Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo

Hi everyone,

A long time ago, I went on a vacation and stayed at a hotel that provided Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. Since I didn't pack my own shampoo, I used it and as a result, my hair was squeaky clean for the whole week I was there. The stuff smelled strange and my hair was dry. Needless to say, I quickly forgot about it.

Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo ($6-8 USD)
Picture source

The reason this product is flying so low under the radar is the packaging. Neutrogena does have a minimalist approach when it comes to packaging their products. This anti-residue shampoo is clear and stored in a clear bottle. To me, the packaging is between cheap and something Steve Jobs would approve for the next iPhone. It's a toss up. However, this shampoo is very thick and you only need a tiny bit to wash your hair. Recently, I brought it back in this post to as a remedy to remove flake caused by styling product build-up. Why did I have such a sudden change of heart?

Wanna know why? Jump!

Because Neutrogena changed the formula, baby!

Let's see:

Ingredients in old formula (from Neutrogena website):
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance

Ingredients in new formula (from Walgreens website):
Water , Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate , Cocamide DEA , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Glycerin , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Citric Acid , Fragrance

The new product has a nicer floral smell that's similar to the yellow Neutrogena face wash. It does not contain SLS anymore. However, it is not 100% sulfate-free since Neutrogena switched to a ammonium lauryl sulfate, a somewhat gentler surfactant than SLS. Cocamide DEA is a sudsing agent that I can live without while cocamidopropyl betaine is a medium-strength surfactant that does not irritate skin. Both of them are derived from coconut oil, by the way. Glycerin was added in the formula as a moisturizing agent.

Compared to the old formula, the new formula contains more preservative ingredients: imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, and maybe citric acid (although I think it's there to lower the pH to a more neutral range.)

Does it work as an anti-residue shampoo? Neutrogena claimed it would remove up to 95% of the build-up. While I can't measure, my scalp does feel a lot cleaner. However, I have to use a heavy-duty conditioner to keep my hair from feeling like straws. You win some, you lose some. This is definitely not a win-win situation. However, since you only need to use it once in a while to remove the residue, this is acceptable. Once in a while, deep clean your hair and then go back to your regular shampoo is something I can live with.

What do you think? Have you bought this product before? Do you deep clean your hair once in a while? Please let me know in the comment section, ok?

Disclaimer: this product was provided for PR purposes. The opinions in this review, however, are mine and they are best to my experience and knowledge.

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