Aspenstar wonders…What do you think of the Wen cleansing conditioners by Chaz Dean? supposedly they are not actually a shampoo, but a treatment product? Is it more hype than fact?
Right Brain says Wen:
The Left Brain previously wrote about Wen Cleansing Conditioners. Essentially concluding that WEN Cleansing Conditioner 
that using a store brand may be a better option. In this post, we’ll tell you the main things to look for in a cleansing conditioner.
Why clean hair with conditioner?
The first thing you might wonder is why would anyone want to clean their hair with conditioner. There are basically three reasons.
- Shampoo can damage hair
- Shampoo can strip color
- Shampoo has ingredients that can be irritating.
Chaz Dean also says that his products stimulate the scalp but that doesn’t mean much.
Shampoo damages hair
It is true that shampooing can damage hair. It is not really the ingredients that cause damage, but the “sudsing-up” process. Moving your hair around twists and turns hair fibers making them susceptible to breakage. An added problem is that the hair is wet and more vulnerable to breakage. Skipping shampoo reduces hair damage.
Shampoo can strip color
While this is true, water is the real culprit for color loss. Shampoos speed the process a bit, but just getting hair wet is enough to pull out your color. If you use only a conditioner, your hair gets exposed to less water and loses less color.
Ingredients that irritate
Shampoo ingredients can be harsh and irritating. Sulfates are particularly bad, but almost ANY detergent in a shampoo will cause irritation if left on the head too long. Ingredients in conditioners can be just as irritating (or even worse) however, other ingredients are included that mitigate this problem.
Ingredients in conditioner that clean hair
You might be wondering what ingredients in conditioners clean hair. The primary cleaning ingredients are also the primary conditioning ingredients. Cationic surfactants are the cleaning/conditioning ingredients in conditioners. Look for these ingredients in your conditioner for cleansing.
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate *
- Dicetyldimonium Chloride *
- Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine *
- Cetrimonium Chloride
- Stearyalkonium Chloride
*In the WEN Cleansing Conditioner
Best cleaning conditioner options
That brings us back to the original question. Are WEN Cleansing Conditioners 
No and Yes.
Wen Works
WEN Cleansing Conditioners
Wen is not a wonder
Wen cleansing conditioners do have a couple of drawbacks. First, they are way too expensive for what you get. Based on the list of ingredients, they are not much different than Pantene Conditioner
A Better Option
Unfortunately, neither Wen nor Pantene are your best choices for this type of product. Better (and less expensive) are Suave Conditioner 
Beauty Brains bottom line
Eliminating shampooing and cleaning hair with conditioner only is a dramatic change from what you are used to. For many people, you won’t like how it feels. But for some (particularly those with long, curly or colored hair) you may love the way your hair feels. It will take a week or two to get used to but you might find it’s worth it.
Have you used conditioner to clean your hair? What did you think? Leave a comment below and let the rest of the Beauty Brains community know.
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I cleansed my hair using only conditioner for 6 months and my hair never looked worse..
I lurv,lurv,lurv this site and I am oh so glad this has been brought up! Especially since I also lurv experimenting. This about the “no poo” routine so many have tried. Well I have medium to thick baby fine hair and the grease was the first problem. Secondly I was using baking soda & vinegar occasionally for an extra kick. While still using this process “occasionally” and diluting everything x 2. My poor fine hair felt stripped after a time or ten. Not wanting to give up on a solution to the “no poo” experimentation, I found conditioner washing. I read that it was mostly for curly headed ladies, but hey I experiment
I started about 5mths ago and it has turned out great for my hair!!! I do get color services now and then. This really seems to keep the health and color last 3x as long. I have never gotten so many compliments on how wonderful my hair looks. Suave and Vo5 are my choice in this as they do what beauty brains says they do. I use to be a cosmetologist and for any routine I would say it’s all about scalp and root power. Concentration on the these areas is the main key in all washes.
I’ve done this for years (although I’ll have to try the Suave and VO5 conditioners now). My skin and hair are very dry; my hair is medium fine, very thick, and highlighted. I use shampoo once every couple of weeks, and the rest of the time I “shampoo” using only conditioner. Saves time and water (we’re in a severe drought), and keeps my hair from becoming a dried out, frizzy mess.
Probably won’t work well for oily scalp/hair people, though.
The beauty brains knows that plenty of it’s readers “wash” with conditioner. We have been upset with them in the past for treating it as a less than ideal way to cleanse.
I think it is pretty funny/ironic that they also recommend Suave and V05 conditioners for co-washing (washing with conditioner) these are favorite cheapy conditioners on my favorite forums. Been spending some time on the hair boards my beloved beauty brains? LOL
Thanks for your comments vkb247.
We were unaware that we upset you, but Left has a way of doing that. Washing with conditioner is not for everyone. It doesn’t clean your hair as well and takes a bit of getting used to.
As for Suave and VO5, these are obvious choices since they don’t contain silicones and only use quats (the cleaning agent) to clean.
Actually, a product that may work even better than those two is VO5 Hot Oil. This product contains only quat and no fatty alcohols which would inhibit cleansing.
Thank you for answering my question!
I may give it a try with Suave or VO5 and if I don’t like it, then I’ll just use the conditioner as leg shaving lotion!
Thanks for the heads up!
I have very long fine hair that is color treated and have been using Wen for about a year. I am pleased with the results but you are right about the expense. Wen offers no discount for purchase by the gallon.
I also use a varity of nut oils between cleansing to suplement hydration. Are some nut oils better than others?
I will have to try Suave and VO5.
I’ve been washing with Suave and V05 conditioner for years now. (White Rain is another to consider.) I have thick, wavy, color-treated hair. It always looks healthy and clean, and people are amazed when I tell them I don’t use shampoo. My stylist told me my hair is a lot healthier because I’m not stripping out the naturals oils.
i’ve been using wen products for about a year now and love them. i have a normal-density head of hair that is very fine in texture, but prone to frizz and waves. washing with wen made my hair a lot less frizzy and curl prone and made it so much easier to round-brush blow dry. that said, though, i’m happy to know that there are cheaper conditioner options out there!
I’ve been “washing” my hair with White Rain Extra Body Conditioner (Suave Naturals now, since WR isn’t sold in my area now) for 2 years. My hair stopped shedding and breaking off at my shoulders and has finally reached the small of my back. It took about 2 weeks for my hair to stop pouting after I refused to shampoo it, but now I refuse to use shampoo. You can do this with any conditioner that doesn’t have -cone ingredients.
I am off work with a post surgery husband for the next two weeks soI am trying the WEN products now. I can see that my hair is clean, but seems to be flat. I haven’t tried styling my hair since I started using the products only two days ago. Call me lazy, but I always try to give my hair a break on the weekend and now I am on a long weekend.
I’ve been using conditioner for like.. what? 3 or 4 months now. It works – as long as enough is used & you let the conditioner soak into your hair for a few minutes. Actually, I liked it the first time I tried it. My hair feels smoother & looks shinier than when I used shampoo.
I’ve been using the WEN cleansing conditioner for a little less than a year now, and I love it. My hair is color treated, and it is so much happier without shampoo! I also use the WEN cleansing conditioner as a leave-in on occasion. I DO have to use it daily, or my hair and scalp get a bit oily, BUT I was having this problem even when using shampoo.
It is nice to know that there are less expensive products out there, and ones that don’t require shipping. However, I only purchase cruelty-free products, and I don’t think that any of the less expensive products that have been suggested are cruelty-free.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!
I have been using the WEN cleansing conditioner for almost 2 weeks. So far, I really like the results. My hair is super soft and “Pantene commercial” shiny. I just need to make sure that I rinse very well and put the leave in only on the ends or my hair doesn’t look as clean.
I have heard that Sally’s has a product call Hair One. I plan on trying that when I am out of my WEN, as it is soo much cheaper!
I have short, semi-oily, color treated, straight to wavy hair. I moderately use styling products. I have been using a co-wash for a week now – I ran out of my usual shampoo product, but had 1/2 a bottle of conditioner left over. I have always felt like I have to shower and wash my hair daily, so this is a great alternative to drying my hair with shampoo. (I have never been able to go a day without shampooing – my hair gets too oily.) My hair is so soft and shiny! Not oily at all and no frizziness! My husband has noticed the difference in softness! I think the secret is to put enough conditioner on your hair and leave it on for a few minutes. (I use more conditioner than I would with shampoo – 3x as much.) Again, I have done this daily. I still could not go more than a day without showering. I put enough on to feel that my fingers easily run through my hair at the scalp – oiliness normally makes it difficult to run my fingers through my hair when first wet in the shower. I then wait and rinse VERY well. If it still feels dirty, I repeat the process. After, I put the conditioner on like I would normally and rinse again. Voila! Beautiful hair, but at the expense of a lot of conditioner! I think that I will only shampoo and deep condition every few weeks or so now. I love the way my hair is behaving!
I have been co-washing for just over a year and have found that it is the best thing I have ever done for my hair. I started co washing after I saw a Wen infomercial and did research that led me to some co wasing sites. I have very fine, thin hair that is mostly prematurely gray/white, but I have to color. My color stays fresher for a longer time, and my hair has never been as shiny and soft as it has since I started co-washing. I use mostly Suave or V05 conditioners, but I also experiment with other low or no cone conditioners when they are on sale. I also will use a heavier conditioner after cleansing to give a little extra oomph to my conditioned hair. I especially realized how good this regimen worked for me when recently, I was part of a sample study to try a new line of shampoo and conditioners. I decided to use the whole line because that is what most people would do. Anyway, my hair became straw after using the shampoo twice. I am co washing again and my hair is slowly recovering.
I have used wen products to clean my hair for about a year now. When I was out of Wen and money, I tried any ole conditioner. I found them to work the first day but I had to rewash everyday to get good results.
I found a produt called Hair One. It is just like wen but cost much less.I use it every two or three days. My hair looks and feels great. I got Hair One at Sally’s beauty supply, maryland.
I almost never use shampoo, just when my hair gets a build up of hair spray. I have long, very thick, semi curly, course hair and use Pantene conditioner only on it. I also use a product from Cowboy Magic that keeps the frizz under control and my hair never looked better.
I’ve been co washing for a little over two and will probably never, go back to using shampoo’s or soaps of anykind for my hair…I’m natural 4b kinky curly hair, and since i’ve been co washing with v05 and using giovanni direct leave in DAILY, I’ve experinced very healthy, and clean hair…You really don’t need to shampoo if you’re co washing daily…
I succumbed and bought some WEN on Ebay. I still have most of it. It gets used once in a while as a leave in (premature white)when I clarify. I too enjoy Suave Naturals conditioner – far superior while using Ojon Ultra Hydrating 1x/week. It feels a little oily after 2-3 days but doesn’t look it.
This concept is well established in a book called, “The Curly Girl handbook”. I don’t use shampoo at all anymore because of the book. It compares hair to a cashmere sweater and shampoo to dish detergent.
I’ve been using Hair One from Sally (a Wen clone) for a couple of months now and my hair has never looked better. I am definitely not going to go back to the shampoo/conditioner route again! Hair One is a lot cheaper than the Wen system also.
I have been cleansing with conditioner for about a month (since i first saw a Wen Commercial) I did some online research & found HairOne from Sallys. I have medium thick hair that is curly, dry, frizzy. I am a product junky and have tried so many things! Cleansing with HairOne (then i use Paul Mitchel Skinny for styling) has completely turned my hair around. My color is lasting longer, after blow drying my hair is soft & shiny & much easier to straighten with a flat iron, causing a lot less damage & saving time. Yesterday i “cleansed” with apple suave conditioner & i wonder if it has more cleasing properties than the hairOne, because my hair was quite a bit fluffier after blowdrying & took a bit more work to straighten. but on day 2 now it looks perfect. I have been getting so many compliments on my hair lately & having tryied sooo many things I feel like telling everyone.
does wen really make your hair grow or it just makes your hair healthy and clean is that it?
Molly, regarding cruelty-free haircare, Paul Mitchell’s entire line is not tested on animals and is an affordable salon quality alternative. Leapingbunny.org is a great resource site for cruelty-free beauty and household products. Their standards are above and beyond that of PETA. Here’s to responsible consumerism!
I purchased wen a few weeks ago and i’m loving it!!I have colored treated hair and and for me the only set back is that it appears to strip of the color quicker them before.I do have oily scalp and i wonder if i use it less on the scalp more on the mid and end section would it make a diference?Other than that i totally love Wen.
I am very interested in trying this process of “washing” with conditioner. I have fairly long. really thick, curly hair and from reading all the other comments think this would really work with my hair type. My only concern is that I have dandruff. It varies on how severe but I am worried about ditching my dandruff shampoo for conditioner. Anyone else with dandruff try this?
If you have dandruff you can try the Tea Tree version of either Wen or it’s knockoff HairOne from Sally Beauty. I got a 4-pack of Wen from QVC that included Lavender, Fig, Cucumber Aloe, and Sweet Almond Mint. They are all good but my favorite was the Lavender variety. The scents are more overpowering in the Wen than the HairOne and that was annoying because I swear I could taste the scent once the shower got all steamed up. I prefer HairOne because the scents are milder. I’ve tried the Jojoba, Olive oil, and Cucumber Aloe from HairOne and my favorite is the Cucumber Aloe. I have very thick, curly, fine, and color-treated; type 4c according to naturallycurly.com. Before I tried Wen and HairOne, I used Suave to co-wash and it used to clog my tub up on a weekly basis. I prefer the Wen and HairOne because it rinses more thoroughly from the hair and doesn’t clog my tub. I use shampoo sometimes but I always come back to cleansing conditioners.
I’m african american & I have dry thick curly/kinky hair… I also have an issue with dandruff. Since Ive been cleansing with conditioner my hair has transformed!!! its shiny and I have frizz free beautiful curls. Styling my hair has never been so easy. I was fresh out of shampoo and conditioner and was on my way to buy some more and a friend with curly hair as well recommended that I ditch the shampoo and never look back & that is just what I did… just by chance I happened to have VO5 conditioners laying around the bathroom that day(my moms) picked up a bottle and instant results after the very first wash.
Does anyone here know of any cruelty-free conditioners that work for co-washing? All of the ones listed above are made by companies that engage in animal testing. Thanks.
Apologies, I just saw Molly’s comment above. Are there any other options that are less expensive? Paul Mitchell is pretty pricey.
Ok, so I am new to this new no shampoo world. I have middle of the back, natural curly, thick dark brown hair that is really healthy. I’ve been seeing this “Wen” product on QVC for awhile now, but thought yikes that’s expensive and I already use all salon products on my hair, Biolage, Paul Mitchell, Kenra etc. and since it’s so healthy why bother. But then I got curious. Soooo, I ordered a try me set from QVC and it was on a waitlist and then I found this website! I started to use my Biolage heavy conditioner the next day with NO Shoo and went to Sally Beauty to purchase “Hair One.” I had been using that for about two weeks and my Wen arrived. I used it for the first time yesterday and OMG WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The product is so much smoother and creamier than Hair One! We shall see in a couple of weeks how I like it. Does it still work if you put other products in your hair, like Kenra Curl Definer?
Ready the book, Curly Girl years ago, and it changed my hair life! Cleansing with conditioner has left my hair so much healthier and I am growing it longer than it has ever been before. I have been nervous telling people that I don’t use shampoo, because a stylist friend thought it was a really weird concept to co-wash. But, I like the results! As far as a product recommendation, I have been using Charles Worthington London moisturizing conditioner. I use it in the shower to co-wash, and out of the shower diluted as a leave-in conditioner. I also use a CWL smoothing product, but don’t know the ingredients of either of the products. Hope they aren’t harmful to me in some way as products are absorbed through the skin on the scalp. Love this site – just found it today – Yay!
Hi!
I,ve read the comments about washing hair with conditioner. I have thin, dry, medium to short,straight, limp hair. Will this work for me? I don’t want to end up with flat, oily hair.
Thanks
I am intrigued by everyone’s comments! I think I will give this a try! Thanks for all you comments
neither white rain or vo5 tests on animals now. i use hair one from sallys and vo5 clarifying conditioners for my cowashes. i had been using redken all soft cause it was so recommended but prefer cowashing. my hair is short thick and color treated.