On A Lighter Note...

Have you guys heard of WEN, the "revolutionary" Healthy Hair Care System "designed to make it easy for anyone, from [Chaz Dean's] celebrity clients to the mom next door, to enjoy healthier, stronger hair -- with less effort than ever before"? Well, I bought it. I was seduced by Alyssa Milano and her fabulously shiny chestnut locks as she espoused the many benefits of WEN, namely that it would deliver longer-lasting color, added sheen, luster, moisture and strength -- all in one easy step! With a 60-day money back guarantee, I figured, why not? I'll give it a shot. I've always been disappointed with my super-straight, fine, thin, lifeless hair and decided it couldn't hurt to try something new. Who knows? Maybe it'll be as magical as they say it is. Maybe it'll change my life.

Well, I've been using the Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner for nearly three weeks now and, while I certainly can't claim that it's changed my life, I'm not ready to give up on it yet either. Traditional shampoos have chemicals, such as sodium laureth sulfate, which allow the shampoo to get all sudsy and bubbly but also end up stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture. We are then told to use conditioner as a means of moisturizing our locks, but all it really does is smooth down the damage we inflicted in the first place with our shampoos. I've read about the "no-poo" method, which involves cleansing your hair with baking soda and rinsing it with vinegar and while I like the idea of eliminating chemicals from my cleansing routine, I just can't get on board the baking soda and vinegar train. For my bathtub? Yes. My hair? I'm not quite that granola (yet).

The WEN Cleansing Conditioner is far from natural. Yes, the ingredients list includes items such as Wild Cherry Bark extract, Rosemary Leaf extract, and Sweet Almond oil, among others, but you'll also find Butylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, and several other thoroughly unpronounceable ingredients. BUT, it doesn't lather, so maybe it's a step in the right direction.

When I purchased WEN, I knew that I wanted to write a blog about it, so I forced my husband to take photos of my hair, which you will find below. The first photo was taken after my usual shower routine of washing with TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo, followed by TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner. Now, as you can see, this routine did not result in my hair looking nourished and moisturized nor radiantly voluminous. Instead, it looks dull, lifeless, stringy, utterly horrendous, etc. The second picture was taken after using the WEN Cleansing Conditioner for one day. While I'd certainly never be mistaken for Alyssa Milano, my hair does, in my humble opinion, look better. Not great...just...better. Shinier. Less clumpy. The third photo is after using WEN for one week and, really, it doesn't look much different than the second photo, but still better than the first.

(I should note that there was no styling involved in any of the photos; after showering, I simply let my hair air dry. Also, they were all taken in the same spot (obviously) at roughly the same time of day, so the lighting is very similar in each shot.)

After three weeks, here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

1. My hair is shinier.
2. My hair is softer.
3. My hair has more body.
4. My hair is easier to manage.

CONS:

1. My shower routine takes longer. Over and over in the infomercial and literature, they mention how easy-to-use and time-saving these products are. Consider that a red flag, that they're trying to convince you, brain wash you even, into thinking you're saving time with this routine. But, really, you're not. It may be one product, but the process involves several steps and, for me at least, it ends up taking more time than the traditional shampoo/conditioner route.
2. It's kinda' pricey. The introductory package costs $29.95 and includes a "one-month supply" (Yeah right! It hasn't even been three weeks and mine is nearly gone!) of the Cleansing Conditioner, the Styling Creme, the Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment, the Texture Balm, and a comb (which is used for combing the product through your hair in the shower). If you like the products, they will continue sending the same package for a monthly fee of $29.95. I don't know about you, but 30 bucks a month is far more than I've ever spent on hair care. Luckily, you can customize your shipments to meet your needs (and your budget).
3. It may be causing me to break out a little on my jawline and neck/shoulders, but I haven't totally pinpointed WEN as the culprit of this sudden attack.

So, bottom line: I'm not totally sold on it, but I'm not ready to give up on it yet either. Apparently, there is a Cucumber Aloe formula designed for fine/thin hair. For my next shipment, which should be coming in a week or so, I've opted to try that instead of the Sweet Almond Mint. I've also eliminated the other products from my shipment. Changing my shipment to two larger bottles of the Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner every 90 days brought my monthly charge down to $19.98.

This Thursday, I have an appointment with my stylist. First time in four months that I've had a cut and color. Hmmm...maybe I'll go for a chestnut hue...