Shampoo - worth paying more?

[poppyseedy]

I generally just buy whatever is on offer in the supermarket and the whole family use it (including bald husband, haha) - I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than £5 on a shampoo. Is it worth spending more? I’m considering treating myself to a bottle that only I use but I don’t want to waste my money. Generally I find all beauty products a bit ‘emperors new clothes’ but am I wrong? My hair is shoulder length, straight and not averagely thick/thin.

I like expensive hair and skincare. It’s a weakness of mine and yep, I think the better shampoos are better for my hair.

Is it worth it? I think it depends; can you afford to spend more? To you want to try a more expensive shampoo or do you just think you should?

I think there are good shampoos at all price points and it’s a bit dangerous (expensive) to get keen on an pricey one

If the shampoo you buy works for all of you then why buy something else?

I always get cheap shampoo. Recently been given some to try and it's made a huuuge difference. I just didn't realize. So I'm not going to change what I use.

I read recently that its not worth spending a lot of money on things that are going to go down the drain; spend it on things that are going to stay on your skin.

Nothing wrong with wanting to treat yourself, but if you look at the ingredients of cheap vs expensive shampoo then I guess they will be pretty much the same. You might be paying a lot extra for some small amounts of perfumes or just the brand name.

I had a similar thought a few years ago. I had cash to splash, so decided it was time to give it a go.

I asked my hairdresser what shampoo she'd recommend and then I found a supplier that did 1litre bottles which I use with a pump. So it's kinder to the planet (fewer bottles to waste), is cheaper than 4x250ml bottles and my hair feels different to when I was using cheaper brands.

I reuse the pump every time I get a new bottle and 1 bottle lasts me at least 6 months because I'm measuring out the shampoo each use rather than splodging on whatever squirts out.

Interesting that no one has named a brand that they think is worth it? And yes good point, I should check ingredients and see if they’re any different! My hair is fine - I’ve never noticed a difference in it based on what shampoo I use. Yes I could afford to spend more and if loads of you said that a particular £20 shampoo made your hair incredibly thicker and shinier than I would give it a go! But it seems like it’s not worth it.
I use Cerave cleanser and moisturiser on my skin which is relatively cheap given the huge tubs I buy.

Yes for me, I have bleached hair and it makes a huge difference.

My favourite is pureology hydrate shampoo but will obviously be dependent on your hair type. This makes my hair so soft and shiny

If you want to treat yourself how about something like a mask or an oil? I love the olaplex hair oil, it again makes my hair shiny without weighing it down like say argan oil

Also it looks like a small bottle but I bought my last bottle on black Friday last year so its nearly lasted a year and I use it everyday

I became ill & my hair was thinning & falling out in handfuls. A friend recommended L'Occitane.
The one I use is Strength & Volume.

It worked wonders. 10 months on my hair is thick & shiny again. I buy the 500ml eco refills. I've paid anywhere between £17 - £29. But that does last 2 months with me washing my hair almost every day. I use a pump action bottle which gives the correct amount & minimises waste.

The detergent in most shampoos is Sodium Laureth Sulphate, which is the same detergent as in a lot of dishwashing liquid.

I use a bar shampoo, but that’s an attempt to be more environmentally friendly (it’s wrapped in paper, so I’m not transporting a load of water in a plastic bottle).

I do find that the conditioner I use makes a difference. My hair is greying, and I have a lot more weird wiry hairs, now. I recently changed my conditioner, and my hair is much silkier.

I honestly think it’s less to do with cost, though, and more to do with finding a product that suits your hair, at this particular stage in your life.

I'm 62 and my hair is dry, greying, coarse and bleached. Good shampoo makes a huge difference. I use either kerestase or Moroccan oil. There's always offers on Look Fantastic or Essentual.
I have found that it works out cheaper as you need far less product for a much better result.

Not necessarily worth it imo.

I once spent close to £100 on a shampoo and conditioner...can't even remember the brand, it was years ago. I'd read amazing things about it. It was absolutely not worth it at all. It was no better than a supermarket offering.

I use Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner but buy huge bottles so they're better value. Makes a big difference to the condition of my hair.

I use Kerastase shampoo and it makes a HUGE difference. It's expensive but the difference is visible and my hair feels so much better.

I've not found a shampoo that works better for me than Tresomme basic green, including salon shampoos. But everyone's hair and routines are different. Try some and choose your favourite.

My hair is fine. I use the Ouai shampoo and conditioner for fine hair. Love them.

The most expensive shampoo and conditioner I have used is the best I have tried - Kerastase. But cost wise it wasn’t proportionately better than what I usually use (John Frida) so I rarely buy it and when I do, I use John Frida most of the time but Kerastase before nights out, events etc when I want my hair to look particularly nice.

If you can afford it, definitely try some of the high end brands and see what you think. And if you can’t justify the cost to yourself of using it all the time, I think my approach works!

I pay more as I like to avoid shampoo that contains sulphates, parabens and silicone.
I only wash my hair twice a week though so they tend to last.

I use brands like Faith in Nature, Cornish Seaweed company ( love this ) and have just ordered from Upcircle

I want to try the Cornish seaweed company ones
Mostly I use Giovanni smooth as silk which works well on my fine wavy hair

I buy huge bottle of wella pure shampoo and decant into a smaller bottle.
Hairdresser uses it and now I feel salon washed everyday.

I think you get more bang for your buck with decent conditioner, so I use a baby shampoo as it's nice and gently and then Morrocan Oil conditioner which is great.

I use faith in nature shampoo, conditioner and body wash which is probably mid range price wise? - we have a refill shop in town so just take the an empty bottle round, 400ml costs about £5ish. I have psoriasis and this is one that doesn’t irritate it so I’d probably still buy if the price quadrupled.
the wild rose or lavender and geranium are my favourites

I've started buying cheaper now menopausal as the parabens etc. make my hair really lank and heavy. I either get mid range shampoo from Holland and Barrett, or use hotel miniatures that I have stashed.