Is expensive shampoo worth it - does it really make a difference?

[Littlemiss74]

After nearly a year of lockdown cancelled hair appointments I’m getting it cut & coloured today, hurrah!!
Whenever I go to the salon I think about buying the products they use as my hair comes out delightful, soft and shiny afterwards. But, they are so expensive. I have bought some shampoo in the past but my hair doesn’t look as amazing when I use it at home.
I realise alot of it is probably in the styling but just wondered if others use more expensive shampoo/conditioner & think it is really worth it?

No they're all the same

I have thin, fine hair and I find baby shampoo stops it getting greasy. I sometimes use conditioner on the ends

I can only use Aveda camomile.. have tried many high st ones but they just don’t work for me. It’s worth it as I don’t have to fuss about with my hair so much.

There isn't one treatment for all, because we all have different hair types with different sort of aggression and different age.

In my case- very long hair, and age past 50 - I think high quality products - Redken extreme and Redken cat and also olaplex occasionally - made a huge difference together with great food , lots of berries, nuts, seeds, avocado, dark leafy green vegetables and so on.
For the science of great hair, there is a reddit group. www.reddit.com/r/HaircareScience/

For me no. I've tried them all, kerastase, redken, Pantene, elvive and all led to a build up and very very greasy hair. By the end of the day it would be lank looking.

So on a whim I decided to try Cien (Lidl) apple shampoo. It has very few ingredients and lo and behold I have the loveliest, softest hair in years! I now get two days out of it, safely.

I think it costs about 80p. Amazing stuff.

On having a look, I can’t use it. Not only isn’t it Cruelty Free, but it’s parent company Johnson & Johnson continue to carry out testing on animals themselves, so the very blatantly don’t give a bugger!

Oh noooooo

I didn't realise this either 😱

dammmit ...

If you have healthy ‘virgin’ (as in not coloured, highlighted, permed or relaxed) hair, I don’t think you need anything fancy. Save the £££ for a quality conditioner and mask!

I’d add a clarifying shampoo to your routine, for occasional use, as it helps get rid of any buildup.

My hair is super damaged from various treatments so I need sulphate free shampoos, which I alternate with strengthening (trying olaplex atm) and also clarifying shampoos.

Perspective is everything. When I was young I used to colour my hair, but it was in great condition and herbal essence was just great, lived the overwhelming smell and used to laugh when bees approached me thinning I wasa flower! In my 40s I stopped dyeing it and the resulting greys and general older condition meant I had to change what I wasdoing. I didn't try every shampoo on the market, but I did end up with aveda.

Depends what you use. Also pay attention to how they wash and treat your hair compared to how you do. The heat of the water, rubbing vs patting it dry, products massaged into the scalp for a while.

It’s not so much about price point as quality ingredients - I avoid anything without silicones or sulfates (except for clarifying shampoo which i use once a month). My hair can go much longer between washes and looks much better since i started paying attention to ingredients. Some expensive stuff is full of crappy silicone filler and some stuff from savers is great - it’s just a matter of reading labels and working out what your hair likes.

@Hazel444

Aveda Botanical Repair has worked wonders for my hair. I've tried many expensive and non expensive ranges over the years, and this is the one that suits my hair best - so totally worth it for me :)

Another vote for the aveda botanicals range here. Shampoo, conditioner, my hair has never looked better.

Horse shampoo bars practically doubled the volume of my fine hair after two washes but I am guessing I’ll have to intersperse normal shampoo to avoid build up.

I’m also a fan of their sprays for mane/tail styling to manage my in-between washes up dos (current one Rose Shine which smells lovely)

I solved most of my skin issues by buying a big tub of treatment for cows udders many years ago 😂

Not recommending any of the above but I like a good experiment from time to time & curiosity hasn’t killed this particular cat yet

@Sacreblue

Horse shampoo bars practically doubled the volume of my fine hair after two washes but I am guessing I’ll have to intersperse normal shampoo to avoid build up.

I’m also a fan of their sprays for mane/tail styling to manage my in-between washes up dos (current one Rose Shine which smells lovely)

I solved most of my skin issues by buying a big tub of treatment for cows udders many years ago 😂

Not recommending any of the above but I like a good experiment from time to time & curiosity hasn’t killed this particular cat yet

I’ve heard these recommendations from others, including the udder cream! I think Lookfantastic actually sell the Mane and Tail brand 😮

Mane & Tail are in Boots/supermarkets too I think, my DS likes it but only uses the conditioner and only occasionally when his hair is down (tied back usually for work)

I agree with PP too about not using a hairdryer or heat tools too often. I used to do overnight rag rolls for curls and plaits in various forms for waves.

I haven’t tried using the dressing grown belt tip yet but maybe soon.

Mane and Tail is popular but it’s actually awful for human hair, there is a lot on the internet about it

Some do, some don't. It has to be the right one for you.

For me, shampoo just has to gently clean my hair and not leave any residue. It's what goes on after that really matters, as I have wavy hair.

And no, I don't cowash. That way lies seborrhoeic dermatitis 🤢

Yes and no
I loosely follow CG so no silicones etc
My hair LOVES the cheaper conditioners, creightons micellar conditioner manages to be rich and light at the same time. However my hair also loves expensive styling products
So I use £2 conditioner, and then £26 gel...
think it's worth experimenting and finding a product you love whether it's cheap or not

It’s clear that some suit different products hence the 1000’s of different ones.

I don’t colour my hair and it’s in good condition but fine so need to wash almost everyday.

I have used them all and do try and alternate and as a pp says use a detox shampoo once a week as I like my styling products. That makes the biggest difference to me. Like Lee Stafford Root Boost Mousse and Redken Guts. They both have a jet spray to get right into the roots and that makes the difference I think.

If you go for Redken, Keratase etc Look Fantastic or All Beauty are often the cheapest and there are often free gifts for a certain spend.

Yes, like Aveda too.

Someone upthread asked about Pureology. I use the Hydrate which I much prefer to the Smooth Perfection. I thought it suited my hair much more than Kerastase. For years I thought I just had shit hair but it turns out I was just using shit products and it is perfectly manageable.

I've been told by a couple of hairdressers now that shampoo makes no difference whatsoever but investing in a good quality conditioner absolutely does.

@XiCi

I've been told by a couple of hairdressers now that shampoo makes no difference whatsoever but investing in a good quality conditioner absolutely does.

That makes sense

The more natural the better. There are so many small uk independent brands making shampoo bars now. Good value for money, no plastic packaging and natural.
This is the one I use: https://www.lifebeforeplastik.com/products/acai-berry-shampoo-bar-120g?pos=1&&sid=920f2f1ef&ss=r