Great for Abnormal 'Normal' Hair (Wash & Go Universal 2 in 1)

Member Name: Kukana

Product:	Wash & Go Universal 2 in 1
Date:	20/01/05 (368 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells pleasant, good consistency, Works well on my hair, Not a bad price

Disadvantages: Doesn't work for everyone, Needs to be alternated with other shampoos sometimes, It isn't non-sting

There are shampoos for just about every possible kind of hair, these days. You can find them for greasy hair, for dry hair, for hair with dandruff, for coloured hair, for permed hair, for 'difficult' hair... the list goes on. Presented with several shelves of shampoo in a supermarket, my mind tends to go blank, because my hair doesn't fit into any of the above categories. I suppose it's classed as 'normal', in the sense of being unexceptional, but as far as I can tell it's not normal at all to have hair with no particular features or problems!

So, to wash my long (but not very long), straight (but not straightened), mousey-blonde (but not lightened) hair, I have tended to go for whatever's on special offer, and which isn't intended for one of the many hair types I don't possess. A shampoo is a shampoo, after all... or is it?

In recent years I've become more aware that some shampoos really do work better than others. They all fulfil their primary purpose, it's true - that of getting the hair clean. I wash mine in the shower every morning, and have never felt that my hair was dirty afterwards. But there have been times when, within an hour or two, it's felt very 'flyaway' (although I don't have flyaway hair) and been difficult to keep tidy.

About 18 months ago, I spotted a special offer for Wash & Go Rich. I remembered having found Wash & Go reasonably good in the past; they were one of the first brands to advertise a combined shampoo/conditioner, with the idea that people can simply wash their hair and go out, without having to worry about using a separate conditioner.

The Rich version of this shampoo claimed that it contained intensive cream which would make hair easy to control, and manageable. That sounded good to me. As the price was only 99p, I bought it a bottle. Unlike most shampoos which now come in a clear plastic bottle showing what's inside, this is still in the old style of opaque plastic. I do like to be able to see exactly how much is left.

However the Wash & Go bottles are quite an attractive colour - a bright turquoise. The 'rich' version of the shampoo has an orange band sweeping across the front, the regular universal one is blue, and there are other varieties for greasy or flyaway hair. It has a lid with a flip-top section in the middle, much the easiest when using in the shower, although a bit of a nuisance when travelling as it can easily come undone and flood the bath-bag with shampoo! The smell is - well, nothing special. It smells of shampoo. Quite pleasant, but nothing leaps out as a dominant scent.

Squeezing out a little into my hand, I was pleased to note that the consistency was fairly thick, a bit like that of ketchup, so it's easy to use just a small amount. Rubbing the shampoo on my wet hair gives a good lather almost immediately, with quite a small amount (about the size of a 5p piece in my hand). It feels gentle, and the scent remains pleasant and fresh without being overpowering.

It's not advertised as 'non-sting', so it probably would sting if it got in my eyes; this is one feature I'm not prepared to test, however! Since the shampoo is reasonably thick, it doesn't dribble down over my forehead and into my eyes, which is a good thing. There's no sting at all from my head. Rinsing is also effective - it's obvious when there's still shampoo remaining in my hair, and when it's all out, it feels smooth, not at all tangled.

I use a blow-dryer with a comb on my fringe, so that it dries in the right direction, but leave the rest of my hair to dry naturally, after combing briefly with a wide-toothed comb. I'm pleased to note with this shampoo that the comb runs through easily, with no pulls or snarls. When it's dry, I comb it again. It feels smooth, and with more bulk than I normally expect. It doesn't have the glossy shine that might come from using a more expensive separate conditioner, but it's quite acceptable for me.

During the day I find that even when it's windy, my hair doesn't seem to get too messy; more importantly, it doesn't tangle. For me, this is the main benefit of conditioner, and important when my hair is long. I don't find that the scent lingers for more than about an hour, but then I don't particularly like having an overpowering shampoo smell all day, so I don't mind this at all.

My first 200ml bottle lasted about five weeks with daily use. For the last couple of days I added a little water to the bottle to get the end of the shampoo out, and then squirted it directly onto my hair. This worked just as well as using it the normal way. Since then I've bought three or four bottles, sometimes the 'rich' brand and sometimes the regular one. I can't honestly tell the difference. However I do find that after about six weeks it's best to use a different shampoo for a while. Apparently each brand has its own particular chemicals which can destroy hair oils, so using a variety - or at least two types - is better. I now alternate my Wash & Go with a mild children's shampoo.

The usual supermarket price is about £1.99 for a 200ml bottle, so it's not the cheapest, but it's certainly not the most expensive. It's sometimes available in larger bottles too. Obviously it isn't going to work for everyone, but if you've tried others without success, and have hair that doesn't seem to fit into any of the expected categories, this 'universal' shampoo may well be the one that works.

Summary: