To maintain healthy, shiny strands, it’s absolutely crucial to be smart about where and when you buy your hair-care products. And since a recent survey by PopSugar found that 37 percent of women typically spend $200 or more annually on hair care, it’s not just your hair that’ll benefit from a lesson in being a savvy shopper—your wallet will be in better shape, too. So when you go get your hair cut or colored by a professional, do you really need to shell out for the pricey products they suggest you buy at the salon? Here’s what the experts want you to know.
Professional stylists are in-the-know about the science and technology behind new and current products and are testing the claims daily, so it’s definitely worth looking to them for hair-care recommendations versus buying products elsewhere. “Most product lines [carried at salons] are up to five times more concentrated in the active ingredients than similar products you will find in other retail stores,†says Roman Kusayev, a stylist and owner of Roman K Salon in New York City who has worked on Danica Patrick. He adds that since the salons are using the actual product they’re selling, you can trust that they’d only use the best. Â
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That being said, in some cases, stylists can push clients to buy products because they make a commission off the sales. “The stylist should educate you on the product from the beginning of the appointment and use the product [or products] in the process,†says Kusayev. “If the stylist doesn’t, then he or she could just be looking to make a sale and probably doesn’t care if the client needs the product or not.†If you get the vibe that your stylist is just not that into you and is just pushing products to make a sale, put the brakes on it pronto, says Jet Rhys, wner of Jet Rhys Salon in San Diego. “If you feel like you’re getting pushed, close the door on the conversation by saying something like, ‘Thank you for recommending these, I have everything I need at home,’†says Rhys.Â
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But what if you see your favorite salon product at the drugstore? Not so fast. While there are some seriously awesome deals to be had on everyday items, it’s not so ideal for purchasing products from salon brands. That’s because these products could be fake, or they even could have been tampered with. Paul Mitchell, for example, has a disclaimer on their website stating that their products are only guaranteed when purchased in a professional salon, not a drugstore or any other unauthorized sources.
Some ways to avoid a fake out: Smell the product you’re looking to buy for any funkiness, look at the formula to see if it’s discolored, check the packaging (a dull bottle can be the sign of a fading after being left in a warehouse), check the expiration date to make sure it hasn’t passed, and make sure the seal isn’t missing or broken. Rhys says that it’s okay to buy hair accessories like those from Goody in a drugstore, and Kusayev adds that baby shampoo, dandruff shampoos, and/or hairspray are all products you can save on by buying drugstore versions made by manufacturers (like Procter Gamble and Johnson Johnson) that only sell their products to drugstores.Â
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And experts agree that discount stores and sites should be avoided at all costs. In many cases, these are black market products, so they may be bought from other salons that couldn’t sell them, and they might have been sitting somewhere without the proper storage temperature for long periods of time, says Kusayev. “There is also a big operation of fraud, where products are being diluted—or even counterfeit products being sold to all kinds of Internet web retailers,†he says. If you’d still rather surf the Web for hair-care products, go straight to the brand’s site, which will usually sell products right online or direct consumers to a salon locator. There, you’ll get a list of verified locations for your brand of choice.