Samantha Thompson Smith, Staff Writer
They promise so much hope on the store shelves. Straight, shiny hair! More body! No more dandruff!
But are those miracle shampoos and conditioners worth all the hype? Is a $13 bottle of shampoo really better than a $5 bottle?
We put our N&O Beauty Panel on it, having them test five products on the market, two of which are so new they won't be in stores nationwide until next month.
As usual, they agreed on nothing. But they got pretty close on the Yes To Carrots shampoo and conditioner -- a new $7.99 option available at Walgreens in June that one panelist says she liked so much she's already bought two more bottles of each (online) to incorporate into her regular hair-care product rotation.
Carrots, sexy soy and anti-poof products put to the test:
YES TO CARROTS PAMPERING CARROT JUICE SHAMPOO & PAMPERING HAIR MUD CONDITIONER
Available at Walgreens.com or in Walgreens stores in June. 16.9 ounces, $7.99.
What it is | Hair products packed with antioxidants. The shampoo has Dead Sea mud, carrot, pumpkin, melon, orange and honey, and is enriched with 26 minerals. The conditioner has many of the same ingredients as the shampoo, with the addition of sweet potato.
Jean Bailey | This shampoo did nothing special for me. It didn't give my hair any extra body or sheen. It smelled too sweet, almost like candy. When I was younger I use to use shampoos that smelled like that ... it made bees follow me.
Cary Edgar | Despite ingredient lists that read more like vegan salad dressing than shampoo and conditioner, this was nothing short of perfection. I love it! Many all-natural products fail to really clean as well as they promise, but this is by far the best shampoo/conditioner I've ever used. The trick with these products was to follow the exact directions -- massage into the scalp and leave for 2-3 minutes. This worked so well that I didn't need any additional styling after blowing my hair dry; every strand fell effortlessly into place.
Ilina Ewen | I like this line but hate the logo and packaging. And the name is a little weird too; sure doesn't roll off the tongue easily and sounds silly when saying it aloud. Try it with me. "Yes to carrots." Sounds goofy, right? The shampoo smells good and lathers up nicely. I don't like the $7.99 price tag. For the record, my husband liked this one best, but he wouldn't pay $7.99 for anything in the health and beauty aisles.
Susannah Skiver | I cannot stop raving about this! It did something amazing for my hair's body and smoothness -- like adding unknown oomph. I don't know how to describe exactly what went on, but my sisters, who also used it, agreed that it was better than any shampoo they've tried yet. Additionally, it smelled great and combed out nicely. Yes yes yes to carrots!
Art Stone | I love carrots. I liked the products, too. The smell was a little strong. I could smell these before I opened up the manila envelope containing them. But the smell was not bad, and the products felt and worked great. This was a friend's favorite.
PANTENE PRO-V RESTORATIVES TIME RENEWAL SHAMPOO
Available in June at drugstores. 8.5 ounces, $4.99
What it is | Shampoo designed to help restore up to two years of damage in one month.
Jean Bailey | I have always been a fan of Pantene products. They always deliver what they promise. This shampoo didn't let me down. Since this shampoo promises to improve the condition of your hair over a month I need that much time to give a full report.
Cary Edgar | I feel like this is fine as an everyday, run-of-the-mill shampoo, but I'm skeptical when such tremendous claims are made for any product. You're in denial if you think that some $5 shampoo can undo two years of damage. If someone has that many problems with damaged hair, I think that a good haircut is a better solution than this. For me, this was like any other Pantene product I've tried before.
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