Can’t use TRESemmė to care for your weaves and wigs? Here are some alternatives

Ever since the EFF declared their war on TRESemmė, South African wig and weave wearers have been left wondering what brands they’ll be left with to care for their “fake” hair.

I only wash my wigs with tresemme yo I’m stressed

— Miss_xo (@Miss_xo6) September 10, 2020

Which other products can we use to wash our wigs since Tresemme is cancelled?

— Thando (@Nolu_khoza) September 9, 2020

Since we are canceling Tresemme. Let me be honest, their shampoo and conditioner was amazing for my wigs ????…

What is another combo for wigs bethuna? Please comment below.

— Lisa (@anelisa_tuswa) September 10, 2020

Guys what are you replacing tresemme with to wash and condition your wigs?

— A billionaire (@Maymowrei) September 10, 2020

The war on TRESemmė was declared after it was discovered that they provided the images and copy in question for the controversial web entry/advert posted by Clicks that has since been dubbed “racist.”

We can’t really begin to explain exactly why TRESemmė is so popular among women who intermittently wear wigs or weaves, but it just is. Perhaps it was a cleverly executed strategy on their part, but for now, we’ll never know.

A simple Google search for South African-based video tutorials about how to care for one’s weave or wigs returns countless results, with majority of them using some or other TRESemmė products.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Clicks would be “delisting” the TRESemmė brand in favour of investing more effort into giving that platform to local hair care brands.

RELATED: Shoprite, Pick n Pay pull TRESemmé products after hair ad backlash

In the following days, other retailers announced that they too would be removing the TRESemmė brand from their shelves, leaving wig lovers across SA a little stressed.

Although it has since been revealed that the brand will only be removed for a period of 10 days and will be allowed to trade as normal thereafter, some are considering boycotting the brand on principle.

We have called off the Clicks protest. As part of showing remorse they will donate 50 000 sanitary pads, sanitizers, and masks and also give full scholarships to 5 black girls to pursue pharmaceutical qualifications, delist Tresemme, and enlist black products in their stores. pic.twitter.com/cEbywbUdLT

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) September 10, 2020

So, that begs the question, what other brands can I use to care for my weave or wig?

Whether you wear synthetic hair or a human hair variant, you will need to clean and deodorise your wig from time to time.

It is important to keep in mind that human-hair weaves and wigs do not get all the moisture they need as the hair strands are no longer attached to a human host, so it is important to get moisturising shampoos for human hair.

The same can be said for synthetic wigs, which is why a conditioner is an important step in the washing process.

1. L’Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo 400ml retails for about R80 in stores and can be found cheaper via certain online retailers. The accompanying conditioner costs around R70.

L’Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo | Image: loreal.com

2. Pantene shampoo and conditioner in the Pro-V range starts at around R75 and prices may vary depending on the function of the product.

Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume, duo set; shampoo and conditioner | Image: Amazon.com

3. As one of the more affordable and widely available options, Organics’ shampoo and conditioner range retails for about R69 for a 1 litre bottle.

Organics 2-in-1 shampoo | Image: takealot.com

4. Mizani is more on the pricey side, however, for “salon-quality hair care,” the products won’t break the bank. You can expect to budget between R450 and R500 for a bottle of Mizani shampoo.

Mizani Thermasmooth Anti-Frizz Shampoo with coconut oil | image: Amazaon.com

5. OGX (shortened from Organix) has some of the widest range of products to suit a variety of needs. Their Brazilian Keratin Therapy (R180 for 385ml) is another favourite among those who wear weaves and wigs.

OGX Brazilian Keratin therapy shmapoo| Image: takealot.com

6. Schwarzkopf Gliss is another brand that features a range of products to suit different needs and their shampoos start at around R52 for 250ml.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Total Repair Shampoo | Image: takealot.com

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