Professional hair care products vs drugstore

It’s one of the most-asked questions in the beauty industry. Are professional hair care products really all that different from their drugstore counterparts? While it may seem a lot more convenient to pick up your shampoo and conditioner at the same time as your salad mix and coffee filters, it really boils down to one key difference: quality.

LET’S TALK ABOUT COST

Let’s just get to the heart of the professional haircare v. drugstore product debate: cost.  A bottle of shampoo at the drugstore usually runs around $5-$10. While products that you find in a salon easily cost 2-3 times as much. So, what are you really getting for your money?

Taking care of your hair is a lot like taking care of your car. You spend a lot of money getting a cut, color, and style that you really love and will fit your lifestyle—just like when you went car shopping.

THEN, THERE IS THE MAINTENANCE.

When it comes to ongoing car maintenance, you can choose to save a few extra bucks by putting in the lowest grade gasoline, generic replacement parts and settling for standard oil changes. Over time, the quality of the car will be affected. The ride won’t be as smooth and you’re likely to face costly repairs more often.

It’s the same with choosing drugstore haircare products. Since the ingredients aren’t as high quality or concentrated as a professional haircare brands—that’s why they are half the price! It will affect the health and beauty of your hair.

The result? That gorgeous rich balayage that you walked out of the salon with will get drier, more brittle and less shiny without the proper products to care for it, post appointment.

IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS

There are a lot of questions out there regarding hair product ingredients. Which ones are beneficial and which ones to avoid. For the purposes of comparing professional hair care products that you would buy in a salon to the drugstore versions, let’s talk natural versus synthetic ingredients.

Natural oils and fruit extracts (like what you’ll find in milk_shake professional haircare products) are quite a bit more expensive than their synthetic imitators. These natural ingredients are proven to have a more beneficial effect on hair healthy and vitality. So it’s always a good idea to look for products that incorporate as many of them as possible.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Not only do professional haircare products use more high-quality ingredients, they also have more highly concentrated formulas than products from a big box store. The higher concentration allows you to use less of the product each time—making each bottle last longer.

While a mass-produced line may require you to use a quarter-sized amount of product every time you wash, condition or style, most salon-carried products can get the job done using only about a dime-sized dollop.

So while you may feel like you’re paying more for the same amount of product, you are actually getting more life out of each fluid oz. Over the lifespan of one bottle of product, you could get almost twice as much use.

Regardless of your hair type, style or color, professional hair care products are worth the extra investment. By using products with high-quality ingredients in a more concentrated form, you are protecting your hair’s health, vitality and ensuring that your hair stays beautiful in-between appointments.