You get what you pay for

[C.H.]

I just wanted to say, one of my favorite things about LHC is that it's taught me you can get great results with really inexpensive products. Right now everything I use regularly costs $5 or less for a large bottle. Who would have thought that honey would turn out to be among the more "expensive" substances applied to my hair?

I was just thinking back a few weeks before I joined LHC, I got the idea that I needed to take better care of my hair. And I took some beauty blogger's comments to heart when she said that "when it comes to conditioner, I really believe you get what you pay for"--it seemed so very reasonable. I thought, maybe I'm doing my hair a disservice by not using higher quality products? So I went out and bought a $17 little jar of fancy conditioner. Which is now going totally unused.

[Yame]

When it comes to certain things, you do get what you pay for. But when it comes to hair and skin care, that just isn't the case!

[Vlientje]

Hehe I was thinking about that too. On a forum I read the same things, like.. "Well, it's gonna cost ya, but that's just what you have to do to get healthy hair!" I used to believe that & buy expensive products, which still didn't give me what I wanted.

And now, with some oil I paid 2 euros for, some old honey and a cheapass conditioner, I just get better results! It's SO awesome! I still have a lot to learn, and test new products, but I just know that I am on the right track now!

I do think I will spend more money in the end because of LHC, I already ordered a tangle teezer, looking at Flexi8's now, I also have many oils I am interested in... hahaha and that just the beginning I'm afraid :D

[wishywashy]

I would MUCH rather spend money on an .89 cent box of Baking Soda, $6 bucks or so for EVOO, $7 for Jojoba oil, $7 for organic cold pressed coconut oil, and the $3 bottle of organic ACV than on some expensive shampoo/conditioner that has the same exact ingredients as any other chemical laden shampoo on the shelves...

but I will admit that my hair likes the suave coconut conditioner...good thing its only 2 bucks :p

[Misty'sMess]

I spend a little bit of my money on the body shop shampoo and conditioner. Mainly because it is environmentally friendly. I am happy using nice and caring products on my hair.

[Hairitic]

I've been using WEN Cleansing Coditioners for about 4 years now and have loved the way my hair has reacted to them. It has very few splits, is easy to comb/few tangles while in the shower and afterwards and is soft. They aren't cheap. The one thing I don't like is that they have cones and sulfates in them so I'm going to quit them if possible. I've ordered a poo bar and will combine it with greener conditioner and APV rinses as appropriate. Of course, since I've joined this community, I am now going to do weekly SMT's or hot oil treaments with Coconut oil and Castor Oil massages, lol. ;) All of this will probably cost me less than the WEN Cleansing Conditioners!

[vanillabones]

I used to think 'you get what you pay for' when it comes to hair products too. My family felt the same. When I was younger my favorite shampoo and conditioners were the old cheapy l'oreals and herbal essences and my family would make fun of me, right away I switched to pricey salon products and have been using them ever since, so probably 10 years now. I am so happy to have found this site otherwise I wouldn't have the courage to buy cheapy store products ever again. They are my favorite and I am never buying expensive ones again once I use up all my stash :D I will be SO much happier and economical (haha)

[virgo75]

In my experience it depends on the hair and the products.

If you have easy to manage hair that does well with $2 conditioner, then I see no need to buy the $20 one. :shrug:

However, if like me you've tried EVERY hair product under $10 and the ones your hair does the best with are more than that then you may have to pay more for what you want to "get what you pay for". I currently have closets(plural) full of drugstore and health food store products that don't do much(with 1 or 2 exceptions) for my hair or scalp but the products I keep in my bathroom, use frequently, and have repurchased are more costly.

Also there are some good inexpensive products and crappy expensive ones. It's just a matter of finding what works best for your hair and scalp. :agree:

[curlymarcia]

I've been using expensive hair products for a long time. And my hair was simply awful. Taking good care of my hair, avoiding heat and doing regular deep treatments have made wonders. Now, I use oils and no cones. I wouldn't say that cheaper is better. Instead I feel that taking good care of hair is more important than the price/brand of the products.

[Zesty]

The only expensive product (non-reusable) that I might continue to buy is Aubrey Organics shampoo, which I can use sparingly and does a great job. CO unfortunately left my scalp gunky too soon for my liking, so I'm okay with $10 for 11 ounces of this shampoo. But for conditioner, it's bargain-priced Suave for the win. :D I use buckets of conditioner, too, so it has to be cheap!

[sarahbrownie]

It depends. :shrug:

I definitely don't think my $6 5.0 ounce bottle of olive oil works better than my $13 1.0 ounce bottle of Argan oil. Argan is rare and hard to come by versus the millions of olives in one orchard alone. Obviously there will be a price difference I'll be glad to pay as long as I appreciate what it does to my hair. But there are things that are comparable and do a great job despite the price such as my $3 of Suave Professionals, which I think works just as good as the $30 Aveda shampoo.

[jaine]

I gladly pay extra for products that aren't tested on animals and won't irritate my sensitive skin.

I don't know if it makes a difference in my hair though ... it's been years since I attempted to use a drugstore product (and my skin was not happy the last time so I probably won't try again).

[Aurielle]

When it comes to oils, which I never purchased before LHC, I figure that shelling out money for a good oil still ends up being a fraction of the cost of frequently visiting salons for dyes, chemical straightenings, and trims. This logic is also used to justify buying hair toys. :P

[Heatherzilla]

I'm vegan so I fork out a little more money to get something I'm ethically okay with using shampoo/conditioner wise. Other than that I've found that a few really cheap things like olive/coconut oil work so so much better for me than expensive leave ins and deep treatments ever did.

[McFearless]

Return it C.H.!

We all have such different hair and skin, and I think ingredients matter much more than cost. It is absolutely not true that more expensive products will work better just because they cost more. Like someone mentioned above you have to fork over a bit for argan oil or other specialty items that aren't available here in North America or Europe. Luckily I go over there enough to get some of my own. But then I have to spend a bit on shipping to buy something I can't find in Canada when I'm here. CO washing is enough for me and the coniest conditioner to detangle. If you keep an eye out for sales its much easier to spend less. I also don't think buying vegan means spending more money. There are a lot of independant shampoo and beauty product makers who charge the same if not a little less than Pantene, Garnier etc.

[C.H.]

Return it C.H.!

We all have such different hair and skin, and I think ingredients matter much more than cost. It is absolutely not true that more expensive products will work better just because they cost more. Like someone mentioned above you have to fork over a bit for argan oil or other specialty items that aren't available here in North America or Europe. Luckily I go over there enough to get some of my own. But then I have to spend a bit on shipping to buy something I can't find in Canada when I'm here. CO washing is enough for me and the coniest conditioner to detangle. If you keep an eye out for sales its much easier to spend less. I also don't think buying vegan means spending more money. There are a lot of independant shampoo and beauty product makers who charge the same if not a little less than Pantene, Garnier etc.

Too late! I used it once. :( Oh well.

[Rini]

I agree to an extent. I think if you focus on the quality ingredients and don't spend money on the "fillers" you don't need, then hair care and skin care becomes cheaper.

For example, you might find a product that has rosehip oil in the ingredients but then I'd rather just by a bottle of rosehip oil and use that instead. Rosehip oil is expensive, but it would last me 6 months or so and thus work out cheaper. Making your own things is always cost effective too. You can get so much better quality for less money.

[Konstifik]

I totally agree!

Although I'm an ingredient-nitpicker. I don't buy any products which contain something I'm the slightest suspicious to. So the price range of my products vary greatly, as sometimes even hair and skin products are "you pay what you get". But it all depends on what you are looking for in your products. If your only requirement is "it works for my hair", then it could be really cheap. :D

[nellreno]

The conditioner I use to wash costs just one dollar, straight from the dollar store. Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner costs more but still under ten dollars and lasts me a few months. I believe the jar of coconut oil I have cost ten dollars or so but has lasted me a year and a half.

It factors out to a very low cost each wash, yet my hair is the best it's been since I can remember.

[Rosetta]

Yeah, it's funny how most people still think like this ("you get what you pay for"), especially in regards to hair- and skincare! But I think it's mainly just because they're brainwashed to think that by the beauty industry...

Granted, there are some expensive shampoos and conditioners that are very, very good (e.g. Nexxus Therappe shampoo and Redken All Soft conditioner, for me), especially if your hair happens to be damaged, but these days I can achieve similar results with cheaper products. :)

[Signe]

I definitely agree that you don't need to shell out big bucks for better results. Doing cold water WO and loving my hair more every day with hardly a penny spent. my brushes and coconut oil will last for years, and i make my own hairtoys.

[Alaia]

I'm actually spending more than I've ever spent before on my shampoo etc.

That's because I'm trying out the George Michael products. So far, they seem to be absolutely worth it (my hair is so soft and lovely!), but time will tell.

[wvgemini]

Some stuff, yes, you get what you pay for. But I have definately figured out where to spend and where to save. For my skincare, I will be more than happy with my $8.00 giant bottle of tea tree castile soap and local-made moisturizer. I do use a couple pricier things, but they last me forever! As for hair? I have a stockpile of cheapo conditioners that work wonders on my hair. I will pay out a bit for more expensive shampoo, but I only use it 2-3 times a week. So it is a balance :)

[chickpea]

I've been using WEN Cleansing Coditioners for about 4 years now and have loved the way my hair has reacted to them. It has very few splits, is easy to comb/few tangles while in the shower and afterwards and is soft. They aren't cheap. The one thing I don't like is that they have cones and sulfates in them so I'm going to quit them if possible. I've ordered a poo bar and will combine it with greener conditioner and APV rinses as appropriate. Of course, since I've joined this community, I am now going to do weekly SMT's or hot oil treaments with Coconut oil and Castor Oil massages, lol. ;) All of this will probably cost me less than the WEN Cleansing Conditioners!

The WEN cleansing conditioners do not contain sulfates. Behentrimonium methosulfate is a conditioning and detangling ingredient, not a detergent. They do have amodimethicone, which can build up on some people. The cheaper knockoff version at Sally's was absolutely horrid on my hair. I did notice that it has cones much higher up on the ingredient list.

My experience is sort of the opposite. Over the last 4-5 years I have tried CO washing with cheap and salon-type conditioners, shampoo bars, sulfate free shampoos, and more conditioners than I care to count. I started using WEN 5 weeks ago, first the pomegranate and now fig. It works great on my hair and I don't need a separate rinse out conditioner or deep treatment. All I use now is the cleansing conditioner and a curling jelly or cream. WEN is expensive, but I was spending a lot of money before on conditioners, deep treatments, and styling products.

Those 99 cent conditioners worked well for cleansing my hair but didn't provide enough moisture or prevent frizz, which is why I was always looking for other products. I don't mind paying a bit more for something that makes my hair feel and hopefully look better than it has in years. In the long run I may even save money, because I'm no longer tempted to try every new hair product on the market. :)

I've also been able to stretch out washings, something I could never do before without my hair turning into something resembling a brillo pad.

[AnnaJamila]

I've been using WEN Cleansing Coditioners for about 4 years now and have loved the way my hair has reacted to them. It has very few splits, is easy to comb/few tangles while in the shower and afterwards and is soft. They aren't cheap. The one thing I don't like is that they have cones and sulfates in them so I'm going to quit them if possible. I've ordered a poo bar and will combine it with greener conditioner and APV rinses as appropriate. Of course, since I've joined this community, I am now going to do weekly SMT's or hot oil treaments with Coconut oil and Castor Oil massages, lol. ;) All of this will probably cost me less than the WEN Cleansing Conditioners!

I've found that Suave's rosemary mint does the same job as WEN but for much cheaper and with less buildup. Lol, to make it exactly the same, do some oil soaks with sweet almond oil. I do love the bottles, though, that pump is so nifty!

[squiggyflop]

i always use shampoo thats $1 or less.. i see no reason to pay more when for me the conditioner is the important part.. i do buy conditioner for like 3 dollars.. but since i am getting into couponing im thinking maybe i will pay less.. though i would hate to stray from my suave professionals.. i have never had a conditioner that did as good a job as my suave professionals.

[mallorykay13]

My family and I do the "extreme couponing" so I haven't had to pay full price for any shampoo in years.... I get regular drugstore stuff for <$3, and it works great.

[C.H.]

I agree to an extent. I think if you focus on the quality ingredients and don't spend money on the "fillers" you don't need, then hair care and skin care becomes cheaper.

For example, you might find a product that has rosehip oil in the ingredients but then I'd rather just by a bottle of rosehip oil and use that instead. Rosehip oil is expensive, but it would last me 6 months or so and thus work out cheaper. Making your own things is always cost effective too. You can get so much better quality for less money.

I recently had a revelation about this, too. I was looking at the ingredients of some conditioner, getting all excited about the great ingredients it contained--butters, oils, herbs, etc. Then I thought, hey, if you're so impressed with those ingredients, why not simply purchase them and apply them to your hair yourself? Why rely on a conditioner to do this for you? Not to say there isn't a role for great conditioners that combine a variety of beneficial ingredients in the right proportions, but I can get a lot more mileage out of a bottle of say shea butter or avocado oil, which will both last me several months at least, than a pricey bottle of conditioner. And have more control over it, too.

When you really get to know ingredients, it opens up so many more options to you, many of which will save you money. You no longer need to rely on cosmetic companies to tell you what, when, and how much of certain ingredients to put in your hair--not to mention what you have to pay to get those benefits.

[Helix]

I've tried expensive conditioners for free (I always test the samples to see if I like them first), but none have impressed me enough to buy them yet. My hair is quite content with the $5 dollar deep treatment and various oils all of which are under $10. I just tried a $1.50 conditioner from Aldi's yesterday and it was better than I expected from a cheapie conditioner.

I just can't justify spending $20 on a product that my hair may or may not reject.

[LadyLately]

This site caused me to see the light of VO5. Turns out a cheap clarifying shampoo on the roots (I love being a teenager. So. Much. :justy:) and buckets of the matching conditioner on the length is my holy grail. Plus, Vanilla Mint tea smells lovely.

I go through like 2.5 bottles of conditioner per bottle of shampoo, though. At least I can buy it with spare change. :rolleyes:

[redcelticcurls]

My hair is snobby. Aside from certain oils, it wants pricey things. So be it. She wants it she gets it. I'll stick with my Kinky Curly and Curl Junkie. The results are more than worth the expense.

[chickpea]

My hair is snobby. Aside from certain oils, it wants pricey things. So be it. She wants it she gets it. I'll stick with my Kinky Curly and Curl Junkie. The results are more than worth the expense.

Kinky Curly Curling Custard is my all time favorite styling product. I've tried to find cheaper products that would work as well, but keep going back to it. I also like Curl Junkie's Curls In a Bottle but have to layer it with gel, as it doesn't have much hold on its own.

[rocksmom]

Also there are some good inexpensive products and crappy expensive ones. It's just a matter of finding what works best for your hair and scalp. :agree:

I totally agree here. Paul Mitchell products happen to work well on my hair, so that's what I buy. It's not because I think more expensive is better. I've used other high end brands that did diddly squat and I've used drugstore brands that were perfectly fine. In fact I loved the Kirkland brand, which cost $8/liter, and would still be using it if the scent didn't bother me. I also prefer some of the Beyond the Zone products from Sally's over the "real" thing.

[christine1989]

The shampoo and conditioner I use costs about $10 a bottle but because I stretch washes and use a minimal amount it I spend less than I did back when I was not taking care of my hair. Oil is also quite expensive ($17 for a tub of coconut oil!) but it lasts forever so no financial harm done. :)

[Lianna]

A lot of people here think "you get what you pay for" about hairtoys, though.

Some might spend less with products but go really overboard with hairtoy prices, in my opinion.

[Nightwishes]

I primarily do CO with suave naturals, but I started implementing Kinky Curly Come Clean for occasional cleansing, then follow up with the curling custard.

I figure with all the money I've saved by not using shampoo for 3 years, I can afford Kinky Curly. haha

[virgo75]

A lot of people here think "you get what you pay for" about hairtoys, though.

Some might spend less with products but go really overboard with hairtoy prices, in my opinion.

Quoted for truth!

I don't get spending $20-$30 or more on something to put your hair up with but spending money on products to actually care for and treat your hair is a waste?! :confused:

I'd rather have pretty, healthy hair no matter the cost than just a pretty barrette to put my hair up with. But that's just me. :shrug:

[rags]

I have tried most drugstore brands out there. They either don't do nearly as well as my preferred (salon) products, or (usually) I am allergic to them. I'd LOVE to find something that both my hair, skin and asthma like that is cheaper, but it's not to be. So I'll continue paying for my expensive products, because they're what work for me. Everyone's different.

As far as the hairtoys, I have baby fine hair. I have found very, very few toys I can buy cheaply which don't break my fragile hair. To an extent, I do believe you get what you pay for with toys (I'm thinking of a couple of vendors who sent their prices sky-high once they got popular. I bought from them when they were starting out and were reasonable. I won't now). But, for instance - Ketylos. They are 12 dollars, I think, for a shortie. Yet they hold my hair perfectly, never ever come out or break my hair, and they will be able to be handed down through generations if so desired. Contrast that with a 3 dollar Claire's stick, which won't stay in my hair at ALL (so the money is wasted anyway) and snaps in my DD's thicker hair, and the price difference is well worth it to me!

[oktobergoud]

I like drugstore shampoos and conditioners as well, most of all because they are cheap so I can use lots of it :) When I buy an expensive conditioner I hardly dare to use any, so I don't use enough and then.. well.. yeah. I just bought 4 bottles of Garnier Triple Nutrition conditioner for 5 euro woohoo :D

[longcurlygirl<3]

I try to buy hair toys, but they are to expensive for me. Well the hair sticks, my dad just made me two pairs of chopsticks and I am happy.

[longcurlygirl<3]

I spend to much money on my hair. $12 leave-in, [my mom loves it too!], $5 bucks detangling conditioner , coconut oil $10, [the cheapies my mom buys it], soapbars, $10 shea moisture shampoo. But I love my hair :p. It is mostly toys I buy, like barretees, headbands, scrunchies, etc. I recently bought a flaxi8, and I <3 it.

[longcurlygirl<3]

My hair is snobby. Aside from certain oils, it wants pricey things. So be it. She wants it she gets it. I'll stick with my Kinky Curly and Curl Junkie. The results are more than worth the expense.
I totally understands you. Our hair is so spoiled :cheese:

[redcelticcurls]

I totally understands you. Our hair is so spoiled :cheese:

:lol:

I've gone 'budget' a few times, and, while doable, my hair just wasn't quite right.

So, now, I just buy what my hair likes without guilt. I'm the only one working for my paycheck, so I get to choose what to do with it. I'm sure it would be a different story if I was a dependent child and had to use what was OK'd by my parents.

[scottigirl_01]

I'm loving the Giovanni 50:50 products right now, they are pricey in my opinion. Braggs ACV I love. The aloe I'm using is just Trader Joes. But White Rain condish is also a favorite, and cheap at the dollar store. I have been going to EWG.org looking up my products, trying to find healthy ones that work. What a trip!