Health & Wellness

What's better: Separate Shampoo AND Conditioner, or a 2-in-1?

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Jul 30, 2005
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What's better: Separate Shampoo AND Conditioner, or a 2-in-1?

Do you use separate shampoo and conditioner, or a 2-in-1?

I remember being told years ago that 2-in-1s aren't good for your hair because the compounds used to help keep the two components mixed together can cause damage to your hair. This is anecdotal, I have no proof for this one way or the other.

Although it's true that the shampoo and conditioner can separate from each other (have you ever left a bottle of 2-in-1 sitting around for such a long time that it separated into phases and you had to shake the bottle to get everything mixed again? - I have), and I even tried making my own 2-in-1 once by mixing them together (it did not go well :lol :) .

2-in-1s are obviously more convenient, especially if you're travelling and space/weight are at a premium, but that's not really a concern when you're at home.

So which do you prefer, and why?
Iv ta'be' Hev SoH, ghobe' Qoy lIj mu'mey, as SoH jaH pa' vo' vetlh tuq joq vetlh veng, shake lItha' the dust vo' lIj qamDu' (translation from the original Klingon: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet)
22 replies
Newbie
Mar 5, 2012
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MISSISSAUGA
Separates. If you wash your hair everyday, shampooing can take its toll and wreck your hair texture ( saw it mentioned in a mag and/or Dr. Oz. My mother washes her hair every morning but was complaining how her texture became worse over time, so I suggested everyday conditioning and to only use the shampoo 3-4 times a week. She ended up with much softer hair that wasn't any less clean.

In my case, my hair can get so dry and sometimes breaks that I'm in need of weekly treatments (deep moisturizing or protein) there's always a need for the special conditioning powers 2-in-1 do provide as well as a separate does.
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May 2, 2011
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TORONTO
Normally, I only use separates.

However, my sister recently gave me a bottle of WEN (maybe you've seen the infomercials?) which is a "cleansing conditioner" instead of shampoo and conditioner. My hair feels very soft and looks healthy - people have noticed and commented on it...
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Kihana wrote: Separates. If you wash your hair everyday, shampooing can take its toll and wreck your hair texture ( saw it mentioned in a mag and/or Dr. Oz. My mother washes her hair every morning but was complaining how her texture became worse over time, so I suggested everyday conditioning and to only use the shampoo 3-4 times a week. She ended up with much softer hair that wasn't any less clean.

In my case, my hair can get so dry and sometimes breaks that I'm in need of weekly treatments (deep moisturizing or protein) there's always a need for the special conditioning powers 2-in-1 do provide as well as a separate does.

I have pretty short hair, so brittleness and split ends don't tend to be a concern for me. Nonetheless I still conditioning whenever I wash hair.

My main concern is whether a 2-in-1 specifically can be harmful (or perhaps not as useful), as opposed to using a conditioner after washing your hair.
Iv ta'be' Hev SoH, ghobe' Qoy lIj mu'mey, as SoH jaH pa' vo' vetlh tuq joq vetlh veng, shake lItha' the dust vo' lIj qamDu' (translation from the original Klingon: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet)
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YertletheTurtle wrote: Normally, I only use separates.

However, my sister recently gave me a bottle of WEN (maybe you've seen the infomercials?) which is a "cleansing conditioner" instead of shampoo and conditioner. My hair feels very soft and looks healthy - people have noticed and commented on it...

No, I haven't seen that. So how is a "cleansing conditioner" different from a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner?
Iv ta'be' Hev SoH, ghobe' Qoy lIj mu'mey, as SoH jaH pa' vo' vetlh tuq joq vetlh veng, shake lItha' the dust vo' lIj qamDu' (translation from the original Klingon: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet)
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yamahar6 wrote: Forget about those OTC products

OTC = over-the-counter

You mean off-the-shelf?
Iv ta'be' Hev SoH, ghobe' Qoy lIj mu'mey, as SoH jaH pa' vo' vetlh tuq joq vetlh veng, shake lItha' the dust vo' lIj qamDu' (translation from the original Klingon: And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet)
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May 2, 2011
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ronin1701 wrote: No, I haven't seen that. So how is a "cleansing conditioner" different from a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner?

I don't think it is different per se (its a 2-in-1 without being marketed as such) ...WEN apparently is made without sulphates and other harsh chemicals in most shampoos.
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Nov 7, 2011
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SCARBOROUGH
I use a shampoo and conditioner. My hair is so dry that I need a separate conditioner lol. But then my hair gets SUPER oily throughout the day. Maybe it's because I've been using shampoo everyday :'(

Edit: My hair is probably dry because I've had it treated a lot of times, going jet black (I have natural brown hair) then going blonde lol Back and forth because I'm never satisfied with my hair color T_T
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Aug 23, 2007
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I'm a girl with hair pass my shoulders and I actually never use conditioner. I just can't stand the greasy feeling and I like a squeeky clean feel.
I use a large tooth comb to detangle and never have issues. The only slight inconvenience is that in winter, I seem to be getting a lot more "static" hair or flyaways.

If my hair is in need of some moisture, of if I have some big knots, then I'll opt for a 2 -1 or conditioner for the affected area.

Like another poster implied, there's lots of great shampoo bars or "natural" formulas that won't strip your hair and won't necessitate conditioner.
I used to buy a salt based homemade shampoo off Etsy and it did real wonders. It just became too expensive after a while..
Newbie
Jan 12, 2008
29 posts
10 upvotes
Burlington
I try not to wash my hair more then twice a week. The condition of my hair has greatly improve since I have cut back on the washing. I always use seperates as I never want conditioner near my roots. It weighs down the hair way too much.
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Jul 25, 2006
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Toronto
I use seperate. If I use 2 in 1 my hair goes nuts...
. : PrincessD : .
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Aug 4, 2012
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MISSISSAUGA
Separate. I deep condition twice a month. I wash my hair every other day but it's really frizzy so I'm considering washing every three days and increasing deep conditioning.
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May 28, 2012
12484 posts
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Saskatoon
I've never used the two-in-ones. I wash my hair just about every day, very rarely do I use conditioner. I don't like that "coated" feeling either. I think it's important to change shampoo periodically. It seems like your scalp gets used to one and doesn't work as well after extended use.
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Jun 29, 2012
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TORONTO
Obviously it should be separate. Then you will get much effective result than 2 in 1. And true to say i don't trust on 2 in 1 in this case.
Newbie
Sep 12, 2012
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MISSISSAUGA
I am using shampoo+conditioner two in one.When i starting to use both shampoo and conditioner my hair looks so glassy.
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Mar 12, 2010
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Aurora
Where do you find their products locally? Shipping is $20 flat rate for under $80 in products. And I'm not sure what the duties situation would be when it passes the boarder. Looks as the use a courier, are they more susceptible to duties rather than Canada Post?

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