Is Pantene Good Or Bad For My Hair?

July

Is Pantene Good Or Bad For My Hair?

Sophie Says: I’ve heard a lot of things about Pantene Pro-V’s shampoo and conditioners. A lot of hairstylists swear on their hair-dryers that it is awful for your hair. Supposedly, it coats your hair with plastic or wax to make it seem smooth, soft, and shiny, instead of really moisturizing your hair. It also reportedly makes your scalp itchy and hair fall out.

However, I’ve been using the Pantene Restoratives shampoo and conditioner for a few months now, and I find my hair less frizzy, more manageable, smoother, and softer. Of course, I also use John Frieda Anti-Frizz Serum and Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Ultra Smoothing Balm (I highly recommend the latter, just apply to wet hair).

Phew, that was long. So, my question is: Is Pantene good or bad for my hair?

The Right Brain Righteously Responds:
Sophie, please don’t fall into the trap of believing everything your stylist tells you. (That’s one of the The Beauty Brains Basic Beliefs.) While most stylists are very talented at cutting and styling hair, they’re not very talented at interpreting cosmetic formulations.

The truth is, Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner formulas are believed to be among the best in the industry by those of us in the cosmetic science side of the business. It makes sense if you think about it. P&G, makers of Pantene, have a HUGE research budget. Certainly larger than any salon company. That means they can afford to dedicate resources to developing and testing the best formulas possible. We’ve seen Pantene formulas beat the pants of salon products in blind consumer testing. (The products are hidden or blinded, not the consumers)

Why is Pantene vilified?

So why do stylists say that Pantene coats the hair with plastic, or make it fall out? Because that’s what they’re told by the sales representatives for the salon companies. And the truth is, it’s just not true! Compare the ingredient lists for Pantene conditioner and any salon brand you can find.

Even though the names vary you’ll see three basic types of ingredients: fatty alcohols (like cetyl and stearyl alcohol); conditioning ingredients (like stearamidopropylamine and quaternium-18) and silicones (like dimethicone and cyclomethicone.) There’s nary a plastic to be found in Pantene. And no, it doesn’t make your hair fall out either.

The Beauty Brains Bottom Line:

You can choose whatever you like – a retail brand like Pantene or a salon brand like Matrix. But shop around and find a product you like and make your own decisions based on your own experience. Don’t pass on Pantene because of stylist anti-hype.

Have you got something to say about Pantene? Leave a comment below.

147 Responses to “Is Pantene Good Or Bad For My Hair?”

Heidi Says:

Iv’e actually been usuing pantene restoratives for the past week or two and it makes my hair extremely soft and alot healthier looking! I don’t know if its just for now , because i have been told that pantene makes you hair soft and nice for only alilttle while and after about a month your hair starts to get dry! .. i don’t know – i’ll never know untill i test it myself but for now it works great with my hair! people should try it.
Left Brain Says:

Heidi,

While we don’t work for P&G we do know that they make excellent products. They have the most R&D resources in the industry so they spend lots of time trying to develop the best products. Pantene shampoo and conditioner are some of the best available. Truth be told, the Restoratives is not much different than their standard Pantene formulas (look at the ingredient lists). The Restoratives is purple and has a different fragrance but the base formula is the same.

And the idea that Pantene builds up over time…it’s only partly true. It doesn’t build up any more than other conditioning shampoos. No matter what you use, people naturally get tired of their shampoos and believe that their hair gets “used to” the shampoo so they change. There’s very little evidence to support this idea but it still persists.

But you’ve got it right. Test products yourself. Everyone reacts differently to products.
Ann Says:

I dunno…my sister graduated from beauty school and such, and she used to use pantene all the time until she was told never to use it again, not because it had plastic in it, but her teacher said it had something in it similar to Teflon, that stuff they use to make non-stick coatings on your frying pans…I’ve been using the Pantene Pro-V Ice shine (shampoo and conditioner) for about a month now, it was wonderful at first, but i have noticed that starting about 2 weeks ago i have been shedding alot more than usual. I don’t mean to scare anyone or make false accusations, but this is my personal testimony. It doesn’t make my hair any more shinier than it already is, my hair is much more coarse when it dries, when its wet after i take a shower its soft. My hair has been falling out more than usual, and it is becoming very very hard to style it. Nothing (like curls) stays in for long. I was told Garnier Fructis and Suave were the way to go for non-salon hair products.
Ashley Says:

if you know anything about reading ingredients. you know that the first 5-10 are the main ingredients and have the most impact on your hair. well, panthenol and panthenyl are among those ingredients. both of these igredients are pure wax. no wonder your hair feels soft and amazing, because you arent actually touching your hair. you are touching the 1/2′ to an inch of waxy coating you’ve developed on your hair Follicles. i work in a salon, and one of our hairstylists was processing a client’s hair color when the foils started steaming and would burn if you tried to touch it. ill give you one guess at what shampoo she used daily……
for your own good, read the ingredients before using a shampoo, and steer clear of pantene pro-v.
thebeautybrains Says:

Ann, beauty schools and professional stylists make money by selling products. Anything they tell you about competitive products sold at stores is suspect. That’s exactly the case with Pantene. It is the best-selling store brand so marketers and sellers of salon brands make up things about it just so you won’t buy it. Pantene does not have anything similar to Teflon in it. That’s just not true.

If you’ve started shedding a lot more than usual, it could be the result of lots of things, the least likely of which would be the shampoo or conditioner you’re using. Perhaps a visit to the doctor is more appropriate than self-diagnosing.

Fructis uses almost all the same chemicals as Pantene (check the labels) but it and Suave are perfectly fine products.
thebeautybrains Says:

Ashely, thanks so much for your comments.

Here’s a case where a little knowledge can be trouble. Actually for shampoos and conditioners only the first 3 or 4 ingredients have much impact on your hair. There is a thing called the 1% line where if the concentration of an ingredient in a formula is 1% or less, you can list it in any order. There is no way that Panthenol is used in Pantene at any significant level. It costs way too much and has almost NO EFFECT on your hair.

The ingredients that make it work are Dimethicone, Cylcomethicone, and Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine. Panthenol is just a claims ingredient put in the formula at a tiny, tiny amount.

Panthenol is also not a wax. It is a vitamin. And there’s also no way that you’re feeling an inch of waxy coating. You’re hair isn’t that thick!

For your own good read the ingredients on shampoos and be weary of any advice you get from people trying to sell you their salon-brand shampoo.
Saki-Chan Says:

I agree with thebeautybrains Pantene works great in any kind of hair. The soft sliky feeling when you finish rinseing. Read the ingedents before useage trust me! You never want to get the wrong shampoo that well do harsh damage to your hair!
Laura Says:

I’ve been using Pantene for years (Ice Shine most recently) and I’ve never had any of the problems that stylists usually say are imminent unless I cease immediately. In fact, as a bit of a hair rebel I’ve bleached my hair to white in order put fire engine red and/or blue, green, pink, and any other color that happens to strike my fancy at the moment. I’ve gone back to a natural color all the while using pantene. Since I don’t cut my hair very often I don’t get much hoopla from stylists so I was surprised when the woman cutting my hair asked what I used to keep my hair so thick and shiny. I couldn’t help but laugh when I said several courses of bleach, color remover, temporary color, permanent color and……pantene. She then went into a spiel that pantene was the worst thing I could do to my hair and she was surprised that I had any left. This was 10 seconds after she was gushing over how soft, shiny, healthy, and thick it is.
As a sales person myself, I understand that stylists are trying to sell a product but don’t let them make you think that you are going to go bald or turn into Medusa just from using a particular brand. The ingredients are almost identical across the board and if you are really worried about chemical sensitivity or the like, Paula Begoun has been in the cosmetic industry for 30+ years and her website has great info as does her book Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me.
Ultimately, it is your choice and if a particular shampoo/conditioner makes your hair look/feel/smell nice according to you, stick with it and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Rachelle Says:

I’ve been using pantene prov for a few years now and the softness of my hair is great, but I’ve noticed that I’ve been shedding a lot of my hair more than I usually do. When I run my fingers through a section of my hair once without any tangles, at least 1 or 2 strands of hair are left on my hand without feeling the little tug on my scalp. It scares me just to brush my hair to get it untangled because I know there’ll be a lot of strands pulled out. I want all of this to stop but I don’t know which shampoo and conditioner I should use to keep my hair from falling out. I really don’t want to end up bald before graduating high school seeing that I’m reaching the end of my sophomore year.
Katherine Says:

I bought a bottle of Pantene about 4 weeks ago and have noticed a considerable amount of my hair falling out as a result. I have stopped using it and threw the bottle out. It cannot be mistaken that it was because of something else because the amount falling out is still a lot – my hands are covered in hair when washing. This is my personal experience.
Layla Says:

Your hair falls out naturally… over 100 hairs per day, I think… could it not be that people are suddenly noticing this more because they recently switched shampoos and are now paying more attention?

If you don’t brush your hair, more of the hairs that fall out will be left in your hair until you run your fingers through it. It isn’t as if they’re falling out when you do that.. they most likely already did and just were sitting there waiting to be brushed out or rubbed out during shampooing.

Probably the best advice I could give would be avoid using too many products like hair spray.. those dry your hair and coat it– pantine removes those products quite well.

Also, try conditioning daily, but shampooing only every 3 days, and using a 5 minute moisturizing mask when shampooing instead of your normal conditioner… this is what I do and I’ve found my hair is softer and less dry as a result.

I found that Suave dried out my hair (what did I expect for $0.88 USD per bottle), and Pantine seems to work pretty well. Fructice also worked well for me. Dove was so bad it gave me dandruff!!! There’s another shampoo I’ve used when visiting a certain friends house… Suke…something– or something.. That always felt and smelled pretty wonderful

I would agree with everyone above that listening to the people at the Salon who are trying to sell you a competing product, who are not chemical engineers, is probably not a wise decision if you want unbiased and accurate information…
Megan Says:

First let me say that I am not currently using Pantine pro-V but once I run out of the oodles of salon brand shampoos & conditioners I currently have I am switching to it.
I want to say that the reason a lot of you say your hair is shedding a lot more often is not because of the Pantine pro-V but because you are doing too much to your hair, despite what a lot of us think our hair is not that strong, in fact it is very delicate especially if you have curly hair like me and the more you fuss over it the more adverse reaction it will have. I used to do a lot to my hair and thought I was doing my hair good by plopping all sorts of name brand goo on it but in fact all I was doing was causing my delicate hair more damage and was loosing a lot of hair because of it, then I cut back and stuck to a few non salon brands of styling products and my hair is a lot healthier. I also noticed that the less you put on your hair the better it is for you, just think you have several different brands meaning several different chemicals you are putting on your hair that inversely suffocates it causing it to fall out. Thats the main reason for an unusual amount of shedding. So my suggestion find a brand that you like and works for you and stick with it and remember to use a deep cleansing shampoo and good moisturizing conditioner at least twice a month to help prevent build up and keep hair at it’s healthiest.
thebeautybrains Says:

Good suggestion Megan. The less you wash and the less you style the better the condition of your hair.
Tom Says:

if your feeling your hair is drying up or not feeling as nice as it used to be, it may be from build-up. try a clarifying shampoo. pantene makes a nice clarifier -

but you can always make a homemade recipe yourself.
Celesta Says:

Hi, I’ve got my MS in Chem E and worked for Cosmair (Loreal, etc) for five years.

This “plastic” coating is probably the silicone based ingredients. These strengthen and thicken the hair, but IF built up and used in conjuction with lots of heat styling and products with alcohol will make your hair look like crap and maybe hurt already damaged hair.

So… be sure to remove residue (from ALL brands of hair products), condition regularly, and use a hot oil treatment occasionally. Trim once a month and your hair will be fine!

Good luck!!!
hira Says:

hi . i m hira.i used pantene pro-v many times. before using it, my hair falls so much. i started using pantene. it makes my hair very soft and silky. i dont no due 2 dis or wat but after dis the no of my hair fall has decreased.
anlbe Says:

Different ingredients work for different people. For me hair products with silicone in them wreak my hair. Fructose, pantene and a whole bunch of really expensive ones too. I have dry, brittle hair which snaps and breaks off if I use silicone products, but this doesn’t mean paying a fortune I use a boots shampoo that costs Â£1.29. My hair also complians if I wash it more than once every five or six days, use any styling products, use blow dryers or straightners yet I CAN’T get hairdressers not to do this. I ended up forcing my way out of a salon last month because they didn’t want to let me leave without drying my hair – stylists can be little dictators sometimes, don’t listen to them, you know your hair best.
Dawn Says:

I looked up the word panthenol and here’s the definition of it:
Description
Panthenol is the alcohol form of pantothenic acid, more familiar as Vitamin B5. In a living cell, panthenol is converted to pantothenic acid, which then becomes an important part of the compound “Coenzyme A”, which is important in cellular metabolism.

In hair, which contains no living cells, it remains as panthenol.

Because it could become a vitamin if it were ever to get to a living cell, it is marketed as a “provitamin”, even though its effects as a vitamin are never used.

I have used Pantene for years and have never had a bit of trouble, I’ve actually been told by my stylists that I have very healthy hair.
For the people that have commented that their hair started fallin out after using Pantene, it is only natural that you lose so much of your hair each time it is shampooed.
alice Says:

I have been using pantene off and on for years. Ice shine seams to make my hair soft and shiney. And i have had few problems with it. but one of my freinds got me thinking. She was experimenting with new coloring and made her hair way to dark. Unsure about what to do she asked her daughter for any ideas. Her daughter said to use pantene. Her duaghter said pantene has bleach in it and will dull the color. My friend did what she sujusted, and the next time i saw her, her hair color was much much lighter. she said it was all thanks to pantene.
so does it really bleach your hair?
and if it does, would it effect un colored (or undyed) hair?
My hair also sheads A TON and when i use alot of heat styling my hair feels awufull and looks like crap…is that from pantene?
thebeautybrains Says:

Pantene does not have bleach in it but it probably was responsible for making her hair color lighter.

The process of shampooing is enough to strip a significant amount of color from your dyed hair. The hair wasn’t being bleached, the color was being washed out! This would’ve happened with any shampoo, not just Pantene. In fact, this would happen simply with water.

So, no, Pantene will not change the color of your naturally colored hair. It will only affect dyed hair.

You shed a lot of hair because of natural hair growth cycles. In fact, you naturally shed 50 to 100 hairs every single day! Fortunately, more hair is always growing back and you’ve got over 100,000 hairs so you can’t tell by looking at your head that your losing that much. However, the clumps of hair you get in your sink, on your brush, or clogging up your drain are not because of any product. It’s biology.

Finally, your hair feels awful because you are heat styling it. Heat damages hair. It makes it feel dry, creates split ends, and generally gives you “hay head”. A leave-in conditioner can help, but your best bet is to stop using blow dryers, curling irons and worse flat irons. These things are all bad for your hair.
Kim Says:

I used to use Pantene for years. I loved it. I would get compliments on my hair on a daily basis. Then one day I decided to bleach my long locks myself and to make a long storyshort, it took many times of processing to get my hair from a yellow higlighter to the desired, platnium blonde. My hair felt like straw. So I went to a salon. They said never use Pantene again and that the shampoo helped damage my hair because I stripped off the wax coating which was drying my hair underneath. I WAS DEVESTATED. SO Ihave been using Matrix, Reskin, and now Phyto for the past 6 years and my hair is not the same as it was with pantene. I AM SWITCHING BACK TO PANTENE. Thanks for all the comments above.
Sean Says:

I am in no way shape or form into hair products. I usually use what ever is left in the showerfor the last 13 months I have been usuing pantene Pro V and at first I noticed no difference, just another nice smelling shampoo…. until recently I notice my hair is falling out like crazy. I think the research done for this article is FAKE if not made up by P&G for this website. IT WILL MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR HAIR!! I would never be googling my shamoo to see if it had anything to do with hairloss otherwise. The shock comes to me when I acutally find out it DOES MAKE YOUR HAIR FALL OUT. BOTTOM LINE IF YOU OWN THIS CRAP OR KNOW SOME ONE WHO DOES CALL CHEMICAL CONTROL AND GET RID OF IT!! unless you want to become bald and have or like the feeling of multiple random hairs consistantly falling on to your face during the day and at night.
thebeautybrains Says:

Sean, capital letters and personal attacks aside, what is your scientific proof that Pantene makes your hair fall out? Anecdotal stories like the one you provide are interesting but not proof. There could be a wide range of explanations for what happened to your hair that don’t involve Pantene at all.

Pantene shampoos and conditioners (plus Herbal Essences & Head and Shoulders which use basically the same formulas) are bought by millions of people each day. If what you said were true, most of the world would be bald right now. How do you explain the fact that millions of people use Pantene but are not bald?

Finally, no matter what product you use you will lose about 50-100 hairs each day. It’s not the product making it happen, it’s biology.
Faiza Says:

Thanks the beauty brains for all your comments. I used to use Pantene before and my hair was wonderful but then I stopped because of all the rumours I heard about Pantene. I switched to Pantene again recently and looking forward to the results it gave me before. I see that they have changed their bottles. I used to use Pantene 2 in 1 for dry damaged hair and it used to come in the pink bottle. That made my hair real soft and nice and it was like nearly 10 years ago. Let’s see what results it brings now………..
SweetPea Says:

I have used Pantene for over 15 years. I would swear by it to anyone. It went with me through all the crazy bleachings and dye jobs, messed up perms, straightning irons, crimpers… you name it. Then about 5 years ago, I stopped dying, bleaching and using any sort of heat or hair products. No hair spray, no gel, no gunk… you get the idea. The only thing that I have used on my hair in the past 5 years is Pantene. For 4 years now my hair has been falling out at an alarming rate. When I wash it my hands are covered in all my hair that has fallen out. The tub drain is plugged by the end of my 15 minute or 20 minute shower. When I comb my hair afterwards I have giant clumps of hair on the floor all around me. My hair used to be so thick I couldnt get a big enough elastic for it, now it all fits into a small barrette. I even have bald spots. I have had every test the docotors can think of but to no avail. They have no explanation for it… Just tonight a friend of mine told me how bad pantene is for your hair. I decided to check into it for myself and I cant believe that the horror stories I have seen are exactly like mine. Please dont tell me I use to much goo, or that I use to much heat on my hair or wash it to much… none of that is true. I use nothing, not even a hair dryer or hair spray. This started happening about the same time pantene came out with all of their “new” product lines. And I was always first in line to try them. I find the very newest ones leave the top of my hair greasy and make it impossible to do anything with, but then that could be because I just dont have very much left. Is it from pantene? I really cant say for sure, but I can say that I will be going to the store to find something else tommorow. 50 – 100 hairs… try 500-1000 maybe more in my case.
thebeautybrains Says:

SweetPea,

Thanks so much for your comments. I’m so sorry to hear about your hair loss. It is interesting that you are now experiencing more hair loss but that doesn’t mean that Pantene is the problem. Pantene actually has not changed their formulas. The Pantene Restoratives are pretty much the same as the normal Pantene (just look at the bottles and compare the list of ingredients).

The more likely cause of your hair loss is the fact that you are getting older or a real medical condition. If you are starting to lose “clumps” of hair you should seriously see a doctor to make sure there is nothing wrong.
kristen Says:

thats funny…. i would think a hair stylist would know if hair is damaged everytime they see a pantene user. i can tell a pantene user as im washing the hair. its a horrible feeling in the hair. leaves hair sticky and if its colored it gets a bad build up. it is bad for ur hair very bad. u can smell teh pantene in the hair evn after a color!!! i may not know the chemical make up cause im not a scientist but i can tell when something is bad thank you!!!
Lily Says:

I’ve used Pantene before. It was my FAVORITE shampoo. I’ve read all of the comments (crap, I’m such a loser) and I agree with some. After using Pantene for 6+ months, I noticed the amount of hair I would lose increased. Finally, after talking about it with friends and family, I decided to switch to Garnier. Garnier was awesome..but then it was no good so onto Herbal Essences! That was no good months later either. So, I decided maybe I should just alternate my shampoos after they have run out. Well, it worked for me. I use Pantene, Garnier, and Herbal Essences. I heard/read somewhere that it’s better to alternate your shampoos.
What are your thoughts beautybrains? Agree? Disagree? It works for me though.
Allie Says:

I have used many brands of shampoos and conditioners before, including Pantene. Not one I used often, but I have before. I am also a hair stylist. Pantene may work well for some people and not so well for others. I don’t think you understand the build up you can get of that product or how bad it is until you see it for yourself. Like hair color gone wrong because of all that build up.

Believe it or not, not all hair stylists are out to sell product. There are some, like myself, who will only recommend products to a client who is asking about them. I may explain the benefits of a product that I’m using to someone if they really need it, but I’m not out to sell, sell, sell.

Bottom line: do what you feel is best for your hair. If you have a hair stylist you’ve been seeing for a while and they warn you about some products, they’re only looking out for your best interest.
kitsune Says:

My friend and coworker is a stylist and she is not paid by ANY cosmetic company to speak out against Pantene. She says using pantene is like using floor polish on your hair, it waxes you up and I don’t doubt her. She has no alterior motive.

also, just becuase a product is made by P&G doesn’t mean they do the research to ensure you are getting a product that is best for your hair. It means they have the money to find the cheapest way to make your hair SEEM healthy.
thebeautybrains Says:

Allie, the Pantene formula is not much different than products like Dove, Fructis and L’Oreal. Why do you single out Pantene as the one that causes terrible build-up?

Kitsune,
The notion that Pantene is like using floor polish on your hair is exactly the same erroneous terminology that Salon brands tell stylists when bashing the product. While your friend has no ulterior motive, you should question where she got the idea in the first place.

There is NO wax in Pantene. If you disagree please indicate which ingredient is your friend talking about (they are listed on the back label)?

I know a lot of the chemists who work at P&G and I know they do do their research when it comes to their shampoo formulas. They have thousands of scientists all working on creating better shampoo formulas. What do you think these people are spending their time doing?

If you don’t like Pantene feel free to use other products. There are plenty of cheaper shampoo formulas that will work just as well. But stop spreading the incorrect notion that Pantene is like floor wax. That’s just not true.

Left Brain
abbey Says:

I used to use Pantene and I thought it was great. Then, I switched to Sunsilk for probably 5-6 months and felt like it really improved the quality of my hair dramatically. Since then then, I have died my hair a dark auburn color and felt like the dye actually improved my hair because of the deep conditioning. I decided to use Pantene Pro-v for auburn color hair….and my hair is noticeablly falling out more and I actually have clumps that just look like this waxy substance or grease that I have never had in my life! I know people could say that this could be due to the fact that I have dyed my hair, but I have dyed my hair before and have never had this problem before using pantene… What are your thoughts? anyone?
thebeautybrains Says:

Sunsilk and Pantene share many of the same ingredients. (Depending on the SKU) they both contain a detergent, a conditioning polymer and a silicone. There’s really no reason Pantene would have a different effect on your hair than Sunsilk.

The waxy substance is more likely styling residue.

As to why you’re having the problem now, I have no idea. It’s possible that you’re just noticing it more. Every day you will naturally lose 50-100 hairs no matter what shampoo you’re using.
Sarah Says:

There are two types of detergents in shampoos. Detergents are what actually cleans the hair. Pantene uses ammonium laureth sulfate, while many other brands (including salon brands), use sodium laureth sulfate.

Ammonium laureth sulfate is a cheaper detergent, and is much harder on the hair follicle. Sodium laureth sulfate is a more gentle detergent. While both clean the hair, the better of the two detergents to use is the sodium laureth sulfate.

I used Pantene for years. In fact, since I was seven years old, until I was about 19. I had always had pieces of hair come out of my head while I was shampooing, so I never had thought that it was a big deal. I had read in magazines that when hair comes out, it’s natural! However, I began speaking to hair professionals, began reading online about hair falling out while using Pantene, and I then switched shampoos.

I began using a salon shampoo which used sodium laureth sulfate as its detergent, rather than ammonium laureth sulfate. To my surprise, my hair no longer falls out in the shower. In fact, my hair has never been healthier.

In the past year, I have tried a multitude of professional hair products. When I used Pantene shampoos, conditioners, and styling products, I had never had chemically treated hair, nor had I blow dried or straightened it often. Now, I have hightlighted hair, I straighten it, and it’s never been healthier.

There are some drugstore products which have sodium laureth sulfate, such as Sunsilk (which I see has been debated above). Because the detergent is the most important part of a shampoo, because its what cleans the hair, you have to consider this major factor.

I don’t buy into it that professional hair stylists are trying to take your money, so they preach to you about their products. As someone who has used both store brand and professional brands, I will never go back to drug store products.

Proctor and Gamble is a huge company, but it doesn’t specialize in hair products, as salon products do. If it was known of exactly how much of each ingredient in hair products was in a certain product, it would be much easier to identify which product was better.

But until then, my personal testimony is that I will not go back to Pantene.
thebeautybrains Says:

Sarah,

This is a case where a little knowledge is not a good thing. Some of the things you say are correct, but others…not so much.

For example, there are many more than just 2 types of detergents in shampoos. In fact, the CTFA lists over 1400 surfactants that could be used in shampoos.

If you’re talking about classes of surfactants, then there are generally just 4. Anionics, cationics, non-ionics, and amphoterics. Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are in the same class of detergent.

Ammonium laureth sulfate (ALES) is not a cheaper detergent than SLES. In fact, SLES is actually cheaper depending on the quantities you buy. I know because I actually work in the industry and know the pricing of surfactant/detergent raw material companies.

If irritation is your issue than SLES is not the best choice. You should use a shampoo based on Alkyl Poly Glucoside. This is evidenced by this comparison of the irritation potential of the two ingredients.

We have previously debunked the idea that Pantene makes your hair fall out. The explanation for your experience is that you have a bias in your data and only make observations that help support your opinion that Pantene causes hair to fall out. Given Pantene and another shampoo on a blinded basis (you don’t know which is which), you wouldn’t be able to tell that one causes hair to fall out more than the other.

P&G spends more money on research and development for hair products than any other company. They own Pantene, Herbalessences, Head & Shoulders, Aussie, Clairol, Graham Webb, Infusium, Physique, Sebastian, Vidal Sassoon and Wella. To say they don’t specialize in hair products is ridiculous.

You can buy whatever you want, nearly all hair products work. But to suggest that ALES formulas are inferior to SLES formulas is not right.
Sarah Says:

Okay, so you are saying that you “work in the industry.” You’re telling us that hair stylists have to promote their products. Are you not just doing the same then? Promoting the products of which industry you work for? By that, I am assuming that you work for an industry related to Proctor and Gamble, or in an industry closely related to this hair company.

Your answer still didn’t tackle the issue of why my hair is more healthy now than it has been when I had previously used Pantene. It may have given insight to the fact that more than two detergents exist. However, the two that I have mentioned are those which are the most commonly used and found in the ingredients of a shampoo. Your answer did not debate which detergent is more gentle on the hair. From what I have researched, the detergent used in Pantene is harder on the hair. Am I correct in stating this?

I have not done biased research, as you have attacked. I have merely just became curious as to why my hair was falling out while using Pantene. While I used drug store products, I had also tried Sunsilk, Tresemme, and Fructis. Of these, none made my hair fall out. So if I were to use Pantene and another shampoo on a blinded basis, I would surely be able to tell which one made my hair fall out and which did not. I actually enjoyed the Sunsilk shampoo which I had purchased! After I had discovered Sunsilk, I had read in a hair magazine at my local salon that Sunsilk has been the first non-salon brand to use many similar technologies and ingredients as salon products. My hair dresser also praised Sunsilk and also John Freda, both of which are not salon products. There is clear indication that salons are not out to sell only their professional products. The only question is, what are you out to sell?

Thanks again for the insight.
thebeautybrains Says:

Sarah,

Why is it every time someone disagrees with us, they eventually end up claiming that we are just trying to sell a product?

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. The Beauty Brains do not sell ANY beauty products. Feel free to buy any kind of shampoo you want. We don’t care if you buy Pantene or a salon brand or even a generic shampoo. It doesn’t matter to us. We don’t promote products. Anyone is allowed to advertise on this site with the understanding that we report the facts about products and if that doesn’t fall in line with an advertiser’s marketing plan, then they shouldn’t advertise with us.

We also don’t work for P&G or are we paid by them in any way.

The only thing we care about is passing along real scientific responses to questions that people have about their beauty products. You want marketing spin and anecdotes, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you want answers based on real research and scientific understanding with no biases towards any products, then the Beauty Brains is for you.

Why is your hair more healthy? It’s difficult to say without answers to various questions. For instance, what do you mean by healthy hair? What is your evidence that your hair is healthier now? What have you done to your hair (coloring, highlights, flat iron, curling iron, etc)? How has your grooming process changed? How has your diet changed? Have you been pregnant? There are numerous more plausible reasons why your hair would be healthier now than before that don’t involve the type of shampoo you use.

The two that you mentioned are not the most common ones found in shampoos. By units sold, the most common would be Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. These are different detergents than the “laureth” versions. SLES and ALES round out the top 4 of detergents used for making shampoos if you don’t count baby shampoos.

As to which one is more gentle, the answer is that there is no detectable difference between ALES and SLES. When these chemicals are put in water (as the are in shampoos) they separate into lauryl ether sulfate part and either the ammonium or sodium part. The only one of these that functions is the “lauryl ether sulfate” part of the molecule. There is no difference with respect to the harshness of the ingredients on your hair.

Pointing out that your research was biased was not meant to be an attack. It is an explanation of how you could have arrived at your conclusion given all the published data there is out there. I refer to it as biased because you start with your conclusion “Pantene is making my hair fall out” and then you do research to prove that you are correct. To ensure that you are not biased why don’t you start with the opposite conclusion “Pantene isn’t making my hair fall out” and try to prove yourself wrong.

Did you count the number of hairs that you lost when you were using Pantene versus other shampoos? I ask because you naturally lose 50 – 100 hairs every day. People shed just like cats and dogs. Unless you are counting the number of hairs lost, there is no way to tell whether your losing more hair when you use Pantene versus normal hair loss.

Sunsilk is certainly not the first shampoo to use non-salon brand technologies. There are NO technologies used in salon shampoos that aren’t used in store brand shampoos. This is just a marketing claim that isn’t supported by science. They use SLES & cocamidopropyl betaine in their shampoo. The company that makes Sunsilk (Unilever) also makes Dove which uses SLES & cocamidopropyl betaine as their detergents. There is nothing special about this technology.

It’s true that not all salons and hair stylists are out to sell any products. But some are and they learn what they know about hair products from Salon brand marketing companies. They don’t study the science. They don’t learn from people who create the formulas. Their hair product chemistry knowledge comes from marketers and is thus suspect.

Again, we are not out to sell anything. We’re here to clear up unsupported rumors like “Pantene causes my hair to fall out.” No proof of this has ever been offered beyond stories like yours. Where is the science? Where is the skepticism? If you could demonstrate the claim under controlled conditions then that adds more validity to these claims. And what do you say about the people who claim Pantene makes their hair grow like crazy?

There is no known reason based on the chemicals in Pantene why either of these things would happen and there is no unbiased proof provided that they do. So, the most likely conclusion is that your hair falling out (or growing like crazy) is related to something other than your shampoo.

Incidentally, if you want to know that amounts and types of chemicals found in Pantene just look up the patent number on the back of one of their bottles. For example, look up patent number 5,932,203 at the uspto.gov site and you can see a version of the Pantene formula.

Thanks for your comments. I’ve enjoyed the discussion. I’m so sorry if you took offense at any of my comments. None was meant.
Sarah Says:

Thank you for all of your clarifications. I meant no offense at all either with any of my comments.

I also was unaware that you did not work for any hair company, or that others have attacked this subject. I haven’t read the full of this discussion thread, so that may by my fault.

I still won’t go back to Pantene. The only conditions which have changed with me since I’ve used it was that I now colour my hair, which I did not do while I used their product. My hair wouldn’t fall out during the day when I used the product, but in the shower, AS I was washing my hair. It no longer does that. It may not do that for all people, but it does for me — and as you have said, not all hair products are right for everyone.

I still have some Pantene conditioner left. I might attempt using that again. We’ll have to see…

Thanks for your insight,

Sarah
Dayzed Says:

I think the problem is that people are losing there hair from stress, styling stress, hair dye, diet, alopecia, and other factors. Then they are being told, by friends, or reading on the internet that Pantene makes your hair fall out, and they believe it. Pantene is a popular brand and therefore this rumour really gets around.

Seriously…Is shampoo, when properly rinsed out, in the scalp long enough to do any damage to hair? I think not. Hair dye is far more problematic to the scalp than shampoo.

D
Kat Says:

I started using Patene’s conditioner for less breakage about a year ago. The first several months went great…My hair was shiner and did seem to break off less and have less split ends. Fast forward a couple more months. My hair started shedding all over at an alarming rate. Nothing in my diet or medical routine has changed. I stopped using Pantene recently and the shedding and thinning has stopped considerably. Sounds weird, but my hair is now starting to feel better attached to my scalp…like it won’t fall out if I turn my head. Whatever Proctor & Gamble and the salons say, I’m not using Pantene products again.
thebeautybrains Says:

If you’re going to avoid Pantene, then you should avoid Herbalessences too as they use the same formulas (except for the fragrance & color). Check out the ingredient labels if you’re curious.
Samantha Says:

To Dayzed:

I too used Pantene religiously for years. My hairdresser, a little less than 2 years ago, gave me free samples of a salon brand shampoo and conditioner. I loved the products, and I switched immediately.

When I used Pantene, my shower would be covered with hair. My husband was always in a fuss about it, because it would never stay clean. My shower drain clogged from all my hair loss one time.

My diet routine, exercise, stress levels, etc have all been identical from when I have switched products. My career and household situation is the same. If anything, I am healthier and less stressed now. My hair no longer comes out while I wash it.

I had never even heard the Pantene rumour abour hair loss until just now! But it’s no doubt that it has some truth to it.

Dayzed, I have never heard this rumour, so you can’t say that I just believed it from hearing it.

Anyway, to make a long story short, my hair actually FEELS healthy now, instead of just LOOKING healthy. I never could understand the difference, but I definitely do now.
rita Says:

My sister been using Pantene for years
al.on with other shampoos she had never
had any problem with her hair falling out.
Logical Man Says:

Sigh, people just don’t get it. Look at the ingredients. Yes, actually look. Take a look at what’s in your old, unused bottle of Pantene. Now go to drugstore.com and look for other shampoos and check their ingredients. You will quickly find out that there is absolutely no ingredient in Pantene that is unique to Pantene. I’m talking about active ingredients, not non-active ingredients–such as coloring, herbs, fruits, etc., that may make up a shampoo’s “special concoction” to give it a unique selling point, but does absolutely nothing. If you actually do the research, you will find out that every single active ingredient in Pantene can also be found in other shampoos.

So how is it that only Pantene is causing one’s hair to fall out? What, exactly, is so special about Pantene’s shampoos? The fact is, there’s nothing special about Pantene’s shampoos. In fact, there’s nothing special about any brand’s shampoos. If there’s an ingredient (or a group of ingredients) in Pantene that’s causing one’s hair to fall out, then other shampoos with the same ingredient (or group of ingredients) should also be causing one’s hair to fall out. How come we’re not hearing about that?

The truth is, there are just as many anecdotes out there where someone has noticed hair loss while using Herbal Essences, Garnier Fructis, Suave, Head & Shoulders, Aussie–you name it–and then noticed that the hair loss has stopped after switching to another brand. If you don’t believe me, here’s an experiment: post somewhere that Suave causes hair loss and wait for the responses. I bet you that you’ll get a few responses stating, “Yes, it has happened to me, too!” Gather enough of these anecdotes and circulate it around the Internet and you’ve started a new, self-perpetuating urban legend. It’s that easy, folks.
Tracy Says:

So, after reading through basically this entire thread, I decided to do a little experiment. I thoroughly brushed and combed my hair before getting in the shower. Then I shampooed and conditioned with Pantene PRO-V. I only had about 5 or 6 strands come out. Most likely this is from the lathering my hair while cleansing. Most of the hair you are loosing in the shower is already lost, it just never had the chance to fully leave the rest of your hair.

If Pantene PRO-V is soooo great at removing hair from your scalp why don’t they put it in a different bottle and sell is right next to Nair at the drug store, or better yet, those of you who refuse to use it, why don’t you take whatever is left of the terrifying hair loss shampoo and use it as shaving cream. Problem solved.

You’re welcome.

And for the record, I have multiple friends who are hair stylists/dressers/artists/savants/whatever. As much as I love them as people, I wouldn’t trust they’re scientific knowledge; seeing as how they’re educated by marketing reps. Until someone can claim they have a friend who works in the business on the scientific side…I’m sticking to whatever works.

Thanks Beauty Brains!!!
Callie Says:

PANTENE makes my hair fall out!! I used Pantene for over a year while I was at Uni and loved it. My hair was soft and shiny. I then started to fall out in great big handfuls everytime I brushed or washed it. I assumed it was stress and decided that once I was on summer break it would go away. It didnt. Fortunately, I had to change shampoos (the shop had run out of Pantene) and my hair started to get thicker. I thought nothing of it and decided I was less stressed. I then went back to my ‘beloved’ Pantene and started with hair drop all over again. Being a scientist I decided to experiment and found without a doubt if I used Pantene my hair would fall out much more than if I used any other shampoo. More recently, a hair dresser told me it couldnt be the shampoo so I tried again with exactly the same result! Despite 10 years of on and off use now, it has ONLY ever fallen out excessively (fill up the bathroom bin in a week excessive) with Pantene. I must stress my current shampoo does NOT do this. PLEASE dont write this off. Some people who are seeking advice are not just loosing a 100 hairs and therefore ok. They are possibly, specifically affected by PANTENE and may be persisting with a shampoo that is indeed causing their hair to fall out or break on your advice!
Cheers Callie
Logical Man Says:

I wonder how many of these anonymous posts are for real. I wonder how many trolls have posted here just to raise hell.

You’re a “scientist”, Callie? Then you ought to know that your little experiment isn’t scientific and is prone to subjective bias–that is, it’s just as anecdotal as any other account posted here.

Anyone who has majored in one of the hard sciences know that a real experiment of this type must be “double blind,” where the subject does not know which shampoo she is actually using, nor does the “scientist” know.

If you really want to be scientific about it, ask a friend to buy, for instance, five different shampoos. You don’t know which shampoos your friend has bought–one of them might or might not be Pantene. Your friend pours the shampoos into five different bottles that look exactly the same, attaches a label to each bottle stating what’s inside, then covers each label. Your friend mixes up the bottles (now your friend doesn’t even know what’s in a particular bottle) and numbers the bottles 1 to 5. You use each bottle for one week and tabulate your results.

So did any bottle cause significant hair loss? If so, was it Pantene? If you’ve picked, say, bottle #2, then uncover the label on this bottle to find out what’s inside.

Okay, I know nobody is going to be insane enough to do this experiment. But if you want to find out the truth, this is the approach you must take. But there is one major caveat: how can you objectively record every single follicle that you’ve lost with any kind of accuracy? You shed hair throughout the day, not just during or after you’ve shampooed your hair. Even if you could keep an accurate count, how do you know it was the shampoo’s fault? Perhaps other circumstances were involved that were unique to you–which is why this experiment must be performed on many subjects and not on just one subject.

Like I said before, if you think this is only about Pantene, start your own rumor about any shampoo and see how many people will eventually agree, saying, “Hey, I’ve noticed hair loss with shampoo X, too!” All you need is a handful of people to substantiate your rumor–a handful out of the tens of thousands of people who use that shampoo–and pretty soon your rumor will spread like wild fire and turn into a new urban legend that even your hair stylist will believe. BTW, I’m not implying that the people substantiating your rumor are all liars. In fact, I’m sure they’re telling the truth. Out of the 300+ million people who live in this country, you’re going to find some people who say they’ve experienced hair loss with ANY brand of shampoo.

So if you want to believe this particular urban legend about Pantene, go ahead. This is a free country and people are free to be misinformed and spread inaccuracies. Anecdotal evidence–especially one’s own anecdotal evidence–is not scientific or objective and is not worth a hill of beans. Trust anecdotal evidence if you really want to, but I much prefer to be intellectually honest with myself.
sada Says:

hello
there is -ve attitute in my mind but in our home mostly used
miranda Says:

Ok,i argee w/ beauty brains. i ingredients are the same in all major shampoos. I recently did a report on Dove,and found out it contains Sodium Laueth Sulfate, which is also used in household cleaners. I was outraged at Dove and told all my friends not 2 use it until I researched more and relized that most shampoos also contain all this harmful ingredient that Dove has, so b4 spreading nasty rumors, do research and relize that Pantene is no different and u prob. wouldnt have even noticed a change if u hadnt heard the rumors.
Heather Says:

I’ve also read some articles on these posties (posting) sites that say about Pantene causing hair loss.. and I’m like what the heck? my mom finally finds a condition that keeps my hair soft, not frizzy (I have naturally curly hair, but it’s big curls) and it keeps my hair from flattening and being dry.. my hair had all kind of problems, split ends, the ends of my hair that weren’t split would have little knots at the end and the end of the strands of hair that weren’t in the little knot would break off.. and also had a problem with brushing it, I actually still do have a problem with brushing it because my hair still frizzes out and loses its curl, but that has nothing to do with the conditioner or Pantene.

I have also heard from a friend of mine about Pantene used the same ingredients as that of Car Wax.. And that it was linked to people having gotten cancer from it and I said to her that they said that drinking more then 2 or 1 can of Soda a day causes cancer and that they said that Drinking Coffee caused Cancer! then I said “Everything will eventually Cause Cancer. Breathing will cause cancer!” LOL – I just couldn’t help myself on the breathing, I listen to Alice Cooper’s radio show and that’s exactly what he said about everything will cause cancer.

Anyway, I believed everyone’s bull on the product UNTIL I came across this -The Beauty Brains!!! And realized that it’s probably the Stylists Who are posting the bull about Pantene. They should also swear on their hairdryers that their hair dryers don’t cause hair dryness, but hairdryers do cause dryness!

Also one thing I’m thinking of when I read that someone had used Pantene for 2 weeks and said they noticed a build up.. PERHAPS they are NOT scrubbing their scalp when they are rinsing out the conditioner?! I use my fingernails to scrub out the conditioner on my scalp, I don’t scrub too hard or too much.. I just do it like 5 or 6 times.. Also I scrub with my nails just a little while the conditioner is on my scalp, because I have eczema and my scalp has had a little eczema so I scratch with the conditioner in my hair so it takes care of the eczema that’s on my scalp.. The only time I’d lose alot of hair was when I’d wash it while lying in the bath tub, I’d wash it twice in the bath tub with head & shoulders shampoo because I had dandruff too, (I now only use it once in the shower) so now that I don’t wash it in the tub it hasn’t gotten as tangled and I’ve not lost alot of hair.. so perhaps that’s why some of them are claiming it causes hair loss.. perhaps they are washing their hair in the bath tub and then rinsing in the shower? – I wet my hair while in the bath tub, lather the head & shoulders Shampoo ONCE but I do NOT rinse in the tub, I rinse it out in the shower and then use White Rain (that works good) and rinse and then the conditioner goes on. The head and Shoulders is more of just keeping the dandruff at bay.. but now it’s eczema.. and usually it’s on the sides of my head above my ears, but I’ve not had any problems with the eczema for awhile now. I’ve only used Pantene three times since the day my mom got it, But if I don’t scrub my scalp just a little before rinsing out the conditioner, I’ll have what feels like a million needles being poked into where my hair starts, which would be the hair line.. and then on the side above my ears.

But the moral of my ramble is that perhaps if they weren’t using all these other products like hair spray and weren’t rinsing the shampoo out of their hair while in the tub bathing, perhaps they wouldn’t lose so much hair.

Also, I don’t have to brush my hair to get all the tangles out after it’s dried.. I’ll wait a few more washings before I brush it every day.. I do like my hair to grow fast and I did notice it would grow faster with brushing it twice a day, but yet, it doesn’t get tangled with using Pantene, before I used Pantene, and would brush my hair on the third or second day after having taking a shower, there’d be a ton of tangles… but since I’ve been using Pantene, there’s not alot of tangles when I go to brush my hair on the third day.. I only brush it before I take a shower, which is every 3 or 2 days, because my hair goes flat and gets oily more with brushing it. But with Pantene it doesn’t get any more tangled during those 3 days. And it’s more curlier and MORE shinny!!! With Sauve I wasn’t getting that.

(P.S. the website I provided is my mom’s business and it’s under going a Website Provider Change, she’s switching providers and it won’t be back up and running until about the first of May)
Dominique Says:

Okay, I’m not one to really bash a product, but I never had to experience one that has truely harmed me before. About two years ago I started to lose my hair. Since I’m in my early thirties and newly divorced, I reasoned that I’m just stressing out! Then, last year it slowly looked as if it was coming back. But that was short lived. Then about eight months ago, it began to fall out again and even at a faster rate than before! “Okay,” I reasoned, “probably poor food choices.” So, I began taking my vitamins again, adding to it extra protein enriched foods. Nothing was happening. My hair was still shedding so fast that I’ve developed bald circles around my head. I’ve been sad, but I felt like I would never find out the cause. I started looking into wigs and thought that this is just my fate, when suddenly my two daughters, 10 and 7 years old, began losing their hair at an alarming rate! Yesterday my daughter actually cried for the first time because the reality is setting in, she is really losing her hair. Tomorrow is our first of two doctor appointments I made for us. But all morning I sat and seriously thought about what we all have in common. We don’t eat the same. We don’t take the same vitamins. We don’t juice the same. We don’t exercise the same. Our well water has just recently been tested and passed with flying colors. We are now very comfortable with our new lifestyle and since they are homeschooled, we live a very stress-free lifestyle, so that couldn’t be it. The children have fallen in love with the arrangements my x-husband and I have made for them and we are all very happy. So, if it isn’t stress, then what in “Goodness sake” could be going on? Radon? Pollution? Nope. Come on Lord, hint to me…then it dawned on me! Two years ago I began using Pantene’s New Textured Formula. Then, as suddenly as it was here, it was no longer on the shelves. I couldn’t find it anywhere! I loved it and was disappointed that it was gone, yet something inside whispered to let it go, find something else! Then about six months later it came back and the first chance I got, I quickly jumped to it and ignored my once “little warning”. I quickly gave the children the Suave and bought my favorite Pantene once again, even though something inside was telling me not to do it. Now, I see that the time I was on Suave, my hair was growing back. I went back to Pantene and my head was always itchy! So, every couple of days I used Head and Shoulders just to take care of the pain and the itch. Yet, without knowing it was the shampoo, I went back to the Pantene over and over and just watched my hair literally pour out of my head with the draining water! I never would think it was Pantene. After all, it is a big name! It is Pantene!!!! How could it hurt me? Then, I think back to a few months ago to when I switched my children to Pantene when they were done with all our “left-over” shampoos. Suddenly, their heads were always itchy, of course, I still never thought it was the shampoo. I just switched them to Head and Shoulders for a while also, and put them back on the Pantene, after all it made our hair look so healthy and shiny. Then, I saw them in the sun a few weeks ago and tears came to my eyes. I could see their entire scalps! My 10 year old was blessed with the thickest, most beautiful head of hair. But now, I could actually see her scalp too. My youngest has thinner hair and in the sun she looked bald! What was doing this to us? I racked my brain. Then I thought back to my “tiny warning whispering in my ear” a year ago. It was the Pantene. It was leaving burns on my scalp and it has been hurting so badly. This morning I soaked my head in Emu Oil Shampoo I just resently bought to “add” to my Pantene thinking it would help my hair regain some strength. But, this morning I soaked my scalp in it alone and for most of the day my scalp has been “cooled” down. Pantene may not hurt some people, but you may not be using the New Textured Formula. Please don’t. I’ve been on the internet all morning investigating other complaints. More and more people are out there screaming out since 2005! Nobody has yet said that their hair has grown back, but I won’t give up faith. If you want to stick with Pantene, just don’t go with the New version and please the minute you suspect your hair is thinning, shedding, graying faster or even turning a different color, please throw it away! You won’t be disappointed that you did. I hope we still have a chance to save our hair, maybe just time will tell!
The Beauty Brains » Blog Archive » Is Pantene Putting Plastic On Your Hair? Says:

[...] Thanks for checking in with the Beauty Brains about your science project. Lefty and Righty have answered questions about Pantene before and they say that the idea that it coats your hair with plastic is a myth started by [...]
Andrea Says:

I want to cry because I’ve been using this product for several months and my hair had started falling out. I thought it was stress then I thought it was the fact I was on blood pressure medication. My doctor and my hairdresser had told me that blood pressure medication can cause my hair to be brittle. I read somewhere that Pantene cause hair to fall out. I’ve been so busy that I never made the connection. I switched to Aveda and Carol’s Daughter. More expensive but all natural. Guess what…no more hair breakage. I’m very angry the product damaged my hair. I’m now trying to repair it with Aveda treatments. Won’t go the Pantene cheap route again.
Lisa Says:

I have been using Pantene for as long as I can remember, and have not been able to find another brand that comes close. Sad to say, I have had the same experience as Abbey and Sweatpea – I keep getting a greasy waxy spot at the top of my hair that doesn’t wash out for a month!! I can’t figure it out, one random day I’ll go in a shower with perfectly clean hair and come out with a disgusting grease spot on top of my head which doesn’t come off!!! I thought it was just the Smooth & Silky, but it happened again with the Hair Fall Control. My hair is also falling out like crazy, which I didn’t connect with Pantene till reading other complaints today. This all started in October 2007, not sure if that coincides with a “new” product line.
April Says:

I am a stylist.I have been doing hair for 10 yrs.One day one of the other stylists tells me she wont do color on hair with pantene because of the build up of wax it leaves on the hair and that it changes the result of a chemical service. So i started asking my people what kind of shampoo and conditioner they used before a chemical service and this is what i found. If i do a color on a client that is going from very dark to very light such as in highlights,it will leave the strands blochy and wont take in parts of the hair strands. I have found that colors wont hardly take at all especially on long hair because of all the build up of several uses of Pantene products.Colors do not do well at all when you are changing the hair color more than 1 or 2 levels. I have now posted in my shop on all of my stylists mirrors”Please notify your stylist if you use any Pantene products,as this may alter the results of your chemical service”.I am just a beautician so i dont understand all the chemical names and such that they have on the back of their bottles,and i dont know if thay contain anything that is harmful to your hair,but i do know after working on several people that Pantene only makes messes. I am not saying this because im trying to sell you something else i am asked all the time what they can buy from the store because they cant afford salon prices.I always tell them i dont know what to use i only know professional products but that i do know i would rather them buy doller store shampoo than to ruin their hair with Pantene.I now have a boy who uses Pantene poo and cond. he is 20 yrs. old and hispanic very thick hair,he now is very thin on top and i told him to stay clear of pantene to use anything else but that.I wondered why for a long time why some colors just never seemed to work right.Thankfully she told me this several years ago,before i lost clients,and money fixing colors. Now i own my own salon and have 7 booth renters,and they all post the sign!
April Says:

I dont know what it is in Pantene nor do i know if other brands have the same ingredients as Pantene,but i do know there is something in pantene and maybe others too that has a big impact on how my hair color works on my clients.It could be as easy as the water they use i dont know,but somethig about it is bad for your hair.Its like anything else some things never effect someone bad and then that same thing could effect others in a real bad way.I can say this its like the old saying goes its better to be safe than sorry and so i think i will just be safe and stick with something else.I do have a question though,Please tell me Beauty brains I have heard you defend Pantene many times,can you tell me what shampoo and cond. you recommend from both sides of the salon Professional and Non-professional?Please do tell i am anxious to find out and your reasons to back it up. Please dont say they all work for differently for diffrent people we know that. Lets just say on the average normal everyday hair.Normal resistance to chemicals and medium length ,average everyday people. Which in my book are little hairspray litle blow dry,touch up ends with straightner or curling iron(no big jobs) Daily or bi-daily.Please do tell Beauty Brain experts,we would all like to know your non-biased opinion.

—————–
April,

Interesting observation. I can’t say that we’ve seen the same but you would need a better controlled experiment to verify that Pantene has this kind of effect on hair color. It may be that you are experiencing confirmation bias. That means you notice that the color isn’t taking and when you ask the person used Pantene. You form that opinion and start remembering only information that supports the hypothesis. Think of all the people who’s hair color turned out fine where you didn’t ask them what they used. Probably Pantene. Also, you don’t mention whether the people are using shampoo or conditioner. Conditioner would have a much greater impact on whether a color is affected or not because the compounds in it actually are deposited on the hair.

As to what shampoo we recommend, we don’t. In truth, all shampoos basically work well to clean your hair. VO5 & Suave are fine from your hair’s point of view. If your hair is less oily then you’ll want to use a moisturizing shampoo like Pantene, Fructis, Dove, Tresemme, Herbalessences, etc. All of these can provide excellent results. So too can salon formulas like Paul Mitchel, Biolage, Kerastase, etc. For your hair, none of these work significantly better. Some may be more drying on your scalp or may foam better or smell better but from a purely functional standpoint, none are better than the others.

Conditioners are a bit different. The more expensive ones are better than the 99 cent ones. All the brands mentioned above can work well but it is more hair specific. It depends on how well your hair responds to a certain conditioning ingredient, how damaged your hair is, how oily it is, and how you like it to feel.

The best advice we can give is this. If you use a conditioner, then the shampoo you use doesn’t really matter. The end condition of your hair is the result of the conditioner effect.

Left Brain
angela Says:

Internet hysteria is hilarious If Pantene makes your hair fall out, someone forgot to tell mine. I grew my hair from super short 3-4 inches to waist length on Aussie shampoo and Pantene conditioner. I use other products now, mostly because I have more disposable income, and I’ve found stuff that works better for my changing needs. Although I am tempted every now and then to try my cheapie former staples again.
anonymous Says:

Why don’t you look up on the net the ingredients that are in Pantene or in any of your shampoos? I found it amazing that some of the ingredients in Pantene which are also found in VO5, Tresemme were pretty toxic to one’s health. By comparing the shampoos against each other i found that Schwarzkopf, Garnier and some Sunsilk did’t have a lot of the products that Pantene and the other products have. To those people out there who to want to change shampoos, wash your hair with Sunlight detergent to get rid of the chemicals that the Pantene shampoo contain. If you don’t, sometimes your hair gets worse(more oily, etc) as they two ingedients come together and thinking that your hair is worse from the other shampoo you change back to Pantene.
Left Brain Says:

And those toxic chemicals would be what?

The internet is a terrible place for most people to find out information about the chemicals in their personal care products. Since anyone can write anything you have no way of knowing what is real and what is just made up. For example, the fact that you say Pantene, VO5 and Tresemme are filled with toxic chemicals clearly shows that you are mis-informed about the science.

No personal care product uses any chemicals at levels that would pose a danger to people.
ME Says:

I am very worried about my hair, All I use Pantene and I have noticed that even though I stand under the shower for a long while my hair doesnt seem to get that wet hair feeling i have to double check to make sure it is wet before I put on my shampoo, I just noticed a bald spot and I am terrified, I set an appointment with the doc for tomorrow. Hence the reason for me visiting this website is ai am worried that what they say about pantene is true!!!!
Sarah Says:

I just gor my hair cut this week and while my stylist was using the razor on my hair tons of white stuff was coming off at the same time. Seeing as I don’t use any other product in my hair besides my pantene shampoo and conditioner, it is clear that they are the cause. I’m sorry but it seems like you are just trying to make excuses for these bargain brands.
Darian Says:

As much as I would like to believe you.. I cant. I have been using pantene for about a month now and at first.. WOW. But then my hair started frizzing and feeling waxy (falling out a lot too). I figured that this just meant it was time for a hair cut. SO, I go into a new supercuts and get a brand new haircutter (never used her before) she starts cutting my hair and suddenly asks “So which are you using? Pantene or Suave?”. She had actually found that some of my hair was clumped together and wax was coating it. The frizz, the waxy feeling, and the hair loss? Due to pantene pro-v. So, from personal experience, don’t use it. Save your hair.
Left Brain Says:

Since Suave and Pantene are 2 of the best selling shampoos, having your stylist guess that it was one of those isn’t surprising in the least. It also ignores the 50 customers before you in which she asked the same thing and they answered neither. Confirmation bias.

Anecdotal stories like the ones posted here demonstrate exactly why anecdotal evidence is practically worthless for any scientific investigation.

1. You don’t know if it’s true. Anyone can write anything on the internet.

2. You don’t get all the facts. There are hundreds of other possibilities that aren’t considered to explain hair loss/wax build-up.

I could go on but I’ll save it for a future blog post.

The bottom line is that there is no scientific basis for the claims that Pantene makes hair fall out or puts wax on your hair. There are also no verified cases of it happening.
April Says:

As a hair professional i consult with all of my clients before i get started with any service. One of my questions is “What kind of hair care products do you use at home?” I have not had a problem with the Pantene styling products,i have although had more problems with the Pantene Pro-V Shampoo and conditioner.It is more prominent in long hair clients than short,probably from long time build up.I do have a problem with more drastic changes inhaircolor such a a level 3 going to a level 9.The color seems to come out all blochy and i have to refresh the blonding products during processing once they have cut through the whatever it is. I am very open minded,i would not lie to my customers to sell a product.I have very cheap home made recipes that people have told me about that i find actually work.
People ask me all the time what products to buy at the local stores because they cant afford salon prices,hell even at a discount i can barely do so.I am trying to raise a family too.So i always do my best at recommending products i know dont alter the outcome of Chemical services(since most get them). I find Herbal Essence,Tressame,and regular ol baby shampoo(virgin hair only) do fine! In the Professional line i have found the Farouk,CHI line to be the best. Oh my gosh…..have you tried Chi infared Shampoo and CHI ionice color protecting shamoo….they are the bomb of hair products.But you will Pay for them…..exspensive as hell.Not everyone can afford them.So as you see i try to do my research for everyone that comes in,sometimes i ask just for asking. I love to learn. People started coming in and i asked everyone that comes in the door,and believe me theres alot of em,”what products do you use?” Alot said Pantene,some chemical services come out fine,most do not.I now have a sign posted in my salon “Please notify your stylist if you use Pantene Products before any chemical service is performed” I am now adding John Freda to that list of DO NOT’S . Maybe it is only a coincidence,maybe not. But i believe so much of the negatives that i now take a extra 30 min to Pre-strip all the build up out of the hair if i know Pantene or Freda is being used.I do not charge extra,i only educate my clients.I have gone as far as actually being able to see it on the hair with the naked eye.It looks almost like they have gotten a little paint on their hair.Not white but kinda gray substance you can actually pick it off.Come on …….i dont have to be a scientist to make a discovery.If we never used our brains we would still think the world to be flat. Again my Motto for those of you that are scared of it”Better to be safe,than sorry!” Just use something else and do your homework on it theres alot of other great shampoos out there that you wont have to be worrying about whether your hair ia going to fall out.Becareful of the conditioners though,watch the PH balance.I do my research beauty brains.I went to College. If you want to know the real truth,ask the people that have used it.They have the best opinons.I believe thats why we we have consumer reports.No matter what those “rocket scientists” think they know,they are not the ones working in the beauty industry all day….. everyday…….!
Beauty Brains Belief - Logical Does Not Mean True | The Beauty Brains Says:

[...] up is a common example from one of our most commented on posts “Is Pantene Good or Bad for my Hair?” One community member says the following: I just got my hair cut this week and while my [...]
29Beauty Brains Belief - Logical Does Not Mean True | Beauty Secrets Blog Says:

[...] up is a common example from one of our most commented on posts “Is Pantene Good or Bad for my Hair?” One community member says the following: I just got my hair cut this week and while my stylist [...]
angry person Says:

IS THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD JUST NOT TAUGHT IN SCHOOL ANYMORE? THIS IS INFURIATING, EVERYONE SHOULD GO RIGHT NOW AND READ THE CHAPTER IN AN EIGHTH GRADE TEXT BOOK ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD BEFORE POSTING THEIR HORROR STORIES AND IF THEY’RE EXPERIENCE DOES NOT CONFORM TO IT JUST STOP TALKING.
the internet makes me so mad sometimes.
SweetPea Says:

Hey it is me again, just wanted to report that since my original post about 6-8 months ago I have not used Pantene at all what so ever. The verdict… My hair is has grown almost down to my waist (from my shoulders) and is at least 3 times thicker than it was. I also only lose maybe 6-10 hairs in the shower when I wash it or when I brush it now (yes I really do count them).

So you can try and tell me I have a medical problem and you can try and tell me that I am just getting old but like I said in my original post no doctor could find a problem and I am feeling great for my ripe old age of 28!

Again, was it from Pantene? I really do not know as I am not a doctor or a scientist, but having my hair back is kind of nice so I think this is evidence enough for me. I will never use it again.
Mel Says:

I never used Pantene till 5 years ago. Both my twin (identical) sister and I started using it as it was a much cheaper solution to the expensive brands we were using at home.
After a few months, Lindie started losing hair, and we both assumed it was due to stress. We were both studying the same subject and we were living identical lives, and eating the same food. Oddly enough I was generally the stressed one. Her hair kept falling more and more as time went by. We went to the doctor, tried to figure out if our diet, studies and whatever else was causing her to lose her hair. Couldn’t get anything definitive so we assumed stress. We spent the summer doing noting but swimming, hiking, enjoying ourselves but her hair kept falling. Halfway on our three month vacation we ran out of shampoo, and our cabin mate offered her the use of her Paul Mitchell. Within a week or so Lindie’s hair had stopped falling and we assumed it was the result of the relaxing vacation. Back to college after that, and we went back using Pantene and boom… hair loss again for Lindie. I thought it over and over, and I wondered if it was the shampoo, but since it didn’t seem to affect me it was not possible. After we finished the Pantene, I bought a few bottles of Paul Mitchell cheap as the salon was going out of business, and well.. hair loss was over, her hair managed to grow back, and not a day of hair loss after that. Finished the Paul Mitchell, back to Pantene.. and you gotta be kidding me… hair loss again.. and we are once again on vacations… so? How can it be the stress??
Well, my sister stopped using Pantene, and her hair is doing great now. So, to us, the hair loss was definitively produced by the use of Pantene, but only affected her for some reason and not me.

Different people react to shampoos differently. So saying that Pantene makes you hair fall, is true for my sister. But it is not for me. I have decided no to use it, just to be on the safe side.
Catherine H. Says:

I rarely ever use the same shampoo/conditioner twice, so I can’t attest to long-term results, but I’ve never had any problems with Pantene. My hair falls out pretty easily no matter what shampoo/conditioner I use, and Pantene definitely didn’t make it worse. (I’ve tried plenty of drugstore brands: Garnier, Cristophe Beverly Hills, Samy, Sunsilk, Herbal Essences, Neutrogena, Charles Worthington, L’oreal, Organix, Nexxus…)

I used the midnight expressions/brunette expressions line sometime in the last year or so and I actually liked it. It wasn’t anything particularly special, but I’ve never found any shampoo/conditioner to be a miracle product.
Meg Says:

Ann said: ” I was told Garnier Fructis and Suave were the way to go for non-salon hair products. ”

I’ve heard bad things about pantene. But myself, I’ve never tried it.

But, I did use Garnier Fructis and I heard exactly the opposite. Garnier supposivly has citrus extracts in it, which dry your hair out. [ So I'm told. ] I used it for a long time, and since I stopped…my hair has gotten much better. I use Vive PRO for colored hair now, and I love it.
Anna Says:

I have had always had beautiful hair, never any bother it has always been thick, soft and shiny, about a week and a half ago I used pantene pro-v and straight after the first thime I used it I could feel a greasy build up on the back of my hair, I rewashed it immediately as I am quite particular about my hair, and it came out worse.

I assumed it was a spray product I had used, so I used pantene again the next time, even more greasy, i then thought I wasn’t rinsing out the conditioner properly. Next time i used pantene I spent 15 mins just rinsing out, and still the greasy build up.

I was told I was using too little shampoo, so I used even more pantene, and surprise it became even more greasy. Someone then said too much so I used less and it made no difference.

I even went to a hairdressers today and asked them, when I told them I used pantene they looked horrified, and tod me that it was the shampoo. I had been going crazy trying to figure out was causing the build up, washing it even more than usual which only made it worse.

The build up is so bad they washed it four times and whilst it is much better than what it was the build up is still there, and it is going to take me a while to get it out.

It is disastrous and I would steer well clear of any pantene products.
Sophie Says:

Clearly all hair product lines do not work on all people. This is a commonly accepted fact that seems to have escaped many of the commenters here.

For example, my hairs are very fine, but I have a very thick head of hair that is prone to some curling and a lot of frizzing. I personally find that cream shampoos such as Herbal Essence, Head and Shoulders, and Pantene work very well on my hair, leaving none of the very prominent sticky residue I was finding while using gel shampoos.

On the suggestion of a friend, I recently switched to Pantene pro-V, and have found it to be a good match for my hair. However, it leaves my hair feeling only very subtly different from when I use the other brands listed above. I do find, however, that switching between these brands every few days helps to prevent build-up and keeps my hair light.

I am fully in support of Pantene pro-V products, and think that a lot of these comments are based only on having heard rumors. As previously stated, it’s very easy to hear a rumor and find research to prove it. But I’ll bet it’s just as easy to disprove if tried.

One problem I’ve noticed is that Pantene does not sit as well with my flat iron as some other brands, not to say it’s terrible – just that there’s an identifiable difference in texture. Does anyone have a good solution to this? No flat iron? Different product brand? Something like that?

Before posting against a product, test out some similar products under different brands. Are most of the results not nearly the same? Perhaps it’s just the type of product you’re using that’s causing you so much trouble. Try something different. =)
Sophie Says:

Consider this:

A major cause of hair loss is the build up of dead skin cells, oil, and other material naturally in your hair.

Is it possible that by hearing the Pantene hype, you became afraid to cleanse your hair properly, used less shampoo, etc?

This could cause build-up, leading to hair loss.

Just a thought.
Bren Says:

I was a long time Pantene user, but my hair was not responding well to it at all in the end. My hairdresser (a friend) told me it was bad to use due to excessive buildup and to find something else that didn’t cause any irritation. She didn’t try to sell me anything, and never has.

I’ve now changed to shampoos that do not contain SLS (Sodium laureth sulfate are synthetic cleansing agents that are small molecule ingredients. They are capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation) of any kind. Read up on SLS and see what damage it can do. My hair has never been better since stopping all Salon/Supermarket shampoos.

I noticed Pantene was Made in Indonesia instead of Made in Australia. I’m not sure if it was just the particular range I was using at the time, but this alarmed me. Check where yours is made if you are in Australia.

There are many more natural options available than all of the brands mentioned here, in my opinion.
iSABELLA Says:

WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL I ALWAYS STRAIGHTENED MY HAIR OR CURLY IT SO MY STYLE WOULDNT BE SO BORING IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BUT WHEN I USESD TO MUCH STRAIGHTNER AND HAIRSPRAY AND CURLIER IT WAS SO DAMAGED I WENT TO THE BEST HAIR BEAUTY SALONS AND THERE WAS NO RESULTA I BOUGHT EXPENSIVE TREATMENTS AND ACTUALLY CURLY HAIR APPEAREANCE IS REALLY DRY AND THIRSTY I WANTED A GOOD LOOKING HAIR BETTER THAN THE COMMERCIAL GIRLS I THOUGHT THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEND BUT WHO KNEW THAT JUST A SIMPLE CHEAP SHAMPOO FROM HERBALESSENCES WOULD RESCUE IT HELLO HYDRATION IS GREAT
Annie Says:

I’m inclined to agree with the person who said that products work differently for different people. It’s the same with food: despite what the modern “experts” say, old wives have known forever (at least for the past thousand years or so) that sweets and milk cause some people to suffer acne and others not. I suspect it’s the same with hair products, as the twins’ testimony attests. As for my experience with Pantene: I have just discovered the Beautiful Lengths conditioner and absolutely love it. I used Phyto for an entire year, outputting a ton of money. But the truth was that my long hair was not any healthier or any less inclined to tangle, even though my stylist told me how great Phyto was and how I should never resort to drugstore brands. I couldn’t figure it out because the Phyto products are all “natural” and shouldn’t have caused damage but my long hair grew increasingly dry and unmanageable as the months progressed (even though I used the intense conditioners, etc.). I tried Fekkai and Ouidad (I have curly hair) as well, to no avail. Finally, I grew tired of spending so much money only to get poor results. I have now started experimenting with cheaper brands. Most haven’t made any difference. Until Pantene. I must admit that I’m still using my old “pure” expensive shampoos, following up with Pantene Beautiful Lengths coniditioner instead of the expensive ones on my shelf–and love the results. With my very first use of Pantene, for the first time in a year I had no more tanagling; no more frizz; my hair is smooth to the touch and healthy feeling; my curls softly defined. So I’m thinking of continuing to use my expensive shampoos (including a Phyto clarifying shampoo to prevent buildup)and following with Pantene conditioner for a while to see if the improvement continues. I’ll post again to report on what I find for myself as the weeks progress. Has anyone ever used JUST the conditioner and experienced the hair loss issue from that alone?
Thanks for this website and all the helpful input by so many people!
amy Says:

Okay, as an apprentice hairdresser. My fellow workmates believe that not only pantene but majority of supermarket haircare product do contain silicone. We had one client who’s hair, even though we had rinsed and shampood her hair 3 times, still felt like there was a build up of product in the hair. She had been using a supermarket braught wax and was finding her hair started to drop and become heavy. She was also using a supermarket shampoo to try and remove the bulid up, but because of this she was simply coating the hair in the silicone making it harder to remove. We sujested she buy a deep cleansing shampoo (non-silicon based) to get rid of this product build up.
Not only do silicone product such as ones braught from the supermarket create nasty buld up like that. They can also hinder the preformance of salon hair colors as they are coated in the silicone, you may find that your colors won’t be as vibrant, that they won’t last as long, and they will fade. This is due to the color not being able to enter the cuticle therefore it is jus grasping the silicone layer.
I recomend using salon products. Even though you can buy the same brand in some supermarkets the salon choice is always better as they are more concentraited.
Thankyou.
Chop_Chop Says:

I thought this rumor was BS. I used Pantene off and on my whole life. But then my hair started falling. I had never used it for 6 months strait and nothing else before. I know the difference between a normal shedding and being able to make a dread everytime you run your fingers through your hair. I stopped using the pantene shampoo. After a month it has stopped falling. The funny thing was that it had not grown since a last color in some strands. I have used the pantene left over conditioner occasionally. This doesnt seem to bother me. I have used the conditioner for over 6 months and that doesnt bother me either.

I wouldnt doubt the stylist freaks about those products or anything else thats made to coat the hair shaft. It can really screw up a color job.

Chemicals in everyday products are harmful to your health. The HBA industry is not really regulated all that well. Saying there is that and this combo doesnt mean squat to me. I can drink coca-cola and swim in a pool. But if I put the bare cola and chlorine together it will combust into flame.
I think this shampoo is a flaming failure for my scalp.
I also wouldnt doubt that the coating makes for the build up that conrtibutes to loss. Silicone based products can contribute to loss.
Google up “skin deep” and read on your products if you think big business really gives a rats behind about your well being. They dont. They just want to make money.
Look how much pantene cares:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/brand.php?brand_id=702
ronda Says:

Hey great reviews really got me thinking and trying to figure out if I should try out a diefferent shampoo. I have long hair past my chest and do not dye it. I haven’t dyed it in a year. I haven’t cut it in a year either. I never have a problem with my scalp itching although in the past I have used shampoos that made my hair fall out whether it was the conditioner doing it or the shampoo. I have been alternating between suave coconut shampoo (very cheap) and matrix color care shampoo in a pink bottle with a purple top. The matrix makes my hair very soft to the point where I do not feel as if I need conditioner but I use it anyways. I use different conditioners such as tresemme and biolage. I wear my hair up everyday at work because I work in a factory. I have not used pantene in years though. I used to use biolage hydrating shampoo but I think the conditioner made my hair fall out. My friend is using john freida in her hair for brunettes and she said her hair falls out a lot. If I experiment with a shampoo and condiotioner I will probably try walmart for their 99 cent try out specials they always have or go to a beauty salon and look at what they have. My other secret is I do not wash my hair but every three days because of my busy schedule . I used to blow dry and wash every other day plus straighten it and my hair was dry, frizzy and fell out more then than now. Too many women and girls are high maintenance and “have” to do their hair especially with a business type job where they need to look professional. With my job I wrap and go. It is easier being more simplistic with your hairstyle then u don’t stress yourself out over it looking “perfect” all the time. I used to be like that until I got a factory job. I am active on my feet all day too. My brain is always busy. I will stick with what I have now until it runs out or maybe experiment too . My mother also claims that the old pantene was better then than it is now. She claims her hair falls out with it too. I also used a salon shampoo that had olive oil in it and it smelled great and made my hair very soft.
ronda Says:

Hey great reviews really got me thinking and trying to figure out if I should try out a different shampoo. I have long hair past my chest and do not dye it. I haven’t dyed it in a year. I haven’t cut it in a year either. My hair is thin and I have a lot of it and has a natural wave. I never have a problem with my scalp itching although in the past I have used shampoos that made my hair fall out whether it was the conditioner doing it or the shampoo. I have been alternating between suave coconut shampoo (very cheap) and matrix color care shampoo in a pink bottle with a purple top. The matrix makes my hair very soft to the point where I do not feel as if I need conditioner but I use it anyways. I use different conditioners such as tresemme and biolage. I wear my hair up everyday at work because I work in a factory. I have not used pantene in years though. I used to use biolage hydrating shampoo but I think the conditioner made my hair fall out. My friend is using john freida in her hair for brunettes and she said her hair falls out a lot. If I experiment with a shampoo and condiotioner I will probably try walmart for their 99 cent try out specials they always have or go to a beauty salon and look at what they have. My other secret is I do not wash my hair but every three days because of my busy schedule . I used to blow dry and wash every other day plus straighten it and my hair was dry, frizzy and fell out more then than now. Too many women and girls are high maintenance and “have” to do their hair especially with a business type job where they need to look professional. With my job I wrap and go. It is easier being more simplistic with your hairstyle then u don’t stress yourself out over it looking “perfect” all the time. I used to be like that until I got a factory job. I am active on my feet all day too. My brain is always busy. I will stick with what I have now until it runs out or maybe experiment too . My mother also claims that the old pantene was better then than it is now. She claims her hair falls out with it too. I also used a salon shampoo that had olive oil in it and it smelled great and made my hair very soft.
Cheryl Says:

I used Pantene Blonde expressions shampoo and conditioner after my niece left her’s behind at my home. I thought I was scoring a fantastic brand of hair products. I soon noticed that I was “shedding” hairs. All over the place. My brush was full and I always had loose pieces of hair on my clothes, around my neck. It was very irratating and annoying. I have never ever had this problem before. I stopped using pantene during the second bottle, and went on to VO5 vitality 2in1 – Guess what?? No more shedding. Nothing.
I am a qualified hairdresser, although no longer working in a salon, so I feel qualified to say that Pantene was causing my “shedding”
Vanessa Says:

Wow.. everyone should just switch to a detergent-free and all- natural shampoo (go green). I have used expensive shampoos like (biolage, kerastase, and paul mitchell) and cheap ones like (pantene, garnier, and dove) all i have to say is pantene does cause build up though it makes hair look and feel better its a facade like many other shampoos with the same ingredients. I like Burt’s bees natural rasberry shampoo and sometimes i use wen by chaz dean. both detergent free.
Hannah Says:

Pantene does NOT make your hair fall out. If you are experiencing hair loss, it is more likely the result of an underlying condition (underactive thyroid, infection, product/styling overuse, other…) Like many other people already commented, check the list of ingredients, and compare it to other shampoos. As far as panthenol and panthenyl go, please google these terms…they are NOT waxes…(remember chemistry…words ending in -ol and -yl???)
Julie Says:

I can only say one thing about the Pantene hairsprays, they are terrible, terrible, terrible. I was using the Pantene Flexible Hold. I didn’t think anything was wrong until my hair started feeling like straw. I would wash it, condition it and it would still feel like straw. For the life of me I could not figure out what was wrong. I was convinced I had a thyroid problem. A friend told me to mix baking soda in with my shampoo and see if it was hairspray build up. I was in shock. My hair feels back to normal. Pantene spray DOES NOT WASH OUT. I will never use it again!!!!
Lauren Says:

I just tried using Pantene products for the first time and have now washed my hair twice with the Brunette Expressions line (the one for lighter shades). Yesterday, I noticed a bleach or ammonia type smell but thought maybe I was just having a weird moment and didn’t think much of it until I went to begin drying my hair. I thought it kind of looked different than when I got in the shower but forgot about it.

Tonight, I noticed the same smell in the shower and it was strong enough that it actually set my asthma off (please, I know that someone may argue against that but harsh smells like bleach, ammonia, and many cleaning products are among the few things that have set it off since I was little). When I went to dry my hair this time, it was *significantly* lighter and it now has a very noticeable orange tint – a friend that I saw only three or four days ago knew nothing about my product change and tonight she even commented on the difference.

Different people might get different results, but something in the Brunette Expressions products wreaked havoc on my hair and from this moment on, I will never trust any of their products.
Lauren Says:

I also forgot to add in there, that I did compare the ingredients in the shampoo (not the conditioner) to an old bottle of shampoo I had in the shower like some have suggested. I only compared until about halfway through (4 or 5 lines on each bottle) and other than water, there were pretty much no ingredients that the two shampoos had in common.
Michelle Says:

Well everyone I am really upset and have been for the last three weeks. I have been using Patene for about 6 weeks. My top of my hair is really thin and so much of my hair is falling out in the shower. Today, I told my family that if I was to lose any more hair I would have to get a wig or not leave the house. I can’t even tell you how many tears I have cried. Years ago I used the CHI smooth system and my husband said maybe that is it. I googled chi with hair loss and got to this website. This must be it. I will stop using the shampoo and other products. My doctor is ordering a full blood work up. I understand some of the comments but I will say this has been really scary for me. I have had 4 children and never lost mhy hair until now. I will let you know what happens after I switch my shampoo.
Annie Says:

Well, it’s been a month of using Pantene products, both shampoos and conditioners, and I must say that my hair is FALLING OUT LESS than when I was using expensive salon products such as Phyto, Fekkai, Ouidad, etc. Go figure! Seriously, my hair has never been healthier. Products really do work differently for different people. Looking at reviews online, all I can say is that for every product out there, without exception, you’re going to find someone who loves it and someone who hates it.
Anna Says:

I love Pantene. Not all of them but I have been using the shampoo for a very long time. I have dandruff. I always have and I have used every dandruff shampoo known to man. Head and Shoulders was the worst for me then selsum blue. I LOVE PANTENE DANDRUFF CONTROL. It works fabulous on my hair. tgel also worked well but smelled very badly. The pantene dandruff control only comes in a 2 N 1 and it is getting harder and harder to find but I love it. Smells good makes my hair soft and reduces my breakage. My hair is VERY thick, and almost down to my knees. I know I lose more than 100 hairs just from brushing but I reduced that by brushing from the bottom up. Thats another trick to try. I don’t heat anything to my hair and I rarely use styling products

My best friend is a hair stylist. She loves my hair and gets real angry when she sees the pantene in my shower I just tell her its my hair and thats what I like plus its affordable and it stops my dandruff.

Be true to you and what you like. You don’t have to jump on every bandwagon that passes you by.
Daniel Says:

Hey, for some reason ALL of the stylist dont recommend pantene. Same with friends that take care of their hair, same says so a lot of pages on the internet. So or are all of them lying, or probably it is easier and cheaper for pantene to make a shampoo that covers hair with plastic, is not the research budget, is marketing. Like drugs, at first they do “good” to you, but eventually they will kill you, but people make it for the money they can get, not for what it does to you. Usually people that uses pantene is because they hasnt tried anything else. So come on, see the two sides of the coin and dont defend pantene without real proof.
thebeautybrains Says:

Of course you don’t mean “ALL” stylists because my stylist doesn’t have a problem with Pantene, so clearly that’s an exaggeration.

There are plenty of explanations for what you point out. Consider where stylists learn about products (from salon brand marketers – Pantene’s competition). So too will friends who are into their hair.

Cosmetic scientists who create formulas (both salon and mass market) would not agree with stylists or friends who are into their hair. These are people who specifically analyze & create formulas. They are in a much better position to objectively comment on the quality of shampoos.

There is no plastic in Pantene and it certainly won’t kill you.

The truth is most people don’t use Pantene. True, it is the best selling shampoo but plenty of people use Fructis, Dove, Tresemme, Suave, etc. Pantene is just the most popular & it’s because for people who like it, it works the best.
Quar Says:

I’ve been using Pantene for years and years, and it’s always made my hair very healthy and shiney. I’ve toggled between the full & thick and curly collections. Being a person with curly hair; I know that this type of hair is quite fragile and thin compared to straight or wavy. It seems thick because of all the curls, but it really isn’t, which is why I use the Full & Thick collection. I shed quite a bit but I do use the flatiron and permanently straighten my hair regularly. I’ve never blamed Pantene for that part, and I don’t have that waxy build up that people are talking about. There’s a wide selection of Pantene products, and maybe some people are using the wrong collection. Like it doesn’t make much sense to use the Extra Straight collection if you have curly hair, or the Full & Thick collection if you already have thick hair. All I know is that my hair grows very fast, is always shining, and the lady who does my hair doesn’t have a problem with Pantene at all. I have no reason to use hairsprays, mousses or gels thanks to Pantene. Researching about your hair type can help find what shampoo/conditioner is best for you, and since Pantene has a wide variety of collections for different types of hair, why not choose it? I highly doubt this product would be on the shelves or even be popular if it did significant harm to peoples’ hair anyway.
Dawn Says:

I HAVE counted how many hairs I would loose after shampooing with Pantene versus Sunsilk—it’s always DOUBLE the amount!! I have tried almost every line of Pantene, and every one of them made me shed twice the amount of hair than usual. I am hoping to find out which ingredient/s causes the hair loss, to be sure I never buy any other products with the same ingredients in it again. It may only happen on certain types of hair–I don’t know. But it CLEARLY causes me to lose double the hair that I would loose if I used my other shamppoo.

There’s no better proof than testing something yourself!
Claudia Says:

Don’t believe the hype, and put your faith in the chemists who create these products. Pantene is one of the worst products for the environment and is seeping into your brain and through the bottom of your feet as you shower. Plus it makes you fat (check out this link)

http://www.terressentials.com/endocrine.html

take a look at what’s in it. even trace amounts (especially on the daily) can be harmful and cause diseases like breast cancer and alheimers.
Ingredients from packaging: Water; Ammonium Laureth Sulfate; Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate; Dimethicone; Glycol Distearate; Cetyl Alcohol; Sodium Chloride; Cocamide MEA; Fragrance; Polyquaternium-10; Sodium Citrate; Hydrogenated Polydecene; Sodium Benzoate; Disodium EDTA; Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate; Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate; Benzophenone-3; Panthenol; Citric Acid; Tocopheryl Acetate; Panthenyl Ethyl Ether; Methylchloroisothiazolinone; Methylisothiazolinone; Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
Claudia Says:

You can see some reports about Pantene here:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=97514

yes Cancer
yes Developmental/reproductive toxicity
yes Violations, restrictions & warnings
yes Allergies/immunotoxicity
yes Other concerns for ingredients used in this product:
Neurotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Biochemical or cellular level changes
LuLu Says:

Hello, I have been using Pantene great lengths shampoo/conditioner and have noticed alot of hair falling out.
troubadour Says:

Hello, I have been using Pantene shampoo and conditioner on and off for the last 10 years (even though different hairdressers have told me to stay away from it) I too am very particular with my very long and thick hair, don’t use a hairdryer etc. However my hair has definately changed!
Loads fall out and I when my husband asked where my tail has gone, I realised it has thinned out so much! I will NEVER buy pantene again. I have also noticed Pantene is huge in Australia, but in France it is not?
The power of marketing and advertising!!!
Left Brain Says:

Unfortunately, a more likely explanation for your hair changes is that you are getting older and your body is changing. This is just a fact of life. Not a result of Pantene. But it doesn’t hurt to change shampoos/conditioners so if it makes you feel better, try something else.

@Claudia, if you were a bit more skeptical you might consider finding your information from sources that aren’t trying to sell you a product.
Actual Ads: Who Needs Pantene? | The Beauty Brains Says:

[...] How do we love thee? Let us count the ways… This ad proudly proclaims that women who use Pantene don’t look like they need [...]
charlotte Says:

hey one of the comments waaaay back really intrigued me …
how do you make your own shampoo?
also can you tell me about the main ingredients in pantene please?
kristalovesbrad Says:

hey i was just wondering is pantene ok to use on dogs?
thebeautybrains Says:

@kristalovesbrad: Yes, you can use Pantene on dogs. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly.

@charlotte: The main ingredient in Pantene is Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (after water of course). You can look up their formula by searching the US Patent database (uspto.gov). And you can make your own shampoo by getting supplies from a site like this The Personal Formulator.
Suzy Says:

I know this will seem like it has nothing to do with Pantene, because I do not use it. Like many here, I would get build up with it after usage for a few months.. but the fact is, I get that with MANY products.. L’oreal, Redken.. you name it. Anyways, I recently tried Aussie Moist and Smooth. I too noticed alot of hair loss. well more than the 50-100 strands a day.. in fact, I somwhat compare it to when my son lost his from chemo treatment, or after having my children.. so it could be hormonal, it could be chemical damage ( i dye my hair.. and have stripped the color a few times as well with color fix) or possibly, I am sensitve to something in the Aussie! Everyone is different, we are all going to respond to health and beauty products in many different ways. In my case, when i stop using the aussie and use sunsilk beyond brunette, the hair loss subsides some. not totally gone over night, but it definately eases up. is it not possible that different people could be reacting to different surfactants in shampoos? the difference between Aussie and Sunsilk? Aussie uses ammonium laureth sulfate. Sunsilk uses sodium laureth sulfate. Now I know Beauty brains has mentioned that these are in he same class of detergants, but to me there is an obvious difference. Some shampoos even give me incredibly painful bumps on my scalp.A whole lot of trial and error on everyones part to find what works and what doesn’t.
Marie Says:

I love the way pantene makes my hair feel….but does it love my hair. I have been using the product for over a year. My hair is falling out. Is it my diet, my age, my hair product???

I starting using a special shampoo to stop the loss of hair. It worked. Was it the new shampoo that worked or that I stopped using pantene????
paul Says:

This is a joke. What your hair stylist told you is completely correct. Sure, they may have a big budget in research, but this is so they can find the cheapest way to get a better result from their products.
I think YOU should not fall into Pantene’s trap. It is a wide-known fact that you get what you pay for, and any retail product is no where near as good as any professional one.
Kim Says:

I am a hair stylist and I have scraped the coating off of the hair with a razor. This has been a few years ago and I have seen many fourmula changes over the years. I am sure that they no longer have the same one now. I have also had clients who had hair loss during this time while using these products.
Brieanna Says:

I have used pantene pro-v along time ago and i loved it. it made my hair really soft. i never had any problems with it. right now i use suave and i’m too afraid to switch to anything else. i used thermasilk heat recovery shampoo and conditioner about 3 months ago and noticed my hair falling out the first day i started using it. i figured that maybe it was the “normal” 100 strand loss because of the conditioner; since i never use conditioner. the drain would have a handful of hair. it never really dawned on me; plus i didn’t check it daily. i always immediately put my hair in a ponytail when i get out of the shower, so i never noticed my hair, but as the week went on, i looked in the mirror and saw that i had lost half of my hair. so, i stopped it immediately. after that day, i lost less hair, but still a little more than i had before. i now don’t loose much, and my hair is gradually growing back some, but i’m not getting all my hair back. i went to the doctor and got tested for everything. he found nothing wrong with me and found that it was the chemicals in the shampoo and conditioner and that i need to see a dermatologist for help. so, basically you need to be very careful in the products that you choose, especially the ones that have harsh chemicals in them. because once you use it and your hair falls out, you may not be able to get your hair back to normal.
Edna Says:

pantene make my daughter’s happy….. now, we both use pantene for our hair and is great result. My daughter is now brushing her own hair no problem. thank for this shampoo. I love it.
Audra Says:

I’ve used Pantene for years 15+, and love it. Whenever I changed shampoos I always end up back with Pantene. I recently had a haircut at a new salon, she gave me the story about how bad Pantene was, said it was like putting carwash cleaner in my hair and stupid me, I believed her and decided to buy some Paul Mitchel shampoo and conditioner. Well my hair feels nothing like it does when I use Pantene and let me tell you. The same amount of hair falls out with Paul Mitchel as it does with Pantene. The only time in my life that I have had more hair fall out was after giving birth to my two children and it’s called biology. It’s normal. Hair falls out normally everyday, plus more things affect it like weather, age and hormones and the fact that everyone put so much junk in their hair and then fry it with hairdryers, curling irons and flat irons. My hair is dry because I color it and fry it with my hairdryer and curling iron. Not because I use Pantene. I will never change shampoos again!
Arif Says:

hey every one my name is Arif I AM 16years old. i am usiing heads and sholders shampo.and my hair fall out some times and i am not really hapy?

so plz tell me what can i do?

paintene is better or head and sholders?

thanx
thebeautybrains Says:

Arif – hair naturally falls out at a rate of about 50-100 hairs a day. This shouldn’t surprise you. If it’s worse than this, you should see a doctor because there might be something wrong.

Pantene and H&S are similar formulas. H&S just has anti-dandruff ingredients.
Caroline Says:

I have worked in salons and am now a mobile hairdresser and the biggest problem i see is pantene. You can feel in on peoples hair and you can tell when colouring and perming that it slows down oe stops the process all together. It s personal veiw if you use pantene or not an like i have read on here we are no scientist but but can certainly see the effects on pantene on clients hair.
Shivani Says:

I read through this thread, and I can hardly believe all the VERY strong feelings here about shampoo! Well, I decided to weigh in too, because I have used Pantene products (shampoo and conditioner) for close to 10 years. I have always felt rather smug about how little I am paying for these products compared to the high-end salon labels (which I used in the past, including, Paul Mitchell, Aveda, Redken, etc.) When I switched to Pantene, I thought it worked better and saved me a lot of money. When I traveled anywhere without my conditioner, or borrowed some from someone else, my hair always looked and felt terrible. I took this to mean that Pantene was so much better than the other products, and that I couldn’t use anything else. But over time, I felt my hair — which is naturally wavy, fine-textured and pourous — was getting drier and drier, and even using an intensive conditioner after every shampoo was not enough to combat the dryness. My hair was getting so frizzy and straw-like that I finally decided to see if an expensive shampoo conditioner would make any difference. About a month ago I went out and bought another brand (Nexxus), and literally after the first wash and conditioning, I saw a dramatic improvement! After the first week, my hair was absolutely transformed: It is now shiny, soft, pliant and beautiful. And no frizz!Although I was not losing hair with Pantene, my hair looked so dull and damaged. The difference now is amazing; I didn’t know my hair could look this good. And I literally changed nothing but my hair products. So at this point, nothing could persuade me to use Pantene again, despite being a loyal customer for so long. It just isn’t worth it to me to save money–and have my hair turn back to straw!
Anita Says:

Hi there,
I’m pretty sceptical about product hype. I’m not a formulations chemist, but I am a biochemist and I know how easy it is to erroneously conclude that correlation implies causation. This is not the case. To make a scientific conclusion, you need unbiased data and, importantly, a viable theory for the cause behind a given observation. This seems to be missing on many of the above threads. I’m convinced that many people experience negative results when they use Pantene, but not that this is usually caused by an ingredient that is specific to Pantene. As pointed out by many, most commercial shampoos contain similar ingredients.

So many other factors can be involved in hair loss. Look in reputable peer (scientist)-reviewed journals before making conclusions based on anecdotal evidence (personal stories).

Hair stylists insist that Pantene coats you hair with silcon (as do many other salon products, dimethicone is a silicon product, check for that or similar chemicals in the ingredients of your favourite product). This is most likely true, and it may be that Pantene results in a thicker coat than similar products. My personal experience with Pantene is that a vigourous rinsing step is needed for the hair to feel good after straightening.

Hair health is a difficult one to define though. Hair is dead pretty much from the point is comes through the scalp. “Healthy” hair is a bit of a misnomer, what we really mean is undamaged hair (no split ends, weak points etc). Applying a coating to the hair is not necessarily a bad thing, it acts as a shield, protecting the hair from environmental damage such as heat or UV. Stylists, when dying or treating hair, may find it a nuisance, but it worth remembering that many other products use this coating approach.

Ultimately, it’s only another product, and if it makes you concerned, switch to another. But be wary of claims of proof one way or another from the public. Some of these posts come from people who sound as if they might not have a clear idea what a chemical actually is (don’t forget water and oxygen count too) and who don’t have access to scientific journals to verify their opinions.

My own anecdotal experience is that my hairdresser can’t tell whether I’m using Pantene or not, and that my waist length bleached hair is thick and shiny whatever I use. Perhaps I’m just fortunate =)

Always pick science over hype and hearsay
Bill Says:

seriously the author is doing a disservice here. Just because P&G has a huge R&D budget doesn’t mean it is for great intentions.. just look at McDonald’s. Their food tastes great too right?

I used to have hair down to my ass and used Pantene thinking it was great. My hair turned to straw. Matrix is 100 times better. There are some salon stuff even more expensive that is just as crappy as pantene – but anyone saying matrix is bad doesn’t know anything about healthy hair

-Bill
Kismet Says:

The reason Pantene (and nearly all other discount hair products) damages hair is due to Sodium Laureth Sulfate and/or Ammonium Lauryl/Laureth sulfate (the close cousin LAURYL is also unhealthy for your hair). It is the LAURETH ingredient that causes all the damage. When shopping for shampoo, always check the labels for “Sulfate free”! My personal choice is Pureology, but they are super-expensive. Organix brand (sold in discount stores) is Sulfate (and all variations of Laurel/Laureth) free and fairly inexpensive.

Bottom line? If you want your hair to be healthy, you take care of it. Sodium=bad as it strips color and shine, and this article (http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate.html) explains why Laureth/Lauryls are bad. From the article:

“A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations of SLS as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. National Institutes of Health “Household Products Directory” of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain SLS and SLES. Some soaps have concentrations of up to 30%, which the ACT report called “highly irritating and dangerous”.”

You don’t feed your body garbage, why put it on your hair/scalp?
Chrystal Says:

Hey There!
I could keep reading for hours debating about pantene shampoos. I am a stylist, and I try and give my clients good information so they can achieve healthy hair. I used pantene before i started hairschool, and my hair was always flat and greasy. I washed it twice a day sometimes. Once attending hairschool, i was shown by my teachers wiht a stright blade how much buildup comes off a strand of hair that was washed with pantene frequently. It was disturbing. I was told it was waxy substances, and weather it’s actual wax or not, i don’t know, but it was gross. At that time i was using no other products but shampoo and conditioner.

I currently work with an organic product line and i notice a huge difference in my hair. But what i firmly believe is it’s not just pantene. Most drugstore products list within the first 5 ingredants some sort of alchol. If that is a large portion of the shampoo, it’s going to dry out your hair! Alcohol does that! So if theres alcohol and your hair is dry, that leaves it frizzy, your scalp itchy, and might leave you washing it more often because it removes the natural oils or sebum from your scalp. using these products i usually find clients having to wash their hair daily. Especially if you are drying with heat everyday or flatironing, your hair will be worse off because those thiings will also create the hair to become dry.
As for the hair falling out, I know it’s normal to lose a significant amount daily, but if there is a build up on the scalp, the hair root is not getting the proper amount of oxygen it needs to grow, therefore, you hair will thin and possibly fall out. You need to use a minty shampoo to stimulate the scalp or a detoxifying shampoo to remove that buildup. Your hair could also be falling out (or possibly breaking) because you don’t have your hair cut that often, which causes split ends. They need to be cut off, there’s no way of repairing them. If their not cut, they keep breaking all the way up the hair shaft and will adventually be lost completely, but this causes a more frizzy look. Pantene is now advertising their “split end remedy” or something of the like , to cure split ends. THAT”S NOT POSSIBLE! they need to be cut the be properly tken care of.
This is what i find. Products like pantene and other drug store products might make your hair look healthy with waxes and such, and soft to the touch, but it’s not actully healthy, it covers up the problems.
I would recommend people going to see a stylist to discuss what type of hair they have and what types of shampoos would be best for them. Some thngs work for some people while not for others.

These are my thoughs and things that i have seen happen over the past 5 yers, and they all make sense. If there is something I am missing, then please, fill me in so that my clients arn’t missinformed anymore.
Cindy Says:

I use pantene off and on,mainly the 2 in 1 shampoo +conditioner in their classic bottle for dry/damaged hair and it seems to help my hair grow a little faster and keeps it from breakage. I already have past shoulder long hair and use basically all the “long hair” shampoos + conditioners,I do like the Pantene Beautiful Lengths products. I also use any hair product that contains panthenol,no matter what brand it is. I too kept hearing about pantene being “Bad” for your hair,glad to hear it’s UNtrue.
leighann Says:

okay well i have been using pantene for like forever now and it makes my hair feel solf and smooth. (:
i love it!
and if your hair is dry and all that maybe its because from styling your hair so much or blow drying it.
because i style my hair every day and my hair gets damaged and the ends can break when i pull them. the best thing to do when your hair is fried is get it trimmed every month so thats what i have been doing and it makes it feel and look better. (:
Tammy Says:

I recently went to the salon and was told the same hype that Pantene puts a wax in their shampoo. The stylist said “the reason your hair is so “healthy and strong” (exact words) is because of the wax. i thought ‘did she just say healthy and strong’ guess i better keep using Pantene. Its the best and only product ill use in my hair and continue to use. hands down!! don’t believe everything you’re told. use what works for you.
Jael Says:

Hi all!

I have been using Pantene for a number of years and YES, I also suffered not only from falling hair, but itchiness and dry scalp. But I feel you all! Who doesn’t want nice soft curls? It did that for a while, and then it became brittled.

I have wavy/curly hair, so I used the shampoo and conditioner formulated for curly hair. I just went to a hairsalon and he asked me if my hair was dyed. I have only dyed my hair once in my life (about 7 years ago), and that hair is no longer in my head! Now, he was surprised at how dry my hair was, and he did ask if I used Pantene. Not only do I use Pantene, but their styling gel as well. I got really curious and googled all kinds of things, and finally went to the tub to look at the ingredients of the curly hair shampoo. I noticed the amount of alcohol, but the remarkable thing was that the second ingredient listed is called:Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. The word Ammonium pulled out a red flag, and this is what Wikipedia had to say:

Health concerns: In high concentrations this molecule may cause severe irritation to eyes and skin. Inhalation may cause irritation to the respiratory system. Ingestion may cause irritation.[2]
In a 1983 report by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, shampoos containing up to 31% ALS registered 6 health complaints out of 6.8 million units sold. These complaints included two of scalp itch, two allergic reactions, one hair damage and one complaint of eye irritation.[3][4]
The CIR report concluded that both sodium and ammonium lauryl sulfate “appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged use, concentrations should not exceed 1%.”
The Human and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) project performed a thorough investigation of all alkyl sulfates, as such the results they found apply directly to ALS. Most alkyl sulfates exhibit low acute oral toxicity, no toxicity through exposure to the skin, concentration dependent skin irritation, and concentration dependent eye-irritation. They do not sensitize the skin and did not appear to be carcinogenic in a two year study on rats. The report found that longer carbon chains (16-18) were less irritating to the skin than chains of 12-15 carbons in length. In addition, concentrations below 1% were essentially non-irritating while concentrations greater than 10% produced moderate to strong irritation of the skin.[5]

**** Now, I am not clear of how much of it Pantene uses, but if it is the second listed product (next to water), it is likely to be more than 1%. You can call Pantene directly to find out, which I will do as soon as I can.

The other thing is, I am glad that my hairstylist advised me not to use it anymore. He really gave me a stunning haircut (the best one so far), and has been in the business for almost 15 years. Even if you are not a chemist, after that amount of time you can get a hunch of what is not good for your hair, don’t you think?

And lastly… I wonder why “the beauty brains” advocate so much for Pantene. That keeps me wondering…
alexandra Says:

I have heard the same from the salons (to stop using Pantene because it has wax), but I was wondering why would they say something like that only to sell you a shampoo and a conditioner.

My sister had beautiful hair before. And she has been using Pantene for a long time that I can not even remember. She cannot use another brand because she says that she would have trouble brushing her hair if she uses other hair products.

But lately I have noticed that when she does not wash her hair everyday, her hair looks extremely dirty, really greasy. It looks like she did not take a shower for a long time. And I thought that probably it is the wax that the hairstylists talk about. I cannot think about other reasons because she used to have nice hair before and now she has to wash it everyday. What do you think is causing this?
thebeautybrains Says:

@Jael, we don’t care what kind of shampoo you want to use. If you don’t like Pantene, don’t use it. I don’t like how it smells so I use something else. We only defend Pantene because people spread lies about it. People spread lies about Paul Mitchel (suggesting that it makes hair fall out) and we defend them too.

@alexandra. There is no wax in Pantene. There are lots of explanations about what could be happening to your sister’s hair that don’t involve the shampoo she’s using. Most likely is that she is getting older and her body is undergoing changes in the amount of sebum production in her hair. It could also be the result of increased pollution in your environment.

What I wonder is why you would think Pantene has something to do with it if she has used the product for a long time and didn’t notice a problem?
Summer Says:

I think that Pantene is not good for you hair at all. Eventhought that it moisturises and controls frizz, it does have a wax build up on your hair. Also, this lady i know she told me that they are very cruel to animals when they test on them. So not a good choice for shampoo and conditioner. Try Herbal Essences they don’t test on animals and it makes you hair super clean and smells great!!! And they have special shampoos for like pin straight hair like mine or like curly hair or hair that needs hydration! hope this helps
Left Brain Says:

@summmer – ironically, Herbal Essences and Pantene are made by the same company and use basically the same technology. Just look at the ingredient lists and patent numbers.
Toya Says:

I have been using pantene relaxed and natural for several years. Overall it is a pretty good shampoo and and conditioner. I only use heat on my hair once a week so my hair is pretty healthy. I get compliments all the time. The only downside is the shedding. Its way more than 100 strands per day! I think i am going to try a different brand for a while to see if it will help. If not i will go back to pantene and just carry a lint brush around with me lol!
Jes Says:

I just recently started using Pantene Ice Shine. I love how shiny my hair is now. I noticed that this forum says that Pantene has Ammonium Laureth Sulfate in it, well im holding my bottle right now and it has Sodium Laureth Sulfate. I know you said that there is not cleaning difference between them, but I just wanted to let you know.
Jael Says:

Jes,

The shampoo that has the ammonium laureth sulfate is the one made for curly hair, which I threw out immediately. It is also the only one I would use given that my hair is curly.

I also think that a company that agrees to use that in ANY of their products is not worth sponsoring. I now use the Giovanni organic hair products and I have found the following:

1. My hair has literally stopped falling off. I used to have balls and balls of hair fall off in the tub after washing my hair with Pantene, whereas now only some strands fall off (I can count them! 4-5)

2. My hair feels thicker, healthier and fuller.

Now, I stopped shampoo for two weeks using only baking soda and vinegar to restore my scalp, and then I moved onto the organic Giovanni shampoo and conditioner. My curly hair feels much healthier, and I do not worry about baldness anymore.

Hope this helps!

Jael
Pam Says:

I am currently using Pantene Color Restoratives shampoo & conditioner(I have used Pantene products in the past, with the same results) and I have noticed that I have much more shedding, hair loss, whatever you want to call it. I am planning on finding a different product when what I have is gone, I DON’T like my hair coming out in handfuls, when I comb it after my shampoo/conditioning. I was trying Pantene again to see if it was just me the other time, but with the same results again, I don’t think so. Sorry Pantene, I really like the way my hair feels after I am finished styling, etc…but I can’t take my hair coming out in the handfuls.
Allison Says:

my name is allison i have worked in the hair care for 6 years. we don’t try to sell our own products just for our own benifit (just to let you know) in the past we have recomended pantene pro v to clients. however recently i heard on the news that in come cases not in every case but some i have heard that their has been a bunch of people with hair loss that have one thing in common pantene pro v. and it has gotten so bad that the health care companys and fda has gotten involved. the hair loss doesnt happen to everyone but recentlly it has happend to a lot of people.
thebeautybrains Says:

@Allison – I searched through the FDA publications and could find nothing about them getting involved with any complaints about Pantene. Do you have a source?

There is no proof that Pantene causes hair loss. These are just rumors heard and repeated for unknown reasons. The funny thing is that Pantene and Herbalessences use the same base formulas. Why hasn’t anyone complained about Herbalessences making hair fall out?

My guess…because Herbalessences isn’t the top selling hair care brand whom other brands are trying to knock down by smearing their name with unproven, unsubstantiated lies. But that’s just my guess.
Virginia Says:

As I sit here itching my head, I hope all who read this post will throw out their Pantene products, shampoo, conditioner, whatever is branded Pantene-throw it away out of fear. My 13 year old daughter was transfixed a Pantene commercial, “Mom, I want Pantene!” So we got Pantene, both of us, different formulas for our respective hair needs. After three weeks I noticed that 3 times as much of my hair was falling out in the shower. My ,my I thought menopause is a beast. The next night as I was tucking my little sweetie into bed she said “Mom, I think Pantene is making my hair fall out” what a relief and horror to hear this- I told her my hair was falling out too!! She didn’t lose as much as I did, and our hair loss STOPPED when we stopped pouring that poison on it. My hair is about half as thick as it was, and that’s not thin by any means,I always have had a nice head of hair, that is till Pantene walked in the door with me. I think the last scab is healing on the right side of my head.
Virginia Says:

Pantene advertises on this web site, which is my guess as to why “TheBeautyBrains” always defends the product. Back to “Brocato” for me, it’s pricey but I had more hair.
Left Brain Says:

@Virgina: Sorry to disappoint you, but Google Adsense automatically places those ads on our site based on the content. So it doesn’t matter to us whether you buy Pantene or Brocato. We think you should buy what ever you like. We just don’t like to see people buy products for the wrong reasons.
Virginia Says:

Thanks for the advertising information Lefty, not a disappointment at all, always nice to know the back-story.
As an experiment, why don’t you and Righty try Pantene and post your experiences? Three weeks use, every other day will give you some first hand information to post about Pantene and what’s good/not good for people instead of being politically correct and stuck in the middle.
To all other readers, READ and HEED – PANTENE is POISON Stay away from it so you’ll have some hair to comb.
Jean Says:

I have baby fine, on the thin side hair that has tendency to fly away if not tamed down with conditioner. It has to be washed everyday or the littlest bit of oil makes it look flat and greasy. I wish I had thick, full bodied, and can hold a curl hair…but it’s just not meant to be so I make the most of my type hair. I’ve been a Pantene (ice shine most recently) shampoo and conditioner user for over 8 yrs. I buy it for myself and lower priced brands for the kids (My boys could care less about shampoo as long as it doesn’t smell like strawberries) Pantene makes my hair shiny, soft and silky smooth. I don’t get a build up. Salon personnel always tell me how healthy my hair is and I occasionally get strangers asking to touch my hair (Weird). If I run out of Pantene and have to use a cheaper brand I can tell the difference immediately, not in a good way.
In the stores you can see that Pantene gets a lot of shelf space… that tells me that it’s very popular. When I tell a stylist the brand name I use they tell me it’s the worst thing I can put on my hair. I’ve decided not to follow the advice of the hair professionals, half of which can’t understand “just trim the tips off”, “use light layers” or “I just need a few highlights” and will continue to use a product that works as claimed by the producers. Oh… the only time my hair fell out was when I lost 85lbs. It grew back in just fine.
Jean Says:

Ok… my hair grew back nearly immediately after going off the low carb diet, half the weight took 6 yrs.
James Says:

Hi, I’ve been using Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths for about 4-5 months now. I just recently noticed a very slight burning sensation in my scalp. I think the prolonged use has started to have its effect.

After looking at the ingredients I decided to stop using it and use something else that has ingredients I actually understand.
James Says:

Another point, if all shampoos have the same basic ingredients then they all should give your hair hell. Personally I don’t believe they all use the same formula; I mean really how is it that each one has a separate affect? And why do some work nicer then others?

But anyway if I go out looking for a new brand I will definetly make it a priority to find one that has a simple ingredient list. Ones that I know what they are and have seen them before, or at least can easily visualize what it is.

!Hasta Luego!
Jasmine Says:

I have been using pantene since I was 8 and I am now almsot 15. I have had no problems with my hair falling out and the moisture renewal type really helps my curlyish hair out.
Heidi Says:

pantene i know is bad!! especially their hairspray!! i like the ice shine shampoo and have used it forever and my hair has really been falling out like ever and all my buddies who used it have quit for the same reason!! their hair being half of what it was!!! it clogs your hair cells and all! i haven’t talked to any hair specialist but Heavenly Father has helped us all to finally see what it was and i thank Him above all! try DOVE… it’s Great!! good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!
S. Miller Says:

I love Pantene clarifying shampoo. My husband also uses Pantene shampoo. However, the lids are next to impossible to open–especially when your hands are wet. I’ve broken more nails that I can count and have come close to using my teeth to get it open. This should not be necessary. The grove for your thumb needs to be deeper so you can get a grip. Help!
Susan Sanderson Says:

Before you blame your shampoo for your hair falling out, have your thyroid checked. A low thyroid and other medical conditions can also cause your hair to fall out.
Unknown Says:

Hi, when i started using Pantene I noticed that if I left it on for even 1 minute it started to smell like that hair removal cream :s It also made my hair very dry and was supposed to be moisture renewal !!
Karen Says:

I have nevered used any products that were not sold by a salon. However, I got hair extensions and the professional shampoos felt horrible on my hair. I tried pantene and I love it. Glad to know it won’t make my hair fall out! 30 years and all that money on expensive products! Love Ya Pantene!
Megan Says:

First off, I am a hairstylist. I was never “educated” by product reps telling me Pantene is horrible for people’s hair. Any education has been on why their product is great and how to use it, not why every other product sucks.

I simply know what I know from my own experiences. Everyone coming in here is normal people, not chemical majors, so people can preach about this chemical or that, it doesn’t matter. We don’t have to do scientifically correct blind tests to know what we experience with hair products. I was never told anything bad about Pantene, it is something you just discover being a stylist. Too many times I got people in my chair with a really bad “waxy” straw-like build up on their hair, after asking what they used, it was Pantene. Now maybe there isn’t an exact ingredient that translates to WAX..but that is the best description there is for the feeling.

Initially, sure the product feels great. I do not argue with customers against using it short termly. I only recommend that they use it short term, or they use a chilating shampoo to remove the build up the product leaves. I don’t study and chemically experiment with products to tell you what is in Pantene that is bad, I can only tell you my experience. If my customer does not want to buy salon quality products, which I do personally believe to be better, I tell them I’d use Suave before I’d use Pantene. Suave is a popular brand, it is not that I’m trying to get people away from Pantene because it is too competitive. There has just been simply no other product that I can now, (without even asking every 50 customers before I get the one who uses Pantene) tell them they use Pantene without even asking.

Again, no one has educated to me that Pantene leaves wax. No salon rep has told me to advise against it, it has all come with personal experience with people in my chair. Just because we ask people what they use in their hair doesn’t mean we bash every single product out on the market. If you will notice, this has all said that stylists are arguing against PANTENE, not every other popular product out there.

And I enjoy how this thread starts off boasting about how Pantene is so great and they spend soo much more money to find the best quality product out there that no other can match, yet Pantene has been compared by the brains in this same thread to be very similar to every other product out there.. So with all of the hype about Pantene being bad, and the brains saying others are very similar, then why risk it, why not use one of the others.

Again the brain can argue that I have no proof behind what I’m saying and they are not trying to promote Pantene they are just trying to get the facts out. But I am not throwing out any lies. I simply am telling you my own experience with clients and their hair. I am not sitting here trying to sell you one of my salon quality products, or even telling you you need to buy salon quality products. I am just saying that Pantene may not be awful primarily, but most people I have seen after long term use, it has not been good. I won’t even claim it causes you to lose hair, because sure, lots of things cause hair loss. But after enough testimonies here of people saying they lost hair and stopped using the product and it came back, even I’m starting to wonder about that too. But I won’t go preaching the “lies” that people have fed me, I will stick to my own experiences.