Wen by Chaz Dean Studios Lavender Cleansing Conditioner Review

I'm a big fan of a show called Saturday Night Beauty which is on QVC on Saturday nights.  Several months ago I was drawn in by a new product by a guy named Chaz Dean.  He was on the show demonstrating his Wen Cleansing Conditioner which is a one step conditioner that cleanses without the use of detergents or harsh chemicals like sodium laurel sulfate.  Wen produces no lather at all and is supposed to be really good for the hair.

It sounded interesting but went against everything I feel about shampoo. How can it cleanse without lather???  I turned my nose up at it and changed the channel, yet I was still very intrigued.  A few months ago I was watching Chaz Dean again and his presentation and demonstration totally sucked me in.  He was presenting a set of 5 bottles of Wen for $72 which is a really good price and enabled me to try the different varieties.  This review is about the Lavender scent.

While Dean states that Lavender Wen is a universal cleanser for all hair types, it is actually best on dry, dehydrated hair which is probably why it's not my favorite Wen cleanser.  My hair is very healthy and shiny and I have an oily scalp so the moisturization level is a bit much for me.  By dinnertime the roots at the crown of my head are visibly oily.  Not horrible, just not as fresh and clean looking as they are in the morning.  By bed time it's pretty bad. 

In the shower I follow the instructions for medium length hair that said to apply 10 pumps to the crown of my head, 10 to the nape and back of my head and massage for 1-3 minutes.  Then I added another 15 pumps to the rest of my hair making sure to really massage it in well.  That sounds like a lot of pumps but they are small so it's not that much; maybe an ounce altogether. Then I combed thru with a wide comb and let it sit for the duration of my shower.  It smells lightly of lavender and more strongly of menthol which is one of the cleansing ingredients.  It didn't lather at all and felt like a thick conditioner.  After it sat for a few minutes I rinsed it out thoroughly. 

After towel drying my hair I was shocked at how soft my hair felt and how easy it was to get a fine tooth comb thru it without getting caught on a single knot.  When my hair was dry it felt super soft and looked very shiny with plenty of volume. 

The flyer enclosed with my bottle of Wen states that I should only have to cleanse every 2-3 days if I use the product properly and that the more I use it the less often I should have to wash my hair.  Well I know I'm doing it properly but I still have to wash every day regardless of which Wen product I try.  But this one seems to make my hair more oily than the Sweet Almond Mint formulation so if I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the Sweet Almond Mint.  There is nothing offensive about the Lavender scent but the other one just works better for me as I'm so naturally oily. 

I recommend Wen in general although I didn't care for this formulation as my hair became oily by the day's end. I do love the scent though.  I recommend going to www.chazdeanstore.com and to find the formulation that works best for your hair type.