WEN

[taquito]

I've been using WEN since Chaz first came to qvc. Lately I'm confused about which ones would work for me and hope some of you will help me. I have fine, color treated hair.  Are there ingredients I should look for or maybe avoid?

My experiences with the ones I've tried:

My hair LOVES Tea Tree, so I can stick to that but there's so many others I wonder if I can use.

Fig makes my hair feel gummy if I leave it on very long. Almost like it's sticky to the touch.

613 makes my hair very brittle when I use it a few times in a row. So brittle that it breaks easily. Is that because of too much protein?

I'm becoming more sensitive to fragrance and can no longer use Sweet Almond Mint, which I used to like but had to give away what I had.

I'm interested in the new fragrance free, but he's calling it a rice protein. Is that bad for me if I can't use the 613?

I want to avoid any that will make my hair brittle or bother me with a perfumed fragrance like SAM must have in it.

[Kjelle]

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@taquito wrote:

I've been using WEN since Chaz first came to qvc. Lately I'm confused about which ones would work for me and hope some of you will help me. I have fine, color treated hair.  Are there ingredients I should look for or maybe avoid?

My experiences with the ones I've tried:

My hair LOVES Tea Tree, so I can stick to that but there's so many others I wonder if I can use.

Fig makes my hair feel gummy if I leave it on very long. Almost like it's sticky to the touch.

613 makes my hair very brittle when I use it a few times in a row. So brittle that it breaks easily. Is that because of too much protein?

I'm becoming more sensitive to fragrance and can no longer use Sweet Almond Mint, which I used to like but had to give away what I had.

I'm interested in the new fragrance free, but he's calling it a rice protein. Is that bad for me if I can't use the 613?

I want to avoid any that will make my hair brittle or bother me with a perfumed fragrance like SAM must have in it.

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@taquito You may really like POM to have something to switch up with TT. Everyone has a different tolerance for 613. You need to incorporate treatment into your routine, but the protein can be too much to use every time and cause that dry birttle feeling. Try once or twice a month.

The classics are wheat protein based, the seasonals are soy protein based, bamboo and MIF are rice protein based, as is the fragrance free. The rice based group is more treatment than the classics but not as much as 613. Some people really respond well to the rice base, some find it drying, you would have to judge for yourself on that one.

[Thia-Winter]

I would give the rice based ff a try. I have fragrance issues but can use most wen. The rice ones don't bother me at all.

[taquito]

Oh, so they're all called some sort of protein, wheat, soy, or rice. That gives me some clarity on that issue. Good to know the rice falls in between the classics and the 613. I have a lot of that left so instead of using it straight, I'll mix it in with the TT once in a while.

I remember that my hair did well with POM and the LAV, but I haven't had either in a while, so they're an option for me.

I was considering the MIF in the tsv, but found the ingredients list and it has fragrance. So I'm unsure about that one now. But I'll watch for the FF to be offered on its own because it sounds like the rice based might be worth a try.

I haven't been watching presentations lately, so you've both been helpful. Thanks!

[Susan25]

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@Thia Winter wrote:
I would give the rice based ff a try. I have fragrance issues but can use most wen. The rice ones don't bother me at all.

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I would definitely try the new fragrance free conditioner.   I haven't tried it yet but would imagine that it would be good for you since you are sensitive to frgrances.   Although, I am not sure when it will be available.  At least, I don't think it is available to purchase by itself.  

[yisbuff2]

The rice protein has been great for me! My experiences with the soy have been so so, but those were the first I tried, and I'm not sure I used them properly. Maybe you can get the TSV to try them as that is a great price point since FF isn't currently available alone. The FF is creamy and lovely. The BGT is also lightly fragranced, in my opinion, and very natural. The MIF is much stronger. I really like it, but it tends to be one people love or hate. I am lightly sensitive to fragrance (headaches, sometimes rashes, can't walk into a place like Bath & Body works without feeling sick, etc), but Wen never adversely affects me.

[quadmimi]

I would get the Rice TSV....You can always mix the FF with the MIF if it is too strong for you..I love the scent, and the BGT is very light....MIF and the FF are very rich and lots of moisture...I use the BGT on the scalp and the other two on the rest of my hair...

I don't know if you got the Fall Tuscan Pear but that is wonderfull.

[Ms X]

Customer service told me that I can call them and change my autoship choice from the rice, which I chose for the first shipment, to the classic or the seasonals for the second shipment.  I'm not sure how much lead time they need, so I will call in February or March.

I think that's great because I wasn't sure whether to get the seasonals, which I got last year, or the rice.  Now I could get both this way.  I only buy this TSV once a year for my Wen needs, so if I don't cancel it I just won't get the TSV next December.

[bebe777]

@taquito, I've cut and pasted some of the information in Wen 101 (message #3), which relates to the Cleansing Conditioner formulas in the Wen TSVs.  You can check out the Wen 101 thread for more information. -- bebe

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TYPES OF WEN CLEANSING CONDITIONERS

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Classic (Core) Cleansing Conditioners

* wheat-based: Sweet Almond Mint (SAM), Tea Tree (TT), Fig (FIG), Lavender (LAV), Cucumber-Aloe (CA)

* soy-based & wheat-free: Pomegranate (POM) 

* Note: Classic CCs and Kids CCs do not have the Wen 11 amino acid complex.

Restorative Cleansing Conditioners 

* all rice-based, wheat-free, soy-free, jojoba-free & nut-free / Wen proprietary bamboo water & bamboo extract / Wen 11 amino acid complex / additional skin care ingredients

* Chaz: "hybrid formula", "more similar to Seasonal category"

* formulas: Bamboo Green Tea (BGT) and Mandarin Italian Fig (MIF), and the new (as of 11/15/15) Fragrance Free (FF) cleansing conditioner

Seasonal Cleansing Conditioners -- Seasonals in current Wen TSV

* all soy-based - no wheat or gluten / Wen 11 amino acid complex / additional skin care ingredients

* Summer Coconut Lime Verbena (SCLV or CLV) -- June - Aug., in both 2015 & 2016

* Spring Honey Lilac (SHL) -- Mar. - May, in both 2015 & 2016

* Summer Honey Peach (SHP) -- June - Aug. 2014

* Winter Vanilla Mint (WVM) -- Dec. - Feb., in winter of both 2011/12 & 2012/13

* Fall Ginger Pumpkin (FGP) -- Sept. - Nov., in both 2011 & 2012 

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Seasonal Cleansing Conditioners

* The very popular Honey Complex, which is the most moisturising Wen honey complex for the hair, was added to the Summer Honey Peach (SHP). -- Some of the newer Seasonals (FTP & SCLV / waiting for info on WWC & SHL), Wen Men, MIF, and FF (but not BGT) have included hydroxypropyltrimonium honey in their ingredients decks. -- The 613 Cleansing Conditioner has a honey extract in it's ingredients deck.

* Beginning with the Summer Honey Peach (SHP), going forward, the 4-Tea Complex has been added to some of the Seasonals. The 4-Tea Complex is also in the Restorative line Cleansing Conditioners (BGT, MIF, and FF), as well as Wen Men Cleansing Conditioner.

* each new Seasonal is generally only available for the three-month initial season when it was first introduced. -- Because Wenners get so attached to their favorite Seasonals, beginning in September 2014, Chaz has been experimenting with "opening up" the Wen Seasonals closet, on a season by season basis. For each season, a limited quantity of the prior Seasonals (for that season) have been brought back. And when they're gone, they're really gone. So order sooner rather than later.

* No new Seasonals this year. The full range of Seasonals will be available from September 2015 through August 2015, but after that some Seasonals will be retired: Seasonals - which are your favorites & which will be retired?

* For the first time this June, Chaz has made four Seasonal scents available during June Wen Gallons Month: one for each season. For June 2015, he chose Spring Orange Blossom (SOB), Summer Mango Coconut (SMC), Fall Ginger Pumpkin (FGP) and Winter Vanilla Mint (WVM). He seems to have selected the most popular Seasonal for each season. -- It's too soon to know if selected Seasonal gallons will be offered each year. If they are offered in 2016, it's more likely that they will be offered in September/October along side of the 613 and Restorative line gallons.

* Additionally, for the past few December TSVs, Seasonals have been a part of the mix. The Wen December TSV generally includes (5) 16oz. Cleansing Conditioners and has been priced at $80 for the past few years (Chaz is holding the price at $80 this year -- Thank you, Chaz!). This upcoming December 5th includes three different TSV options: 

* Seasonal TSV (FGP, WVM, SHP, SHL, & SCLV)

* Classics TSV (SAM, TT, FIG, LAV & POM) 

* Restorative TSV (2-BGT, 2-MIF, & 1-FF)  

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[bebe777]

@taquito, I've cut and pasted some of the information in Wen 101 (message #7), which relates to the Cleansing Conditioner formulas in the Wen TSVs.  You can check out the Wen 101 thread for more information. -- Also, in message #6 of the Wen 101 thread, there is more info about the specific key ingredients in each of the cleansing conditioner formulas. A caution: for someone new to Wen, the info in message #6 may be a bit of info overload. Best of luck!! -- bebe

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WEN CLEANSING CONDITIONER FORMULAS 

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Wen Cleansing Conditioner Formulas Used for Specific Reasons

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Universals - work well on all types of hair

* Sweet Almond MInt (SAM) / Pomegranate (POM) / Tea Tree (TT) -- are all considered Universals (i.e. for everyone) -- SAM, the first CC Chaz created, is sometimes too heavy for baby fine hair.

Most Popular Wen Cleansing Conditioner Formula (in my opinion)

Tea Tree (TT) -- it really helps to keep your scalp healthy, balances oil production, keeps dandruff at bay, and seems to make your hair grow more quickly. Chaz calls it one of the "Universals" which means it works well for all types of hair. Most Wenners on this board (as well as the Wen models & hosts) seem to incorporate it into their routine. Besides its slightly medicinal smell, which most people get used to fairly quickly, I've only read a few complaints about it.

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Amino Acid Complex & Extra Skin Care Ingredients

* 613 / Bamboo Green Tea (BGT) / Mandarin Italian Fig (MIF) / (rice-based) Fragrance Free (FF) / Wen Men / all the Seasonals -- add Chaz's 11 amino acid complex (to give your hair more protein) and additional skin care ingredients to your hair. 613 is the most concentrated (to quote Chaz: "Wen on steroids"). -- If you already have a healthy head of hair or if you have thick/coarse hair, then use 613 sparingly at first. To a lesser extent, this applies to all the cleansing conditioners which contain the amino acid complex. If you have one of these hair types and you use the amino acid cleansing conditioners too frequently, your hair may start to feel like straw or even get brittle and start to break. Your hair is made of protein. Depending on your hair type, too much protein may not be a good thing. -- Generally it's great for baby fine, damaged hair... like mine. My hair can't get enough of it.

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Bamboo Water & Bamboo Extract - flexibility & strength

* Bamboo Green Tea (BGT), Mandarin Italian Fig (MIF) and Fragrance Free (FF) -- are the three rice-based cleansing conditioners in the Restorative line, which uses an exclusive, proprietary bamboo water and bamboo extract in all their formulations. Bamboo contains natural silica which increases hair strength while keeping it flexible. This way the hair doesn't become rigid and more likely to break (which can happen if sand silica is used as an ingredient). -- Some people find these formulas a bit drying, probably because the amino acid complex is in them (for more information on this, read through the "Amino Acid Complex" information in which is in the previous paragraph).

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Clarifying / Astringent

* Cucumber Aloe (CA) -- most clarifying/astringent for an oily scalp (some people find it too drying). Cucumber Aloe was formulated specifically for teenagers because their fluctuating hormonal levels can result in excess oil production on their body and scalp.

* Tea Tree (TT) -- In particular, the tea tree oil helps normalize an oily scalp by rebalancing sebum production (your body's natural oil). Results may take 3-4 months. Also, as an anti-fungal, tea tree oil helps get rid of excessive fungal growth which can cause dandruff.

Note: all of the Wen Cleansing Conditioners are formulated to normalize an oily scalp over time. The balance of ingredients in the Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner just seem to be the most effective.

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Menthol-Free

* Kids formulas -- Wen Kids Apple (WKA), Wen Kids Watermelon (WKW), & Wen KIds Strawberry-Banana (KWSB) -- most gentle for the hair and scalp (rice-based / no menthol). The Wen KIds formulas are the only Wen Cleansing Conditioners that are menthol-free.

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Moisture

* Fig (FIG) -- most moisturizing (sometimes too heavy for baby fine hair)

* Summer Honey Peach (SHP) / Summer Mango Coconut (SMC) / Mandarin Italian Fig (MIF) / rice-based Fragrance Free (FF) -- moisturizing (just not quite as moisturizing as Fig) without weighing down baby fine hair. -- Some people find MIF and FF a bit drying. -- I think Summer Coconut Lime Verbena (SCLV) and Winter Vanilla Mint (WVM) also are more moisturizing. 

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ALLERGIES -- Wen formulas used because of specific allergies

    ***  to be on the safe side, confirm this information with Chaz's Wen Customer Service Department and *ALWAYS* read the ingredients listings first before using any of these products. ***

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Wen *Cleansing Conditioners* - best choices 

* wheat allergies -- soy-based Seasonal, 613 and Pomegranate cleansing conditioners. Also, rice-based Restorative, Wen Kids, and Wen Men cleansing conditioners.

* soy (and wheat) allergies -- rice-based Restorative, Wen Kids, and Wen Men cleansing conditioners 

* nut allergies -- soy-based 613 cleansing conditioner. Rice-based Restorative, Wen Kids, and Wen Men cleansing conditioners.-- Possibly some of the most recent Seasonal cleansing conditioners including Summer Honey Peach (SHP), Fall Tuscan Pear (FTP), Winter White Citrus (WWC), and Spring Honey Lilac (SHP). Chaz has mentioned FTP in his QVC shows but, to be on the safe side, check the other ones out first.

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Wen *Product* Lines - best choices

* wheat allergies -- Pomegranate styling product line, except for the Body Cleansing Creme.

* nut allergies -- 613 styling products, except (perhaps) for the Treatment Oil. -- Probably the Restorative styling products.

Note: information courtesy of Brit from Chaz Dean's salon on 11/24/15.

    ***  to be on the safe side, confirm this information with Chaz's Wen Customer Service Department and *ALWAYS* read the ingredients listings first before using any of these products. ***

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