Blacklist: The 15 Worst Shampoos
When it comes to hair care, I take things personally. If I'm going to drop hard-earned cash on a shampoo, it better change my life (like these shampoos did).
Seriously, if I spend 18 bucks on it, shouldn't it make my hair look fabulous and maybe even do the dishes? I think so. Which is why when I buy shampoo or conditioner that doesn't live up to the hype (like these worst-rated conditioners), it makes me absolutely livid. And when I get angry, I get even. My revenge of choice? This blacklist of the worst rated shampoos according to TotalBeauty.com readers:
Matrix Amplify Volumizing Shampoo,$18
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.9*
Why: One reader says, "I have a lot of hair, but it's fine, so the girl told me [this product] would give me volume. I saw no volume and it left a buildup on my hair, which I did not like -- and it even says on the bottle [that] it won't leave buildup." Another says, "this shampoo is awful. It smells good, but totally stripped the color from my hair and didn't really add much volume at all." And one reviewer says, "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."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Moisturizing Shampoo, $7.50
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.8*
Why: Readers say this shampoo "leaves hair sticky, greasy and lifeless." One explains, "'Ugh' is all I have to say about this shampoo. All you get is scent but little else. I ended up using mine for shaving my legs. Not worth the hype or the price." Another agrees saying, "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." And one reader says, "as something that's supposed to moisturize, this shampoo fails utterly. It actually stripped my hair of moisture, leaving me with dull, rough-looking hair."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
TRESemme ColorThrive Brunette Shampoo, $5.99
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.4*
Why: Readers say, "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." Another reader says, "At first I really liked this shampoo, but maybe after three times of using it, my scalp was itchy. And I'm not allergic to any shampoos." And one woman simply warns, "beware."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Head and Shoulders Refresh 2 in 1, $5.99
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.4*
Why: One woman says she "thought my hair was going to fall out" after using this product. And another says, "it burns my scalp and got in my eye -- you don't want to know what that feels like." One reader says, "this bottle got tossed in the trash before my hair was dry. I'd rather live with the dandruff than to ever put myself through that again. I had a minor out-break of dandruff and, of course, decided on the one and only dandruff shampoo that I've known since the '70s. Never again. The burn that penetrated my scalp was painful and I could feel the texture of my hair disintegrate in my hands."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Aveda Clove Shampoo, $29.50
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.3*
Why: This product "smells great but doesn't do anything for color depositing like the name suggests," says a reader. Another reader says, it "doesn't really act as a coloring agent. If you use this in the shower, as most people do, prepare for a lot of brown residue on places other than [your] hair." Overall, readers say it "left my hair frizzy and stripped," and is "way too expensive for shampoo."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
TIGI Bed Head Self Absorbed Shampoo, $10.93
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.1*
Why: One reader says, "this shampoo is no better than any drugstore brand. The smell is too chemical-y … I have damaged hair and have noticed no improvement [FYI: This product claims to thicken and repair chemically-treated hair]." While another reader who's used other TIGI products says, "the Self Absorbed Shampoo and Conditioner are TERRIBLE. 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." And one reader says, "the only thing good about this shampoo was the smell."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Alterna Ten Shampoo, $60
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.9*
Why: Readers say this product has an "outrageous price" and is "not worth it at all." One says, "this shampoo is definitely not worth the price [as] it made my hair feel very heavy and flat." Another user had a similar experience saying, "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."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Burt's Bees More Moisture Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo, $8
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.9*
Why: One reader says, "this shampoo smells great but doesn't do much for my thick, coarse hair," and it leaves another reader's fine hair feeling "waxy." Another woman says this product "made my hair a matted mess! It made my hair drier than it was to begin with [and] the smell is sickening. FAIL!" One user says, she "was amazed how terrible it was. Within two days of purchasing it I threw it out. My hair felt greasy, matted and all around dirty." Another says she "hated the smell" so much that "it was so hard to get past it. It smelled sour and rancid."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
Bumble and Bumble Seaweed Shampoo, $18
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.5*
Why: Readers say, "I heard about Bumble and bumble and thought I would give it a try. I was not impressed at all. I have fine hair and by the end of the day it was greasy and flat." Another says, "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. The only thing that it did do was clean my hair, but so can a 99 cent bottle of Suave. Never again!" And one woman says, "I'd only use this to wash a dog I didn't like."
Agree? Disagree? Write your review here.
*At time of publication
And those aren't even the worst of the worst, so make sure to check out the rest of the disappointing shampoos here.
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