Review: Nioxin System 3 Cleanser - shampoo for normal to thin-looking hair

Nioxin is not a brand I've dabbled in before now. The very name sounds medicinal and not particularly inviting to someone who's into 'luxury' brands for the most part . However, I have fallen in love with the one product of theirs that I've used: Nioxin's System 3 Cleanser. I got the one for fine, chemically treated, normal to thin-looking hair.

I found the names and different systems of these shampoos really hard to understand! I ended up picking the closest one to my hair type, which is fine and coloured.

This shampoo doesn't call itself a clarifying shampoo outright, but its claims to 'remove environmental residue that can build up daily' and its aim to refresh the scalp as well as the hair makes me think it's from the clarifying 'family'.

However, this is not one of those shampoos you can only use once a week to completely strip your hair of product build up. It's much gentler than that. As someone who has oily hair which can't go more than 24 hours without a wash usually, this has been a small miracle. The emphasis is on the word small, since it probably allows me to go an extra half a day only without looking like I've just plunged my head into a deep fat fryer (ew, sorry). But an extra half a day sometimes is just what I need!

The product itself is a gorgeous icy blue gel that makes you feel clean just by looking at it. Unfortunately this photo doesn't do the colour justice, so just think 'swimming pool' and you'll be able to picture its true hue.

The smell is mint and tea tree at the same time (I've never been good at describing scents :)

It's refreshing, doesn't make my head tingle (a feeling that I hate!) and leaves my hair soft and bouncy. Every time. I've not had dryness or colour fading from this so far and I've been using it a couple of weeks now, every day. I'm super impressed.

I'm hoping to combine this with another product I'll be soon to purchase - I will update this blog when I get this mystery product - to reach my ultimate goal of attaining that elusive two days of oil-free hair between washes :) Wish me luck....

Have you tried anything from this brand?

Hit and Miss Shampoos... Argan Secret Shada and Toni & Guy Cleanse

When I completely ran out of shampoo a few weeks ago (which shocked me to my very core, since I am a hair product junkie and have obviously let things slip to a frightening extent :) I ran out to Sally's for an emergency purchase. I picked up Argan Secret's Shada Luxury Sulphate-Free Shampoo, enticed by its argan oil, willow bark and hempseed oil ingredients and its promise to protect my coloured hair whilst delivering a hefty dose of moisture.

Initially I was totally impressed. My hair felt soft, moisturised and clean. For the first few washes this feeling continued, but eventually, the build up took over. After about 3 weeks, no matter how much I rinsed and rinsed, my hair never felt clean and some days actually just felt oily and gross.

I decided to switch, and on another whim whilst shopping in Boots I got Toni & Guy's Cleanse Volumising Shampoo for Fine Hair. I used it once, and WOW! Back to super clean hair, and such amazing volume! My hair felt transformed, and the build up I felt I'd been carrying around with me was completely gone.

I've since tried to use the Argan Secret again, thinking I'd now got rid of the build up of product and could go back to the initial great results I had with this shampoo, but was disappointed to find my hair was just as oily and yucky immediately. I just don't think sulphate-free agrees with my hair type - lots and lots of very fine hair, dry on the ends but with a tendency to get oily fast at the roots. I have used Liz Earle's shampoo before which I loved but found the build up also occurred, although not to the same gross extent as with this one.

I'm determined not to be beaten and will give the Argan Secret one final try so I can be absolutely sure it doesn't work for me! After all, argan oil, hempseed oil and willow bark sound like the kind of things I want to be washing my hair with. Plus it smells amazing - slightly herbal but also kind of sultry, like some exotic perfume. But I may have to admit defeat :( But at least I found the Toni & Guy shampoo! I highly recommend it for fine hair. Plus it smells fresh and clean, and I really like the bottle.

Have you tried either of these, or what are your opinions on sulphate free shampoos?

Massive fail: Tresemme Instant Refresh Waterless Foam Shampoo

Ok, so this product sounded like the answer to my prayers. A waterless, foam shampoo that promises to refresh hair by removing oil and impurities. I have very long fine hair that can have oily roots but very dry ends, with a tendency to frizz. Sometimes washing it every day can be a pain, so I wanted something to give it that just washed, soft look without actually washing it. 

So I picked up Tresemme's Instant Refresh Waterless Foam Shampoo, for dry frizz prone hair. 

All you do is pump some of the foam into your hands, run it through your hair and style as usual.

I used a couple of pumps on my long hair. I blow dried it whilst waiting for the witch hazel to start absorbing the oil from my roots. I was expecting refreshed, shiny and non oily hair.

What I got instead were even oilier looking roots that have looked worse as the day's progressed. Yuck!

I'm surprised at the great reviews of this product online, as it is a total disappointment for me. Maybe it's just my hair type that doesn't suit it. But it's back to dry shampoos for me.

Has anyone else had any luck with this product?