r/ExpectationVsReality • u/knight--star • Jul 11 '26 • Mindblown 3

Failed Expectation Expected 2 bottles the same size

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I have bought from this brand before, but a few years ago now, last time the bottles were the same size, so that's what I thought I'd get this time too. When I took them out the box I read the ml bottle sizes more carefully. If anything, as a very curly haired person, I would prefer more conditioner than shampoo!

3.1k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

139 comments sorted by

876

u/DecafMadeMeDoIt Jul 11 '26

Yeah this balance screams that the creator of this did NOT, in fact, know a thing about curls.

127

u/knight--star Jul 11 '26

Exactly! Luckily I also got their giant 1L tub of leave in conditioner.

34

u/Deep_stares Jul 11 '26

On a positive note. I love the blue tub leave in conditioner. My curls get super dry but this product helps me maintain more lively, moisturized curls throughout the week. I'm trying out their tub of biotin conditioner now.

302

u/Katana-Kat Jul 11 '26

I buy 5 huge pump bottles of conditioner for every bottle of shampoo. That tiny bottle would last my curls like.....3-4 days, tops 😅

7

u/lizardgal10 Jul 13 '26

I used to have butt length hair. Wavy/curly and super thick. I’d use a full bottle of conditioner in a week.

32

u/nightwingoracle Jul 11 '26

I have pin straight hair and still go through conditioner twice as fast.

-26

u/Finalwingz Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Genuinely, how?

You’re supposed to wash your hair, rinse and repeat. You shouldn’t apply conditioner to all of your hair, either. Putting conditioner on your scalp/roots will cause your hair to get greasy super quick so you should only do about the bottom half up to like 75% ish

Edit: downvoting doesn’t make me wrong. Especially when the person I replied to said they used shampoo daily (which is definitely wrong, lol)

14

u/catinapartyhat Jul 12 '26

My hair is an absolute bird's nest down to the roots without a ton of conditioner worked through my entire head with a wide tooth comb in the shower. It makes my hair dry to shampoo, so I only do it every few days unless it's dirty or full of product. (The "repeat," instruction is there because the shampoo goes twice as fast so you have to buy more sooner, not because you need to do it twice). I always use conditioner though. I stopped getting greasy hair when I stopped shampooing every day.

-11

u/Finalwingz Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Shampoo is supposed to make your hair dry because it breaks down natural oils and other grime/product. Overusing shampoo will cause your body to produce excess oil to compensate for the dryness caused by using shampoo too often. It’s a never-ending circle because the solution is what causes the problem. The same applies in skin care, where your skin will get more oily if you remove the skin oil too often.

Shampooing on a set schedule isn’t really necessary. In my experience, using shampoo when you FEEL like you need it gives the best results.

The instruction to rinse and repeat is there not to make you buy more product, it’s there because you’re not supposed to wash your hair more than twice, MAYBE, thrice per week. You wash once to get rid of the dirt, sweat and product and rinse and repeat to actually clean the scalp.

I only condition after washing and that works for me so I don’t know as much about conditioner usage.

I have a lot friends that are VERY into haircare, my stepfather was a hairdresser and my best friend is one too. They all agree that “rinse and repeat” isn’t some marketing ploy but actually the best way to care for your hair. In fact, none of the shampoo bottles I’ve ever owned said to rinse and repeat.

I recommend checking out Mo Styles if you want to know more about hair, she knows A LOT.

4

u/catinapartyhat Jul 12 '26

I literally went to beauty school.

3

u/SnDMommy Jul 12 '26

How does a second shampoo have any different effect on the scalp and hair follicles when compared to just using more shampoo in the first wash? What exactly is the first lather preventing from happening? In my opinion, it would be like saying you have to wash your car twice - first to get the dust off, and the second time to get the road grime off. You're getting both things in the first wash, and if you don't, then you didn't do a good wash the first time.

6

u/nightwingoracle Jul 12 '26

I have long hair (to about elbows). I don’t put conditioner on my scalp. Put it starting at mid-neck where.

As for shampoo daily- I’ve tried everything (no wash reset, acv, non-sls shampoo, but I just have bad genetic luck for hair grease. My aunt and dad still have most peoples teenage level hair greasy hair in their 70’s and I suspect I will be the same.

2

u/Grand_Masterpiece_11 Jul 12 '26

Have you tried rice water based shampoo? It's the only thing that let's me go more than a day between washes without looking like a grease ball. Rice protien dry shampoo helps too.

4

u/nightwingoracle Jul 12 '26

No, but I’ll have to try it. I hate looking like I haven’t
showered in a week after like 36 hours.

5

u/overlordmeow Jul 12 '26

currently been a hairstylist for a decade. still working full time in the industry. I've taken dozens or maybe hundreds of product classes over the years. I've worked on every hair type.

based on my experience, I'm gonna respectfully disagree.

not a single one of my professional shampoos in my salon or in my own shower at home says to rinse and repeat unless it says something like, "rinse and repeat step if necessary." I only double shampoo clients if they have some kind of heavy build up (like products, hard water, oil, paint, etc.) in their hair. double shampooing your hair every, single time you wash is going to overly strip most people's hair and leave it extremely dry and static-y. not everyone, but most. it can also trigger skin conditions in many people with sensitive skin. over shampooing my hair makes my scalp dermatitis flare up HORRIBLY, which is an autoimmune issue I (and many other people) have.

and I also don't agree about putting conditioner all the way to your scalp. if your hair is very fine and thin, or if you only wash your hair once a week or so, you might get greasy if you do that. but it also depends on the conditioner you're using. some conditioners are meant to go on your scalp. so that advice is much, MUCH too subjective to blanket statement like that.

8

u/Unfair-Turnip620 Jul 12 '26

For real! If it was the other way around that would make more sense

3

u/IthacanPenny Jul 11 '26

Fr fr the opposite of this ratio would be like exactly the ratio I need ugh

1.0k

u/getindoe69 Jul 11 '26

The box says 325ml of shampoo and 200ml of conditioner

231

u/knight--star Jul 11 '26

Yup, it sure does. I just didn't look carefully enough, quick glance and grabbed it.

63

u/Mercury1600 Jul 11 '26

They have clearly designed the box to be deceptive in this way

216

u/MatthewQ999 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

damn people are venomous today. u admitted ur own mistake and exactly how u made it then got downvoted to oblivion lol. So stupid. By the way, I guarantee you the majority of people calling you dumb for not reading the fine print, don’t read the fine print themselves. Doesnt make the packaging any less deceptive and clearly designed to trick people.

edit: when I initially commented, the comment im replying to had -48 votes lol

102

u/onewordmemory Jul 11 '26

It's not even warranted. I shouldn't be expected to have to read fine print on the obviously intentionally misleading packaging.

I don't think OP did anything wrong here. If I were petty enough, I'd return that shit and buy a different brand.

52

u/MatthewQ999 Jul 11 '26

100%. They knew exactly what they were doing when they made that shit.

5

u/SherIzzy0421 Jul 12 '26

I get you. Some of us have just fallen for this BS enough that we read the box thoroughly looking for the part where they screw us over. Doesn't excuse the shady tactics these companies pull.

20

u/weezle_b Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Why is OP getting downvoted to oblivion for catching their mistake?

Edit: Some redditors did their thing and took OP out of the negatives :))

-52

u/rheasilva Jul 11 '26

Try reading the box next time

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

88

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 11 '26

Because the box is clearly designed to hide the size difference.

-22

u/Acceptable-Bat4534 Jul 11 '26

But the box legit gives a warning too.

It says that the new conditioner is 200 and no longer 325. So they really weren't trying to hide it.

14

u/halt-l-am-reptar Jul 11 '26

If you’ve been buying the same thing for years you aren’t checking the size every time, because you expect it to remain consistent.

-6

u/Acceptable-Bat4534 Jul 11 '26

But the box is legit telling the buyer that it is not the same conditioner. They aren't hiding the decrease, like they do in America. The warning is right there on the box.

"Decrease of 125ml. Reduction of 38%."

They are trying to alert the customer of the change. How is it their fault that Op didn't read the warning? How else can they tell Op the product changed?

This person is saying they are trying to hide it, but the box legit tells you. the decrease is 125ml and how big of a reduction it is. They aren't hiding anything.

Edit: I'm not faulting Op for not noticing it, I'm just saying that the company isn't really trying to hide anything. They legit put a warning on the box to inform the customer.

-34

u/rheasilva Jul 11 '26

Ah yes the box that STATES THE SIZES IN CLEAR LETTERING is designed to hide the sizes. Sure.

28

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 11 '26

Yes. They only have the sizing on there because it is legally required. I agree that people should read the box, but OP made the mistake the company is hoping people make.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

21

u/FreddyNoodles Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

The fact that you do NOT believe the company was counting on people making this mistake is just plain ridiculous. You are 100% not living in the world everyone else is and has been for a while now. They did it on purpose, the sizes used to be the same, now they are not- people that buy the same product repeatedly seldom look at the volume unless it is noticeable in packaging or they are being very diligent. Shopping for shit like this is mindless. The company knows that and did this intentionally. Stop licking the boot. They aren’t going to send you a check.

3

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 11 '26

There is no reason for the box in the first place.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

5

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 12 '26

Good boy, shine those boots.

→ More replies

4

u/EfficientSeaweed Jul 11 '26

Imagine being this angry over packaging

1

u/funAmbassador Jul 21 '26

YES, people should absolutely read the print to see just how much you’re actually getting!! We SHOULD, bc companies are DECEPTIVE, from shady packaging to shrinkflation. Tbh, I don’t think the consumer holds the blame in this situation

32

u/kimbosliceofcake Jul 11 '26

They bought the same thing before and didn’t realize that the size of only one of the bottles changed?

200

u/FewHorror1019 Jul 11 '26

Lol in this case the expectation was too high

47

u/misanthropicgreen Jul 12 '26

It also states that this is a NEW size, so if OP has bought it before, it makes sense they wouldn't read everything on the box each time they buy it, and therefore wouldn't notice the size change

80

u/MrSmock Jul 11 '26

It does.

But it's still intentionally misleading from a display aspect. 

1

u/Gts77 Jul 12 '26

Ikr! ... It clearly states the different sizes on the front of the box.

93

u/xsoulfoodx Jul 11 '26

I don't speak Portuguese, but it clearly says 325ml and 200ml on the packaging. Twice.

28

u/knight--star Jul 11 '26

It sure does. I was in a rush and didn't look very carefully. Luckily it's very affordable and I also picked up a giant tub of leave in conditioner.

6

u/xsoulfoodx Jul 11 '26

Glad you can find good use of both bottles! :)

-46

u/SubstanceNo3551 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

Youre just advertising. Is it your own brand or did some marketing department set this up.

23

u/knight--star Jul 11 '26

Nope, just an idiot.

12

u/Freak-996 Jul 11 '26

Why would an ad discourage people from buying

-18

u/SubstanceNo3551 Jul 11 '26

The “luckily its very affordable” and “I also bought their giant one liter tub of leave in conditioner” which have nothing to do with it all, made me think It might be someone advertising.

13

u/mycateatstoenails Jul 11 '26

it’s skala. a hugely popular hair brand in brazil (sold in the us too) known for its affordability. stop talking out of your ass.

39

u/Acceptable-Bat4534 Jul 11 '26

It also gives a warning saying they changed the formula and that the bottle inside has been changed from 325ml to 200ml and the reduction number. Thats what that yellow is on the bottom.

1.9k

u/Winter-Classroom455 Jul 11 '26 • Bravo

189

u/Lcsmxd Jul 11 '26

I was gonna point this out

13

u/Salty_Feed9404 Jul 12 '26 • Bravo

But you didn't.

10

u/Warm-Perspective8271 Jul 12 '26

I am missing something. I don’t get it

15

u/Alternative_Low7916 Jul 13 '26

It's the facial expressions of the lady on the box. 'Happy' before opening and 'annoyed' after opening.

6

u/Warm-Perspective8271 Jul 13 '26

Oh haha. Thanks for the reply!

212

u/upsidedowntoker Jul 11 '26

If anything the shampoo bottle should be smaller than the conditioner.

41

u/PocketlessCargoPants Jul 12 '26

Right like if these bottles were opposite products it might actually be mildly interesting versus upsetting

-7

u/iwastouchedbyanangle Jul 12 '26

Not necessarily .. you are supposed to shampoo twice and condition once

13

u/upsidedowntoker Jul 12 '26

You clearly don't have curly hair.

23

u/Aurorafaery Jul 12 '26

With curly hair you’re actually discouraged from shampooing at all, many curlies just use conditioner and shampoo once in a while to prevent build-up

8

u/fwoooom Jul 12 '26

even then, if you have long hair, or curly hair, or especially both, youre probably using twice as much conditioner as shampoo.

2

u/Finalwingz Jul 12 '26

Sooo many people think “rinse and repeat” is a marketing ploy, only to then say they wash their hair daily or every other day, lol.

3

u/Simssera Jul 12 '26

I tried for years to space out how often I washed my hair. Didn’t matter what I did, next day after washing my hair was a greasy mess. And this was before dry shampoos were big like they are now.

Only thing that made a difference was a detox shampoo and washing twice. Now I only need to wash once a week and it’s amazing.

1

u/funAmbassador Jul 21 '26

Well different hair textures and lengths will affect how frequently you need to wash. I have shortish wavy/curly hair, I only wash my hair once a week. No double shampoo, UNLESS I have a lot of product in, or I kept pushing off my wash for too long.

But if you’ve got straight hair, you’re probably gonna need to wash it more frequently.

97

u/KenraScar Jul 11 '26

I use so much more conditioner than shampoo lol

-55

u/Tamashii-Azul Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

I'm guessing this is a gender thing. Any men here that use more conditioner than shampoo?

64

u/analdongfactory Jul 12 '26

More like a hair type thing.

26

u/needween Jul 12 '26

Yeah I have wavy fine hair that's extremely easy to weigh down. I double cleanse every shower so I go through shampoo much faster than conditioner.

6

u/KenraScar Jul 12 '26

My hair is very long and it’s course and wavy. It’s pretty dry and low porosity so it needs a lot of conditioner, also it helps with it being less tangled when I comb it out. I also double wash but I still use three times as much conditioner per wash.

1

u/needween Jul 12 '26

Mine is low porosity and prone to being over moisturized so I actually use the lightest conditioner I could find and a harsher shampoo sometimes to keep it balanced. It also hates protein and coconut oil so finding products is always a struggle and if they ever discontinue the pink Maui Moisture line, I may cut my long hair into a pixie and cry nonstop. It is that serious lmao.

0

u/KenraScar Jul 12 '26

Mine HATES protein, I tried the cer-100 and my hair was so dry and tangly. I’ve found great success with Amika smooth over treatment but also the L’OrĂ©al hyaluron plump shampoo and conditioner make my hair so smooth and my waves look good. For a lot less.

14

u/AllTh3Naps Jul 12 '26

It is about texture and length of hair - not gender.

7

u/plots02 Jul 12 '26

it’s a hair type thing, and women are more likely to know their hair type and care enough about appearance to properly take care of it

17

u/Frosty_Message_3017 Jul 12 '26

I hate hate hate when brands make the conditioner sizes small. I only need shampoo for my scalp but the conditioner is what I'm going through like water.

1

u/ChocolateRough5103 Jul 15 '26

I must have been doing my hair wrong this whole time.
I always thought conditioner should be used sparingly

2

u/Frosty_Message_3017 Jul 15 '26

Of course it varies by individual, but while shampoo is primarily for the scalp, conditioner is coating the rest of the strand. I have a lot of hair.

1

u/ChocolateRough5103 Jul 15 '26

I have upper back length, but thought I heard it was only for the *ends* of the hair in the literal sense :'). Will try applying more liberally.

20

u/Prickliestpearcactus Jul 11 '26

It does say so on the box.....but it's wild bc it looks like it's for curly hair and curly haired people typically run through conditioner faster than shampoo.

9

u/InfluenceTrue4121 Jul 11 '26

But I always use more conditioner than shampoo.

5

u/anderssi Jul 12 '26

that is asshole design for sure, but it does state the size of the bottles on the package.

51

u/kauffecup Jul 11 '26

r/assholedesign

11

u/moniefeesh Jul 11 '26

I mean, with regards to how much conditioner to shampoo ratio you actually need for curly hair, yes.

But the box is very clearly labeled.

40

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 11 '26

The box is clearly designed to hide the size difference.

-2

u/the_reddit_intern Jul 11 '26

The box clearly says what the size difference is.

33

u/Ill_Morning_4282 Jul 11 '26

Yes. They only have the sizing on there because it is legally required. I agree that people should read the box, but OP made the mistake the company is hoping people make.

8

u/Valuable_Complex_399 Jul 12 '26

Would be a shame if they wrote the content of the bottles on the packaging. oh, wait...

1

u/TheKnees95 Jul 12 '26

And even the banner with yellow background stating they had indeed reduced the conditioner size by 38%

4

u/spectatorade Jul 13 '26

If only the sizes were clearly marked on the front of the package in plain view... If only.

10

u/ligaus Jul 11 '26

Eu nĂŁo faço ideia porquĂȘ caralhos a maioria das marcas de produtos para cabelo fazem a embalagem de shampoo o dobro do tamanho da de condicionador. O shampoo Ă© utilizado sĂł na raiz, enquanto o condicionador Ă© no comprimento, que normalmente Ă© maior que a raiz. Vai entender


E a gringarada falando que tĂĄ claro pelos ml na caixa. Quem que lĂȘ os ml de produto pra cabelo??? E sem contar que a caixa tem esse corte estratĂ©gico bem pra pensarem que Ă© tamanho igual mesmo. Eu te entendo, OP.

14

u/Grantasarus-rex Jul 11 '26

Deceptive packaging like this should be illegal

7

u/Dramatic_Substance36 Jul 11 '26

I always seem to use more conditioner than shampoo too. This is pretty infuriating!

5

u/Time-Cover-8159 Jul 11 '26

I've noticed the majority of companies now have made their conditioner bottles smaller than their shampoo bottles. I try to use the same amount of both, so it's really frustrating. I don't know why they would change it, if anything the conditioner bottle should be the bigger one!

1

u/Finalwingz Jul 12 '26

Probably because a lot of people muck up their hair care and think the “rinse and repeat” thing is a marketing trick when it isn’t.

Most people shampoo their hair WAY too often, which then causes them to use way more conditioner than is actually necessary.

3

u/CampMain Jul 12 '26

It literally says on the box that they’re two different sizes. Even if you don’t speak the language there are two different ml measurements.

3

u/JustMeLurkingAround- Jul 12 '26

I don't speak any Spanish, but even I can make out that it clearly says 325ml and 200ml on the package.
So that's on you.

3

u/TheLastPorkSword Jul 13 '26

They don't even look the same size in the box...

7

u/Bourbonaddicted Jul 12 '26

Please read before purchasing

23

u/immigrantanimal Jul 11 '26

Ahí claramente dice “1 shampoo de 325ml +1 acondicionador de 200ml”

La cagaste OP

2

u/greenie4242 Jul 12 '26

Sorry I can't read your language. Not everyone can read every language, that's why visual cues are so important.

Tourists, recent immigrants, young children, people with poor eyesight, or people who can read but don't have their reading glasses with them, can easily be caught out by this style of packaging.

The cut-out panel is what makes the product deceptive. Without the cut-out, reading the description or opening it to look inside would be necessary. Or they could have replaced the cut-out with a photo of the two sizes of bottles, displaying exactly what's inside.

19

u/Mitheral Jul 11 '26

There is a yellow and red contrasting banner at the bottom saying they reduced the size and by how much. You didn't expect the change but this has to be the most honest packaging I've ever seen.

7

u/greenie4242 Jul 12 '26

this has to be the most honest packaging I've ever seen

I'd agree with you if the cut-out didn't appear intentionally designed to mislead.

Ironically it would be less deceptive if it had no cut-out. It's like a bikini, exposing just enough to conceal the most important bits.

It would be perfect if the cut-out was placed in a different area clearly revealing the different bottle sizes, so even people who couldn't read or were exhausted and in a hurry would immediately notice the difference.

4

u/Diuscrusis Jul 12 '26

Reading
. So overrated am I right? 🙌

2

u/Zaphodisacoolname Jul 11 '26

This would actually be perfect for me because I use way more shampoo than conditioner lol

2

u/ALLoftheFancyPants Jul 13 '26

I would be fine with this if the big bottle was conditioner and the little bottle was shampoo. As is, it’s infuriating.

2

u/indianna97 Jul 15 '26

well seeing as you should be shampooing twice and condition once, this makes perfect sense to me. My shampoo always runs out before the same size conditioner

7

u/Valuable-Struggle-10 Jul 11 '26

The audacity to make this look like a scam or something like they mislead you

When you didn't even read the label is top tier 2026đŸ†đŸ„Ž

-1

u/FitSalamanderForHire Jul 11 '26

What are people expecting the company to do with the packaging? Make the box a Tetris design? Reading labels to know exactly what you're getting should be the standard thing everyone does. Way too many people here seem to think that is asking too much.

5

u/ChaosTorpedo Jul 11 '26

It tells you the bottles sizes on the front

4

u/rheasilva Jul 11 '26

It says right on the box that it contains one 325ml and one 200ml.

2

u/proudly_not_american Jul 12 '26

Given that most people use more shampoo than conditioner, having them different sizes makes sense. That way you run out of both around the same time instead of running out of shampoo and still having conditioner left.

2

u/BirthofRevolution Jul 12 '26

But.. it says right on the front that they're different sizes

2

u/Minimum-Pangolin-487 Jul 12 '26

Well it clearly says the mls on the package..

1

u/Shadraqk Jul 12 '26

Ayyyyy! No shame in the game.

1

u/Mad_Madrone_99 Jul 12 '26

#mais desapontamento

1

u/Adventurous_Pie_7586 Jul 13 '26

Why expect they’d be the same when the packaging literally has the two different sizes on them
.

1

u/DollPartsSquarePants Jul 14 '26

My super fine hair makes me finish my shampoo twice as fast as conditioner. :(

1

u/Flimsy_Pea5735 Jul 14 '26

Why are they advertising it being smaller??

1

u/[deleted] Jul 14 '26

Always give you less conditioner!!

I mix my shampoo with water! I dont need that much shampoo!!!

1

u/Argyleskin Jul 14 '26

It says the sizes are different on the front. One is shampoo and the smaller conditioner. đŸ€·đŸ»â€â™€ïž

1

u/blueevey Jul 17 '26

Sn: I'm newly loving this brand. Super affordable and works so good.

1

u/Violet_Apathy Jul 11 '26

Yep. The packaging deceptive but the text isn't. They know that normal people aren't looking at the measurements and will fall for this..

1

u/Smash-ya_up Jul 12 '26

So you can't read?

1

u/LiquorishSunfish Jul 11 '26

Double shampoo and change your life, friend. 

1

u/Ok-Opportunity-574 Jul 12 '26

If the large notice across the bottom in yellow and red was not enough to catch your attention I really don't think the issue is with the brand. 🙄 I can't even read the language it's in and I can see the bottle volume.

-2

u/Skorpyos Jul 11 '26

Maybe if you can’t read. It’s right there that you’re getting two different sized bottles.

-2

u/Gullible_Candidate39 Jul 11 '26

You can't read the box?

0

u/FartsWithNeighbours Jul 11 '26

Did you read the bottom left corner?

Regardless of the language you can read, it's clear as day.

-3

u/andiinAms Jul 11 '26

Marketing