Higher price=better product? No!

[SouthernSweetie]

Recently I was talking to someone that I work with about trying to grow my hair out and about what we normally do for our routines. She dyes her hair frequently, but doesn't use heat very often and her hair is very healthy looking. I was talking about how I haven't used heat in over 2 years or so and how I have accepted my natural hair color, and we got on the subject of shampoo and conditioner. She asked me what kind I used and I told her I used Suave and its really cheap so its awesome. Before I write what she responded I just want to say that I had not mentioned anything about not being satisfied with the products I used and I did not say that I didn't like the way my hair was looking. After I told her what I used she immediately said,"Well, that is your problem. I use really expensive stuff from the salon that they recommended. It lasts forever so its not terribly pricey in the end." The whole time she was talking about it she didn't mention the brand or why she really liked it except that it was really expensive. Why in the world do people think that just because something costs more that it must be better? What I use works perfectly fine, and I was really irritated that she kinda scoffed at what I was using like it wasn't good enough. Has anyone else every experienced something like this?

Oh, and it was right before my birthday weekend, and when she was leaving she said, "Since its going to be your birthday you should go get your hair done on your day off so that you can pamper yourself and feel pretty." What? I don't need my hair done? Why do people act like women have to go get their hair altered in some way in order to feel beautiful or pretty? I just don't understand why she said that. I guess she doesn't like my hair, but I don't really care to be honest. During our earlier conversation she mentioned that she was already getting grey hairs and shes in her twenties. I mentioned that I thought it would look great with her hair color and she should embrace it and not feel like she had to cover it up, but I guess maybe I shouldn't have gave her my opinion if I didn't want hers back?

[Quasiquixotic]

Well in some things price does mean an increase in quality. But in today's society that is not always the case. You sorta have to experiment and decide for yourself what you are willing to spend money on and what you aren't.

My grandma says: you can't judge people by their spending habits. Everyone as their pet extravagances and pet frugalities. And they will always never make sense to you.

Just remember you have your own idiosyncrasies that don't make sense to anyone else as well.

[lapushka]

You are *totally* right about that. If Suave was a brand we could get here, I would totally use that. For now I still have my Pantene shampoos (a whole backstash of Aqua Light and a few clarifying and volumizing ones), but once that runs out I am going to be sticking with the shampoos from my local Aldi/Lidl. They don't cost a lot and are *just* as good - if not better.

[Platzhalter]

Go with whatever works for you - there's no need to get something pricey just to have something that costs more than a cheaper product with better quality. Not to mention that hair care products aren't something you'll keep for a long time. Save the money and spend it on something you like and that keeps.
Oh... and greys can look great even on young people like us ;)

[AutobotsAttack]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else. I've had products that were nearly 40$ a bottle. And worked great, and I've had products for less than 5$ that also worked just as good. So it really depends on your hair, and your budget. because I've had expensive products destroy my hair. And also had cheap products that brought my hair back to life.

[cathair]

Same as the post above. I have conditioners I love that were £1 and some I love that were £25. They do different things. I'm the first person to grab a bargain if there is one to be found!

There's no need to be snobby about it, or for her to pass judgement on what you were using like that though. It's just ignore her, sounds like she's trying to justify her habit to herself.

[khryz]

Duplicate post below.

[khryz]

I salute you for embracing your natural hair colour! I'm having a hard time with mine, and I can't even remember if it's black or dark brown anymore. People can be very brand (and price) conscious, and well, whatever rocks her boat. Your hair looks lovely. F**K the expensive salon products, they tend to be overpriced anyway, and one can always get them from somewhere else at a fraction of the cost. Ever since I joined LHC and have had my fair share of bad salon experiences, I'm glad I'm not helping these people pay their rent anymore lol.

[bunneh.]

From personal experience, things that usually make people go "What?!" are the ones that work the best, at least for me... Eggs, oil, yoghurt, honey, whatever else there is. In terms of products I agree that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a good product, cheap products can work just as well. I've seen a video of a woman reviewing a very expensive eyeshadow pallete I believe it was around 100$, and in the middle of the video one of the shadows fell out of the pallete. I almost died laughing. There you have your "high quality" stuff. It's a proof most expensive products cost a lot not because they'd be expensive to make or be better than others available, but because of the brand name. You pay 10 - 20$ for a product and other 80$ goes for the name printed on the bottle or box.

[stelz]

Maybe she just started with the pricey shampoo and conditioner and she's looking for converts. People who are new to something often do that, I'm not sure why.

It might really be just the thing on her hair, but that doesn't mean it will do the same thing for everybody. I have a friend whose hair only behaves when she uses Paul Mitchell, for some reason. It's not all in her mind, I can see the difference. But when I use Paul Mitchell, I get the same results I get from cheaper products. So there's no point in me spending the money on something that performs about equally with Pantene, Ogx, and, for that matter, Suave.

[Red.]

I've never had any luck with pricy brands. I don't know why. They just don't work for me. Anything that makes my hair feel good can be found at your local grocery store. With a lot of things, you're paying for the brand. I've seen people buy some expensive stuff that I would honestly call absolute crap. If it makes her feel better about herself/superior then, as she said, "well, that is your problem!"

I will say that I think her other comments seem very innocent. It's a common thing to do for a birthday. I think it does feel
nice to get out of your normal routine, do something nice for yourself. No ill intent that I can see.

[Annalouise]

I think there are products out there that are horrible. Horrible formulations that stink to high heaven and make some people's hair fall out.
With that said, I would say if price is an issue, then stick to products that are formulated for long hair and moisturizing!!! Long hair is hair that has been around for years. It is possible to damage your hair with bad products. Especially if your hair is fine and delicate. Then you really want to be selective and buy products that are formulated for your hair type with your hair goals in mind. And for that it might be wise to ask a professional what they recommend.:) Keep in mind if a stylist has clients with long hair, and they've been using the same product for years and it is not damaging their hair, then its safe to say, it will not damage yours. :cheer:

[lapushka]

I think there are products out there that are horrible. Horrible formulations that stink to high heaven and make some people's hair fall out.
With that said, I would say if price is an issue, then stick to products that are formulated for long hair and moisturizing!!! Long hair is hair that has been around for years. It is possible to damage your hair with bad products. Especially if your hair is fine and delicate. Then you really want to be selective and buy products that are formulated for your hair type with your hair goals in mind. And for that it might be wise to ask a professional what they recommend.:) Keep in mind if a stylist has clients with long hair, and they've been using the same product for years and it is not damaging their hair, then its safe to say, it will not damage yours. :cheer:

Claiming that cheap products are "bad" products and that only a so-called professional will be able to help you seems a little far-fetched to me, personally.

I only rely on cheap products, have relied on them all my life (and I'm 43 now) and I have never had a bad reaction in my life. So I take a little bit of offense - sorry.

[embee]

Higher price product is sometimes just paying for high price advertising.

[meteor]

From personal experience, I always found price alone to be zero predictor of hair product's performance. It does help to read ingredients lists and to do own research before buying, but the specific price tag itself seems to have more to do with marketing than actual performance? :hmm:

According to cosmetic product chemist Randy Schueller (of the Beauty Brains fame), the cost of ingredients is only about 10% of the product's overall cost, and during a study with unmarked products "in general, the salon products did not score as well as the mass market products" (http://www.metronews.ca/life/health/2015/11/16/salon-hair-products-versus-mass-market-products.html). It's also important to note how the same cosmetic companies like to leverage the exact same research & development findings, ingredients and sometimes almost entire formulas across the whole range of brands that they own, because they want the same formulas to generate sales across different markets (whether you are a drugstore buyer or a salon buyer). For example, L'Oreal owns Matrix, Redken, Kerastase, Pureology, L'Oreal Professionnel, Shu Uemura, Mizani, TheBodyShop, Kiehl's, Garnier Fructis, L'Oreal Paris, Elseve/Elvive, etc... (http://www.loreal.com/brand/), and you can find many dupes (or at least, very similar formulas) of products from their more expensive brands in their less expensive ones. Paula's Choice mention this, as well: http://www.paulaschoice.com/community/blog-talk-radio/drugstore-vs-high-end-haircare/
More on this issue: http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/12/how-kerastase-kills-your-cash/, http://thebeautybrains.com/2014/12/is-kerastase-worth-more-than-elvive/, http://thebeautybrains.com/2015/04/do-loreal-products-really-thicken-hair/



However, I think salon products are more likely to be in the lower pH range * (probably since that's what's often required for "neutralizing" after coloring/chemical straightening and other services...) and it's also reasonable to assume that salon conditioners can often contain more cationic surfactants, silicones - things that are more needed for damaged, chemically treated hair (http://www.metronews.ca/life/health/2015/11/16/salon-hair-products-versus-mass-market-products.html)... but that can also result in needing frequent clarifying and possibility of coated, lank feeling-hair if the hair is virgin and doesn't need such heavy conditioning. But again, you can probably find similar ingredients and performance in drug-store conditioners marketed for "damaged or very dry" hair. :shrug:

* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4158629/: "Among the commercial products (n = 96), 34.37% presented pH ≤ 5.5 and 65.62% presented pH > 5.5. 15 professional products (used in hair salons) were analyzed, of which 75% had a pH ≤ 5.5, and 25% had a pH > 5.5"

[Silverbrumby]

I use a really expensive shampoo ($43 Ultrax Labs Hair Surge) which has so far done the best job in stopping my scalp issues and hair loss). Cheap as chips conditioner (Aussie Miracle) or whatever else is on special.

I think the girl at work was out of line because she was offering unsolicited advice and making judgement calls not based on reality. Just thinking price = quality. Which isn't true.

To finish off I hope no one judges my expensive shampoo choice. It really is my only hair indulgence as i haven't had it professionally cut in 10+ years ;) Also when I checked Amazon I only get it once every 9 months as i only need to use so little.

[Entangled]

I use a really expensive shampoo ($43 Ultrax Labs Hair Surge) which has so far done the best job in stopping my scalp issues and hair loss). Cheap as chips conditioner (Aussie Miracle) or whatever else is on special.

I think the girl at work was out of line because she was offering unsolicited advice and making judgement calls not based on reality. Just thinking price = quality. Which isn't true.

To finish off I hope no one judges my expensive shampoo choice. It really is my only hair indulgence as i haven't had it professionally cut in 10+ years ;) Also when I checked Amazon I only get it once every 9 months as i only need to use so little.

Whatever works! Especially regarding hair loss.
I use Suave naturals. It's cheap and effective. Recently I've been going through a bottle of coney Pantene due to drier weather. Honestly, I've never really noticed too much of a difference from different conditioners. I've done Herbal Essences, Pantene, and now Suave, and didn't really notice too much of a difference between them. I can see a subtle difference between cones and non-cones, but my hair went "whatever, I don't care" to all of them. Shampoo is probably different, because skin is alive and thus reacts more than dead hair, plus sebum is removed by my shampoo, but I use what I have and I haven't noticed any ill effects.

[stelz]

I can get away with a 99 cent Suave shampoo, a $5 Ogx Sea Minerals conditioner, and a bit of Garnier Fructise Anti-Frizz or Bumble & Bumble invisible oil (expensive, but I use so little it should last virtually forever.)

When I can find cruelty-free shampoos with no sketchy ingredients (SLS, etc.), I get them and I don't mind paying a little extra because they're consciously not harming people or animals. They're difficult to get here, you have to travel a bit. But the conditioners that go with them that I've tried so far seem ineffective.

[pailin]

Well in some things price does mean an increase in quality. But in today's society that is not always the case. You sorta have to experiment and decide for yourself what you are willing to spend money on and what you aren't.

My grandma says: you can't judge people by their spending habits. Everyone as their pet extravagances and pet frugalities. And they will always never make sense to you.

Just remember you have your own idiosyncrasies that don't make sense to anyone else as well.

Quasi, your grandmother sounds like a wise woman :)

[Mirabele]

well i dont believe price=quality. i believe in testing and finding what works for each one individually. also, finding out what one is looking for.

there is a lot of people who believe higher price=qigher quality=better products. this goes for lots of things, not only hair products but perfume, shoes, bags, makeup, etc. i think high price often inlcudes high marketing costs. is it better than cheap products? sometimes a little bit, sometimes not.
i have always been lucky to find not expensive products that work well for ME.

also, as someone said, you will never understand other people preferences and logic behind their spending and saving.

[lapushka]

Well my mom shops at Aldi & Lidl & we haven't died yet. ;) :p Often products you find there (including the make-up, shower gels and bath gels (my dad loves them), shampoos, the like) is astoundingly good. It's an unknown brand, and some of it is no good, but that goes for branded products as well. I find the cookies and cakes far less sugary there. She spends around €100 on both shops weekly (including products for me, which I later pay her back for). It's a lot less than in a branded store.

[cathair]

Well my mom shops at Aldi & Lidl & we haven't died yet. ;) :p Often products you find there (including the make-up, shower gels and bath gels (my dad loves them), shampoos, the like) is astoundingly good. It's an unknown brand, and some of it is no good, but that goes for branded products as well. I find the cookies and cakes far less sugary there. She spends around €100 on both shops weekly (including products for me, which I later pay her back for). It's a lot less than in a branded store.

Nothing wrong with Aldi and Lidi! Many people say their concealer is practically the same as Touche Eclat!

[Hairkay]

Well I use water and kitchen stuff on my hair which is a lot cheaper than most hair products. I'm aware that there are some who'd be shocked or look down at me because of that. That's common here in LHC so I'm in good company:D. I'd be deluding myself and causing myself harm if I would believe that expensive hair products is best for me. Costs these days is mostly associated with branding rather than product content and quality.

[lapushka]

Nothing wrong with Aldi and Lidi! Many people say their concealer is practically the same as Touche Eclat!

Aldi or Lidl have permanent concealer in the UK stores? Not in Belgium. Our Lidl & Aldi both have bath, shampoo, body care items. Sometimes Lidl has make-up (temporary), but our Aldi has a permanent make-up line: lip gloss, lip stick, eye shadow, blush, powder, nail polish (and a brand new top coat at that). But the concealer in our Aldi was temporary. I got 2 shades of it, I remember - good stuff!!! Yes.

[SouthernSweetie]

All of you definitely made me feel better about the whole situation, and kinda verified the thoughts I had on the subject. Now that I'm not so irritated about what she said to me I have to say I don't think that she meant any of it in a bad way, but I think some people say things before they think about how it may effect the person on the other end of the conversation. I know that my spending habits/budget for my hair has drastically decreased since I have been a member here at LHC, yet my hair health has gotten dramatically better. I no longer get my hair bleached, colored, cut, or styled at hair salons, and I buy Suave shampoo and conditioner along with a few oils for leave-in and(of course) some of NightBlooming's hair salves. I don't have to buy products to hide the damage that hot tools would cause before because I don't use heat anymore. My hair is happier now, yet I spend so much less money! And I have everyone here at LHC to thank for that! Thanks everyone! :happydance:

[Simsy]

I have found, personally, the cheap shampoos and conditioners tear my hair to pieces. I eventually settled for the mid-priced (for Australia) tresseme and garnia which works as long as I remember to switch regularly. Price may not equal quality, but it does have some bearing on the outcome.

At the end of the day, the wash routine that works for you may not work for her and that's ok.

We come here for support and advice. Not all the advice is going to work for everyone but occasionally you may stumble on some gems.

[yahirwaO.o]

Well I bought the cheapest shampoo from a popular mexican brand last time in local area. 2 Dollars and has 1 liter (dont know the english reference) but its quite a lot and my hair loved it!!!
(Little Girls wash their hair with it everyday and they have the most amazing thick smooth hair)

Cheap drugstore stuff usually works great for me. Higher brands worked ok (shampoo and conditioner), but their smoothing products and deep masks are the best. I still buy from time to time Argan Oil and Kerastase Cat fine line, and Macadamia deep mask is the best commercial deep treatment my hair has ever tried on.

But My hair copes and fits better a minimalistic approach with plain drugstore shampoo, some hairspray and a little bit of coconut oil every now and then!

[lapushka]

Yep, minimalistic usually works for me too. Even though I hoard my stuff (but we'll just ssshush about that, shall we?)

[Arctic]

I don't have opinion about which is better, cheap or expensive. I'd say it depends on the product. But what I have noticed is, that the cheaper products often tend to have more simple ingredients lists, which I like. In general my hair is not very picky (but my scalp is), and simpler ingredients just make finding non-irritating products easier.

I tend to buy cheaper products most of the time - not the most cheap though, those aren't usually doing anything for me - and I navigate towards eco-friendly, silicone free, protein free, oil free, Finnish or European stuff. Animal friendly is a big big plus too.

There is something about just the thought of washing money down the drain, that isn't appealing to me when it comes to expensive bath/hair products.

[VisionOne]

There's a very popular blog in my country that is written by a hairdresser. She has a lot of girls that ask her for advice about hair and she also does product reviews. She always goes on about how it is very important that you buy "proffessional" products from your hairdresser and not use products from your local grocery store (which is not really a surprise since she profits from her clients buying products from her).

What frustrates me is that she says that the expensive hair salon-products is better "because they give your hair vitamins" and "makes your hair thicker" and that "oils" that are mostly cones and very little oil really hydrates your hair. She gives cheap products a bad name and claims that they damage hair. And no one questions her because she is a hairdresser so she have to be right. I really wish that more girls with hairproblems would find their way here.

However: i think that in the end you should not get hung up on the price of a product. Just use whatever works best for you. :)

[lapushka]

Well anything expensive is out of my league (budget) anyway. I twice had hairdressers convince me to buy their products. One was a leave-in for fine hair by Davines, and one was a hair mask by Schwarzkopf (Bonacure --> their pro-line). That mask cost me €20 for a silicone bomb. I can get that in the store as well. It was nice, but not *amazing* to say yeah, I'll keep spending €20 on it, for something that might last me 3 to 4 washes.

[curlysamantha]

The instructors (and some students) at my school, push more expensive professional products all the time. Honestly I think its an individual thing. Some people's hair will really benefit from professional lines and some people's hair wont. Personally I don't push professional products because I just don't think that its true that they are the "best". I do however recommend a general product or oil (i.e. styling creams, sulfate free shampoo, coconut oil, argan oil etc).

[Akville]

In the beginning I thought the product was everything but then I have tried a lot of expensive stuff ... Kerastase, Moroccanoil, and other fancy brands ..
And I can not say they are sooo good that people say they are...
now I use Redken Diamond oil stuff .. do not think they are so much better when I used to wash with my CO wash conditioner (£ 1)
So Im going for the cheapest stuff now ..I think...

[renia22]

What meteor said over on page 2 and the links she posted is what I would agree with.

When it comes to hair health and growth, I think it's partially what you are doing internally (healthy diet, getting the nutrients your body needs), partially genetic (hair type) , and partially how you are handling it once it grows out (mechanical damage, coloring, perming, flat ironing, ripped while wet, etc) that determines how your hair will be.

As far as products are concerned, unless you are using something or doing something that is affecting your scalp negatively, or using something that is contributing to tangling and therefore you are getting mechanical damage from trying to detangle, in large part products are personal preference thing in how you like your hair to look and feel. Expensive and crappy are not mutually exclusive, there are some pricey products and products that are using all of the "right" and trendy marketing terms, that are crappy just the same.

With that being said, I admit I've tried some expensive conditioners that are absolutely luxurious (Anna Sui, shisheido) Some drugstore products are really good also, though, and more budget friendly. I personally have not had any luck with cheapies (Vo5, Suave), but if I did I would use them. I don't believe it's accurate to cherry pick individual ingredients in a formula, or blame price, and say this "damages" hair (unless you are using something that's poorly formulated, too alkaline/ not ph balanced) unless there is mechanical damage from using a badly formulated product that makes your hair a matted/ tangled mess, but again I think that can also be true of more expensive products. At any rate, I think you can find excellent, mediocre, and horrible formulations in a variety of price points.

[cathair]

Aldi or Lidl have permanent concealer in the UK stores? Not in Belgium. Our Lidl & Aldi both have bath, shampoo, body care items. Sometimes Lidl has make-up (temporary), but our Aldi has a permanent make-up line: lip gloss, lip stick, eye shadow, blush, powder, nail polish (and a brand new top coat at that). But the concealer in our Aldi was temporary. I got 2 shades of it, I remember - good stuff!!! Yes.

No, sadly temporary. It usually sells out the same day! I had wondered why they don't make more, but I guess it pays off for them to work people up into a frenzy about it :) It sells on ebay for more than it costs in store. Or did, last time I looked.

[Nadine <3]

I really love Sauve. I used it growing up, and then switched when I became a teenager and wanted to pick out my own stuff. I used tresemme for forever but it doesn't work unless I heat style. Then I came here and experimented for a few years before deciding that, out of all things my hair just likes good ol sauve! It works great. I make up for it buy using a relatively expensive leave in (cocoa butter and almond oil whipped half and half) It lasts a long time though so it's no biggy.

[lapushka]

No, sadly temporary. It usually sells out the same day! I had wondered why they don't make more, but I guess it pays off for them to work people up into a frenzy about it :) It sells on ebay for more than it costs in store. Or did, last time I looked.

Ah yep, temporary here as well. Last time I got 2, but it's been a long time since they've had them now. I have a concealer palette from ELF to tide me over as well (not bad either, not so fluid but hey). I'm not picky about concealer - but that Aldi one was *great*!

[dogzdinner]

I dont think Ive ever experienced hair snobbery regarding product use! TBH Ive had more people turn their noses up at the fact that I use a shampoo bar made of oil and argan oil to wash my hair....mostly coz they dont get how oil can make it clean!LOL:D

[TaraDanina]

I think that she's simply made a ridiculous statement. There are definitely some formulas worth shelling out for, but it's not a universal trait of expensive products. For example, Moroccan Oil makes the most luxurious conditioner I've ever used, and the most disgusting dry shampoo as well. Eek...hate that dry shampoo.
Personally, I just buy most of my shampoo and conditioner at the health food store, and stop by the beauty supply shop once a month or so for a mask, and I oil my hair a bit now. It actually looks a whole lot better than when I was using Redken and Moroccan Oil. I have learned that hair is like everythig else- no reason to spend money just for the sake of it.

[jera]

I do use expensive shampoo because cheaper brands do nothing for my hair, leaving it flat and lifeless. Some people can use Suave with great results so why spend more? Others will definitely benefit from Salon quality products and treatments. Whatever works for you. The goal is to grow long healthy hair you can be happy with. It doesn't matter what tools get you there as long as you reach your goal. That's my main focus. Not the cost of my long hair but how happy it makes me when I have it. So whatever it takes to get it and keep it, I'm there. :o

[Entangled]

I just watched a curling tutorial where a girl said "normally I stay away from any drugstore product" but used one tresemme leave in. All I can think of is why? What makes every drugstore brand worthy of avoidance?

[curlysamantha]

I just watched a curling tutorial where a girl said "normally I stay away from any drugstore product" but used one tresemme leave in. All I can think of is why? What makes every drugstore brand worthy of avoidance?

According to some circles (mainly hairdressers, friends and family of hairdresser) drugstore products aren't as good as professional. However it is generally hard for the general public to get professional products unless they buy them from salons. Mind you, higher end items from Sephora are NOT professional.

[lapushka]

According to some circles (mainly hairdressers, friends and family of hairdresser) drugstore products aren't as good as professional. However it is generally hard for the general public to get professional products unless they buy them from salons. Mind you, higher end items from Sephora are NOT professional.

Those same people often get their discounts because they are professionals, so it about compares to drugstore prices then, doesn't it? So it's cheating a bit, isn't it? No wonder. I mean...