Conditioner Reviews

Sunsilk shines bright in conditioner ratings

Wash, rinse and repeat! Let’s get back to the basics – none of that argan oil, hair masks and volume sprays – conditioners are one of the traditional ways to help soften, volumise, nourish and repair your hair. We all want that healthy hair glow but we know it’s a scary place in the hair care aisle of your supermarket with so many conditioner bottles flooding the shelves. So, which brand can you trust?

This is where Canstar Blue aims to give you a helping hand, surveying thousands of households across the country to find which conditioner is keeping Aussies happy. Brands were rated on several factors including effectiveness, hair softness, value for money, scent, and packaging design. Only one brand emerged as the overall winner in our inaugural customer ratings for conditioner – Sunsilk.

Sunsilk received five-star reviews on overall satisfaction, hair softness and packaging design. It also got a reputable four stars on effectiveness, value for money and scent.

Fourteen brands achieved the minimum sample size to be included in our 2018 conditioner review, and they were rated in the following order for overall satisfaction:

• 1^st Sunsilk
• 2^nd Organic Care
• 3^rd Ogx
• 4^th L’Oréal
• 5^th TRESemme
• 6^th ALDI Brands
• 7^th Dove
• 8^th Pantene
• 9^th Schwarzkopf
• 10^th Palmolive
• 11^th John Frieda
• 12^th Herbal Essences
• 13^th Head & Shoulders
• 14^th Garnier

Organic Care, Ogx, L’Oréal, TRESemme, ALDI, Dove, Pantene, Schwarzkopf and Palmolive achieved four stars for overall customer satisfaction. John Frieda, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders and Garnier got three stars overall.

While Sunsilk stole the show with five stars overall, a few brands also found themselves in the spotlight for a number of other factors. Ogx was the only brand to achieve a five-star review on effectiveness and Organic Care was the only one to score five stars for value for money. Top marks were granted to Ogx and Herbal Essences on scent, while Ogx received five stars for packaging design along with this year’s winner.

What to consider when buying conditioner

When it comes to buying conditioner, there are several key factors to consider. Our survey identified the following drivers of satisfaction when it comes to buying conditioners, listed in order of importance:

• Effectiveness: 32%
• Softness of hair after use: 30%
• Value for money: 21%
• Scent: 9%
• Packaging design: 8%

In addition, our survey also revealed the following insights:

Effectiveness

Effectiveness is evidently the biggest factor in customer satisfaction. While shampoo washes away the dirt and grime, conditioner is aimed to moisturise your hair and leave it feeling soft and silky. If our ratings are of any indication, there is plenty of choice in the market, making it easy to switch if one brand doesn’t cut it.

• Ogx was the only brand to receive five stars for effectiveness while most others scored four stars. ALDI, Herbal Essences and Garnier were left with three stars apiece.

Hair softness

A conditioner that leaves your hair feeling soft is a close second for driving satisfaction, which makes sense considering that’s its primary goal. If our ratings are of any indication, some conditioners do the job better than others.

• This year’s overall winner was the only brand to find itself with a five-star review for hair softness, with the remainder on either four or three stars.

Value for money

Getting good value for money is important as a large household might go through numerous bottles in a month with many heads to wash every day. Our survey found that 53% of consumers use a specific type of conditioner for their hair type, while 28% use a specific type for coloured hair, which might have an additional cost. Only one in five (19%) said they buy the cheapest brand of conditioner. That isn’t to say that cheap brands are a flop, but it’s something you might like to keep in mind.

• Organic Care was the only brand to achieve five stars on value for money. Sunsilk, L’Oréal, TRESemme, ALDI, Dove, Pantene and Palmolive scored four stars while the rest got three stars.

Scent

Don’t you just love the smell of fresh mint or green tea and cucumber? Perhaps coconut and lime? If not, never fear as each brand boasts a wide range of flavours to tickle your nose buds and make the hair wash experience that much better. While a scent doesn’t affect the end result of your hair, it might help keep you smelling fresh throughout the day.

• It was tough for conditioner brands to win over customers in this category. Only two brands were rated five stars for scent – Ogx and Herbal Essences.

Packaging design

Last but not least – packaging design. While it might not be the most important factor, it’s one that can make you buy one brand over another. Maybe it’s in your favourite colour or it has an easy to hold and pour bottle design. All of this can certainly help with your hair washing routine and in turn stick to that brand. 43% always buy the same brand of conditioner and maybe, for some, it’s because of the design.

Five-star reviews in this category go to Sunsilk and Ogx, with the rest securing either three or four stars.

We hope you’ve found this guide helpful and will finally see the end of bad hair days. Beautiful hair is not always easy to achieve, but perhaps switching brands might help.

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