Pantene Lively Clean Shampoo Review

Pantene Lively Clean Shampoo

Pantene Pro-V Lively Clean is a shampoo that was launched in India in 2001. I remember it vividly because I purchased it as soon as it came out. And I instantly loved it. I was 13 back then and used to love playing in the sun and got quite unclean with dirt and sweat at the end of the day. The concept of something that is “lively clean” and “mild” enough to be used everyday instantly appealed to me. Otherwise I was the girl with the curly, frizzy hair who used Parachute coconut oil everyday and Sunsilk shampoo once or twice a week. Pantene Lively Clean was my first step towards adult personal care.

Back then it came in a tall, plastic jar which was transparent. As the shampoo is also transparent, it is quite appealing. Now the Pantene packaging is different, but Pantene products have always been good. For example, Head and Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoos are probably the most drying and ineffective shampoos for dandruff situations. But, even though the Pantene anti-dandruff shampoo is not very effective, it is still much gentler on the hair. With Pantene, you at least don’t risk losing your natural oil balance.

The Claim: Revitalizes oily limp hair to lively, healthy looking hair. Pantene Pro-V formula deeply penetrates and nourishes hair, leaving hair lively and healthy looking.

Directions for use: Massage onto wet scalp/hair gently. Rinse thoroughly. For best results, use every day.

Price: Rs. 59 for 90 ml. I got it for Rs.49

The review:

Pantene Lively Clean completely lives up to its name and claims. Though it has a lot of chemicals, (especially a lot of sodium compounds) it doesn’t affect the way in which strong shampoos and hair products do. If you want a shampoo which basically just cleans up the hair, Pantene Lively Clean is perfect for you. It is very affordable, even if you shampoo every day, it will last you a long time and since a high quantity of water and sodium is present in it, it easily dissolves in water. That makes it easier to work up lather, and massage your hair in the process, as well as easily wash it off. It has a very mild, floral fragrance and so even the smell is “clean”. It is very gentle and does not dry your hair. I have curly hair that becomes very frizzy so shampooing often is not a good idea for me. But I really feel the need to shampoo my hair often. Previously it was for sweat and dirt; sometimes I used stronger shampoos on certain days and Lively Clean as a back-up. Now I am using this anti-hair fall oil which I have to use every night and I need to shampoo in the morning. I tried to finish off my Biotique anti-hair fall shampoo, which is the worst shampoo in the world as IMBB readers know(except for the colour and the cooling effect) but it definitely is not even a once-a-week-shampoo, let alone an everyday one. I went back to Pantene Lively Clean, and it is really a shampoo that can be used every day, just to clean your scalp and hair. Being surfactant based, some users might be reminded of (and repelled by) detergents, but this shampoo is NOT harsh on hair. It does not dry out hair, cause breakage or do anything more or less than it claims to do. I have not used it for such conditions, but if your hair has become really dirty because of holi colours or henna or any strong chemical or powders, a mild shampoo like Pantene is probably not the best thing to use. You definitely need something stronger. However, it is not good enough for oil treatments and hairpacks.

Here are some swatches:

Yup, only 49 bucks for 90 ml!

The fine print on the bottle.

Close-up

Pros of Pantene Lively Clean Shampoo:

• Mild, can be used everyday even in curly, frizzy hair.
• Not a lot of quantity is required. Easy to dissolve and work up a lather, easy to remove.
• Affordable, lasts a long time even if used every day.
• Despite having a lot of chemicals, does not damage hair.
• Only does what it claims to do, that is clean your scalp.

Cons of Pantene Lively Clean Shampoo:

• Cannot be used its strong treatments or in dire situations like when you have some strong liquid or powder in your hair.
• Has no nutritive properties, only cleans hair. But that’s fine. Hair-packs and conditioners are okay for the rest.