Best Conditioner Under $2: Suave Professionals Humectant Moisture Review

My hair is long, thick, wavy, and generally difficult to manage. Without the right conditioner, it gets tangled, which leads to breakage, and it will also end up frizzy, poofy, and dull-looking.

In the past, I have rotated my conditioners, but I have almost always bought salon brands that tend to be on the expensive side. Drugstore brands just don't get the job done for me. My old standby is Redken All Soft conditioner, which is anywhere from about $13-$20 for an 8.5 oz. bottle and $20-40 for a 33.8 oz. bottle depending on where you buy.

About a year ago, I got to a point where I could no longer afford these expensive brands. In fact, I could really only afford the cheapest brands, so I started trying various conditioners in the $1 to $4 range. Most of them were pretty bad, but I finally found one that works relatively well for my hair type: Suave Professionals Humectant Moisture conditioner.

32 oz. bottle of Suave Professionals Humectant Moisture conditioner.

On the bottle, it says that this conditioner is supposed to work as well as Nexxus Humectress conditioner, which I've used and liked. But this Suave Professionals Humectant conditioner does not actually work nearly as well as Nexxus Humectress.

It does, however, work better than most $2 conditioners.

At my local Walmart, Suave Professionals Humectant conditioner currently costs about $1.84 for a 12.6 oz. bottle and $2.74 for a 32 oz. bottle. Here is my review:

Pros:

• It detangles better than other conditioners under $2.
• It does a little smoothing and adds some shine, more than other conditioners under $2.
• It has a decent texture, not too thin.
• It never leaves my hair feeling greasy or stringy.
• The price is great.
• Because it's Suave brand, it's widely available.

Cons:

• There are much better conditioners out there that detangle, smooth, add shine, and provide other benefits that are superior to what this product does (just not for this price).
• Some people prefer not to use conditioners that contain silicones, and this does contain both dimethicone and amodimethicone.

Overall, for someone with my difficult-to-manage hair, this is not a great conditioner. Still, it's a lot better than other conditioners I've tried in this price range. And for people with more easily managed hair, it might be a great product. I would definitely say it's the best cheap conditioner I've ever used.

As I mentioned in my review of Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint shampoo, not all products in the Suave Professionals line are very good. The Damage Care shampoo and conditioner were especially bad on my hair. Used together or separately, they left my scalp really greasy. Just a warning. This particular product from this line has worked for me, but I wouldn't recommend all of them.

And that's about it! I hope this review of Suave Professionals Humectant Moisture conditioner has provided you with some useful information.

Until next time!

Best Daily Shampoo Under $2: Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint Review

I actually hate using cheap drugstore products on my hair, but I was forced to start experimenting with them about a year ago when my wallet began to dictate my purchases in this area. Before that I used Organix Pomegranate Green Tea shampoo for daily use (and a clarifying shampoo about once every week or two), and it was actually reasonably priced at just over $6 for a 13 oz. bottle. But even that became too expensive, and as I said, I began experimenting.

I tried many shampoos in the $1 - $4 range, and some of them were truly awful, but I did finally find a decent one: Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint Invigorating Clean shampoo, which currently costs $1.84 for a 12.6 oz. bottle at my local Walmart. A 32 oz. bottle is only $2.74.

32 oz. bottle of Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint shampoo.

  
Pros:

• It lathers well.
• It leaves my hair feeling clean without stripping it.
• It seems to balance my somewhat fussy scalp, so my hair doesn't become greasy by the end of the day. It keeps feeling clean until the next wash.
• The scent is hard to describe, but I like it. It's not too strong and it doesn't linger in my hair, but it makes for a pleasant showering experience.
• Because it's Suave, it's widely available. I buy it at Walmart for the cheap price, but you can probably find this in drugstores, supermarkets, dollar stores, and all over the Internet.

Cons:

• I know that some people don't like shampoos that contain sulfates, and this does contain sodium laureth sulfate. Honestly, I don't think you'll find a sulfate-free shampoo under $2. 
• Cheap products are likely to contain cheap ingredients, so I just feel like this is not the best for my hair.

Like I said, I don't really like using such cheap shampoo, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And honestly, this stuff works pretty well. If you're really strapped for cash, I would recommend it.

I should also note that I've tried a few of the other products in the Suave Professionals line and found some of them to be lacking. Stay far away from the Damage Care products, both the shampoo and conditioner, because they left my hair feeling constantly greasy whether I used them together or separately.

Anyway, I hope that this review has helped you decide if Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint shampoo might be something you'd like to try. I'll review my favorite conditioner under $2 in an upcoming post, so be sure to check back for that!

Best Cheap Cotton Rounds: Dollar General Brand Review

Last time I wrote about my favorite toner, which costs less than $1.50 for a 16 oz. bottle. Today I want to talk about my favorite cheap cotton rounds, which I use to apply that toner.

They are the Dollar General brand cotton rounds, which only cost $1 for a package of 80. If you live outside of the United States, or if you live in Alaska or somewhere else that doesn't have a Dollar General store, then I apologize. You probably won't be able to buy these. For everyone else, the following is my review of Dollar General brand cotton rounds.

A partially used package of Dollar General cotton rounds.

These cotton rounds aren't perfect, but they actually work better than some of the most expensive brands I've tried. I used to use Swisspers Premium hypoallergenic cotton rounds, which also come in an 80-count package but cost three times as much as the DG brand rounds. Swisspers cotton rounds are the best I've tried, and these DG rounds are not as good, but for the amount of money I'm saving, they're good enough.

Pros:

• Like Swisspers Premium rounds, these DG rounds are quilted, which makes them better at picking up stuff like makeup and oil from your face.
• They are 100% cotton, so they're hypoallergenic, very absorbent, and gentle. I also like that it's a pure product.
• Unlike some more expensive rounds I've tried, these never leave lint or strips of cotton on my face.
• They're flat and dense, so they don't poof up, and they swipe easily across your face.
• The package has a resealable zipper.

Cons:

• Unlike Swisspers, they are not stitched around the edges, so they tend to stretch a bit as you use them (see pictures below). I've never had them fall apart enough to render them unusable, though.
• While they don't leave lint on my face, they do leave lint on my fingers (see picture below). I think it's because I apply pressure with my fingers in one position, so when I pull them away, some of the wet cotton sticks to them. On my face, I simply swipe across, so the cotton doesn't stick. I should note that this doesn't bother me, because I just wipe the lint back onto the round when I'm done with it. No big deal.
• I once bought a package that appeared to be full of defective rounds. They were fluffy, as though the layers hadn't been properly stuck together. I've been using these for about a year, and this only happened once, so I think it was probably just a defective pack. I guess that's one of the risks you run when purchasing dollar store products. 

DG cotton round before use.

DG cotton round after use.

Lint left behind after use.

That's about it! Hopefully my review of Dollar General cotton rounds has helped you decide whether you think they're worth a try. In my experience, they are the best cheap cotton rounds for when you're really strapped for cash, and after all, that's what this blog is all about!

Best Cheap Toner for Acne-Prone or Dry Skin: Generic Witch Hazel Review

I have combination facial skin. My forehead and chin are oily and prone to acne, whereas my nose and cheeks are dry and need a strong moisturizer. I use toner morning and night after cleansing but before applying any other products (acne treatments, moisturizer, etc.). I like it because it seems to remove any remaining gunk that might clog my pores, and I think my skin receives other products better once it's been primed with the toner.

Previously, I used the Skin Balancing Toner from Paula's Choice. I loved it, but at $16 plus shipping for a 6 oz. bottle that lasted a month if I was lucky, it wasn't something I could afford when my finances went south.

Thus, I began my search for a less expensive toner that would still help balance my skin, prepare it for the next step in my beauty routine, and never break me out. That search ended when I found this:

16 oz. bottle of generic witch hazel astringent.

I had tried witch hazel products in the past and never had much luck with them, but I had never tried something this basic. It's 86% witch hazel and 14% alcohol. That's it. No other ingredients. I was a little nervous about the alcohol part, because I have found alcohol to be a bit harsh on my skin in the past, but it seems to be a perfect complement to the witch hazel in this mixture.

Two great things about this toner: 1) it works wonderfully and 2) it costs less than $1.50 for a 16 oz. bottle!

Pros:

• It's got a watery consistency that I like because it doesn't feel heavy on my skin.
• It feels nice and refreshing when I smooth it on.
• I've been using it almost a year now and it has never broken me out (in fact, I think it helps my acne).
• It seems to help balance my combination skin. Oily, acne-prone parts are now less oily, and it seems to soothe dry patches.
• One bottle lasts me well over two months, even though I use it liberally twice every day.
• At my local Walmart, a 16 oz. bottle of generic witch hazel currently costs only $1.44.

Cons:

• Some people dislike the way it smells. It's sort of like boiled eggs. It's never bothered me, and it doesn't linger. After it dries, you can't smell anything.
• In the winter, or for people with very dry skin, it may be a bit drying.

Honestly, I have yet to find any fault with this product. It does exactly what I want it to do, and it doesn't even put a dent in my wallet. Even when my financial situation improves, I will keep using this generic witch hazel as a toner. I would recommend it for any skin type.

I've always gotten this from the pharmacy section at Walmart, and like I said, it's dirt cheap. I would imagine you could find a similar (if not identical) product at most pharmacies and drugstores. You can also purchase witch hazel online from drugstores and some other shopping websites, although it might not be quite as cheap because you'll probably have to pay for shipping.

I know a lot of people also like Dickinson witch hazel products, which are not as cheap as the generic stuff I buy but still fairly inexpensive. They market their blue label product as an astringent for first aid and their yellow label product as a facial toner, but from what I can tell, they both contain 86% witch hazel and 14% alcohol just like the generic I buy. For some reason, the blue label product tends to cost less.

Anyway, I have found generic witch hazel to be the best cheap toner that money can buy, and I hope you'll have as much luck with it as I have (assuming my review has persuaded you :). Feel free to share your experience with it in the comments section!

Also, be sure to check out my post about my favorite cheap cotton rounds, which I use to apply this toner.