How to commit mass genocide in your hair (Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - Normal - 400ml)

Member Name: KatiePuckrik

Product:	Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - Normal - 400ml
Date:	09/11/07 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good price, kills dandruff well and is a respected brand

Disadvantages: Doesn't strengthen hair

There are many things which will still be here in 10 years time. The Collosieum, The Acropolis and The Louvre gallery. Then, there are things which which will stand the test of time because it proves itself over and over again. Lemsip (great if you've got a cold), Ribena (the best blackcurrant drink on the market!), Alan Shearer (TOON ARMY!!!!!!) and Head and Shoulders shampoo (the best dandruff shampoo).
A key thing here, before I go any further, is to distinguish the difference between dandruff and a dry scalp. If a shampoo is too harsh it can dry the scalp out and cause flaking (the main symptom of dandruff). Sometimes people get the two mixed up and buy dandruff shampoos unnecessarily when in actual fact they need a softer shampoo. Dandruff flakes are pure white and slightly bigger than scalp flakes (this kind of talk is making feel a bit sick!).

There are many different dandruff shampoos on the market; all claim to eradicate dandruff. But which one is the best? This is where my point about "tried and tested" comes into play! Head and Shoulders has been around for as long as I can remember! Even when I was a child I had no "Johnson and Johnson no more tears shampoo" it was head an shoulders all the time! And yes, I kept burning my eyes out with the shampoo! Head and shoulders pride themselves on being the only shampoo on the market to specialize in dandruff eradication. This is a claim which is justified.
Everytime, I identify myself with dandruff I reach for the Head and shoulders.
The packaging has remained the same for some time. A brilliant white bottle with the Head and shoulders brand on it. Blindingly simple, yet quite clever. White to denote dandruff or white to denote cleanliness? It cuts both ways! Just don't get it confused with a bottle of "Jif" (now "Cif"!), otherwise you'll have the driest scalp known to mankind!

Price varies immensely. Places like "Superdrug" or "Boots" normally have a 2 for 1 offer on products like these. A small bottle will probably set you back about £1.50 and the biggest bottle will set you back no more than £4, depending which retailer you frequent. So it pays to buy the biggest bottle for home use and small bottles for travelling or for your gym bag.
The product itself does the job well. It blitzes dandruff within about 2 washes. The shampoo kills the yeast which causes dandruff very well, almost too well! I wonder how it can kill that yeast so quickly without compromising gentleness? It leaves your hair feeling clean and free from dandruff. I find it one of the gentlest shampoos on the market as it doesn't dry my scalp out. But where it stumbles is the fact it doesn't strengthen hair. Pantene (another shampoo I like) has the protein and Keratin (what hair is made of) which solidifies hair and makes it stronger. H&S doesn't have that and is a bit of a negative point about the product. Also, the smell of the product is a bit caustic; almost as if they made the shampoo with Sodium Hydroxide as opposed to Selenium Sulphide (one for the Chemists amongst us! Big shout!) Very off-putting!

Another problem H&S has (or "had" I should say) is that it just had one brand and that's it! Which meant while it worked wonders for my hair it might not have worked so well for somebody else's hair. H&S have now started to branch out and do shampoos for people with greasy hair, normal hair, dry hair etc. However, they have taken it to it's extreme and started doing fruit shampoos (probably to compete with "Fructus") and Menthol shampoos. These seem a bit unnecessary as I have always seen H&S as a product which does the business without resorting to gimmicks. But in these days of "designer" shampoos and fruit shampoos, it has to adapt or die. Natural selection, my friends (See? I did stay awake in Biology class! Sometimes...). This is another negative point as it could confuse consumers (we're a stupid breed of people! After all, why do we bank at banks which give us 0.1% on our savings when we could go to other banks, normally up the high street, and have 3.04% interest on our savings? See my opinion on Smile bank!)

Overall, H&S is a good shampoo. I would recommend it to anyone who has dandruff and needs to get rid of it quickly. This is providing you pick the right shampoo for your hair. H&S blitzes dandruff, leaves your hair nice and clean, is a good price and is nearly always on a special deal down your local shop. Now if it could do the washing up, I'd give it 5 stars...

Summary: A good all rounder. OK for everyday use.