Please note however that I said a quality drugstore shampoo. Because plenty of them just aren't good enough for your hair. Take, for example, the shampoos below. TotalBeauty.com readers tried them and found they left their hair dirty, dry or greasy -- ugh! Peruse the products below, and toss any coupons you may have for them, they're totally not worth it.
No. 10: Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Shampoo,
$8.33
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.8 (out of 10)
Why: Most readers weren't impressed by this.
"I don't think this shampoo and conditioner did anything
out of the ordinary for my hair," one reader says. Another
reader says it gave her "the weirdest breakouts on my upper
arms."
No. 9: Suave Professionals Radiant Brunette Shampoo, $3.48
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.8
Why: Most readers did not find that this enhanced
their hair color. Instead it "left my hair rather
tangled" and one reader says it actually "stripped away
the color!" Others complain that this left them with
"straw-like [and] dull" hair. One reader says, "I
had colored my hair [and] it went a little too dark. I went to a
salon … this is what they used to strip my hair of the color.
LOL!"
No. 8: Sunsilk Anti-Caida (Anti-Fall) Shampoo, $4.59
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.6
Why: The verdict: "This stuff dried my hair
out and made my color run." Other readers agree, saying even
though "I love the Sunsilk brand … this dried my hair
out." The final word: "BAD."
No. 7: TIGI Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo, $10.50
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.5
Why: Readers feel a bit "blah" about
this shampoo. "[Hair] wasn't stripped, but it wasn't
very soft or shiny," readers say. While most readers had a
so-so experience, one reader says, "my hair [was] so dry and
tangle-y that my fingers got stuck in it when I tried to rinse the
shampoo out." One reader laments, "Now I have 1 liter of
this sitting around. It wasn't completely terrible but I
don't use it."
No. 6: John Frieda Radiant Red Color Captivating Shampoo,
$5.49
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.5
Why: This was a double-whammy disappointment,
readers say. One complaint: "[It] made my soft, silky hair
rough and tangled … unmanageable." But the biggest problem:
"it did not seem to preserve my color at all," readers
say. One reader was so sad that "all it did was stain my
fingernails and towels red."
No. 5: TIGI Bed Head Moisture Maniac Shampoo, $10.50
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.4
Why: While readers do concede that this
"smells good," they still can't endorse it. Why?
"After using it my hair is rough and hard to brush," one
reader says. Readers generally agree that this shampoo is "not
nearly as moisturizing as its name leads you to
believe."
No. 4: Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar, $5.99
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.1
Why: While this may work for short hair, readers
with long hair say, "you'll do what I did and give up in
the shower the first time." One reader says, "it was
pretty difficult to get enough lather to completely get my hair
clean, and I ended up in the shower for way longer than I wanted to
be."
No. 3: TreSemme ColorThrive Brunette Shampoo, $3.99
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5
Why: Our readers' major complaint with this
was its lack of cleaning power. "I have fine, oily hair and
must shampoo daily. With this product, I find myself wanting to
wash my hair twice a day," one reader says. Another agrees,
saying "my hair doesn't feel as clean after I rinse."
Other annoyances: "the smell isn't that great" and
"three times after I had used it, my scalp was all
itchy," one reader says, adding "I'm not [usually]
allergic to any shampoo."
No. 2: TreSemme Vitamin B12 & Gelatin Anti-Breakage Shampoo,
$6.99
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.9
Why: This left readers perplexed: "You'd
think that a product that's supposed to inhibit breakage would
help moisturize hair, but this really didn't at all," one
says. She adds, "This actually seemed to dry my hair out even
more." Other readers didn't like that "it left my
hair feeling waxy (from the gelatin in it) and dry."
No. 1: Samy Smooth Shampoo, $5.99
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.3
Why: Smooth? Not so much, readers say. Instead,
"it completely left my hair feeling heavy and dry," one
reader says. Another adds, "It doesn't smooth, and it
leaves hair funky feeling and dry." Fine, oily haired readers
didn't like it either. "Made my fine hair greasy,"
and "made my hair limp and unmanageable, and it always felt
dirty," readers say.
- So you've seen the worst, now it's time to check out the best (break the coupons back out, you'll definitely want to buy these).
- Already bought a shampoo on the worst list? Salvage the situation with a top-notch drugstore conditioner, like one of these.
- The savings don't stop there. See the best cheap-but-great hairstyling products here.
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