Thinking about giving up on long hair because ....

[rachel060186]

I just don't feel able to take care of my hair properly. I am getting fraustrated because I can't find any cone free conditioners.. I have printed out both the american list and UK list of cone free conditioners but when I get to the store they all seem to have cones in the list somewhere whether they are Dimethicone or Panthenol (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/panthenol_en.html), or Methylchloroisothiazolinone (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/methylchloroisothiazolinone_en.html),.

I don't know much about ingredients but these are the ones I keep seeing when I am studing the ingredients lists in the stores. Are these cones?

Please help because I am seeing all your beautiful hair and I really think my has potential to be lovely too.

[Snowymoon]

I would skip the dimethicone, but you could try the other 2 ingredients. Some folks' don't care for them, but they may be okay for you. You never know until you try. :grinhappy: Don't give up just yet!

[pietri]

I'm nowhere near an expert on this, but when I check ingredients lists for cones I look for things ending in -cone or -oxane, and I know a few of those (I think the ones starting copoly... or PEG(some number here) and then the -cone word) are watersoluble which means they shouldn't build up.

Experts to the rescue please :)

[curlsgirl]

Yes! Listen to Snowy! If you love long hair then please give it more of a chance! I used cones for years and although I like no-cones a little better, lots of beautiful long-haired folks use cones all the time and LOVE them! Have you thought of ordering online?

[rachel060186]

Its just so expensive ordering online. Still wouldn't know what products to order. Like I said I printed off a list of conditioners without cones in the UK. I went down to Boots and Superdrug this lunchtime and looked at the products that were recommended to use as cone free conditioners but based on cones ending in one or cone or nol most seemed to have ingredients with these words in them.

I think I just need a list of all cones. lol

[Kuchen]

Rachel - just get Boots Basic Conditioner, 30p in a white bottle. Does the trick for cone-free CO, and lasts too! :whoohoo:

[naj]

rachael060186 Methylchloroisothiazolinone (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/methylchloroisothiazolinone_en.html) and Panthenol (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/panthenol_en.html) are not silicones.Methylchloroisothiazolinone (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/methylchloroisothiazolinone_en.html) is a preservative. Panthenol (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/panthenol_en.html) is Vit B5. So that should not be a problem.
Naj

[rachel060186]

Yay!!! Woooo!!! Whooopy!!!! Not Cones!!!!

thank you sooooooooooooo much. xxx

[Morticia]

Plus, cones are not universally evil. I know that some uber-longhairs who still swear by them.

[rachel060186]

I don't doubt that Morticia but I really want to try and just see what results I will get from them.

What sort of results should I expect from not using cones?

[eiyela]

That depends on your hair type and any damage that may have been covered up before. I have 1b/1c F ii, none of the hair I have now has ever been dyed and I hardly ever use heat on it, and I hardly even notice when I use cones or not. If your hair is curlier and you've been rough on it before, it's possible that you experience more tangles and roughness in the beginning. However, I still get far more slip and smoothness doing cone-free CO than S&C with cones.

[rachel060186]

I know I do have a few split ends but overall (apart from them) my hair is in quite good condition (considering the abuse I have put my hair through).

How is the transistion from using cones in shampoo and condition to COing with no cones?

[zsuzsmuzs]

Perhaps you could try the Faith in nature conditioners. http://www.faithproducts.com/shop_frameset.asp?mainframe=store_locater.asp
They are a little bit expensive (about 4 £ for 400ml) but they are all natural and without any harmful ingredients. I tried them myself a few days ago and they are really lovely and smell sooo great :)

[rachel060186]

They sound nice. Are they available in the UK?

[curlsgirl]

If your hair is curlier and you've been rough on it before, it's possible that you experience more tangles and roughness in the beginning. However, I still get far more slip and smoothness doing cone-free CO than S&C with cones.Mine is curly and I thought was damaged but wasn't that much. I never went through a really bad period except itching scalp at the first. I get way more slip, smoothness and softer cleaner feeling hair than with cones for sure too. :lafhard:

[Peggy E.]

I'm not an "uber" long hair-ite, but it's past my waist and heading south. The ends are in great shape, it's healthier than it's ever been - and considering all the meds for all the ailments, this is quite an achievement! - yet there's a product I use that has a "cone" ingredient. (Oh, the shame!)

I use the "Vive" Conditioner. I hit the shower, wet my hair, put the stuff on the ends only, do my happy shower thing, glob my Klorane Shampoo (NO cones) on, lather up and rinse the whole mess down the drain!

Maybe the fact I put it on and wash it off with shampoo right away makes a difference, but I have no build-up and my ends have never been healthier.

I use a BWP leave-in conditioner, wear it up so I'm not always combing/brushing/messing with it throughout the day, and wash it only when it needs it and this seems to work well on my hair.

What doesn't work is oil! What you appear to be going through with the cones, I went through with oils - to find "just the right one." Well, my hair hates oils - all of them.

Every one of us has a unique and special head of hair, our chemical-make-up ours alone. Guess that's why there are so many different products available. That's why there are all of these "recommendations" made here (or LHC!) of what works for you, for me and for the rest of us.

Gives us the combined experience upon which to fashion our own individual routines.

[LadyHeather]

Rachel can you get to a TJ Hughes store at all? We have them in the West Midlands, but I dont know if they are UK-wide. Whereabouts in the UK are you based?

My local TJH (Coventry) sells VO5 sun kissed raspberry coneless condish (original US recipe and proper VO5, not the Alberto Balsam brand we usually find in the UK) and VO5 Moisture Milks strawberry and cream coneless.... for a pound per bottle!!

If you want some and can't get hold of it I could send you some, but the bottles are pretty big so I wouldnt vouch for postage being any cheaper than ordering condish on the Net.

Also, I'm sure Lush's conditioners are coneless... I think.

HTH.

oops - ETA:
I use cones, but I try not to use dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane, especially if I'm on a CO day. Anything else is fair game and my hair likes them. I do a clarifying shampoo once a week with either Trevor Sorbie detox shampoo or Neutrogena clarifying, then do an Apple cider vinegar rinse or a hibiscus tea rinse if I want more red tones. :)

[justgreen]

I'm not an "uber" long hair-ite, but it's past my waist and heading south. The ends are in great shape, it's healthier than it's ever been - and considering all the meds for all the ailments, this is quite an achievement! - yet there's a product I use that has a "cone" ingredient. (Oh, the shame!)

What doesn't work is oil! What you appear to be going through with the cones, I went through with oils - to find "just the right one." Well, my hair hates oils - all of them.

.

I couldn't agree more, Peggy E. I take a chemical soup every day and my hair is in better condition now than it ever has been. I owe it all to LHC and my buddies!
Don't feel guilty because you use a cone product. Whatever works for you is fine!

My hair only likes jojoba oil, and very sparingly, on damp ends. I'm finding i'm using much LESS during the summer months.

Rachel, keep trying and I'm sure you'll be able to find what works best for you!

[rachel060186]

That is such a sweet offer - thank you.

I am in Devon (fairly rural here). We have a boots and superdrug and Tescos and Sainsburys.

Have you struggled finding Cone free conditioners where you are too? Do you know of any others? I am going to pop to boots soon and have another look at the ones in there (I was put right about what were cones and what were not, although I am still a bit unsure)

Unfortunately I have never heard of T J Hughes. But I might try my local market when it is next on.

What do you use as a clarifying shampoo?

Sorry for all the questions but it is so much easier talking to a UKer

[NaomiMcC]

Plus, cones are not universally evil. I know that some uber-longhairs who still swear by them.

Yup. Love love love 'em! I just remember to clarify once a month or so (if I need to...sometimes I don't and I can go for longer...) But my hair is happy, healthy and shiny and manageable.:whoohoo:

[wavebaby]

I just don't feel able to take care of my hair properly. I am getting fraustrated because I can't find any cone free conditioners.. I have printed out both the american list and UK list of cone free conditioners but when I get to the store they all seem to have cones in the list somewhere whether they are Dimethicone or Panthenol (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/panthenol_en.html), or Methylchloroisothiazolinone (http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/en_UK/glossary/methylchloroisothiazolinone_en.html),.

I don't know much about ingredients but these are the ones I keep seeing when I am studing the ingredients lists in the stores. Are these cones?

Please help because I am seeing all your beautiful hair and I really think my has potential to be lovely too.

I wish we could get past all the silicone fear. Who said you have to be "'cone-free" to have long beautiful hair? There aew PLENTY of long hairs who regularly use silicone products with tremendous success (just look at Stephanie, waist length gorgeous blonde hair, and she uses Redken all soft, -full of cones) :happy:

If something works well for you, I say use it and don't worry about it, if you aren't having luck with silicone free products, don't beat yourself up over ingredients...use what makes your hair look & feel great, after all, it's yours to enjoy.

I bet you'll grow a stunning, long mane, if you want to.:grinhappy:

Don't forget, silicones can offer some protection to lengths, as it helps with tangles, and protects to some degree from elemental and traction damage.

everyone is different, and can use different things with different results.

[zsuzsmuzs]

They sound nice. Are they available in the UK?

well, yes they are. look at the link ;-)
I think you mostly get them in shops that sell wholefood.

[naj]

racheal, im a coneless convert since Feb(thats 4-5months). And i absolutely love the coneless feel.
I too had lot of problems to begin with. My BIGGEST prob was also to find a coneless condish. I live in India which has loads of conditioners to try but since cones are the fashion now, every product is 'loaded' with cones. I had to search so many places and while i was at the verge of giving up, i saw VO5 condish at a gift shop. I bought it. The next time i went to buy it wasnt there. Since then i order for it and the shop imports the condish on request. So that kinda solved my problem.
I have straight black hair, typical Indian colour. I was used to lots of cone-ful products. And my hair loved them absolutely. I had no problem at all using cones. I had lot of complimenst about thei shine and smoothness too.
But when i joined LHC and got to know how cones add shine and manageability to hair, i started to feel like im disguising my hair(no offence intended to any cone user). Since cones coat the hair and help reflect thelight etc etc, i felt the cone shine is not the real shine.
I wanted to know if my hair was actually healthy enough to give a shine of their own. I didnt want them to look healthy courtesy of some product.
So i decided to go coneless.
Now starts the problem.
*I had quite healthy hair to start with. Few split ends, no heat or chemical treatment ever. So i decided to continue with herb washes. I used shikakai, aritha, fenugreek mix for washing hair.
*I stopped cone condish and started with VO5. Started doing SMT and frequent DMT with coconut oil and Mayo condish.
*Used coconut oil for post and pre wash.
This gave me quite moisturized hair but the slip i had using my cone condish was missing. No amount of VO5 gave me that slip feeling. And hair felt a little dry in ends and i coudnt run my fingers through my hair in a go. I was sad ad annoyed.
Then i thought of starting to Condition Was Condition and start Veniger rinses.
NOw my routine is
*Condition length with VO5
*Wash scalp with herbs, go to lengths over the condish
*Repeat as needed
*Veniger rinse and condition with VO5 or sauve or self made mayo condish
*Leave in for about 15 mins
*Rinse well and then agian a veniger rinse for about a min.
*Plain water rinse.
Towel blot, turban for 5 mins
Post was coconut oil as leave-in
RESULT: Uber soft hair, great shine.
Sometimes i go witout the final conditioninga nd finish with the Veniger rinse alone. I have same results.
My hair is detangled, manageable and moreover i can run my fingers through them in a go!! YO!
racheal i know i have been TOO elaborate. That isjust to let you know that a perfect routine is learned with trial and error and it takes time till you get the perfect routine for your hair. It too me 3 months to get this right and you too need to try different thinsg and decide what will best suit your needs and make you happiest.
Good luck. I hope this didnt make you yawn:bored: ??
Naj

[naj]

And yes, cones are not evil. I dont use them because i personally have a different idea about shiny hair. But for years i have been using cones with no harm.
Just remember to clarify once in a while. Just to avoid build up.
Naj

[justgreen]

racheal i know i have been TOO elaborate. That isjust to let you know that a perfect routine is learned with trial and error and it takes time till you get the perfect routine for your hair. It too me 3 months to get this right and you too need to try different thinsg and decide what will best suit your needs and make you happiest.
Good luck. I hope this didnt make you yawn:bored: ??
Naj

Very good post , Naj! I enjoyed reading it and I'm glad you finally found a good routine for you.:lafhard:

[Barb]

I think Peggy E. and Wavebaby have a very good point - our hair is as individual and unique as we are. So it's pretty natural for one person's hair routine (or hair needs) to be a little, or vastly, different from someone else's.

It can be very frustrating to look for products that have specific ingredients - or ones that lack specific ingredients! But don't give up. You might find that 'cones have a valuable place in your hair routine. Or, you might find out that 'cones are the devil incarnate. Who knows?

The important thing is not to take it too seriously. No one's going to scold you for buying the "wrong" product or not "doing it right." Keep it fun! If an experiment doesn't work out, well, you'll know better next time.

Hey, if you really want to guarantee yourself a 'cone free conditioning experience try coconut oil. It works great for me. Also, I don't know if you can get Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo where you are, but I do believe it's 'cone free too. (And cheap to boot.)

So, chin up... and step away from the scissors!

Cheers,
Barb (:ooh::drool::bored::geek::eureka::lafhard:... dang, I love these smilies!!!!)

[naj]

Thankyou Justgreen:happy: . I know..hard work pays off.

[DarkIvy]

For me personally, I have a love-hate relationship with cones. I went coneless last summer and was mostly happy with it, then started using cones again in the fall. I've been coneless again for a couple of months now.

The main difference for me is the amount of slip. With cones, combing is pretty easy and I love the extra shine. Without cones, my hair is less dry, still pretty shiney, but a lot more difficult for me to comb.

It boils down to the fact that too many cones, for my hair, seems to dry things out. So either I can suffer with that and comb easily or I can struggle through combing, and if I'm not careful, get just as much if not more damage. So lately, I've been considering going back to using cones in moderation. Sure, I can comb more or less easily without cones if I'm in the shower, saturated with conditioner, but that gets to be a hassle, too.

Lately I've been thinking that using a bit of cones wouldn't kill me, since I do full-length washes every few days anyway. Boy do I miss the slip.

It's so different for everyone, though. Just keep experimenting and take it easy. It's frustrating to get past the initial "hump" of learning a new routine. And finding one, you'll discover, isn't so important as treating your hair as it needs it and being careful with it. I've been around for over a year and even before then, I was struggling to find a routine. Now I just do what I like, as long as it's careful, and I'm much happier with my hair. If I notice something isn't working for me at all, I stop, but if I like it, I use it.

[dancingbarefoot]

I use cones sometimes - actually, more than half the time I've been growing out my hair - and I haven't had any problems. I've still managed to get knee-length hair without any disasters. So unless cones are actually causing a problem for you, there's really no need to avoid them.

[rachel060186]

I just really want to try something new. My hair isn't looking too wonderful at the moment using cones, and I just want to see how it will look without them.

I have bought some coconut oil. I did a long long long treatment with coconut oil on wednesday night and washed it out last night. My hair feels lovely and soft although slightly greasy at the roots (I washed it out with CO cone free conditioner only). I shall now use it every now and then just when I get out the shower on damp hair. I am hoping it might lock in some more moisture and prevent some of the frizz.

[LadyHeather]

I am in Devon (fairly rural here)...

Have you struggled finding Cone free conditioners where you are too? Do you know of any others?

Unfortunately I have never heard of T J Hughes...

What do you use as a clarifying shampoo?

Sorry for all the questions but it is so much easier talking to a UKer

No problem, I get a bit depressed when people say how good Suave condish is - I know I cant buy it unless I go to the US :D One day, one day!

I havent struggled to find cone free, because I only use cone free for my SMTs. My hair seems to like cones. I even use cones when I CO, although I try to make sure they're water soluble, or that if it's dimethicone, it's wayyyy down the ingredients list.

Conditioners I like are Asda Basics apple, Tesco basic apple, Aveda madder root (AMR has no chemical cones as far as I can remember, but it has some derived from plant-based stuff, I'll see if I can post an ingredients list some time next week as I have no internet at home right now) and Boots sea kelp and watermint. I also use Boots coconut and almond oil spray as a leave-in, and I have a 'mister' bottle (from Superdrug, they do spray bottles) which is 2/3 rosewater (from Holland and Barrett, health food shop) to 1/3 coconut oil, also from H+B.

Clarifying :
I use Trevor Sorbie Clean Detox shampoo that I pick up from Boots, alternated with Neutrogena Clean Clarifying Volumising shampoo. I occasionally use Vosene, maybe twice a month, too. Vosene is probably evil, but my hair likes how it feels afterwards. I sometimes rinse with ACV (apple cider vinegar) or hibiscus tea for red lights, after using clarifying shampoo.

I use Lush a lot, especially their solid conditioner 'Jungle' and their double strength condish 'American Cream'. Coolaulin, the coconut condish, is good. Their 2-in-1 shampoo/condish bar Godiva is nice too, though I always condish again after using it, or I get fluffy-head. If you dont have a Lush shop, they do sell online, and their postage isnt too awful - www.lush.co.uk (http://www.lush.co.uk) I think.

T J Hughes:
For all UK VO5 SKR-seekers, there are TJH stores in: Birkenhead, Blackburn, Bolton, Bootle, Boscombe, Bradford, Bristol, Burnley, Chester, Corby, Coventry, Crawley, Doncaster, Dundee, Dumfries, Eastbourne, Ellesmere Port, Glasgow, Hull, Ipswich, Kettering, Kidderminster, Kings Lynn, Lichfield, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Maidstone, Middlesboro', Newcastle, Newport, Oldham, Plymouth, Preston, Redditch, Rochdale, Romford, Salford, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Stretford, St Helens, Sunderland, Sutton, Watford, Warringtom, Weston super Mare, Widnes, Wolverhampton and Wrexham.

The online site is http://www.tjhughes.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/TJHughes/67767/1/1

Hope that helps. I'll PM you with some ingredients either on here or at the Community early next week.

Sorry for the uber-post :D

[rachel060186]

Thank you ladyheather that is very helpful.

I went and bought the Boots Basic COnditioner last night for 32p, which is cone free. I used it to wash out loads of coconut oil that I left in for a long time. My hair feels wonderful today.

[~JoJo~]

Its just so expensive ordering online. Still wouldn't know what products to order. Like I said I printed off a list of conditioners without cones in the UK. I went down to Boots and Superdrug this lunchtime and looked at the products that were recommended to use as cone free conditioners but based on cones ending in one or cone or nol most seemed to have ingredients with these words in them.

I think I just need a list of all cones. lol

Okay Rachel, here's what I use and its not that expensive plus it lasts ages. I water the shampoo down and use a blob the size of a 50p on my scalp only, the conditioner goes a long way too.
There all chemical free and my hair has gone from blah to better since Ive been using them, just a though it might be the chemicals in the shampoo which is the problem and not the cones, do a bit of experimenting before doing anything drastic. I'm positive in my case, that the chemicals in shampoo makes my hair more frizzy.

Other good coneless conditioners are boots own make the cheapo ones! they do a good deep conditioner too I use the one for blond hair. Also try wilkinsons own make 49p one! and superdrugs- tea tree and coconut one both really good. I also find the less i use the better my hair feels.

HTH be patient, you can achieve your dream hair, it just takes some a little longer (no pun intended) to find a product which suits our own individual needs.

Jo jo x

ps helps if i post the link!
http://www.worldwideshoppingmall.co.uk/body-soul/shelves/nature-knows-best.asp

[~JoJo~]

I'm not an "uber" long hair-ite, but it's past my waist and heading south. The ends are in great shape, it's healthier than it's ever been - and considering all the meds for all the ailments, this is quite an achievement! - yet there's a product I use that has a "cone" ingredient. (Oh, the shame!)

I use the "Vive" Conditioner. I hit the shower, wet my hair, put the stuff on the ends only, do my happy shower thing, glob my Klorane Shampoo (NO cones) on, lather up and rinse the whole mess down the drain!

Maybe the fact I put it on and wash it off with shampoo right away makes a difference, but I have no build-up and my ends have never been healthier.

I use a BWP leave-in conditioner, wear it up so I'm not always combing/brushing/messing with it throughout the day, and wash it only when it needs it and this seems to work well on my hair.

What doesn't work is oil! What you appear to be going through with the cones, I went through with oils - to find "just the right one." Well, my hair hates oils - all of them.

Every one of us has a unique and special head of hair, our chemical-make-up ours alone. Guess that's why there are so many different products available. That's why there are all of these "recommendations" made here (or LHC!) of what works for you, for me and for the rest of us.

Gives us the combined experience upon which to fashion our own individual routines.

honey you DO HAVE uber long hair!

bit of a hijack here sorry Rachel, Peggy glad Ive seen you online, couldn't thank you for the hair comb I bought off you due to LHC being down, its beautiful keeps my hair up all day. so thank you for parting with it, i promise to look after it xxx

[NyxWave]

My hair has been tri-bleached, and I'm cone free.

Even though you'd THINK that'd be bad, my hair is indescribably better.

[chloeishere]

Just so everyone knows, the original post is over a year and a half old, so I'm not sure if Rachel is still around to read your replies. Just thought I'd mention it, since it's so easy to find yourself in really old posts here, without realizing!

[spidermom]

Just so everyone knows, the original post is over a year and a half old, so I'm not sure if Rachel is still around to read your replies. Just thought I'd mention it, since it's so easy to find yourself in really old posts here, without realizing!

Now that's funny.

[zift]

Plus, cones are not universally evil. I know that some uber-longhairs who still swear by them. I'm not sure if I qualify as uber-longhair but I'm at around mid-thigh and quite healthy with minimum splits and I use cones.:grinhappy:
:lol:the post is old indeed. But that's the point of forums. You don't have to open thousands of similar threads for the same topic.
So OK one shouldn't give up on long hair just because s/he can't find a non-cone product. It would only be an excuse...

[ycelong]

I know I do have a few split ends but overall (apart from them) my hair is in quite good condition (considering the abuse I have put my hair through).

How is the transistion from using cones in shampoo and condition to COing with no cones?

It wasn't that big of a deal for me - and I just stopped cold turkey on cones, hairfryers, shampoo, chemical dye - everything. I had to get used to my hair not feeling as dry as it used to - it isn't greasy but it has a lot more moisture - my daughter doesn't get it. But it hasn't been a huge change for me.

[ilovemycop]

i'm actually glad someone restarted this thread.I'm going through the noncone transistion and have had some mixed results.I was wondering about the ingrediants that were questioned in the first post and glad I now know what those ingrediants mean :)

[justgreen]

I've been mostly cone-free for 2.5 years now. I only get a micro-trim (dusts the ends), once a year now. I have two stacked layers on my hemline from layers that have grown out. The top layer used to be the top of my head, that's how long my hair has grown! I use cones every now and then, just because I want to use some of the blonde stuff available. I know how to clarify and I hardly ever have any tangle problems and I get highlights every 4-6 weeks.

When LHC is back up and running, I'll try to remember to snag the water soluble silicone list and post it here.