topic Not sulfate free? Help! in Beauty

Not sulfate free? Help!

nhoblitzell — Mon, 05 May 2014 12:21:14 GMT

I have a family member who is a cosmetologist who frequents hair shows around the country. She knows that I use Wen and she used it herself at one point, but went back to shampoo. She told me at her most recent hair show that a very educated/well-known cosmetologist said that she made a shampoo documentary (which I've demanded to see ) that reveals that Wen does, in fact, contain sulfates and other damaging ingredients. I've read the ingredient lists on each formula --as I have them all--and can't see how this is possible. Is there someone out there with information that can confirm or deny the ingredients of this? Is there a way around presenting that your product is filled with sulfates and other ingredients? Eek!!! I can't face that my wonderful Wen might not be what it claims to be! Help!

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

HonnyBrown — Mon, 05 May 2014 13:00:39 GMT

Not all sulfates are created equal. There are sulfates which aid in detangling the hair. They are found in conditioners. The friend of a friend who is "very educated" should know this.

The sulfates that everyone is so terrified of is sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a wide range cleanser and considered harsh, strips the hair, causes cancer, is the reason for world hunger, etc.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

Sunshine Kate — Mon, 05 May 2014 13:26:17 GMT

On 5/5/2014 HonnyBrown said:
Not all sulfates are created equal. There are sulfates which aid in detangling the hair. They are found in conditioners. The friend of a friend who is "very educated" should know this.

The sulfates that everyone is so terrified of is sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a wide range cleanser and considered harsh, strips the hair, causes cancer, is the reason for world hunger, etc.

How is this the reason for world hunger? Just wondering.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

HonnyBrown — Mon, 05 May 2014 13:53:53 GMT

Kate, SLS is fine when VO-5 uses it to sell great shampoos and conditioners for $0.88 each, or Aqua Fresh toothpaste gives that squeaky clean finish on the teeth for $3 a tube. But now that a small group of entrepreneurs, manufacturers and researchers (not Chaz Dean) find a different way to skin the cat they put down a cheap, functional ingredient.

But to answer your question, search the internet...I'm sure you will find the answer.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

okiebug — Mon, 05 May 2014 14:49:12 GMT

So, the multi-trillion dollar professional hair care product companies (those sold at salons) feel threatened enough by a small brand to "expose" it at their corporate shows? Chaz should be proud. If it was something that didn't work for people, that wasn't growing enough to feel it was cutting into their product sales at the salons, they would completely ignore Chaz and his little company.

I bet the documentary also told all the bad things about drug store brands and ended with the conclusion that the only "safe and effective" hair products to use are those recommended and sold by your salon.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

Treeinwind — Mon, 05 May 2014 15:40:09 GMT

Just an aside, but one time someone somewhere and I certainly don't remember, because it was over twenty years ago. Anyway, they took a couple of high end salon products, a couple of cheap drug store one and some dishwashing detergent and had professional stylists all do a blind test of the shampoos. The dishwashing detergent rated highest. I admit to using dishwashing detergent on my hair a couple of times in a pinch and it was fine, but the tangles were incredible.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

EpiphanyTiffany — Mon, 05 May 2014 15:41:26 GMT

I have very frizzy and coarse hair, so I get Keratin Treatments. (I know, I know....shame shame. ) As you may know, you cannot use any products with sulfates after a Keratin Treatment. I use nothing but Wen. Ever. My hairdresser is always amazed at how long I get from my treatment, and we both attribute that to Wen!

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

sidsmom — Mon, 05 May 2014 15:50:08 GMT

I'm always surprised @ the # of stylists "in the biz" that have not heard of Chaz Dean and/or Wen. I think we're hyper-sensitive since the Q promotes it heavily. A lot of people don't watch home-shopping or watch late-night TV infomercials, so the "who?" comes to us as a surprise, but in reality...the true test is when all the patents/contracts end & he makes a name on his own w/out mass marketing. Anyone can create a successful brand, but to create a across-the-board trend is the true test...both wonderful legacies, though.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

chickenmoo — Mon, 05 May 2014 16:09:21 GMT

No offense, but I don't believe Wen has sulfates in it...and it doesn't matter that it's coming from a 'cosmetologist'...I mean, how many of them are tied to salon-brand products? So really how 'unbiased' are their views anyway?

So, again, not to be offensive...even if hypothetically Wen *did* contain sulfates, why wouldn't you still use it? I mean if it works, does it matter what's in it??? I mean, I love the results I get, and as long as there aren't ground up bunnies in the formula--and bunnies aren't getting poked in the eye with Wen to test it--I'm not concerned what's in there.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

EpiphanyTiffany — Mon, 05 May 2014 16:29:31 GMT

On 5/5/2014 chickenmoo said:
No offense, but I don't believe Wen has sulfates in it...and it doesn't matter that it's coming from a 'cosmetologist'...I mean, how many of them are tied to salon-brand products? So really how 'unbiased' are their views anyway?

So, again, not to be offensive...even if hypothetically Wen *did* contain sulfates, why wouldn't you still use it? I mean if it works, does it matter what's in it??? I mean, I love the results I get, and as long as there aren't ground up bunnies in the formula--and bunnies aren't getting poked in the eye with Wen to test it--I'm not concerned what's in there.

Agree! It works for me. My hair looks dandy. There you have it!

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

Thia-Winter — Mon, 05 May 2014 17:27:02 GMT

I am a cosmetologist. Wen doesn't have sulfates. It does have behentromonium methosulfate which is not a sulfate detergent but an emulsifier. Its in lots of conditioners including the ones that well known cosmetologist was probably trying to sell. Its what gives us our froth. Incidentally I only use wen now and coworkers have noticed a difference.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

jurby — Mon, 05 May 2014 19:54:44 GMT

the major issue is that there are quite a few "experts" in this world who will always do their best to convince as many people as possible that various ingredients are bad. most of the time these people are either A) people who are either promoting their own product lines, or B) random fear-mongers who obsessively pick things apart and make negative claims about all sorts of things they are convinced are bad and they go around quoting all sorts of random internet articles as if the articles came from heaven-all-mighty. Has anybody watched the C Daughter shows on the other shopping channel? I happened to watch it a few weeks ago and the guest made the statement that split ends happen, that you can't stop split ends - only repair them - as she proceeded to rave about the split end repair product she was promoting at the time and how it would repair split ends. Of course us Wen girls know that the only way to fix split ends is to cut them off.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

FLsunlover — Mon, 05 May 2014 21:20:23 GMT

On 5/5/2014 nhoblitzell said:
I have a family member who is a cosmetologist who frequents hair shows around the country. She knows that I use Wen and she used it herself at one point, but went back to shampoo. She told me at her most recent hair show that a very educated/well-known cosmetologist said that she made a shampoo documentary (which I've demanded to see ) that reveals that Wen does, in fact, contain sulfates and other damaging ingredients. I've read the ingredient lists on each formula --as I have them all--and can't see how this is possible. Is there someone out there with information that can confirm or deny the ingredients of this? Is there a way around presenting that your product is filled with sulfates and other ingredients? Eek!!! I can't face that my wonderful Wen might not be what it claims to be! Help!

I am confused--if you think it's wonderful, then how can it not be what it claims to be? You obviously like the results--so what's the issue?

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

bebe777 — Mon, 05 May 2014 21:54:53 GMT

On 5/5/2014 Thia Winter said: I am a cosmetologist. Wen doesn't have sulfates. It does have behentromonium methosulfate which is not a sulfate detergent but an emulsifier. Its in lots of conditioners including the ones that well known cosmetologist was probably trying to sell. Its what gives us our froth. Incidentally I only use wen now and coworkers have noticed a difference.

Thia thanks so much for sharing this information.

Before I switched over to Wen, I did checked out some of the ingredients. But this isn't my area of expertise so, at some point, I had to go on trust (and I do feel that Chaz is a very trustworthy, genuine, knowledgeable man). My hair has never looked better and the oil production on my scalp has normalized for the first time ever. My hair now grows like a weed. So I'm a really satisfied customer.

That said, I so appreciate that we have some experts such as yourself who share your knowledge with this forum.

Thanks again!!

-- bebe

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

HappyDaze — Mon, 05 May 2014 22:30:20 GMT

Oh yes, it is a big sulfate conspiracy! Look for the undercover investigation and Sulfate Scandal: What the Cleansing Conditioner Mega Giants Aren't Telling You documentary on CNN soon....

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

kcladyz — Mon, 05 May 2014 23:25:14 GMT

I am not a wen devote. I love my suds but even I can say wen has no sulfates but I did hear that story from someplace but I do not remember were.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

Thia-Winter — Mon, 05 May 2014 23:43:43 GMT

On 5/5/2014 bebe777 said:
On 5/5/2014 Thia Winter said: I am a cosmetologist. Wen doesn't have sulfates. It does have behentromonium methosulfate which is not a sulfate detergent but an emulsifier. Its in lots of conditioners including the ones that well known cosmetologist was probably trying to sell. Its what gives us our froth. Incidentally I only use wen now and coworkers have noticed a difference.

Thia thanks so much for sharing this information.

Before I switched over to Wen, I did checked out some of the ingredients. But this isn't my area of expertise so, at some point, I had to go on trust (and I do feel that Chaz is a very trustworthy, genuine, knowledgeable man). My hair has never looked better and the oil production on my scalp has normalized for the first time ever. My hair now grows like a weed. So I'm a really satisfied customer.

That said, I so appreciate that we have some experts such as yourself who share your knowledge with this forum.

Thanks again!!

-- bebe

You're very welcome, bebe!

I'm probably more ingredients knowledgeable than the average cosmetologist, only because due to my ingredients sensitivities I had to learn. One coworker called me a product nerd LOL.....but she meant it in a nice way!

Before I used Wen I had in the past done conditioner only washing. The behentrimonium methosulfate issue comes up with using regular conditioner to wash too. It looks like a sulfate, doesn't it? But it's not. At least, not like sodium laurel sulfate, ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate or ammonium laureth sulfate are. Those are the four biggies in the sulfate world.

For me, Wen works far better than regular conditioner washing ever did. I always had buildup and still had to clarify before. I'm working on two months Wenning with zero clarifying shampoos. Unheard of in my hard water house!!!

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

Hilary77 — Tue, 06 May 2014 00:00:19 GMT

I am not a scientist, but I have researched the ingredients in Wen online. I did not find that any of the ingredients are considered sulfates.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

nhoblitzell — Tue, 06 May 2014 00:33:59 GMT

On 5/5/2014 FLsunlover said:
On 5/5/2014 nhoblitzell said:
I have a family member who is a cosmetologist who frequents hair shows around the country. She knows that I use Wen and she used it herself at one point, but went back to shampoo. She told me at her most recent hair show that a very educated/well-known cosmetologist said that she made a shampoo documentary (which I've demanded to see ) that reveals that Wen does, in fact, contain sulfates and other damaging ingredients. I've read the ingredient lists on each formula --as I have them all--and can't see how this is possible. Is there someone out there with information that can confirm or deny the ingredients of this? Is there a way around presenting that your product is filled with sulfates and other ingredients? Eek!!! I can't face that my wonderful Wen might not be what it claims to be! Help!

I am confused--if you think it's wonderful, then how can it not be what it claims to be? You obviously like the results--so what's the issue?

I do think it's wonderful; "wen girl" here. As I am not an expert in this stuff (and perhaps the beauty forum isn't the place to go), I was hoping that a product that claims to be sulfate free is, in fact, sulfate free. Outside of my own inexpert research, I was hoping to converse with other wen users/non-users about the ingredients.

Re: Not sulfate free? Help!

okiebug — Tue, 06 May 2014 00:54:58 GMT

On 5/5/2014 nhoblitzell said:
On 5/5/2014 FLsunlover said:
On 5/5/2014 nhoblitzell said:
I have a family member who is a cosmetologist who frequents hair shows around the country. She knows that I use Wen and she used it herself at one point, but went back to shampoo. She told me at her most recent hair show that a very educated/well-known cosmetologist said that she made a shampoo documentary (which I've demanded to see ) that reveals that Wen does, in fact, contain sulfates and other damaging ingredients. I've read the ingredient lists on each formula --as I have them all--and can't see how this is possible. Is there someone out there with information that can confirm or deny the ingredients of this? Is there a way around presenting that your product is filled with sulfates and other ingredients? Eek!!! I can't face that my wonderful Wen might not be what it claims to be! Help!

I am confused--if you think it's wonderful, then how can it not be what it claims to be? You obviously like the results--so what's the issue?

I do think it's wonderful; "wen girl" here. As I am not an expert in this stuff (and perhaps the beauty forum isn't the place to go), I was hoping that a product that claims to be sulfate free is, in fact, sulfate free. Outside of my own inexpert research, I was hoping to converse with other wen users/non-users about the ingredients.

I think Thia Winter in Post #10 gave you a very good answer as to what kind of sulfates there are and the difference.