NCFiction needs to know…I have dry curly hair, and the Hydrate line helps make it soft! At 8.5 oz for almost $30 Pureology conditioner is NOT cheap! I’m used to getting conditioner that has three times that for $6! (Aussie Moist.) But my hair was still feeling dry so I am looking for a cheaper alternative. There are loads of stuff in this formula, I can see why it’s so expensive… any ideas?
The Left Brain responds:
The amount of “stuff” in the formula actually has nothing to do with the price. I’ll break it down for you…
Pureology ingredients
First, look at ALL the ingredients:
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silantriol, Superoxide Dismutase, Melanin, Ascorbic Acid,Tocopheryl Acetate, Hilanthus Annuus (Sunlfower) seed extract and oil, Butylene glycol, Amodimethicone, C11-15 Pareth 7, Laureth 9, Glycerin, Trideceth 12, Citric Acid, Lactic acid, Malic acid, Camelia sinesis leaf extract, mucor mehei extract, lentinus edodes extract, ganoderma lucidum extract, mentha piperita (peppermint) leaf extract, Sage leaf extract, Rosemary leaf extract, Cetrimonium Bromide, Dimethiconol, Divinyldimethicone/dimethicone copolymer, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Glycerth-26, Panthenol, Jojoba Esters, PEG-45M, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, butyrospermum parii (shea butter), wheat amino acids, mentha arvensis leaf oil, menthol, glycine soja (soybean) oil, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polysorbate 60, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylparaben, Fragrance
Now I’ll strip away everything except the ingredients that actually condition your hair:
Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Amodimethicone, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Bromide, Dimethiconol, Divinyldimethicone/dimethicone copolymer
These are the key conditioning ingredients.
Conditioner copycat
Now, if you want a formula that works the same, the first thing you do is look to see who makes Pureology. It turns out to be L’Oreal. They bought Pureology in 2007. So, look at other L’Oreal formulas like the Vives and find one with similar ingredients to the listing above. If those don’t work, try Pantene, Fructis, or Dove which all use similar ingredients. There really is nothing special about the Pureology formula which would warrant the price that they charge.
What do YOU think? Do you have any favorite conditioners you’d like to share with NC? Leave a comment for her and the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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Hello there!
I did some research.. well googleing… and found this conditioner: Naked Naturals Shea Butter and Avocado Smoothing Conditioner.
Here are its ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG Propyl Silanetriol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea Gratissima Avocado Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Amodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Alcohol, Laureth 9, Trideceth 12, Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Stearamine Oxide, C11 C15 Pareth 7, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Fragrance
Now I don’t believe its made by L’oreal, but if you look closely you will find Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, and Stearyl Alcohol
It lacks the Cetrimonium Bromide and Divinyldimethicone/dimethicone copolymer of Pureology and adds Cetyl Alocohol but other than that it has all the same conditioning ingredients. However I’m not sure how much the order of the ingredients matters, if it does then I’m not sure how comparable the two actually are. Good Luck!
The L’Oreal EverPure mask–in a tub–is very good to use everyday. I truly love the Fekkai Color Technician mask, and a little goes a long way, but it is $30+–it has lasted me a long time.
Also, try a leave-in if your hair is really dry. I like the Giovanni Weightless one a lot. I imagine Infusium would be a good choice, too.
I love using “treatment” conditioners as regular conditioners. I’ve been using Dove Intense Therapy conditioner (blue bottle) for a year, and I think it conditions better than Biolage Conditioning Balm or the ever-popular Redken All-Soft conditioner. I have both of these conditioners in the shower, but I keep reaching for Dove. (I use the All-Soft shampoo.)
L’Oreal EverPure Moisture Formula is great. Add the shampoo and conditioner to the Mask mentioned by another reader and your hair will be soft and silky. I’ve used all the top lines and combinations thereof but this trio is the best!
The best conditioner for you would be Colure True Color Care Richly Moisturize Conditioner. Colure was started by David Paris. David was one of the orignal four members of Pureology and was instrumental in helping to create the Pureology line. Once the word was out that Pureology was thinking of selling to Loreal David left Pureology and started Colure True Color Care as his passion was in creating high performance products for the salon professional. David wanted to continue Molecular Nano Technology formulas and create high performance color care products that were even more advanced then his work at Pureology. Pureology created the entire category of high perfomance color care. There formulas were developed over eight years ago and since then there have been significant advances in the technology. You will see the advances in the Richly Moisturize Conditioner. The product is extremely high performance using the latest conditioning agents that are much lighter in molecular weight however, intenesly hydrating. This product also has amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, vegan protiens and minerals to rebuild dry and damaged hair and is significantly more advanced then the conditioner you are currently using. The price point is also more reasonable at $22. If you would like more information the website is http://www.colurehaircare.com.
I’m confused why you never list hydrolyzed proteins as conditioning agents? They’re serious film formers that coat the hair to change its “condition” and feel. They work the same way as the other film forming/conditioning agents (silicones, polyquaterniums, etc.).
I have a couple of favorite conditioners but I’ve noticed they are lightweight – conditioners made for thin hair and doesn’t weigh hair down.
Tresemme is one of my favorites.
BJ’s (club store) brand of Detangling Conditioner which compares itself to the Biolage name brand. Works well to detangle my long curly locks w/o any effort and my hair is well conditioned. Does not make my hair flat even if I leave it on longer than usual.
@Jeff – Hydrolyzed proteins are also water soluble so that will have minimal effect as conditioning agents compared to silicones (which are not water soluble) and polyquats (which stick to the hair via an electrostatic interaction & water insolubility).
As a master stylist and colorist with 20+ years of passion filled experience, I have a delightfully demanding color clientele. My clients know and expect quality. Lately, with the changing fortunes of time, alot of my clients have experinced economic turns and have had to be more concerned with cutting costs where they can. I have always enjoyed trying new shampoos and conditioners…(I’m a sucker for “smells”) Although my salon carries the pureology line, I pride myself on being aware of what otc products are out there,and If they MUST use otc products, I like to be able to advise clients on what to avoid and what is acceptable, AND why,based on my own experience. There are some good ones! (love Infusium!) However…everyone knows how fast red haircolors fade…they always do..As a redhead myself, I can say this…My red hair color (logics dna) HAS NOT FADED AT ALL in 5 weeks! I did not believe it. I decided to put pureology to the test. I have shampooed every day, with pureology only, and my hair is the exact same color as it was the day I touched up. So, if fading is an issue….look at it as “insurance” for your investment. (oh yeah, it has also lasted me 90 shampoos…that’s 3 months of guarantee that my $60 to $100 haircolors are going to stay day one fresh….I’m just saying…..