You Get What You Pay For, Buyer Beware!

Do you know what is in your hair?
What products are you using on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis?

I ask these questions because many of us spend a good amount of money on quality hair color or services offered at the salon, but then turn around and use shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioning treatments and styling products that are sub-par at best.

So… a long time ago, back in my early 20’s, when I had very little to almost no financial obligations, I spent tons of money by going to the salon every Saturday morning. My hair was in great condition! Why was it in great condition? Well, it had very much to do with the quality of products used and offered by that particular the salon. But later on when I was out on my own, my trips to the salon became less frequent. In between visits, I would style my own hair using lower quality hair products and would think nothing of it.

On this one occasion, I purchased a popular name brand shampoo and conditioner that you can find at just about any drugstore and I was horrified by the results. The products left a residue in my hair that took forever to wash out… it felt like an eternity, I just couldn't rinse it out. At my next appointment, I happened to mention it to my hair stylist, and do you want to know what her response was? Of course you do. She simply said, “You get what you pay for.” Makes total sense, right?

Now, I’m not going to name any names, but the shampoo and conditioner that I purchased wasn’t the cheapest brand on the market, but it wasn't exactly professional.

Just recently, I did a little research on the product and low and behold, the second and third ingredient listed on the back of the shampoo bottle are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. I suspect that these were the same ingredients used back when I purchased them. As a general rule, you should run far away from a product if these ingredients are in your products, especially if they are listed towards the beginning. Sulfates strip your hair of lipids (oils) the backbone of a great hair strand, which may be the reason your hair feels, “squeaky clean” or dried out. They are also known to be a skin irritant and can also be found in some popular body washes.

I know you are probably asking, “What do I do?” My suggestion is to start reading and understanding labels and the importance of the ingredients contained within the product.

This blog is a great place to begin learning all of the dos and don’ts . If you are paying a generous amount of money for professional quality color or salon services, please don’t ruin it with low-end "product" crap. Also, keep in mind that every salon doesn’t use or sell you the “best” products for your hair or even hair type. Some stylists even receive commissions on products that they recommend and sell to their clients. There are very few salons in the area where I live that are completely sulfate free. The last thing that you want to do is spend all that money on new color and watch it as it washes out down the drain. Sulfates will do exactly that and remember there is the whole DD or as KC calls it Delayed Damage. You can walk out of a Salon feeling like a million bucks, but if a week or 2 later something seems amiss . . . I would definitely relate it to that Salon visit. Please also be aware that some salon quality or professional brands contain sulfates, so read your labels! REQUEST Sulfate-free shampoo only, tell them you have an allergy if your favorite stylist isn't all the way on the same page as you. Make-up something.....anything - - - so you keep the general direction of your hair's health going in a positive one.

I want every crib colorist and blog reader to be informed on the products they are using on their hair. Remember, damage is much faster to do… than undo.

Be good to your hair and it will be good to you!

Crib Colorist & Killerstrands Staff member