This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

We Road-Tested The Latest Supermarket Shampoos And Conditioners

Good news! We found some winners.
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If you've been paying attention to the news this past week you'll know that there's a property mogul out there who reckons the reason most Aussie's cant afford a house these days is because they spend too much money on avocado toast.

Obviously no one has ever told the bloke how expensive hair care products are, especially when you buy it from a salon (which, for the record, is roughly $40-$50 a pop).

So, with saving money in mind, we road-tested the latest shampoo and conditioner offerings from the major supermarket and pharmacy brands. They are affordable, accessible and guess what -- they're good. So save your cash for toast and lattes (or a house), and try one of these wallet-friendly formulas.

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"I was really hesitant to try this set because it feels so very counter-intuitive. You condition first. Yep, FIRST. Then you shampoo second to wash away the weight of the conditioner. Say what? Though it's formulated to give volume and I have fine, flat hair so was keen for some height.

"The conditioner, which I only applied form the ears down, is nice and light which put my mind at ease. It made my hair feel soft but not weighty. Next up was the shampoo, which washed away a bit of that nice conditioner feeling but I guess it was cleaning my hair as it did it. I air dry my hair and when I did, it felt soft and clean. I think I'd get a little more volume if I had blow dried it." -- Leigh.

"My initial thought was that I loved the smell, it reminded me of what they use in the salon and it automatically made me think 'premium'. I have short hair and squeezed out something smaller than a 20c piece and it was HEAPS. It felt very luxurious and lathered up a storm, again, emulating a salon experience.

"I am two weeks away from getting my roots done and so my blonde was getting a little brassy, but this really neutralised the yellow tarnish and boosted the overall colour and ash tones. I used a smaller amount of conditioner and it still lathered up and really felt creamy and my hair felt very maintained after I had blow dried it and there were notably less fly aways. I'm now a convert," -- Ashleigh.

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"The shampoo doesn't foam up like other shampoos, but I'm used to using sulfate-free formulas, and most of them don't. Non-offensive smell, kind of smells like nothing and made my hair feel clean without that squeaky dry feeling, which is great. I had to double shampoo for hair to feel really clean but overall happy with it. I have quite thick hair so had to use a fair bit to lather all over my scalp.

"A little of the conditioner goes a long way! I made the mistake of using too much with the first wash and it left my hair feeling a little oily. But I used less the second time and it was great. Locks in moisture without being too heavy. I have very oily hair as it is, so I only used it on the ends and my hair felt instantly soft," -- Aimie.

"The shampoo foams well when massaged through my hair, despite being sulfate free (yay!). It has a really fresh berry aroma -- I kept deeply inhaling to try to pinpoint the smell -- but isn't over the top. After washing the shampoo out, my hair feels really clean but not stripped.

"While pleasantly scented, the texture of this conditioner is a bit off -- it's creamy, yet at the same quite gritty and grainy. But once applied, massaged and rinsed, my hair feels incredibly moisturised and silky. My hair feels and looks noticeably soft, and my natural waves are controlled, not frizzy. Despite the weird consistency of the conditioner, at this rate I would buy these products again. It may even be my new go-to," -- Juliette.

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"When I first used the shampoo, it came out in a thick, creamy consistency. I scrubbed it through the roots of my hair, but it seemed to quickly absorb and I didn't get that nice, satisfying lather. Thinking that admittedly my hair was a little on the dirty side, I added some more and, sure enough, a good lather formed. Washing it out, my hair already felt clean and refreshed.

"I massaged the conditioner carefully into the ends of my hair, working it up into the body before leaving it in for several minutes. Then came the all-important test -- as I stepped back under the water, I ran my fingers through my long hair, using my fingers as a brush. Viola! My fingers ran straight through my now-silky smooth hair, tangle free (well, almost). Success.

"The day after washing, my hair still had that lovely, fresh just-washed feel but by day three, the dreaded grease was creeping back. Still, for a supermarket brand I thought it did a good job and performed better than some of its pricier counterparts, even if you do need a little more shampoo than I would normally use," -- Lara.

"The shampoo had an amazing lather and smelled like your grandma's shampoo which I liked. I usually have to shampoo my hair twice to get all the dry shampoo build up out of it but I only needed to do it once with this shampoo becasue it was like a car wash on top of my head.

The conditioner wasn't as thick and creamy as I would have liked but it detangled my long hair very quickly. My hair felt a little sticky when I got out of the shower and touched it but when it dried it was incredibly smooth and shiny.

"The only downside was that my hair got greasy after two days. I have long hair and only wash my hair once a week so this was a bit annoying but nothing dry shampoo couldn't fix," -- Chloe.

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"Pantene is an oldie but a goodie. You always know what you're going to get -- that pearlescent shine as it comes out of the bottle, the creamy feel, and a lather that makes you feel like you're in a hair commercial.

"This iteration, called 'Long and Strong' was perfect for my long, colour-treated and damaged hair. After a few washes, it definitely felt in better condition. The scent was quite nice, but if anything, a little too strong. Overall, it was a pleasant washing experience with good results," -- Nicolette.

"This formula was great for my hair type. The fruity scent is not my personal preference, but I had people comment that my hair smelled great, which is always good.

"I found it lathered nicely and my hair was shiny and not oily. It felt very clean but not too dry. I wash my hair often (every second day, sometimes every day when doing exercise) so Go Strong was a nice mix of something effective, that did not dry my hair out and left it feeling clean and fresh," -- Emily.

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