So…when are you going to try Wen??

Wen Cleansing Conditioner

Infomercials always suck me in, and the Wen infomercial is no exception.  Listening to  Alyssa Milano extol the virtues of the non-shampoo way of life is just fascinating – I can’t even tell you how many times I have watched that infomercial.  However, I was reluctant to try the Cleansing Conditioner ($32).  With hair like mine (long, very fine, but there’s lots of it) it takes me forever to blow it dry and style it, so a radical change in hair cleansing is always risky.  If it doesn’t work, I have to invest that much MORE time into redoing my hair, and as busy as my life is I usually don’t want to chance it.

Chaz Dean

Really what finally sold me was that Chaz Dean, creator of Wen, decided to use transparency as a marketing tool.  He is very up front in his infomercial that most hair companies use all kinds of other products they don’t disclose to get the models looking fabulous, and in his infomercial, the only thing they use is the Cleansing Conditioner.  He offers lots of other products, but that’s the only one they use.  I have never, ever in my life just used one product on my hair.  For me it’s  shampoo, then conditioner, then leave-in spray conditioner, then smoothing oil, then texturing cream…you get the picture.  I have pretty hair but it takes a lot of products to get it looking that way.  Without them, my hair is dull and frizzy.

I was also concerned because my hair is oily at the roots, dry at the ends, and color-treated.  If I wash too often, my color fades very quickly.  Not enough moisture and my hair gets very frizzy.  If my hair isn’t cleansed well enough, it looks greasy and flat.  So many issues…and for some reason I thought that the Wen product didn’t clean, it just conditioned.  I was wrong.  When used correctly, it does clean – hence the name  ‘Cleansing Conditioner’.  The trick is finding the right method and the right amount of product for your hair.

Here I am with my goofy smile after my first time using Wen.  I used the Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner, which is a great product for Wen beginners because those who like the lather of their old shampoos will get a frothing action with this one.  The Pomegranate line is also completely gluten-free so anyone with gluten allergies can safely use this product since it is soy based.  There is a learning curve – at first I had uneven results, because I was using the product differently each time to find the best way for my hair.  As I went along, though, I found my hair got stronger, healthier looking, and smoother.  

See how full and thick it starts to look?  And I could not believe how much less my color faded once I used the Wen for a month straight.  I found that my hair looked really good without using a flat iron at all, although it looked amazing when I did use a flat iron.

At one point I tried also using a styling product from another line, and I did not get good results.  Here’s what I find works best for my hair:  I get it super wet, just drenched.  Then I use 9 pumps of product on my bangs and crown.  I really scrub and work the product into my hair.  Then I use 9 pumps on my nape, then on each side.  I spend a minute or so just working it in all over, then I comb it through with a shower comb.  After that, I clip my hair up (I have to use three clips because I have so much hair) and then I go about taking the rest of my shower.  At the end, I take out the clips and rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse.  Yup, I do a LOT of rinsing.  Then I take one pump of the product and smooth it through my hair.  This time I don’t rinse, I use it as a leave-in conditioner.  I wrap my hair in my Curl-Ease towel, and then blow dry.  If I have time, I cut the amount of product in half and do the washing technique, rinse, then do the washing technique with the other half of the product then comb through and clip up.  That’s what gives me the absolute best results, but it is time consuming.

I found the Wen instructional DVD to be invaluable.  Seriously, watch that before the first time you use Wen…and take notes!  One thing Chaz Dean shows is a styling technique for blow drying that gives curls that last all day without using a hair iron.  You use a round brush, and sort of twist the section of hair with the brush then dry it with the blow dryer.  That’s what I did to style my hair for the picture above.  It’s a great way to quickly get volume and curls.

In this picture, I haven’t washed my hair for three days!  (I did shower though, I assure you.)  I have never been able to go for three days before, but doing this really helps to keep my color true and vibrant. 

I tried the Wen Cleansing Conditioner on every single family member because we all have such different hair, and it worked fabulously on everyone.  My husband has short, thick, wiry Asian hair, and the Wen made it unbelievably soft.  My son has super fine, bleached hair, and the Wen gave it lots of body.  My oldest daughter has really long hair that is very coarse and thick, and the Wen was so awesome for her, it looked like her hair was a half-inch longer.  And my youngest daughter has unbelievably fine hair that separates into chunks and tangles easily, and the Wen gave it body and made it unbelievably manageable.  Every one of them wants their own personal bottle of the Cleansing Conditioner now.

I am a Wen convert.  My hair just keeps looking and feeling better and better.  Now I want to try some of the styling products that Chaz Dean offers, it will be very interesting to see what they can do for hair.  And again I have to ask you…when are you going to try Wen?? – Lisa