Product Review: Alberto VO5 Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner

Like many people with long hair, my hair needs special care. The colder months are particularly difficult so I spent part of this past winter searching for products that will help me avoid new breakage and help my hair recover from past seasons. Alberto VO5 Anti-breakage Shampoo and Conditioner claim they fit the bill.

I gained a positive view towards the shampoo and the conditioner before I even finished purchasing them. The products' affordable prices of $1.50 each for a 15 ounce bottle, $3.00 for the set, endeared them to me immediately. This overrode my initial raised eyebrows reaction to the shampoo's bright raspberry jello blue color. It appeared nearly radioactive but for no apparent reason. The light airy scent seemed to be completely synthetic as no natural perfume ingredients were listed anywhere on the bottle, so the color wasn't chosen to illustrate the scent. Perhaps VO5 though the color would attract attention.

I was pleased with the shampoo's lather and I was able to use the same amount as I would with any other shampoo with good results. The product claims it helps repair breakage / damage to hair and helps prevent new damage and breakage from happening. This appeared to be true, at least when both the shampoo and conditioner were used.

I was also pleased with the conditioner. Though I had to use more of it than I would with higher priced conditioners, the product left my hair soft and very silky. My hair was less frizzy than usual (yay! score one against the big bad frizz monster). The product also seemed to meet its claim to help repair breakage though the effect was initially minimal. This effect intensified when I used both the shampoo and conditioner daily for about one week. If you have very damaged hair or hair that is prone to damage I recommend that you use an additional hair repair treatment periodically.

One drawback of the products is that they leave hair looking rather dull. If shiny hair is important to you then you may wish to use a separate shine serum or skip these products altogether.

Both products had a pleasant scent. It was far from overpowering, instead it was understated a little bit. After using both products in the morning the scent stayed with my hair for the rest of the day. However, the scent was decidingly synthetic and as far as I know the anti-breakage shampoo and the conditioner is not available in any other scent. Though it was far from unpleasant, I was disappointed with the scent. I have become accustomed to hair products, VO5 and others, that use herbal scents that are good enough to eat. These products scents are sort of sterile in comparison.

Overall, I liked the products performance and value. I will consider buying it again.