Say WEN!

ok readers, i know i was absent for two days before today so i'm making it up to you with a double post! the picture i have included above for your viewing pleasure is a collection of WEN Cleansing Conditioners created by hairstylist to the stars Chaz Dean. what is a Cleansing Conditioner you ask? it's your shampoo, conditioner, and styling product in ONE convenient bottle. it is free of the sulfates and detergents that are found in (almost) every other brand of shampoo, and because of this it never strips your hair of it's essential oils, moisture, or color. have you ever noticed after dying your hair that when you shampoo you can actually see some of your color being rinsed away in the suds? or maybe you haven't, but you've definitely noticed that after a month or two the brilliant auburn or golden chestnut brown color that you paid an arm and a leg for at the salon has faded into something more along the lines of "blah". well this is because the detergents and sulfates in shampoo (the ingredients that give you the suds and foam) are stripping the bejesus out of your hair!

so what's the solution? WEN of course! each of the 5 Cleansing Conditioners cleanses your hair without any detergents or sulfates, instead using natural astringent properties that leave your hair soft, healthy, shiny, bouncy, and undamaged. skeptical? i certainly was, i must have watched Chaz's demonstrations on QVC atleast 500 times before i decided to give it a try (30 day money back guarantee, how can you not love the Q?!) because i just couldn't imagine getting my hair clean without shampoo. i was wrong! i didn't even have to go through an adjustment period of figuring out how to use it correctly (probably because of the aforementioned thousands of times i watched Chaz do it), it was so easy i got fab results the first time.

so how to do it? it's actually fun! what you do is hop in the shower, rinse your hair out really thoroughly under the hot water, and then wring it out so it's damp but not sopping wet. then you take about 5-10 pumps of the Cleansing Conditioner and apply it to the left front of your scalp, then the right, then the crown, then the back/bottom, etc. after you get your scalp covered (using 5-10 pumps for each section), you wet your hands and then massage your scalp really well (just like you would while shampooing) for about 2-3 minutes, concentrating on covering each inch of it with gentle, circular motions. you won't get any suds, but the product will kind of foam up a little bit. i use the Fig Cleansing Conditioner, and i loooooove how it's minty and super invigorating and while you're massaging it in, your whole scalp is tingling and smelling amazing! after your massage (which can help to stimulate hair growth, btw), you take another 5-15 pumps (depending on how long or thick your hair is) and work it through the length of your hair and the ends. after that, take a wide-toothed plastic comb and comb it all through, securing it on top of your head with a hairclip or elastic, and leave it until you're ready to get out of the shower! then you rinse thoroughly with warm water, then a quick cold rinse, and you're done.

you won't even believe how soft and untangled your hair is before you even towel dry it! not only do you shampoo and condition with WEN, you can then add another 2-3 pumps to damp hair to leave in as a styling creme or leave-in conditioner. you can also use WEN to wash your body with, or to shave your legs with, or even to wash your pets with, although at $28 for 16 ounces, i'll be saving it for my hair. although the price is steep, it does last for quite a while, and the results are amazing! super soft, shiny, bouncy hair, not the least bit weighed down or gross. i was pretty shocked by how completely clean it got my hair, and if you can believe this, my hair seemed to stay cleaner for longer when washing with WEN compared to using regular shampoo and conditioner. weird, huh? i just ordered another bottle of the Fig Cleansing Conditioner, which is a much better deal when you're getting 32 ounces for $44, and i can't wait until it arrives! Fig is formulated for dry, damaged or ethnic hair, but there's a formula out there for everyone! Cucumber Aloe, Sweet Almond Mint and Lavendar are suitable for all hair types (especially fine to medium hair), while Tea Tree works wonders on sensitive scalps that suffer from irritation and flakes. i would definitely give these Cleansing Conditoners my Pretty Kitty Stamp Of Approval, and i hope you'll have the pleasure of trying them out soon!

interested in doing more research? you can find WEN products at QVC and Chaz Dean's website.