The bit about making vegetal proteins stay on the hair is just wrong and not supported by any science. Please site a source.

The pH of most hair products (Pantene included) is between 5 and 6. It is not 7. But even if it were, the pH of your shampoo has not been shown to have a significant effect on anything. Please show me a study that says it does. Once your hair gets wet with the pH 7 water in your shower, it doesn’t matter what pH your shampoo was.

“Pro” products use silicones too.

And while you’re right, you can’t make a Ferrari out of Chevy parts, that isn’t what’s going on with Professional products versus mass market products. They are all using the same ingredients! There is nothing special about professional products. I know because I’ve personally formulated both mass market and professional products, using the same ingredients.

In order for vegetal proteins to actually stay on the hair shaft, then other ingredients such as taurine or arginine found in Redken as part of their interbond conditioning technology or sugar acetate found in Sexy Hair products, must be included and in the correct portions. In Most cases these ingredients are patented by pro companies, and not used in mass products.

Not too mention the fact that the majority of pro products are found to be more in the natural pH range of hair (3.5-5.5pH) where as most mass products are in a much higher range, sometimes as high as laundry detergent which is a 10.5pH. Mass products like Pantene who claim their products are pH balanced…well that is true…however, “pH balanced” does not mean balanced to the pH of hair. They come in at a 7pH which is neutral on the pH scale and is neither acidic nor alkaline. Hair is acidic 3.5-5.5pH range so those mass products are typically more drying to the hair even those that are “pH balanced”. If someone has extremely lightened hair their hair will be very porous and very alkaline or dry. Using a “pH balanced” product like Pantene which is at a 7pH won’t bring that hair back closer to a more natural acidic state. So mass products use more silicones and silicates to coat the hair for a cosmetic “masking” effect rather patented ingredients in pro products that are more lasting internal effect.

Like I said I understand your logic and reasoning…but by that same logic…You can’t make a Ferrari out of Chevy parts…there are significant differences in pro and mass products.

@ Lauren – It is a myth that salon brands use “higher quality” ingredients. I work in the industry and know what chemicals are available to the manufacturers of both salon and store brand products. There is not a different set of raw material suppliers. There are not premium grade raw materials for the main ingredients like surfactants.

I agree that the quality of Fekkai formulas will likely improve now that they are owned by a big company. On the other hand, P&G may also reformulate to make the formulas more appealing to the mass market like they did when they acquired Herbalessences and switched all the formulas over to the Pantene formulas (look at the ingredient lists).

If you had any evidence that essential oils in shampoos or conditioners have any impact on performance, I’d love to see it. Those ingredients are put in formulas at tiny levels so they can call them out on the labels & support the story. They don’t actually do anything in reality.