Shampoo/conditioner recs for mostly average Asian hair

January 18, 2016 12:22 AM

I'm looking for a new shampoo and conditioner since moving to the Drought State, aka California. Got any recommendations for stick-straight Asian hair that tends toward dry-frizz?

Here's my current hair-washing regimen:
- wash with my morning shower and air-dry on my way to work
- 2 to 3x a week, usually closer to 2
- ketoconazole antifungal shampoo (by prescription, non-negotiable)
- Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle shampoo (feels too drying, esp. in combo with the ketoconazole)
- Trader Joe's Nourish conditioner (I used to LOVE this a few years ago and back on the East Coast, but it doesn't seem to make my hair as soft any more)

I have straight, average-thickness, natural (untreated/virgin) Asian hair that's currently around shoulder-length but being grown out (it's previously been waist-length and reasonably healthy). Since moving to the west coast last year, my hair has become both shorter and drier/frizzier... doesn't make sense to me, since more frequent cuts and less humidity should mean better hair, right?

Anyway, I'm looking for new shampoo and new conditioner. My hair tends to be greasy by the 3rd/4th day when I wash it, but it's not particularly oily on the first two days. For conditioner, softness and anti-frizz would be great (with caveat that my frizz issues are NOT caused by kinkiness of hair strand or humidity, at all).

If you love your shampoo/conditioner and have hair similar to mine, please give me suggestions! I'm open to more expensive products if they can be purchased from retailers that accept open-box returns (Nordstrom, Sephora).

posted by serelliya to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Best answer: ketoconazole antifungal shampoo (by prescription, non-negotiable)

Did the frizz start with that shampoo? Could you just apply it to your scalp, and try not work it through your hair? Hard water can cause dryness and frizz - try a hard water treatment to see if that improves things. If you have damage from heat or sun, you might want to check out this treatment, which isn't a conditioner, either. It's often used along with colour, but can be done as a stand-alone, on any type of hair. A review. (I don't have your type of hair, so will defer on actual shampoo/conditioner recs, but I do have dryness and frizz.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 4:07 AM on January 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

My Asian daughter-in-law buys hair products at the local Asian stores in LA. You might check out some of those, she has pretty, healthy hair. Sorry, do not know the brands.
posted by mermayd at 4:29 AM on January 18, 2016

A vinegar rinse could also help with the hard water issue. I live in CA and use a vinegar rinse in lieu of shampoo, but I have a different hair type. YMMV.
posted by zenzicube at 5:56 AM on January 18, 2016

I think Tea Tree is too harsh to use daily? Also consider getting a humidifier if you don't have one already; it's great for your hair and skin.

I second Living Proof for frizz, however, after trying every non-shampoo system I've switched to using WEN exclusively and it has saved my hair (for reasons other than frizz) There are formulas for frizzy, dry, and coarse hair so I would ask a Sephora salesperson to help. If you like it you can order from QVC, which almost always has special configurations and sizes that can cut the price in half. (You have to use WEN according to directions or your hair will look bad.)
posted by Room 641-A at 6:09 AM on January 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I missed the humidity part, but wanted to add that my hair is less frizzy since I stopped using a towel to dry my hair and switched to using old t-shirts that I cut up for this purpose.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:17 AM on January 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I use aloe-based shampoo 2-3x a week. It is gentler, in my experience, and doesn't dry my hair out as much. (I am a white lady with fine hair and I live in MN where winter is very very dry inside.) Then I use spray-on conditioner (specifically this Mist & Go Conditioner from ShiKai) after the shower, comb or pick through my damp hair, then blow dry. This keeps static out of my hair, and doesn't leave much of a build-up at all, either, of conditioner.

(I like ShiKai's Color Reflect aloe-based shampoo, too, but it does tend to color your tub, grout, and shower curtain, too, so I've moved on to non-color-added stuff. Hair still feels more healthy.)
posted by jillithd at 7:23 AM on January 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: We have too much in common for me to not pitch in my two cents! I am Asian and coincidentally also wash my hair closer to 2x a week, using Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle and ketoconazole shampoo occasionally (not prescription strength, but yeah). I also live in an area with hard water. I liked Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak (I liked it so much that I wrote an askme about it, haha) and I believe it would be sold at stores that accept open-box returns. It's pricey, but I don't use it that often, just about once every 10 days or so.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 8:42 AM on January 18, 2016

Best answer: WEN

Not sure if everyone's aware, but there's actually a class action lawsuit against them at the moment :/
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:12 PM on January 18, 2016

Best answer: Do you wash with both shampoos every time? That might be part of it. Two shampoos will really strip your hair, and tea tree is especially drying. Try skipping the tea tree shampoo and just using the prescription shampoo and a good, thick conditioner. Moroccan oil after the shower will also help control frizz. I like it better than the thick silicon anti-frizz serums, but YMMV.
posted by ananci at 3:25 PM on January 18, 2016

You can also try just adding a leave-in anti frizz treatment/serum after you wash and condition. This makes s big difference for my kids' hair.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:54 PM on January 18, 2016