Patti Ponders:
I’m a big Pantene fan, but I’m having trouble keeping track of all their products. I just saw a new product called “Restorating” or something like that. Should I switch from the Pantene that I know and love to this new product? Is it any better?
The Right Beauty Brain Boasts:
Well placed pondering, Patti! The Brain’s have been watching this new Pantene introduction and we find it interesting for a couple of reasons.
First of all , the actual name of the product is Pantene Restoratives. Looking at the formulation for the conditioner tells us the folks at Procter and Gamble (the makers of the Pantene products) have stepped away and from their usual approach. (By the way, in a future post we’ll discuss how most major manufacturers use in the same basic technology in many of their products. There’s nothing wrong with this, all that means it is you get the best possible formula and you can buy it in many different products.)
In this case the change is a bit perplexing. The “standard” Pantene conditioner is built on a foundation of cyclomethicone, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, and fatty alcohols. It’s a great formula – perhaps the best we’ve ever tested. We consider it to be the gold standard of conditioners and you’d have to look very hard to find a product that performs better than Pantene’s standard conditioner. The Restorative product, however, does not seem to be as efficacious – our lab testing shows it doesn’t condition hair as well as the rest of their line.
Another unusual aspect of this product is the color – they made its purple! A purple conditioner? Is there some point to this? Maybe their market research showed that a soft pastel purple makes people feel better about their hair, but there is certainly no technical reason to add purple dye to the product. Likewise, the fragrance is a bit of the change for Pantene – you’ll have to try it and and tell us if you like to the way it smells .
Finally let’s take a peek at the claims they’re making for this new product: they talk about it reducing hair loss due to breakage. Ho hum, any good condition are will do that. Now , a “stronger ” conditioner will do a better job of reducing breakage, but it is certainly not an exceptional claim.
So, why did Pantene launch a new conditioner that seems less effective than the ones they currently markets, that it doesn’t smell as nice, that looks a bit funny, that makes no exceptional claims, and that sells for more money for a smaller tube?
Sounds like a marketing move to us!
The Beauty Brain’s Bottom Line:
Stick with the regular Pantene conditioners.
We hope this helps, Patti, let us know if you give it a try.
Anybody else have any products they want us to review?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I have compared the ingredients in the Restoratives line with those in Pantene’s regular product lines. The primary working ingredients in the Restoratives line are Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride and Dimethicone or Amodimethicone. The primary working ingredients in the regular Patene line are Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, and Glutamic Acid. So, it seems to boil down to: will Behentrimonium Chloride and Dimethicone or Amodimethicone do a better job conditioning one’s hair than Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, and Glutamic Acid. Is there any evidence one way or the other?
In our testing, the “old” Pantene formula was more effective for most people’s hair than the “new” Pantene formula. But knowing P&G both formulas score well in blinded consumer testing.
Interestingly, take a look at the Herbalessence conditioner formulas. P&G uses the same formulas in those products as they do in Pantene. And while you’re at it, look at Head & Shoulders conditioner….look familiar? This is what hair care companies do though. They take a formula that people like, change the color, fragrance & packaging and call it something different.
I’ve been told by a few people that the reason why you shouldn’t use the pantene line is because they put beeswax in their product. This builds up and can actually harm your hair. Another time I was at a salon and a woman came in. She grabbed a handful of her hair and it crinkled like she had too much product in her hair. The stylist said, “do you have any product in your hair?” the woman said no. The stylist then asked “Have you been using pantene products?” she said, “yes everyday” and according to the stylist that was what made the crinkling noise. I was across the room and I could hear it. What would that be from?
I heard that the purple color is good for blondes, that it helps keep the color.