I’m not one to easily fall into the allure of infomercials, but recently I caved. The combination of Chaz Dean’s speech about the wonders of his revolutionary hair care product alongside a clip of a woman with unbelievably shiny and flowy locks got me to bite the bullet and purchase – wait for it – Wen hair care.
With that, it’s time for a review!
The claim is that this 5-in-1 formula (shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, detangler, leave-in conditioner) will leave hair moisturized, manageable and looking sheen as ever without the use of harsh chemicals that strip your hair of its natural oil. I love the idea of using a product that was developed using all natural ingredients rather than the unnecessary junk (detergents, sulfates, ect.) that the everyday shampoo and conditioner all too often contain. Being the eco-friendly activist I am, I had no choice but to give it a go, right?! ;) Insufficient justifaction, anyone?
I know what you’re wondering – has my hair magically transformed into that of a Disney princess, ultra voluminous and impeccably shiny (like girl pictured below, for example) since using Wen? Well, no. However, it has become less prone to breakage and feels extremely smooth after each use. But I don’t want to lead you astray and make it seem as though I don’t know how I was living before I was introduced to this product, so let’s get to the downfalls…
Because Wen does not contain sodium laureth sulfate (a foaming agent), there is no lathering to be had and is similiar in consistancy to that of a thick hand cream (coincidentally, the main ingredient is glycerin.) This means you have to use a great deal of product, especially if you have medium to long hair like me, in order to cover the scalp and all ends of the hair. Even the bottle discloses that you will need 10-15 pumps per application (how ironic that the website says much less, by the way.) This leads me to two things to note: 1) you are going to go through the bottle quite fast if you shampoo everyday and therefore will have to repurchase again soon (good selling strategy on their part, I suppose) and 2) in order to coat your hair in that much product, it gets time consuming.
In addition to the tedious application process, it is also suggested on the bottle that you leave the product on your hair for 3-5 minutes+ before rinsing. This task alone tacked on an extra seven minutes to my shower routine. So not only have I wasted my time, but a great deal of water as well. Not very green if you ask me!
One last gripe about this product: the 30-day starter kit comes with 5 items (3 of which I did not want nor need – yet another waste): the cleansing conditioner, style cream, texture balm stick, intensive moisture treatment, and a comb. I really only wanted the main item – the cleansing conditioner, and maybe the intensive treatment, but there was no way to control the specific items I received – you simply get what comes in the starter kit. However, it is news to me that Sephora just started selling the Wen line and you can buy a selection of the items separate. For that reason, I would definitely recommend buying it from their website rather than the Wen website.
Alright, so based on all of the information above, I am giving this product 3 out of 5 stars. How about you – have you tried Wen or is this something you’d consider trying?
simply chic. 
That’s for the review- I had been womdering for a long time about Wen and whether it was really worth it. I have really dry, frizzy, and until recently it was all chemically treated. Now that I’ve started letting it grow out and be naturally curly again, it’s healthier. But I’m still
Always on the lookout for hair products that are gentle. one thing that I do that I swear by is I only wash my hair once or twice a week max. This saves lots of time, water, and keeps the natural oils in your hair. However this might not work for all hair types but it does for me and it also keeps me from having to buy alot of hair products since a little goes a long way.
Another idea is while you’re in the shower
waiting for that 3 to 5 minutes of deep
conditioning with the Wen, you could turn off the shower and with a small cup of water, use that time to shave your legs. Again this might not work for everyone but I think any way to save water and time is worth trying at least once :-)
Can’t wait to read other reviews you have… Especially for beauty products!
Xoxo
Nout
Ugh autocorrect! The first word is supposed to be “thanks”
Thanks for reading and for the great reply, Nout! :-)
10-15 pumps? No thanks! I am having a hard time switching to natural shampos for the same reason… Without the lather, you need to use a LOT more product and it just doesn’t feel right. And yah, more used = not so green. Thanks for the heads up!
I think I might just go back to using Aveda! What are you using right now?
I was given the intense hair treatment as a gift,not very impressed by the product. It smells like medicine ,it seemed to smooth my hair but not all day long smooth, not to mention it didn’t leave a good smell in my hair , I have been using OGX brands and am happy with them.
Aunt Suzie