt I treated myself to a (way too expensive) bottle of shampoo and the matching conditioner & after seeing the continued results I'm going to have a hard time going back to Pantene.  Alterna "Life" is the brand name, there's no cones in them (unlike Pantene) and a lot of natural extracts, and my hair is loving it!  I'm still using Pantene once every few days to slow down the use of the Alterna, but hands down, I have to say that it's a far better product than my old faithful.  Sorry Pantene, but it's true.  I'm not sure what I'll do once I've used up all of the good stuff, I just can't justify spending almost $40 every time I run out of shampoo and conditioner, that's ludicrous!  But it is darn good... ::)

Welcome to the world of wonderers.  What shampoo and conditioner will work best for **ME**?

I've not heard of Alterna "Life" before.  Sounds wonderful.  But now that you have ventured out and tried something new, maybe you can find another product that is less expensive and still gives good results?  Giovanni and Jason are two of my favorites - they are not cheap, but not as expensive as your latest find.

Quote:

it was always pantene, and nothing but.  But lately I've just been less impressed with the results I've been getting...

That's my story in a nutshell. To say I've been "less impressed" would be a grave understatement. There were times that I've been flat-out horrified with the results I've been getting from Pantene lately.
   I think they drastically changed something in their shampoos that makes them disgustingly greasy. It might have something to do with the fact that dimethicone is the 5th ingredient. I don't know... but whatever they did, they should undo ASAP!!

Sadly, I haven't found anything in the mean time that I've liked just as well (or better).  :-/

Personally, I don't like to use dimethicone.  It is heavy, and harder to remove than most.  I believe Pantene uses it because it is cheap.

As a "Conditioner Only" user, I look for what works and does not have cones.  Before I switched, I bought the Pantene Restorative shampoo and conditioner.  I only used it a couple of times before I began to condition only.  Now I use VO5 conditioners exclusively.  They are under $1 a bottle (lots less than the Pantene) and leave my hair in much better shape.  

It seems those of you that do the conditioner only routine, find the less expensive brands the best.  I keep hearing of Suave, and VO5 conditioners working best.  My guess is that they are "thinner" conditioners, which costs less to manufacture and tend to build up on the hair less, so they work great for the cleansing and conditioning.  I can do conditioning only for a week or two, but then my hair needs a cleansing that only shampoo can give.  My fine hair cannot handle product build up at all.  :-/

You're quite right, BB.

Suave & VO5 conditioners are thinner and free of cones and oil, which makes them great for the CO routine. I've used just a simple, cheap conditioner from time to time when I didn't have time to really wash my hair and it worked alright...at least for a few hours.  :-/

Bikerbraid,

I LOVE your new Avatar!  Your hair looks great!

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa!  Your hair looks great too!