topic Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe in Beauty

Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

Biftu — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 03:29:13 GMT

I have been using WEN for about two years now. I have fine, straight, healthy hair that has never been colored. I have tried sweet almond, lavender, pomegranate, and tea tree. I like that my hair is not tangled after washing so I continue to use the track tree which seems to work best. I sure never get the WEN look. The other day I used Fructis shampoo I had and my hair was fantastic, but it contains sulfates. I tried tee tree again using less product. I have the gallon and used one pump for the first cleanse, rinsed and us done more pump for the second. I was using two pumps for each cleanse. What a difference using less! This may work for me. Do you find using more product doesn't work?

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

FUTURE — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 04:01:59 GMT

The first time I tried it. I couldn't stand it. Now, I use it as a conditioner. I know, I know, you aren't supposed to. But I do. And I really like it. With the oils and as much sweat and product as I use, I felt like using it exclusively was doing absolutely nothing to my hair. Now. I shampoo my scalp with my regular favorites, then do 8 pumps of wen from a 16 oz (not sure what that means for gallon size), or 6 pumps from 32 oz. As I'm rubbing it in, I apply water to make it froth. THAT made a huuuuggggeeee difference! Then rinse really, really.......really well. My hair is just below my shoulders, fine but quite a bit of it, straight and color-treated. Sometimes you just have to mess around with it, to see if a new technique works better for you. HTH!

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

77yangya — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:11:21 GMT

The idea of Wen is using more will yield better results. You may not be getting a thorough cleansing if you don't use enough. I would try using more. I have hair down to my waist and it's fine but a decent amount, has a natural wave, which I hate but anyway, from a gallon bottle I use three pumps for first and second cleanse and I do get the fabulous results and I only use leave in and styling creme. I will use the gloss and mousse on the weekend when we go out. Any time I have used shampoo and that includes the most expensive, I always had split ends. With Wen (using 4 years exclusively now) I have not one split end and I know because I check periodically.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

VaBelle35 — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:21:51 GMT

One pump of the gallon for each cleanse is certainly enough (unless you are Crystal Gayle!).

It may be that using 2 pumps for each cleanse wasn't getting rinsed out enough.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

HonnyBrown — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:08:50 GMT

MFitz, you used a shampoo prior to using less Wen. That could have had something to do with the difference you noticed.

I recently used my favorite sulfate shampoo. That made Wen work so much better for my hair.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

WenGirl42 — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:00:35 GMT

On 9/8/2014 VaBelle35 said:
One pump of the gallon for each cleanse is certainly enough (unless you are Crystal Gayle!).

It may be that using 2 pumps for each cleanse wasn't getting rinsed out enough.

The underlined statement is simply not true. Each pump of the gallon is 1oz, so 2 pumps would be 2oz. Since that's the amount in a WEN travel packet, it's fair to say that's the amount recommended on average per use. Anyone with hair that is longer, thicker, coarser or dryer than average will need to use more.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

terrier3 — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:05:18 GMT

On 9/8/2014 HonnyBrown said:
MFitz, you used a shampoo prior to using less Wen. That could have had something to do with the difference you noticed.

I recently used my favorite sulfate shampoo. That made Wen work so much better for my hair.

Honny and I BOTH believe in mixing regular shampoos with your WEN.

I also have fine hair. I was also about to give up on WEN until two things happened - The FGP seasonal came back (the BEST one I had ever used for my hair type) and I started using clarifying shampoo as the first cleanse when necessary. I probably use shampoo twice a month or so. I started in the summer and think that the weather may also have had something to do with my WEN not performing well. But now I won't hesitate to use shampoo when my hair starts getting limp and dull.

Those 2 things changed everything for me!

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

jaxs mom — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:52:18 GMT

Using less just ends up with me not getting clean all the way to the scalp and limp dirty looking hair. Using less doesn't work for me.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

Biftu — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:55:17 GMT

Thanks terrier3 I think you may be right. I couldn't believe the difference after using regular shampoo and then next time using WEN. I'm going to experiment further. But I also found that using only one pump for each cleanse in the gallon worked better for me. It could be I need less product because of my hair's fine texture.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

Susan25 — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 15:06:51 GMT

On 9/8/2014 MFitz said: Thanks terrier3 I think you may be right. I couldn't believe the difference after using regular shampoo and then next time using WEN. I'm going to experiment further. But I also found that using only one pump for each cleanse in the gallon worked better for me. It could be I need less product because of my hair's fine texture.

Mfitz, I agree with terrier3. Many Wenners use regular shampoo occasionally as their first cleanse and get better results. I have read many discussions about this and some were about to give up on Wen and got good results after incorporating regular shampoo into their routine. You should experiment with the combination of shampoo and Wen before giving up. Not sure how much you have left of your gallon but it sounds like you could have a lot of Wen that is unused.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

DoxieMomma — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 15:48:43 GMT

Wen is most definitely NOT a "one size fits all" product. What works for one individual may not work for the next. Some people incorporate shampoo for cleansing and use Wen as their conditioner. Others have used only Wen for years and are thrilled with their results. My advice is to keep experimenting to determine what works best for you .

My hair is fine in texture (like yours) but pretty thick. It's currently heavily layered, the shortest is just below my jaw and the longest is below my bra strap. Tea tree is my favorite CC, I use it every time I cleanse. My scalp is naturally oily, so I focus my cleansing there, then run the CC through the ends. From the gallon, I use one pump for my first cleanse and one pump for my second. That's all that I need for my hair. For each cleanse, I make sure it's evenly applied to my scalp (using my fingers to lift my hair and apply it directly to my scalp). I add lots of water (sticking my head back underneath the shower head for two seconds for the top of my head, lifting my hair up and another two seconds of water at the nape of my neck). I then massage really well to get my scalp clean. At this point, I can run the extra CC through the length of my hair to the ends. I do this for both cleanses, and rinse, rinse, rinse really well.

For me, the perfect amount of CC is easily determined. When I start to run it through my ends, I make sure I can see a small "line" of CC on my comb (or fingers if I'm using them, lol). That means my hair has enough CC to get clean. If I am raking out globs of CC, then I've used too much; my Wen is precious (and not cheap), I don't want to waste it.

Hope this helps!

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

HonnyBrown — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 15:53:43 GMT

On 9/8/2014 MFitz said: Thanks terrier3 I think you may be right. I couldn't believe the difference after using regular shampoo and then next time using WEN. I'm going to experiment further. But I also found that using only one pump for each cleanse in the gallon worked better for me. It could be I need less product because of my hair's fine texture.

With Wen, you can't use too much, but using too little can be counterproductive.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

Q4u — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:02:01 GMT

I'm a relatively new WENista and found that too much product really made my hair look greasy. And I have dry hair. I have a gallon of Fig and my hair is about the length ofCarolyn's new hair cut. I use less than one full pump. I have finally settled on Bamboo Tea Tree (or Tea Tree) and will use 5 pumps (not even 5 full pumps), some Orange or Peach asa rotation and it's working out fine.

Btw, I just discovered that the Bamboo Tea Tree is incredible for my hair. It smells good to me so I'm thrilled to finally find one of WEN's regular line that works for me, that I like the scent of it and it doesn't make my eyes water (the Menthol rich ones were horrifying for me).... everyone has to find their niche....

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

Susan25 — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:07:15 GMT

On 9/8/2014 Q4u said:
I'm a relatively new WENista and found that too much product really made my hair look greasy. And I have dry hair. I have a gallon of Fig and my hair is about the length ofCarolyn's new hair cut. I use less than one full pump. I have finally settled on Bamboo Tea Tree (or Tea Tree) and will use 5 pumps (not even 5 full pumps), some Orange or Peach asa rotation and it's working out fine.

Btw, I just discovered that the Bamboo Tea Tree is incredible for my hair. It smells good to me so I'm thrilled to finally find one of WEN's regular line that works for me, that I like the scent of it and it doesn't make my eyes water (the Menthol rich ones were horrifying for me).... everyone has to find their niche....

I also like Fig but couldn't use it everyday. It is too moisturizing for my hair, even though, my hair is sometimes dry. Alternating different formulas has worked great for me. Many Wenners rotate different formulas on a regular basis. Before Wen, I also used several different type of shampoos and conditioners and never used the same formula everyday.

Re: Giving up on WEN -- Maybe

KJPA — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:41:27 GMT

I've used Wen exclusively since March. I have short, fine, average thickness hair. Adding water while I'm cleansing is the Holy Grail! For my hair I cleanse twice using a total of 12 pumps from a 16oz bottle. And I cleanse about 3x per week.

Wet your hair first. Chaz says it helps the products soak into your hair and do their job. Start with the least amount of Wen you think you need and massage it in then add water. As someone else said, stick your head under the shower stream for a second or more if your hair is really thick. Then massage it more. If you don't feel "froth" or "creaminess" add more Wen and massage. If you aren't sure if it's frothing then it probably isn't. I think you know the feel when you finally get there! For me it feels almost like Cool Whip. Seriously! If your hair feels kind of stringy while cleansing you haven't added enough Wen or water to it yet.

Keep adding more Wen and more water until you reach that frothiness. Rinse and repeat. I leave the second cleanse on while I finish my shower. Then I add MORE water and massage it again just before I rinse it out. For my fine, short hair that last rinse is no more than a minute or so. Girls with thicker hair will need a lot more rinse time. But adding water to the Wen while cleansing also helps it rinse out faster.

If you don't reach that frothiness your hair isn't getting clean. All of us can tell you only what works for us. There are so many variables such as hair length, texture, amount, water hardness, how dirty your hair is and how much product is in (such as hairspray,) amount of Wen you are using and amount of water you are using. Just keep adding Wen and water until you feel the "froth" or "cream." If you have very thick, AA-type hair you will need a lot more water and a LOT more Wen. If you hair is very fine and/or short you will need a lot less. If you are in between of course you will use something in between those two extremes. Watch the youtube video of them cleansing Katia's hair (Wen model.) That will give you a whole new understanding of Chaz's instructions to "thoroughly wet your hair and rinse, rinse, rinse.) That woman has MEGA hair If she cleansed the same way I do her hair would never get wet let alone clean!

I've never finished a cleanse, dried my hair, and felt any residue or buildup in it. It's never greasy when I'm done cleansing. I can get greasy if I add too much leave-in or other styling products. But the CC itself used as Chaz instructs has never left it "dirty" in any way, shape or form.