As a follow-up to the last shampoo post we thought we’d show you a comparison between a 2-in-1 shampoo plus conditioner and a supposed regular shampoo.
Undoubtedly, the best 2 in 1 technology was created by the good folks at P&G back in the mid 1980’s. The original patent is right here. This technology led to the phenomenal success of a shampoo called Pert Plus. That shampoo is still around but sales have been withering ever since Pantene was introduced in the mid 1990s. Ironically, except for the fragrance and color these formulas are very much the same.
2 in 1 shampoo technology
So what is this 2 in 1 technology? Essentially, it is 2 ingredients added to a regular shampoo, a silicone and a suspending agent. The silicone is usually an ingredient called Dimethicone and it is what makes the formula conditioning. The suspending agent is Glycol Distearate and it is what keeps the silicone from separating out of the formula. The way it works is this¦when the bottle of shampoo is sitting on the shelf, the suspending agent is able to hold the silicone in the formula. But when you put the shampoo on your head and mix it with water, the suspending agent does not work so well. The silicone separates out, stays behind on your hair where it can provide conditioning. That’s the theory anyway and it actually works.
Now that you know a bit about the 2 in 1 technology let’s do a comparison of a 2 in 1 shampoo and a regular shampoo.
Here is the ingredient list of a 2 in 1: Pantene Pro-V Shampoo + Conditioner, Classically Clean
Water, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Cocomide MEA, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Sodium Citrate, Polymethacrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, PEG-14M, Dihydrogenated Tallowamidoethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Ammonium Xylene-Sulfonate
Water, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Cocamide MEA, Panthenol (Pantene Pro-Vitamin Complex), Panthenyl Ethyl Ether (Pantene Pro-Vitamin Complex), Lysine HCl (Pantene Amino Protein Complex), Methyl Tyrosinate HCL (Pantene Amino Protein Complex), Histidine (Pantene Amino Protein Complex), Dimethicone, Fragrance, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Ammonium Xylene-Sulfonate
Notice any similarities? The first 4 ingredients are exactly the same. But more importantly, both contain the 2 in 1 technology, Glycol Distearate and Dimethicone.
Just so you don’t think we’re picking on Pantene, other brands do the same thing for example Fructis (their 2 in 1 vs their normal both contain Dimethicone). And even your favorite salon brands do it too.
So why do these companies add 2 in 1 technology to regular shampoos? Mostly because the added conditioning helps prevent the hair from being so clean that it feels dry. Almost any shampoo will do an excellent job of removing the oil and dirt from your hair. Take out too much however; you’ll get a head of hay.
Beauty Brains Bottom Line
If you want a clarifying or normal shampoo then DO NOT use one that contains Dimethicone. Despite what it says on the label if a shampoo contains Dimethicone it is a conditioning shampoo.
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I would just like to say I’m NOT a fan of PANTENE® Or HERBAL ESSENCES® the silicone in then gives me scalp pimples, makes my hair feel like ‘Doll Hair’ and it becomes greasy too fast. I say it’s the silicone because I’ve used some of the few PANTENE® shampoos that DON’T contain it. (Clarifying, ICE SHINE, BREAKAGE DEFENSE) and didn’t get a single break-out. Unfortunately ALL the conditioners do. There were a couple that didn’t (DISCONTINUED) WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO PUT THIS IN THEIR PRODUCTS?! Even styling products where I can’t see any advantage (Just increased ‘Stickiness’)
Everyone doesn’t put silicones in their products. If you want a conditioner that doesn’t contain silicone, you can try Suave or VO5.
Silicones in styling products do not make it “stickier”. They make the products more “slippery” and are added to improve hair shine.
I have to disagree about the ’stickiness’ of the styling products. A favorite mousse (condition•) was ‘Improved’ with addition of silicone and went from being a dry comb-able hold to a sticky mess that I had to wash-out.
I understand your position. All I can say is that yours is a single example and there may be other explanations. For instance, more changes (like source of styling resin, monomer ratio of styling polymer) could have been made of which you are unaware.
As cosmetic formulators, we add silicone to styling products for the reasons stated above.
The same with a pantene mousse and spray gel the ONLY changes were the packaging, the reduction of the ‘Pro-Vitamins’ (Now listed behind fragrance) and the addition of ‘Dimethicone’ the products went from a dry smooth feel to sticky and very ‘Un Comb-able’
Again, while it may appear to you that the ONLY changes made were in the packaging, there are plenty of invisible changes of which you may be unaware.
For example, the styling polymer could’ve been changed by still maintain exactly the same chemical name. This would happen if they changed the ratio of monomers in their polymer. A change like this could significantly change the “stickiness” but not require an ingredient name change. It would be invisible to you.
Also, the fact that Pro-vitamins went lower on the label does not necessarily mean that they made any change at all. More likely, P&G tested the likability of ingredient listings and found that consumers liked the product better when Pro-vitamins are listed after fragrance. Ingredients are only required to be in order of concentration when the concentration is above 1%. In a styling product, neither fragrance nor vitamins are used over 1%.
The bottom line is that while the dimethicone could affect the “stickiness”, there are other, more scientifically likely, explanations.
All I can say is: This may be the case for many people but, not for me. I look very carefully for styling products that give my hair a certain feel – Smooth, Dry and not too stiff. I have found (And LOST) several dozen over the last decade both from the drugstores and salons and most of the time it’s because they change the formula and ruin the hold or make it too stiff or ‘Sticky’
I thought the only function of Glycol Distearate is opacifier. It also helps silicone to deposit in the hair.
How about the shampoos that have silicone but no Glycol Distearate that are usually transparent, do they effectively deposit the silicone to the hair?