Review: Pantene Silver Expressions Shampoo and Conditioner
As many of the long time forum members who have followed my posts will know, my all-time preferred whitening shampoo has been Diamond Blue Ice by Cardinal Shampoos (also hard to find the last few years), so any alternative is measured against what I view to be a very high standard. Even though this it is not a shampoo concentrate, the Pantene Silver Expressions, like most “human” shampoos, is much too thick to use in a spray bottle without being diluted. For this shampoo I decided to dilute it even parts (1:1) with warm water. This concentration mixed well with shaking and readily sprayed through the nozzle set for a tight stream discharge. Application of the shampoo to Dawnie’s whites was very easy and given its strong blue colour (even though diluted) it was easy to ensure an even distribution. Once applied from the spray bottle I massaged it through her white coat; head, bib, socks and belly (Dawnie does not have the full white coveralls of her Daddy Virgil but like him is a pure whitehead). Here is where this shampoo impressed me! It readily lathered up and was very mild on my hands meaning it was equally mild to her coat and skin. Over the years I have found that anything that even mildly irritates my hands will be very harsh on the dog’s coats (not quite so much of a problem in the Grizzles) and more importantly dries their skin. As I worked the shampoo much of the blue colouration dissipated and the lather became pure white. A second complete lathering of the already applied shampoo after a quick second spray of water ensured that the shampoo was worked all the way to the skin so the entire hair shaft was cleaned. As with my standard routine the shampoo was then left to “stand” for 10 minutes to ensure adequate time for the blueing to react. Rinsing was neither especially easy nor difficult taking approximately 7 minutes of pulse flow from the handheld showerhead. Even while Dawn was still wet I could clearly see that the whitening was effective. Just how effective remained to be seen! The conditioner was also diluted to a 1:1 mix ratio with warm water. Typical to conditioners it did not mix as easily when shook and in future I will mix this conditioner slightly thinner, say .45:.55 to .40:.60. Spray application was quite easy but as with all diluted conditioners I had to repeatedly shake the bottle to keep the conditioner in suspension. (Conditioners don’t mix with water due to the oils so it takes a lot of effort to get them to fully emulsify.) Again the colouration readily allowed even distribution of the conditioner. It was readily worked into Dawn’s coat and once satisfied that it was complety massaged in I let the conditioner “stand” for 10 minutes, again standard procedure for my dog bathing routine. No particular problem was noted while rinsing the conditioner out. (Note that I use much less of a regular non-coloured conditioner on the grizzles.) Total rinse time was the usual 22-25 minutes for Dawn so no concerns were raised regarding residue build-up on the hair shaft. Once dry the results could finally be properly evaluated. This is an excellent whitening shampoo and conditioner combination. Dawn’s whites responded to this treatment better than any other shampoo/conditioner combination I have tried. Note that Cardinal do not have a whitening conditioner so even though I still feel Cardinal is a better shampoo in and of itself, the Pantene shampoo and conditioner combination as a whole is noticeably better. While not quite “brilliant” (Dawn was quite dull to begin with) a short interval second bathing (say within a week) would bring her up to show standard. Even the dark stained beard and tear duct area responded well but these areas, as ever, still require one of the specialty “enzyme shampoos” marketed for Bichon Frise and Maltese dogs for best results. The Pantene shampoo and conditioner is lightly scented giving Dawn a fresh but not “flowery” smell. For dogs with especially sensitive skin you should use a non-scented conditioner from another brand and accept slightly less effective whitening. The only problem was that even though they are supposed to be softer than the grizzles, Dawn’s whites came out a bit too soft. This is fine for a pet but if Dawn were being show campaigned I would reduce both the amount of conditioner being used and the time it was allowed to “stand” prior to being rinsed out. This is clearly a case of personal tastes and requires a bit of experience with the products to get the correct balance for the final results. So, on a performance basis I highly recommend trying Pantene Silver Expressions shampoo and conditioner. It is however quite expensive at approximately $11:00 per bottle for each. Properly mixed one should be able to realize three bathings from a single bottle of shampoo and 4 from a single bottle of conditioner. This estimate is based on a dog of average size (75-85lbs) with “average white markings” and an average coat length of say 8 inches. Larger dogs with unusually large coveralls and white splashes in the grizzles and longer hair will use more of course but unless your dog is essentially all white you would still realize a minimum of two bathings per bottle of shampoo and 3 bathings per bottle of conditioner. As with the use of any “human shampoos/conditioners” for dog bathing a complete and thorough rinsing is absolutely essential to ensure skin health. Do not leave even the slightest amount of conditioner residue in the dog by rinsing until there are no hints of “conditioner bubbles” present in the runoff water. Hoping this helps anyone looking for an effective whitening shampoo. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
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| I'm sure the Pantene is less expensive than the silver shampoo we use here on human heads; one natural silver and the other a platinum blonde. It is a designer shampoo from a beauty salon, Designline Super Silver shampoo. It's probably the same as the Pantene, very blue and thick. I've used it once on Kensie's boots, not really paying attention to application, just trying to get the job done quickly. Afterward I thought, "She is really white" but attributed it to "just shampoo" not the silver hair shampoo. I found a puddle of undiluted shampoo on the shelf holding the bottle. The fiberglass was stained blue. It has faded --almost entirely. I don't expect it to be an issue in the future, but for now I'm still miffed. |
| Carl, I will try this. I had glanced at it in the beauty supply shop and thought perhaps I might try it one day. Now I will definitely try it on our OES. I had never thought of diluting it and spraying on the whites as described by you. That is a brilliant idea. It would definitely work well. I never use gloves when shampooing for I want to know, as you do, how harsh the shampoo is. If it dries my hands or irritates them, then I will not use it again on the dogs. I never knew there were such things as "whitening" conditioners. I'll have to investigate that further. Thank you for such explicit directions on how you used the products. That is very helpful. Off to use this technique with another shampoo on three sets of beards and paws now! Linda Zimmerman |
| Thanks for this review Carl. I always appreciate your thorough and informative reviews. |
Sounds good. I have used some of my own personal whitening shampoos as well - they do work. I have it for highlights and me living in the country with a well for water - and we have high iron content. A water softener can only do so much.  |
| Thank you Carl for your very helpful information. I've used your helpful hints in bathing all three of my girls. |
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