Dear Budget Babe,
I've often heard (and read) that hair care is the one thing we fabulous women shouldn't scrimp on; and, up until this point, I haven't. However, as a newlywed and recent college graduate who now has expenses in spades, I just can't bring myself to pay the usual $20+ a bottle for shampoo, conditioner, etc.
Do you have any product suggestions that will keep my hair shiny and healthy, and my wallet happy?
Dear Savvy Reader,
I think great hair is largely determined by 1) genetics, 2) diet and lifestyle (i.e. the foods you eat, whether or not you smoke, how stressed you are, if you're taking any medications, etc.) and finally, in last place, 3) the haircare products you use.
Don't get me wrong: I love experimenting with different shampoos and conditioners, I love the packaging, the fun botanical ingredients, the pretty fragrances and colors, but let's face it - they all use the same few basic ingredients. What I have found is that the differences in quality are very subtle, and that cheap shampoos and conditioners are just as good as expensive salon brands. I wish it weren't so - I wish I could find a pricey product that gives me the strong, lustrous hair you see in commercials, but it just ain't gonna happen.
So without further ado, my all-time favorite cheap shampoo and conditioner is Pantene Pro-V. The shampoo leaves hair clean without overdrying, and the conditioner is super rich and creamy. A small dab goes a long way. Neither has an obnoxious lingering fragrance.
I recently rediscovered another old classic after spotting it in my friend's shower (it was in plain sight, I swear): Suave Naturals. My friend has AMAZING hair, so when I learned she used Suave I was all over that. I bought a bottle of the Suave Naturals water lily and aloe conditioner and it's fantastic. Great texture, no residue, no nasty perfume smell.
Lately, I've also been trying to learn more about organic/natural/eco-friendly bath and beauty products that are still budget-friendly, so I've tried the store brands at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and I must say, they're solid products. I especially like the Whole Foods 365 brand mint shampoo and conditioner - tingles the scalp, smells great, works great. What's more, they're economical and supposedly better for you and the environment.
Beyond shampoo and conditioner, I'm a big fan of Sunsilk styling products. If you want to spend more on say, deep conditioning treatments or products that defrizz and define your tresses, I'd say invest in the products that work best for your hair - this is where I've found that products tend to vary more noticeably by brand and price.
What are some of your favorite hair care products? Does the price matter? Share in the comments...
I've often heard (and read) that hair care is the one thing we fabulous women shouldn't scrimp on; and, up until this point, I haven't. However, as a newlywed and recent college graduate who now has expenses in spades, I just can't bring myself to pay the usual $20+ a bottle for shampoo, conditioner, etc.
Do you have any product suggestions that will keep my hair shiny and healthy, and my wallet happy?
Dear Savvy Reader,
I think great hair is largely determined by 1) genetics, 2) diet and lifestyle (i.e. the foods you eat, whether or not you smoke, how stressed you are, if you're taking any medications, etc.) and finally, in last place, 3) the haircare products you use.
Don't get me wrong: I love experimenting with different shampoos and conditioners, I love the packaging, the fun botanical ingredients, the pretty fragrances and colors, but let's face it - they all use the same few basic ingredients. What I have found is that the differences in quality are very subtle, and that cheap shampoos and conditioners are just as good as expensive salon brands. I wish it weren't so - I wish I could find a pricey product that gives me the strong, lustrous hair you see in commercials, but it just ain't gonna happen.
So without further ado, my all-time favorite cheap shampoo and conditioner is Pantene Pro-V. The shampoo leaves hair clean without overdrying, and the conditioner is super rich and creamy. A small dab goes a long way. Neither has an obnoxious lingering fragrance.
I recently rediscovered another old classic after spotting it in my friend's shower (it was in plain sight, I swear): Suave Naturals. My friend has AMAZING hair, so when I learned she used Suave I was all over that. I bought a bottle of the Suave Naturals water lily and aloe conditioner and it's fantastic. Great texture, no residue, no nasty perfume smell.
Lately, I've also been trying to learn more about organic/natural/eco-friendly bath and beauty products that are still budget-friendly, so I've tried the store brands at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and I must say, they're solid products. I especially like the Whole Foods 365 brand mint shampoo and conditioner - tingles the scalp, smells great, works great. What's more, they're economical and supposedly better for you and the environment.
Beyond shampoo and conditioner, I'm a big fan of Sunsilk styling products. If you want to spend more on say, deep conditioning treatments or products that defrizz and define your tresses, I'd say invest in the products that work best for your hair - this is where I've found that products tend to vary more noticeably by brand and price.
What are some of your favorite hair care products? Does the price matter? Share in the comments...
Plus, if you buy the giant bottles of Matrix shampoo and conditioner at the beauty supply shop they're only $15 each.
So, I decided to compare the ingredients in Matrix Shampoo vs. L'Oreal Vive Pro, and I found they share 4 out of 5 top ingredients (Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate and Dimethicone).
My question to any scientists out there would be, if these two products are so similar, what accounts for Brianne's better experience with the pricier shampoo?
Thanks for sharing, Brianne!!
http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/07/04/is-pantene-good-or-bad-for-my-hair/
What they say: "The truth is, Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner formulas are believed to be among the best in the industry by those of us in the cosmetic science side of the business..."
Thanks for sharing, Rachelle. In the end, I do think you should find and use the product you like best.
For styling, I used to use a conditioner called S-Factor by Tigi. It was pretty expensive but worked wonders. I probably would have invested in another bottle when I ran out, except they don't sell it anywhere here, where I go to school. I've been using Frizz Ease by John Frieda (medium price at the drugstore) instead and my hair is still soft and shiny, but it lacks the moisture and straightness that S-Factor gave it.
who knew, right?