If there is one thing in this world that is an absolute necessity and that we cannot live without, it's our beloved shampoo. It's the most important part of getting amazing tresses. But, although a shampoo can look or smell amazing, it doesn't always mean it's good for your hair. The same goes for shampoos that have many hair-boosting claims. You might just find that they do more damage to your locks than good. There are also many toxins that are hiding in lovely-smelling shampoos sold on the market - or those which your hairdresser recommends - which is why it's so important to be aware of the shampoos to avoid.
Here are 25 shampoos that are best kept out of your bathroom, and why.
25 TRESemmé Vitamin B12 & Gelatin Anti-Breakage Shampoo Is Not Really Liked
Do you want to keep the hair on your head? If so, we suggest you stop using this TRESemmé shampoo ASAP. A reviewer on Total Beauty had this to say:
"This shampoo (with its matching conditioner) actually seemed to dry my hair out even more. You'd think that a product that's supposed to inhibit breakage would help moisturize the hair, but this really didn't at all. In addition, my hair felt like it had an odd 'plastic-y' coat on it that made it feel heavy."
24 Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Makes Hair Rough
Although Though Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo smells like heaven and promises to give you soft, wavy and healthy-looking locks, it's actually really bad for you. On Amazon, one user said,
"I have used the tousle me softly shampoo and conditioner for about 3 weeks and my hair is so dry. Before I used it, my hair was normally very soft, but now it almost feels like it's going to break.
I would not recommend this product; it really doesn't do anything to help make your hair curlier anyway."
23 Matrix Amplify Volumizing Exaggerates
This shampoo is a little costlier, but keep in mind that money does not always define quality. The Matrix Amplify Volumizing shampoo, which is evidently a shampoo formulated specifically for volume, does not deliver. Two women complained about it on Total Beauty.
One said, "This shampoo is awful. It smells good, but totally stripped the color from my hair and didn't really add much volume at all."
Another one said, "This product didn't give my hair any extra volume. In fact, I think it became more flat after using this shampoo and conditioner. It smells nice, but doesn't do anything for my thin, flat hair."
22 Head & Shoulders 2 in 1: Hair Loss
Anti-dandruff shampoos have lots of active ingredients in them that could leave your hair feeling unclean and rather gross. As well as being really harsh and drying for your hair, they also contain sulfates which damage the hair follicle and cause breakage. After using this product to tackle dandruff, a Total Beauty reviewer stated,
"The burn that penetrated my scalp was painful and I could feel the texture of my hair disintegrate in my hands."
Yikes!
21 Bath & Body Works Only Delivers For Its Smell
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Moisturizing Shampoo looks and smells amazing, but it'll give you more trouble than the tantalizing locks you were after. It's not expensive - just $7.50 - but not worth it. A reviewer on Total Beauty says,
"This smells lovely in the bottle, but I find the scent does not last on my hair.
I also find that it makes my hair more unmanageable than my usual shampoo but it costs more."
20 Burt’s Bees Raspberry Is A Complete Mess
Burt's Bees may feel like heaven on our lips, but don't let a Burt's Bees shampoo touch your precious hair.
The Burt's Bees More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo is loathed by many, so let us explain why. Firstly, whether or not you have a lot of moisture in your hair, this shampoo does not deliver any moisture at all, as opposed to its name; it leaves the hair dry instead. Secondly, after reading about the other damage it does, you'll certainly say, "Thank U, Next." One comment on Total Beauty was enough to put us all off:
"Within two days of purchasing it I threw it out. My hair felt greasy, matted and all around dirty."
That's not exactly what we're looking for.
19 Another Strike For Burt's
Then you have those people who get caught up in trying to attempt something different, like the Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, and well, it ends up being a total failure.
Any hairdresser will confirm with you off the bat that a shampoo bar is a big no no ― just don't do it. Although this product looks refreshing and soothing, it has the opposite effect. As a user told Total Beauty,
"Not only did it not clean my hair, [this shampoo] dried it to a Brillo pad. It's an item to bring with you on a camping trip, I suppose, but not if you intend on combing out your hair afterward.
I had to re-enter the shower and use half a bottle of conditioner to get my hair somewhat approachable,"
18 You Won’t Swish Your Hair With Pantene
Next time you venture out to pick up some shampoo, avoid putting the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Shampoo in your cart because it is underwhelming. FYI, there is absolutely nothing natural about the shampoo, unlike its name claims. If you take a glance at its ingredients, you'll notice it is filled with chemicals that are harsh and can cause skin irritation. Here's a tip to remember: if you can't pronounce an ingredient, it's bad for you!
17 With John Frieda, Colour Be Gone
As children, we only cared about the knots in our hair. Now, we do everything to make sure our hair looks clean, healthy, voluminous and glowing. And if your hair is dyed, you make sure you preserve your colour too. It can feel difficult to achieve this task if you have red hair as it seems to wash out faster than other colours. If you're a redhead, make sure you don't reach for John Frieda Radiant Red Color Captivating Daily Shampoo.
Greasy? Yes. Tangled? Yes. Helps keep your dye locked in? No. This shampoo strips away the red dye and even changes the colour of people's hair! One review on Total Beauty claimed, The first (and last) time I used it my hair turned a maroon color." Another one says, "After one shampoo my white towel was red from the color this shampoo stripped."
16 TRESemmé Doesn’t Deliver, Again
And TRESemmé makes our list again - unfortunately for them. Not only did TRESemmé ColorThrive Brunette Shampoo not deliver on its promises to keep brown hair lustrous, but it didn't even do the job of cleaning hair. As someone who tried the product said on Total Beauty,
"This did nothing for my color. It didn't help it last longer or brighten it and it worked so-so in terms of cleansing."
Save yourself the $6.00 and invest in a shampoo that will deliver.
15 Aveda Leaves You Frizzed Up
This is why we say cost does not always necessarily mean quality. The Aveda Clove Shampoo that retails for $30 is quite the disappointing shampoo considering its hefty price tag.
If you want to buy the shampoo because it smells great, go ahead, but do not expect it to work miracles on your hair. This shampoo is supposed to act as a colouring agent, but instead, hair gets stripped of colour. Oh, it will also make you look like you just experienced a humid day in Florida.
Reviewers on Total Beauty seem to agree: hair is frizzy and stripped. Next!
14 Bed Head…More Like Dry Head
A shampoo that smells like chemicals = red flag. Drop it as soon as possible.
The TIGI Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo may cost a little more than a drugstore shampoo, but its formula full of sulfates. In case you did not know, you should drop every shampoo that has sulfates, like this one. Sulfates have been linked to skin irritation and organ toxicity, as Livestrong states.
This shampoo promises thick hair and reparation, but leaves hair dry and tangled. Make sure you check those ingredients, ladies. A Total Beauty reviewer said,
"I have thick, wavy hair, and this shampoo made my hair so dry and tangled that my fingers got stuck in it when I tried to rinse the shampoo out."
We can't even imagine how tangled it was after it dried.
13 An Unworthy Expensive Shampoo
Woah ― $60 for a shampoo and it is on our "worst shampoos" list ― how could that be?
One would think the Alterna Ten Shampoo would be a gift on earth, instead the outrageous price does not match the quality of the shampoo. A Total Beauty reviewer said,
"I used a small amount of the shampoo like it said to and my hair ended up limp, lifeless and full of static. My hair was impossible to style - no body and wouldn't hold a curl for anything."
12 The Bumble And Bumble Is Not Worth Your Buck
This is one of those shampoos that does the same thing that a dollar-store shampoo could do. "I was really disappointed with this shampoo, especially considering how much I paid for it! Didn't do anything special to my hair and it didn't even smell good," a Total Beauty reviewer states. "The only thing that it did do was clean my hair, but so can a 99 cent bottle of Suave. Never again!"
11 Why Does Kendall Jenner Trip Over That Finesse?
You will not be tripping on this Finesse, that is for sure! Though the name sounds super fancy schmancy, do not be fooled. Yes, we are talking about the shampoo that Kendall Jenner claimed was her beloved and go-to brand for hair care.
"Kim totally turned me onto Finesse shampoo. I've tried everything and this just works the best for me," she gushed, as Allure reports.
We completely doubt it as the drugstore shampoo is really nothing special. It's your regular run-of-the-mill product, but also has some bad effects. As a review on Makeup Alley states,
"I have the newer version that says "now with active proteins" or something like that. This was a disaster. The smell was so weird and chemical and it didn't really lather that much at first. It smelled like putting a household cleanser on your head."
10 The One Biosilk Shampoo That Does Not Cut It
Biosilk is at at the top when it comes to hair care. Most of their products are A-class goodies, but this shampoo failed us. It gets a 2.3 out of 5 on Makeup Alley, with some scary reports, such as this one:
"I will never buy this product ever again, even if it is the last shampoo on earth. It makes my scalp physically sore. So sore. It causes my hair to fall out, to the point [where] I thought something was seriously wrong with me. Please don't waste your money or your hair on this crap product."
9 Samy Is Not So Smooth
There is nothing smooth about the Samy Smooth Shampoo ― the formula must have got lost in the creativity of the name. It is one of those shampoos that comes cheap, but you'll just damage your hair. Take it from someone who's tried it:
"The back of the bottle should say, 'remember, you get what you pay for.' Sticky? Yes. Foul odor? Yup.
Causes knots, tangles and unbrushable hair? Yup. Will conditioner fix this problem? Nope, no way," a reviewer on Total Beauty states.
8 Dove Nourishing Secrets (More Like Punishing Secrets...)
Dove always make their products, like shampoo, look pure and safe with their commercials and advertisements. But this particular shampoo is the furthest thing from heavenly.
A reviewer on Ocado says, "Use of this shampoo leaves my hair limp and lifeless and relatively greasy. It doesn't smell bad though."
Although it smells good, that just isn't enough for your daily shampoo.
7 Fruity And Unhealthy
Garnier Fructis shampoo bottles look bright and beautiful. You're probably tempted to try them out. But don't waste your time or money. This shampoo is one of many that contain dangerous chemicals. It's so bad that it's listed on Mamavation's list of shampoos to avoid because they're so toxic. With ingredients that are carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors, you'll want to give this pretty packaging a miss.
6 The Bad Triple Threat Of OGX
Hair can make you or break you, and their shampoos certainly does the latter.
You know what OGX contains? Salt, silicones and sulfates. These three ingredients combined are so harsh on your locks, they'll totally ruin your hair. If you're looking for that salt-water hair, head over to the ocean. Realistically, this shampoo will make your hair feel like hay because of those unfavourable ingredients.
5 Leave It Down Under: Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist
Once upon a time, we'd buy the Aussie shampoo because the purple bottle with the kangaroo on it was irresistible. However, if you're still into this drugstore brand, it is time to say goodbye - yes, even if it gets good reviews.
The ingredients in Aussie hair shampoo are harmful and toxic. With parabens that are linked to breast cancer, and soldium lauryl sulfate that potentially increases your carcinogenic exposure, we highly urge you to take it out of your trolley and leave it behind.
4 We’ll Skip On The Suave
When we think of suave, we think of a suave man, and not a shampoo brand, and we want you to think the same.
You may feel suave instantly after you wash your hair because it smells like paradise, and feels easy and breezy and looks shiny, but in due time, your hair will be nothing but a haystack. With ingredients such as sulfates, your hair will be ripped of its natural oils and be ripped off your head too ― literally.
3 “L’Oreal, Because It’s Not Worth It!”
Drugstore shampoos are not worth the money you save. L'Oreal Elvive shampoo has a long list of chemical ingredients, among them glycerin, which is used as antifreeze in cars, and citric acid that is a preservative but is also used in stop baths when developing photographs, as Wired reports. Just the thought of how chemical this product is should immediately put you off.
2 Sunsilk Super-Shine Shampoo (More Like "Super Dry")
SunSilk has been around for ages, and we've all loved how it makes hair feel so soft. But there's a drawback that makes this shampoo not worth it, even with its new pretty packaging and promise of shine. As a reviewer tells Product Review,
"I tried both the shampoo and conditioner when they were on sale at the supermarket. They smell quite nice and did make my hair nice and shiny, but also gave me a lot of fly-aways at the top of my head." The user adds that the product gave her frizzy hair.
1 Neutrogena, Be Gone
Which shampoo is last on our list? Neutrogena. More specifically, the Neutrogena T.Gel Shampoo because it contains highly hazardous propyl hydroxybenzoate (propylparaben),which is linked to breast cancer tumours, as Breast Cancer UK reports. Neutrogena does make hair silky and smooth, but over time, the hair becomes lifeless, and with an ingredient as harmful as that, estrogen levels are also affected.
References: Total Beauty, Livestrong, Allure, Wired, Amazon
