Where do you buy your hair products?

[Death-Within-Me]

Where do you usually buy your products (shampoo, conditioner, etc?)

For me:

Grocery
Walmart
Target
Occasionally Online (if I can absolutely not find it in person)
Occasionally Costco

[C_Bookworm]

Target (my primary)
TJ Maxx (always experimenting with something new)
Sally Beauty (my HG leave-in comes from here)
Dollar tree (VO5)

Occasionally:
Walmart (they have scents of VO5 and Suave I can’t find elsewhere)
Grocery store (VO5/Suave variety again)
Trader Joe’s (for the shampoo bars)
REI (shampoo bars)
Indian grocery’s (oils, henna)

[illicitlizard]

Chemist Warehouse (discount Chemist) as they pretty much always have the best price for what I'm after

Coles/woolworths (supermarket) if they have my shampoo or conditioner half price

Priceline if I want a specific product that isn't stocked anywhere else

iHerb for everything else (used to get silk18, best place for cheap hair oils)

[shelomit]

I mostly get shampoo/conditioner from the drugstore (Walgreens), but will occasionally pick some up from the "big" grocery store (Hannaford) when I happen to see that it's on sale in the weekly flyer. Thank goodness I have some spare henna, because I'm completely at a loss to find any locally here.

I'm trying to get a little more adventurous with buying hair stuff from my smaller local grocery. It's run by Brazilians so the brands are unfamiliar to me and I'm not very competent at reading/understanding the packaging. I got a bar of soap there last month and it smells like being punched in the face by a rose bush : D

[ArienEllariel]

Honestly, it depends on where I happen to be. Most of the time I get products from the grocery store or Walmart. However, I will buy products on sale at other stores if I see them. I also order things online.

[Bri-Chan]

Mostly little local stores. Sometimes I buy something online.

[Dragon]

I get mine from the supermarket.

[Finda]

Me too, usually supermarket/grocery store (what's the difference by the way?) or drugstore. The Paul Mitchell conditioner I buy at the salon around the corner.

I used to buy at local niche stores for natural cosmetics and my shampoo bars I bought in small online shops when I was going through that phase.

[JasminxCat]

Online on amazon since I can usually get it for cheaper. Sometimes target or the grocery store if I need it sooner

[MusicalSpoons]

Wherever stocks then at the best price :p that's occasionally the supermarket, mostly online if I can stock up and it's a reasonable delivery charge (Superdrug, Savers, those kinds of places) and sometimes cheapie shops (Poundland, The Range, etc.).


Me too, usually supermarket/grocery store (what's the difference by the way?) or drugstore. The Paul Mitchell conditioner I buy at the salon around the corner.


Before I read the poll I thought the difference would be that a grocery store sells food and a supermarket sells food and other items. But if people buy hair products from a grocery store then that can't be right! I'm interested to know too.

[lapushka]

Aldi/Lidl, where sometimes regular brands go on sale, and sometimes, a deep sale (if Lidl offers an extra % off due to it being in the store too long aka nobody wanting the last ones). Then drugstores like "Kruidvat" or online drugstores in The Netherlands (I'm in Belgium) which is across the border from me. And lastly my local grocer, who sometimes has good sales on things that turn out even more expensive in "Kruidvat".

[LoveSnap]

I typically buy directly from brand websites. If they’re in Ulta I’ll get it there as well. I like to stack my points!

[shelomit]

Before I read the poll I thought the difference would be that a grocery store sells food and a supermarket sells food and other items. But if people buy hair products from a grocery store then that can't be right! I'm interested to know too.

I have always thought of it--rightly or wrongly?--as a matter of scale. The grocery store I go to weekly almost exclusively sells food, but does have a single shelf with some cooking tools, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. The whole store is pretty small (three aisles total). The one I referred to above as the "big" grocery is probably five times the size as the "little" grocery. It still mostly sells food, but there's half an aisle devoted to toiletries and a much wider selection of non-food things than the "little" grocery. You could buy diapers there, for example, or a package of paper, neither of which you would be able to get at the "little" grocery. I wouldn't typically call our "big" grocery a supermarket--it's still comparatively small and specialized--but neither would I be surprised or confused if somebody else did. What I think of as properly being a supermarket would be a big-box chain store like a Wal-Mart or Target, for which I would have to travel a couple of towns away to visit. Those are almost like department stores with different sections for things like clothes, automotive supplies, office supplies, all different things. . . and which kind of incidentally also sell food,

At the same time, I'm not certain I've ever been to a store that strictly, exclusively sold food. (I guess the closest would be e.g., a guy selling watermelons out of the back of his truck or that kind of thing). Even at little bitty bodegas you can typically pick up a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste.

I'm always fascinated by people's varying understandings of words, so pardon me going on and on about this : D I'd be interested to know if things are different elsewhere. . . I've lived all across the U.S., big cities and boondocks, and would say that the types of stores described above are pretty broadly accurate.

[lapis_lazuli]

The drugstore, where I do most of my shopping

[Death-Within-Me]

Me too, usually supermarket/grocery store (what's the difference by the way?)

I initially thought they were the same!
But according to this article, apparently, there's a difference: https://thegrocerystoreguy.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-grocery-store-a-supermarket/

Tbh I still don't get it. Probably because I only live around supermarkets?

I don't know if these are considered "supermarkets:"

-Giant Food
-Safeway
-Whole Foods
-Walmart

[foreveryours]

Mostly Walmart, sometimes Sally's, very occassionally online

[Jane99]

I buy a lot of stuff on Ebay. Hair masks, herbs, specific oils or other things
If I’m looking for reviews, Amazon, usually hair masks. I would buy shampoo in the past on Amazon
Lately I’ve been getting shampoo at discount stores (Big Lots, Ollie’s) I’ve also found cheap hair masks at Big Lots too
If I need shampoo today I’ll go to the CVS down the street
I get other herbs at the health food store

[MusicalSpoons]

I have always thought of it--rightly or wrongly?--as a matter of scale. The grocery store I go to weekly almost exclusively sells food, but does have a single shelf with some cooking tools, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. The whole store is pretty small (three aisles total). The one I referred to above as the "big" grocery is probably five times the size as the "little" grocery. It still mostly sells food, but there's half an aisle devoted to toiletries and a much wider selection of non-food things than the "little" grocery. You could buy diapers there, for example, or a package of paper, neither of which you would be able to get at the "little" grocery. I wouldn't typically call our "big" grocery a supermarket--it's still comparatively small and specialized--but neither would I be surprised or confused if somebody else did. What I think of as properly being a supermarket would be a big-box chain store like a Wal-Mart or Target, for which I would have to travel a couple of towns away to visit. Those are almost like department stores with different sections for things like clothes, automotive supplies, office supplies, all different things. . . and which kind of incidentally also sell food,

At the same time, I'm not certain I've ever been to a store that strictly, exclusively sold food. (I guess the closest would be e.g., a guy selling watermelons out of the back of his truck or that kind of thing). Even at little bitty bodegas you can typically pick up a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste.

I'm always fascinated by people's varying understandings of words, so pardon me going on and on about this : D I'd be interested to know if things are different elsewhere. . . I've lived all across the U.S., big cities and boondocks, and would say that the types of stores described above are pretty broadly accurate.

Ohh cool, thanks. So for me, that roughly equates to:
Corner shops, local shops, convenience stores, Tesco Express size - grocery stores. Because they sell mostly food (very extended meaning of 'groceries') and a few everyday essentials.
Ordinary Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, etc. - supermarket (or large grocery store)
Tesco Extra size - large supermarket (superstore, in the US?)
Debenhams, John Lewis - department stores, varying sizes but don't sell food.
I don't think we really have a category name for our closest equivalent to big-box stores; just refer to them by name :shrug: and some of them in that category aren't very big either :lol:
The largest supermarkets are sometimes marked 'hypermarket' on road signs, but we'd usually just refer to them as either a supermarket or the big supermarket - or more often, the brand name and location (e.g. the Coventry Asda).


I initially thought they were the same!
But according to this article, apparently, there's a difference: https://thegrocerystoreguy.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-grocery-store-a-supermarket/


Oh that article does fit with what I understood from Shelomit's post, cool!

[kikuhoshi]

Me too, usually supermarket/grocery store (what's the difference by the way?)

So in my area, we have 2 major (non-membership) supermarkets - Walmart & Meijer. In its most basic form, I would consider a supermarket somewhere where, if I was dropped in the middle of a new place with $5000 and told "Here's an apartment to stay in, it has appliances but nothing else," I would be able to purchase pretty much everything I needed there, from groceries to clothing to basic furnishings and decor.

A grocery store would be something like Kroger or a little neighborhood store, and usually has mainly consumables, such as food or toiletries, maybe some small trinkets, and generally at least a bakery or deli or meat department (so if I needed to stop for a birthday cake, I may be able to find a book or something small as a last-minute present).

Corner stores are similar to gas stations and usually have at least quick-eat consumables and small non-food items (often car or convenience-related, like single serving medication, and with a large alcohol selection), maybe bordering on a smaller grocery store depending on the area. Country stores/superettes are often on the smaller side but often have an "extra" like a small restaurant/food-related thing (because the grocery prices often cost more than going to an actual store, so they use the extra to get you in the door & hope you buy more while there).

[shelomit]

Thanks for weighing in, Spoons and kikuhoshi. Both "superette" and "hypermarket" are new terms to me. "Hypermarket" sounds so space-age!

Those "country stores" are common where I'm living in New England, but I completely forgot to mention them because it never occurs to me to visit them. I think they're mostly there to catch the summer tourist traffic. Cute, maybe, but extremely pricey! I once had a tire blow out in the middle of a summer rainstorm while driving across the Catskills. When I hiked to the nearest roadside store, they looked at me like I was an alien or an idiot for asking if they had any tarps for sale. If I had needed an expensive sandwich or a shot glass with the outline of New York on it, I would have been in luck ( ;

[kikuhoshi]

Both "superette" and "hypermarket" are new terms to me.

Superette seems to be pretty rare outside of the specific area where I grew up. I'm not sure where it comes from, but if I had to guess it's kind of a play on "mini-supermarket", using "-ette" as a diminutive, since they tend to be tiny catchall-type stores. There's almost no tourist traffic (outside of the annual agricultural fair/rodeo/whatever), but the area is a lot of rural communities about 30-45 minutes outside of "Town", so going to the superette to grab a last-minute ingredient was often a better choice than the trek to a bigger store.

[Finda]

Interesting article Death-Within-Me, thanks :)

Also thanks MusicalSpoons, shelomit and kikuhoshi for your input and clearing this up.

I spent some time in Maryland and my host family called the local Safeway a grocery store. Maybe because they mainly went there to get groceries lol. But in German I'd call a Safeway a "Supermarkt", so I was confused a bit :hmm::wink:

[PeonyBlue]

I ticked ‘others’ and “online’ because I make my own from ingredients I buy from online stores like New Directions and soap making suppliers. Mind you, I get some of my oils from the grocery store….probably should have ticked that too!

[_Melly_]

Grocery and Walmart

[Dark40]

I mostly buy my cheap shampoos and conditioners from drugstores. Like, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and discount stores like Walmart, Sams, and Target. My high end shampoos and conditioner I purchase either online or at Ulta. I also buy some of my hair products like hair masks, creams, oils, and lotions from Amazon.

[Jane99]

There’s a pretty fabulous country store down the road from where I live. They also have a mini golf on site, a can redemption for 5 cent cans, ice cream cones and the best subs. I have gone there for various items like eggs, 1/2 and 1/2, frozen sausages, bleach and tampons. They do movie rentals, no redbox. They sell local meat. They have weird gifts like touch lamps with horses painted on the glass panes. They do not have cat litter. I don’t buy shampoo there but they have Suave.

[Brandt]

Trader Joe's! People wouldn't normally think of them for shampoo, but I actually like their tea tree tingle shampoo. Not sure if that's necessarily amazing for shampoo standards though--I generally go there for the food!

[Hedwig]

Mostly online or if it's something from a drugstore brand, then at the drugstore (called dm and Rossmann over here). I've been really into ordering stuff from Amazon lately, which I'm now trying to cut back on.

[Joyful Mystery]

Mostly online. There is one brand (Free & Clear) I buy at Walgreens.

[Lady Neeva]

I usually buy mine at Costco and HEB

[shelomit]

Superette seems to be pretty rare outside of the specific area where I grew up. I'm not sure where it comes from, but if I had to guess it's kind of a play on "mini-supermarket", using "-ette" as a diminutive, since they tend to be tiny catchall-type stores. There's almost no tourist traffic (outside of the annual agricultural fair/rodeo/whatever), but the area is a lot of rural communities about 30-45 minutes outside of "Town", so going to the superette to grab a last-minute ingredient was often a better choice than the trek to a bigger store.

Ah okay, I can picture that kind of store.


I spent some time in Maryland and my host family called the local Safeway a grocery store. Maybe because they mainly went there to get groceries lol. But in German I'd call a Safeway a "Supermarkt", so I was confused a bit :hmm::wink:

The prevailing impression I'm getting is that "supermarket" in the U.S. is a little more exclusive/tightly defined than analogous terms elsewhere--we're calling more things "groceries" that other folks would be willing to term a "supermarket."


There’s a pretty fabulous country store down the road from where I live. They also have a mini golf on site, a can redemption for 5 cent cans, ice cream cones and the best subs. I have gone there for various items like eggs, 1/2 and 1/2, frozen sausages, bleach and tampons. They do movie rentals, no redbox. They sell local meat. They have weird gifts like touch lamps with horses painted on the glass panes. They do not have cat litter. I don’t buy shampoo there but they have Suave.

Wow, that's an astounding combination of functions/features! I also love the specificity of experience implied by the statement "They do not have cat litter." Flashback to getting my car high-centered in snow at my aunt's house, running all over the metropolis of Russiaville, IN looking for kitty litter to try and give it some friction!

[clairenewcastle]

As I never shop online I always buy my hair products from a shop. Sometimes a health food shop, sometimes a chemist etc Boots or Superdrug and sometimes from TK Maxx for they have some wonderful reductions.
Recently I bought leave-in serum from a hairdresser for the first time in years!

[KokotheHen]

I usually buy all of mine online.

[pisinoe]

Online only so I can get the best deals on jumbo size salon products :P

Even if I order from the local parfumerie (iciparisxl), I still get it online when they have the -30% deals. I haven't bought a drugstore hair product in ages.

[Aviara]

Mostly online, though occasionally in pharmacies if I happen to be there and remember I need something. I try to avoid buying things without considering my options, and I do that online, so ordering (I included "order to a store near me" in "online") once I've made my decision is often easier than looking for the item IRL.

[ladyofthewoods]

Online only, purchased through vegan, no animal testing, no plastic product sites.

[sipnsun]

I mostly shop online for convenience and selection but I also buy a lot at Ulta and Sephora. I get Garnier and Shea Moisture from Walmart, I use huge amounts of those and it's the cheapest place I've found them so I don't feel bad about how much I use.

[Death-Within-Me]

I mostly shop online for convenience and selection but I also buy a lot at Ulta and Sephora. I get Garnier and Shea Moisture from Walmart, I use huge amounts of those and it's the cheapest place I've found them so I don't feel bad about how much I use.

So I'm curious! @sipnsun

Since we have similar hair types, how does Shea Moisture generally feel on you? I'm dying to try it, but at the same time, I heard it really weighs down on fine hair.

[Kerrtu-Kevät]

Recently I've bought from Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Sometimes Walgreens have good sales or coupons on certain brands I use so I stock up from there, Sometimes I get organic products from grocery store. Basically anywhere a product catches my eye or is the cheapest price for staples I buy it :D

[Valorie]

Online retailers primarily, Target, then Grocery store. I do sometimes experiment with a discount product I find at Marshall's but I have never stuck with any of those.

[Dark40]

Mostly online and in local stores. I purchase all of my high end hair products from either Ulta, Ebay, or Amazon. Especially, if I want to get the jumbo size bottles.

[TatsuOni]

Online. NightBlooming and Maria Åkerberg are the brands that I use. + what I make myself.