This is an ongoing debate for as long as I can remember. Buying products from a salon verse buying products from a drug store which should you be doing? Clearly, there is a convenience to buy your hair care at the same place you buy everything else, but is this the best idea? What you don't know about these products could be the reason you are struggling to achieve the hair you have always wanted or worse! As a stylist, I know I recommend products based on what someone's hair is needing at the time of their visit. I always want the client's hair to perform at home just the way it does in the chair. I hear that a lot, "My hair never looks as goo as when you do it!" Although that is very flattering, the biggest reason you are not able to recreate at home is not having the right tools. Techniques can be taught if one has the products to support. I will share with you, as a licensed cosmetologist, why one is recommended and truly better over the other.
COST
Let's go ahead and address, what i feel, is the biggest concern around buying products from a salon. Do you know what you spend now? Or better question, do you know how often you are buying shampoo, conditioner, or styling products? I'd say for the vast majority, probably not. Most of the time your stylist recommends shampoo, conditioner, or styling products to best fit your hair type. The question that follows the recommendation is, "how much is that going to be?" Understandably when you hear a total of 3 products is typically over $100 you shy away from buying them. But next time, maybe just buy 1 of them, or ask if there is a trial size. I know the product line I love and trust, Kevin Murphy, has trial size of most products. Even if you did splurge and buy them at one time, each product is used in different portions, most likely you will not need to replenish all at one time. You can spread out the expense! The reason the products are a bit more expensive is because they are made with pure ingredients. Also, they are packaged with a guarantee! Products purchased from a drug store are stretched with fillers to lower the cost for you. Those fillers are the reason you aren't happy with your hair.
pH BALANCE
I know we have all heard this term at one time or another. This is a measuring scale that is used to test the difference between acidic and alkaline. Many are wondering, what does this have to do with products? Quite a bit, something you may not know is, our skin and hair fall on the acid side of the scale, typically between 4.5- 5.5. You see, when a product is highly alkaline it causes the cuticle of the hair strand to open, when it is acidic the cuticle closes. Using products that are not close to the natural pH can cause damage, build- up, over active oil glands, and many other problems over time. Drug store brands typically are very high on the alkaline side of the scale due to the fillers used to stretch the product and lower the cost, as said before. Though many products are made with similar ingredients, the drug store brands are going to be lower in concentration of the good parts vs products purchased from a salon that are highly concentrated with vitamins and nourishment for the hair with no diluting.
ENVIRONMENT
Not everyone is concerned about our environment, but the reality is our lands and oceans are suffering and dying due to us humans not caring, With the drug store brand being as diluted as they are, people are using twice as much if not three times the amount necessary to get the job done. In turn all those bottles are lying in a landfill or waterway somewhere killing the eco-system. Imagine, each person in the world disposing of just 1 bottle improperly, that is nearly 8 billion items polluting our Earth! This problem has started to be address in the beauty industry, thankfully! A sub section of green beauty, blue beauty is a part that recognizes the effects our industry's packaging has on the environment. In the brand that I recommend, love, and support. Kevin Murphy, they have started packaging their products from reclaimed plastic waste from our oceans. Advanced in the topic, Kevin Murphy has paired with 4 Oceans to help this journey come to reality.
“This change is for the future of our environment and for us to be truly sustainable – to clean up our oceans for the sake of our planet and for future generations.” – Kevin Murphy
STYLIST KNOW BEST
There are many out there that think the stylist is recommending the products to make an additional dollar. I know this because prior to my education, I regrettably admit, I was one of them. Once I was taught the reasons, I changed my ways and have never looked back. As I have listed above a few reasons, there are many others that are not listed. Do you know there is a difference between hydrate and moisture for the hair? Of course not, you are not a professional! You wouldn't typically question your doctor or dentist, would you? Why challenge your stylist? We are educated to know what each head of hair needs to perform properly, the way you want! Especially after having a color service or chemical service done, why would you not want to get the most out of that service by having the products to support it.
DIVERSION
Some will say, "Oh, I used good products. I buy salon products from the grocery store." Guess what, most of the time what you are buying is expired and can't be sold in a salon because quality cannot be guaranteed. There is a disclaimer on every salon product that guarantees quality if purchased from a salon. These companies don't want to lose money based on over production so they sell to a large supply chain at a lower cost and can do this because of the disclaimer. Unfortunately, the lack of loyalty these brands are giving to the industry are making it harder and harder to get consumers to understand the facts.
Hopefully I have given you enough information for you to understand the reason why you should be buying from your salon. If you happen to have other concerns, reachout to me, let me know what they are, I am always happy to help! Ultimately, what do you have to lose? 9 times out of 10 you are going to be elated you gave it a try. Plus, most salons will allow you to return or trade items you aren't happy with. I know we have allowed it at my salon. I have even gone as far as telling some I would give them their money back and let them keep the product if they aren't happy with it.
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