Review: Zenbiotic Shampoo & Conditioner
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free skin care · Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:10 pm

My problem: Hair loss, itchy scalp, lifeless (but shiny) hair

History: My scalp started to itch about two months ago, after I've been using Dove shampoo & conditioner for about a month. That's when I first heard about SLS from other forum members and began my search for a SLS free shampoo (which is not extending into shower gel, hand soap etc).

My itchy scalp has improved about 90% since using SLS free shampoo (Giovanni & Abba), though every now and then after washing my hair, my head still itches and I'm still losing lots of hair. That's why I decided to give Zenbiotics a try, since I enjoy using their skincare line so much.

Shampoo description: The formulation blended for the Shampoo contains herbal extracts combined with our catalyst and nutrient delivery technology to produce thick, healthy hair and reduce hair loss by 20% or more after 3 weeks of continual use. The Shampoo deeply cleans the hair and scalp while leaving no residue and clears pores and hair follicles of debris for increased oxygenation and improved circulation. Our Shampoo does not just produce healthier hair; it also creates silky, manageable hair by moisturizing the scalp and smoothing the cuticles

What I think of the shampoo: It's clear gel with a slightly watery consistency. The instruction says it's good for daily use and to a quarter sized amount. I have shoulder length hair, and a quarter size amount is definitely not enough. The shampoo does not lather well and therefore, is hard to distribution evenly on head and hair. So I was never sure my hair was clean. I sent my concerns to Robert at Zenbiotics, and this was his response..

"The shampoo will lather but you need to use more of it. Too much of it is not going to present a problem. Use the shampoo once a month to rinse out all of the impurities and shampoo residue of other shampoos - at this, it excels. For everyday use, men with short hair love it. Try using the shampoo as a Face & Body Cleanser in the shower, its about 95% identical to the the Cleanser as is."

So I guess he is implying if I don't like it for daily use, then use it as a deep cleanser every once in a while. Or give it to a man with short hair? I can't test out its claim of reducing hair loss 20% in 3 months because there absolutely no way I will have the patience with this product for that long. Overall, not impressed. rating: 3/10

Conditioner description: The Hair Conditioner was designed to add nutrients and moisture to dry, damaged and color treated hair. The perfect companion for our Shampoo, the combination creates silky, soft, lustrous and manageable hair.

What I think of the conditioner: It a clear brown gel that is slightly watery. Again, because of it's consistency, I find it extremely difficult to use in the shower and distribution evenly on my hair. The instruction also says that we should rinse it out in very COLD water, which is impossible when we're approaching winter here on the east coast. After using this for 3 days, my hair became EXTREMELY static. So much so I even had to pull out my hated pantene leave-in conditioner to help tame the flying hair. So again, I emailed Zenbiotic, and their response..

"A hair finish after shower product will need to be applied to get rid of the frizz and static effect. The conditioner is provided for scalp nourishment rather than for hair finish. I really do wish we had a product that helped in this area more".

Needless to say, I'm a little surprised at his response. What is a conditioner that doesn't condition the hair? In fact, his comment contradicts the description on their website.
Overall rating: 2/10

free skin care · Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:47 pm

I had a feeling that their hair products would not perform.. since most *natural*, as in PURELY natural products lack the lather of the typical plant based shampoos.

Their shampoo must be very stripping if it is leaving your hair static, and the conditioner may not have enough substance to penetrate into the scalp or hair shaft...

I was keen to try their hair regrowth formulas, but I doubt I will try their hair products anytime soon. (Still loving their skincare though!)

Thanks for the review Smile

free skin care · Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:34 am

Thanks for the review, Amaska! I guess I'll be sticking with their skincare products, then. For your itchy scalp, have you tried some kind of oil massage before your shower? Recently, I've been massaging oil into my scalp and then washig it out in the shower and it's been clearing the itchies right up. Both jojoba and camellia oil work well, also recently since I'm not currently using PSF's Balancing Oil on my face I tried it on my scalp and it worked wonders!!! I emptied some of the PSF Balancing Oil into a dropper bottle for ease of application. Actually, last night I was cleaning out my cabinet and I noticed that one of my sample bottles of Decleor Iris oil had a crack in the lid, so since I worried about it going bad, I dumped the sample into the dropper bottle with my Balancing Oil, and then rubbed that mixture into my scalp, and it worked better than ever, so... it's a weird combo, but I'm glad I stumbled onto it. Keep us updated!

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