October 26, 2009

WEN by Chav Dean Cleansing Conditioner Review

The Muse recently jumped at the chance to try out a Wen by Chav Dean Healthy Hair Care System. Seriously, I’ve been wanting to indulge in the Wen line for so long, I’ve lost count of the times the lemming has come over me. I do so wonder why I haven’t tried it up until now because I’m positive I’ve had it in my cart a million different times over the last two years.

WEN Cleansing Conditioner 1

As you know I’m a Lush girl at heart so about 98% of my hair care, skin care, and the likes are for the most part Lush in nature. One main reason I prefer Lush is the lack of silicons in the hair products which leave my hair lighter and less weighted down with product and build up. But on occasion I can be tempted away from Lush to check out something new…..Today that would be WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner that tempted me away from Lush and has been tempting me away for the past week or so.

Jump ahead for the review.

What is it?

A one stop shop for your hair and scalp that cleanses and conditions your hair in a snap. It basically replaces conditioner, hair treatments, leave-in conditioner, detangler, shampoo, hell even shaving cream!

Who can use it?

Anyone. Oily, dry, curly, straight, whatever your hair woe or type this is for you.

WEN Cleansing Conditioner is a detergent free, gently cleansing and moisturizing treatment that will get your hair clean and deeply conditioned in 5 to 10 minutes. The formula pretty much cleanses and offers a deep conditioning without weighting hair down.

At first glance I was quite scared of the formula as it’s pretty rich and heavy feeling. But once used and I’m convinced this is my hair god savior. It made my hair incredibly smooth, frizz free, soft, silky, and beautiful looking plus I was smelling all kinds of beautiful too. One sniff is first love as it’s a mix of sweet mint and the bitter sweet cherry scent of crushed almonds.

It’s fairly easy to use and unique as well since it pretty much acts as both a shampoo and a conditioner. Basically the instructions suggest using a heap of it…like 10-20 pumps or more…but I really don’t think you need THAT much. Honestly, if you use that much you’ll need a bottle a day in the shower. I use about 5 pumps and work it into wet hair..a fine tooth comb is included with the kit I got so I basically apply and sweep through with the comb. After that an extra splash of water helps to work the product up, I do this with my hands, just wet ’em and scoop a small amount of water onto my hair. Now I wait, 5 to 10 minutes or so. Basically I’ll do the rest of my shower bits while it’s working in my hair or you. After I rinse and I’m good to go.

You can follow up with any of the other items included in the kit which I’ll review for you later this week or you can follow up by placing a small amount of the cleansing conditioner in your hair as a leave in conditioner.

The end result is pretty incredible. Hair is smoother, silky, soft, and just feels clean and beautiful. It’s like you just had your hair done at a salon! The beauty of the product is although it’s rich and heavy in texture it doesn’t weight down hair in the least and so far I’ve experience absolutely no build up.

After I’m done with this I’ll be purchasing the large 16 oz from QVC as it comes in various formulas for different hair types. You can try the for $29.97 by visiting www.wenhaircare.com plus you get the added benefit of trying out a total of four items from WEN when you purchase the set.

Overall, totally loving this one. Quite an interesting product that will become a staple for sure.

Anyone a fan?

Do share your experiences with WEN products.

Disclosure: The following item was provided to Musings of a Muse by a PR firm for review purposes. For further information please see my FTC Guidelines or my Disclosure/Disclaimer posts.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Emma

    I was intrigued by this when I saw it on a UK shopping channel. I didn’t order any because I was worried about how long it would last. 10-20 sounded a ridiculous amount!

    • the Muse

      hi emma def do not need that much. They even suggest 30 pumps for longer hair…I used about 5 pumps but you can even get away with less than that 😀 It’s quite good and smells so delish!

  • Lisa

    I am not sure how you got by using just 5 pumps. When I had long hair, I had to use a lot. But now with short hair I can get by with 10-15 pumps. I love the stuff!!!! It is absolutely amazing!! I got it from QVC when it was a TSV so you could try each scent/treatment purpose (it was 6 or 8 together). I remember once they had as a TSV a gallon sized auto delivery of the stuff. I regret not purchasing that. The only thing I don’t like about it is I swear it is clogging my drains. Besides that, I use it first thing in the shower and rinse it off last thing. It also is a great shaving cream. I heard people say they use it on their dogs…but really?! Maybe if I was a millionaire. I even gave one to my friend which is the most moisturizing (the pomegranate) cause she has ethnic hair and she likes it too. I have thin hair and I dye it and this stuff helps a lot. And the other thing I have to say is if you use Proactiv and have sensitive skin, sometimes it can make your face feel a bit itchy for like 5 minutes once you get out of the shower…..but that may be cause I try to save time in the morning and wash my face in the shower as well. 😛

    • the Muse

      Lisa using more than 5-6 pumps was a bit overkill for me. It’s so thick and creamy I worked it in very well. I think QVC still offers a 5 in 1 thingy which I wanna haul 😀 a gallon size? yikes! awesomeness! dogs? mmmm I doubt I’d chance it on my dogs LOL!

      Sounds like you adore it 😀 I’m really liking it so far. I got the kit and it also has a moisture mask which I’m dying to try out :D!

      I’ll def be adding to the repurchase list I don’t see myself wanting to survive without it in the future 😀

  • BeautyBitch

    Sounds intriguing. One less bottle in the shower leaves more room for more shower gel!

    • the Muse

      LOL Bora I’m an expert at shower gels and stockpiling them in my shower 😀

  • Melissa

    This sounds lovely and I like all -in- ones so I ordered the kit. Thanks muse for making me spend money. Just kidding its a pretty good deal for the amount of pieces and all. – I love “Enjoy” -brand and I have curly wurly by lush even though sulfate of some kind is listed in the ingredients it smells good and is fun. I have been lemming something new. I got freebies from living proof and was less than impressed. So I await my Wen

    • the Muse

      lol sorries Melissa again I’ve drained your poor wallet 😀 I really do think it’s a rather good deal for $30 bucks. I love Curly Wurly!!!!!!! 😀 I wasn’t too impressed with LP either actually, I didn’t notice a difference in my frizz after use. Stop by tell me what you think about this? curious minds!

  • crotchfairy

    With those instructions and my super thick hair, yeah, a bottle per shower is generous.

    I want to try it. Why? Cause I saw the name “Chaz” and after googling, I was correct. It’s the same hair stylist (TO THE STARS-I’m in a goofy mood. Perhaps he is worthy of the title. his hair is nice, too) that has appeared on several shows of Bravo’s Flipping Out. Jeff Lewis revamps some of Chaz’s properties.

    I want to try anything that makes you deviate from your beloved LUSH >=]

    • the Muse

      LOL Crotchfairy love the “deviate from Lush” indeed must be good if it got my attention away from Lush right!? 😀 hahaha!

  • crotchfairy

    Also, It’s a 183042830483243-1 product.
    I do hot yoga so sometimes I’m lazy post-workouts. This product sounds like a godsend.

  • BV

    I am an insomniac so of course, I have tried this before!

    After I used it once or twice, it was okay. I did try this for a week and by the end of it the greasy hideous buildup was too much for me and stopped using it! I still use it occasionally cos I do like to use things up (if not too crap) but if you are Asian with a tendancy to go oily STAY AWAY from this. Glad you are having success with this Musey! My two cents only!!

    Love your blog
    BV

    • the Muse

      hi BV!

      oooo nooo! that’s awful 🙁 So far I’m going a week and a half and no build up thankfully 🙁 I’m dry so that could be why it’s working so fab for me….! thanks for the head’s up as many people will thank you for it I’m sure 🙂

      Thanks BV *hugs*

  • Elke

    I SOOO have been wanting to try also! Thanks so much for the review. Can’t wait to get!

    • the Muse

      it’s really good Elke! I think you’ll love it. I was pretty impressed with it 😀

  • Laura

    HEY!

    I saw this on QVC a couple months ago and picked up the tester kit of three, Fig, Almond and Lavender.

    I have fine/Frizzy hair. So the Fig one is just TOO much for my hair, so I’m on the Almond Mint one now, just like you.

    But it’s AWFUL for me. It weighs my hair down and I feel oily by mid day. I can only use it a couple times a week and in between use my Aveda shampoo & conditioner. It’s just TOO much moisture for me and I’m only using 5 pumps too. (totally 15)

    For the best moisture treatment in the shower I use Neutragena triple moisture.

    HTH

    Laura

    • the Muse

      hey laura

      you’re the 2nd person that feels it weights down your hair. I was pretty shocked…it’s been around 8-9 days for me and as rich as it is I haven’t experienced build up at all. I’m quite happy with the results! I just hope I don’t see build up later on yak! I use 5 too! I thought 5 was actually overkill someone had commented 30 pumps and that just seemed WAY too much for me. I’m doing Almond Mint as well…I’m not even sure what it’s for…I believe fine hair which I def do not have lol but so far so good.

      If I do experience buildup in the coming weeks ahead I’m thinking I’ll have to revert back to Lush detox with some Big to rid myself of the extra weight!

      thanks for the word 😀

  • Tracy Christian

    I’m African American with lots of thick coarse hair. I’ve used the product three times. The first time with miraculous results. My hair was shiny, soft, and manageable. The next time was ok and the third time I paired the conditioner with a protein treatment I’d been using. Now this time my hair turned our pretty brittle. I also sat in the steam room with the WEN on my hair hoping the steam would help the protein and WEN penetrate. I won’t do that again.

    For now on I’m going to use WEN during the week when I go to the gym and stick to my normal conditioning/shampoo routine at the end of the week.

    • the Muse

      Tracy it’s awesome to get your point of view on this as I love hearing how it works on different hair types. This is good to know as I was kinda debating if I should use my normal shampoo and just follow up with WEN for a deep conditioner. I’ll def avoiding doing so just in case 😉

      Thanks for your take!!!!!

  • Baba Ganousch

    This product, as are all Wen products, are absolutely useless. I used two of the products for over two months, and one dried out my hair, giving me an itchy scalp, and the other didnt do anything at all. The amount slated to use is also over-rated – one has to use three times the amount than prescribed. The after-care products are qutie useless, and the premise of ‘losing natural hair oils’ is contradicted by not having oil-replenishing products. Notice the C-grade celebrity endorsements… . To top it all off, they are exorbitantly priced. Oh, and also, let me add, I went to Chaz Dean and he gave me an army-cut, ‘puffed’ the front, and sent me off looking like a Something-About-Mary boiled egg!

    • the Muse

      Hi baba! Wow sorry to hear you had so much drama with the product and a bad cut too. 🙁 So sorry about that. I liked it very much. I do agree about it being over-rated in terms of how much to use, that seems too MUCH for me but aside from that I really liked it. I didn’t think it was badly priced at all especially on QVC which has some great deals.

      Sorry you weren’t loving it 😛

  • Balance

    So I have been using Wen for about 5 months and I really love it. I have a lot of curly hair which is color treated and it tends to get dry. Wen products are wonderful for me. That being said, they DO get heavy. I have to wash my hair with a mild shampoo every 6th shower or so to rid the buildup but the results for me are fantastic. Soft, Curls are more defined, Shiny more manageable.

    To support Baba Ganoush- I also had my hair cut at his Salon here in Hollywood. He gives the same exact cut to EVERY person. Have you ever noticed that on the infomercial? Within the exception of the African American girl, every hair style is the same! Long, Straight, parted on one side and a slight “flip” to the layers framing the face. That is a bad sign.

    Great product for me, but as far as being a “master stylist” ummmm – I don’t think so.

    • the Muse

      hey balance! since starting wen I do notice that I’m experiencing build up. My first two weeks I was good but I do have to clarify if I go longer! hmmm I never noticed the cuts to be honest balance 😀 will have to look at the infomercial again haha!

  • Me

    25 pumps on my EXTRA long hair (past my waist) is enough, build up is so EASY to get rid of, just take a large cup of warm water and add about 4 tablespoons of baking soda…once a week (before you cleanse your hair with Wen) wet your hair, and pour the baking soda and water solution on your hair, gently massage the scalp…next wash it off and use your Wen as you would, i haven’t had any build up issues. So you really don’t need shampoo. My hair is absolutely amazing! 🙂

  • Amanda!

    I saw this stuff on QVC all the time and was thrilled to finally try it. But when I tried it, I was disappointed. It just left my hair greasy and heavy. I’m not sure exactly which scent I had, but it did nothing for my hair. I think I’ll just try using some as a leave in conditioner now, just so it’s not a total failure.

  • felicia

    Sooooo I just bought a 16 oz bottle of the Spring Gardenia version off ebay and am so disappointed. After just my first use (i am now on my third use of using it every other day) I have the worst build up in the center of my hairline! It’s so horrible! It’s all flaky and when I’m at work, what am I supposed to do? I flake it away and it just keeps showing little white pieces in my hair – horrible! I’m not using this product anymore and I’m going to relist it on ebay!!!! 🙁

  • jennifer

    I have always had thin straight baby fine thin hair…after a couple months..if that of using wen my hair is so think and gorgeous curls! It’s unbelievable! I also always hair oily hair and had to wash my hair every day….not anymore! I can go days and my hair still looks great…and clean! Shampoo dries out your hair and scalp so your scalp gets oily trying to provide the moisture that was robbed from your hair from regular shampoo and conditioner. I will say there is a learning curve to using wen. You need to follow the directions and it is true the more you use the better! I also always use cool water to wash and rinse. Anyone with hair that tangles or has kids with hair that tangles and gets knotty…Wen is an absolute godsend! my mother has extremely thin hair and a severely dry scalp. She has also seen a drastic difference in her hair! You can notice on the show Flipping out when jenny started working with chaz dean! Episodes before her working on his new salon (before using wen) her hair was not looking as good as it does now! Lastly you do need to rinse well and those that reviewed that it left their hair heavy and with build up probably didn’t use enough of it and rinse with cool water like instructed. That was what I realized I was initially doing wrong until I Used it correctly!

    • Nicole

      jennifer I agree 100% with you as far as what you are saying about using the product as directed. I also agree with you, WEN is a life saver for those of us with long hair that tends to get knots and for those with scalp issues! 🙂
      Basically I just want to second everything you have said and say I am definitely a WEN girl! I have not used anything else on my hair since December 2009. 🙂