Is expensive shampoo worth it? Recommendations?

[Willowskyblue]

My hair is a bit dry as I age, so I'm wondering if investing in a better shampoo and conditioner would be worth it, rather than the cheaper brands. Can anyone advise please, and recommend a good brand?

I vary with Shu Emeura ultimate reset, L'Oréal Vitamino colour, Coco and Eve, Kerastase Resistance and KMS Colour Vitality. I use an Ouai mask. My hair is in great condition.

Nine years ago, following my marriage breakdown, I treated myself to a Liberty advent calendar. In it was this Davines OI Shampoo and I’ve been using ever since. Before I was a cynic regarding expensive products but my dry, post menopausal hair has been in beautiful condition for years now, and you only need a tiny amount - a large bottle lasts me at least a year.

I actually think conditioner is more important than shampoo. Shampoo is just for cleaning the roots and scalp and won't help dry hair. Hair treatments, leave in conditioner, regular trims help smooth out dry hair.

I’m late 50s and have had a really hard menopause, my hair has totally changed texture to very dry coarse and frizzy. I’ve learned from bitter experience that I can only use the more expensive products on my hair, so I swap around every few months between Wella, keretase , and Olaplex.

I’m the same, hair dryer with age. I discovered Charles Worthington moisture seal leave in conditioner. It’s been a game changer for me. I can’t use the oil type leave in products as my hair is fine and they make it limp and flat, but CW works well.

@Willowskyblue Have you tried not using shampoo? Or washing your hair less frequently? Advice my hairdresser gave me.

It's all completely dependent on your actual haircare needs. There is no luxury shampoo and conditioner that does anything you can't get much, much cheaper. It's marketing and scents that "justify" the extra price. Just do some research about your actual hair needs as everyone is so different. Abbey Yung on tiktok is good.

Thanks all.
@BIWI that’s interesting. Have you tried it and has it made a difference for you?

I use several Kerestase products and have done for around four years, the biggest plus I have found when using expensive shampoo is how much less I am using to wash my hair compared to the high street brands.

My hair now looks much better and despite the outlay cost for the products, they last ages compared to the cheaper brands.

@Willowskyblue it has, although I had the opposite issue to you! My hair was getting so greasy that I was having to wash it daily. I stopped the frequency (but not the shampoo) and now I can easily go for 3 or 4 days between washes.

I would dispute that purely on my experience. My hair feels, looks and acts differently based on certain products. Now if you apply " getting it clean" as the basic premise then maybe.

Davines Nou Nou for me. It costs a bit more but I use less and go longer between washes.

I was always taught that if you are going to spend a bit more on something, prioritise the things which stay on your hair / skin longest - so it's generally not worth spending much on shampoos or cleansers, because they're basically all detergents doing the same job and they aren't in contact with you long enough for more expensive ones to make much difference. Try one without SLS or parabens if you think they are drying your hair but you don't need to spend much to find one of these.

By this logic it might be worth spending more on your conditioner but tbh, having tried lots of expensive options from Aveda and Kerastase etc, the one I always come back to is Aussie Three Minute Miracle. I've been using it since I was a teenager and I've never really found better.

One of the things that I have found that has made a huge difference to my hair is a shower filter. I bought a Hello Klean shower head and it is amazing. I also got one of their shampoos which tackle the deposits on your hair from water.

I haven't found them worth it tbh, but I also find some of the cheapest shampoos can be very drying (Alberto Balsam, I'm looking at you!)

You just have to find one that works for you. Chances are there will be a mid range one that's not too expensive.

I'm enjoying the M&S own brand sea salt nourishing shampoo at the moment - it's great value as only about a fiver and it's SLS/ Paraben free. I have fine straight hair. It didn't work for my friend with curly hair.

I swapped to Arkive products earlier this year. I'd asked someone on Instagram how they styled their hair and their hairdresser, the chap that owns Arkive, replied himself. They smell lovely, and the gel and pomade don't make my hair sticky or horrible. The shampoo is lasting really well. My hair definitely looks a lot better with using the products. Boots and M&S sell them.

I love the Aussie Moisture stuff. I am 60 and have always had really long hair. I discovered years ago that things that are full of parabens upset my scalp and I actually try to get paraben-free stuff when I can.
TBH, one of the best shampoos I have used recently is Lidl’s olive oil shampoo! Cheap as chips, but it is gentle and not heavily scented. Extremely good for the price.

I used to think they weren’t worth the money but I’ve been using the L’Oréal professional range for 2 years now. Specifically the blondifier gloss and metal detox range which work amazingly for my highlighted blonde hair and hard water

I moved house a couple of months ago and had a bath first night.. forgot my shampoo and could only see dog shampoo in a box… I needed my hair washed so thought what’s the worst that can happen, used it and hair was really soft and shiny next day … amazing, couldn’t bring myself to use it again tho

L’Oréal professional vitamino has been great for my dry menopausal hair, and was recommended by my hair stylist.

I like high end beauty products. I like kerastase, color wow, osmo (very reasonably priced & really good). John Freida is good too & reasonably priced. Pureology is nice too. Sometimes I’ll use Philip Kingsley or Molton Brown.

For those who use Pureology, I've just had a look on the website and it looks like it's for coloured hair. Has anyone without coluured hair tried it?

My hair isn't dyed, but being menopausal I do have a little frizz and drying at the ends, but sometimes oily roots. I have fine hair but lots of it. Would pureology be suitable, and if so would the sheer hydrate be the best one to try - any advice welcome.

I'm currently using kitsch rosemary and biotin bar soap and conditioner. I do like it, my hair feels nice, smells nice, and the conditioner is better than other bar conditioners I've tried. It's great for travel. But, every so often, I feel like I need a proper liquid shampoo, and I feel I need to rotate what I use to keep it working. My hair is very soft, but the mid to end lengths can feel quite brittle and hard to run my fingers through when dry occasionally.

L’Oréal professional range .
Approx £38 for shampoo & conditioner .
Boots have it on offer or Look Fantastic have it cheaper often.
Its expensive but the bottles will last me 6-8 weeks .

Honestly, Marksies own brand nourishing shampoo and conditioner is a worth a try. £3 a bottle from their grocery sections or Ocado. It’s sulphate and silicone free, both of which can be drying with repeated use. My hair looks and feels the best it has in years. I was a repeat L’Oréal professional/Bumble & Bumble/Fuction of Beauty buyer for years and it’s saving me a bloody fortune. I do still use a Pureology blue shampoo once a fortnight to offset any brassiness on my highlights, but I don’t have any strong feelings about it to be honest.

M&S are surprisingly good. I also really like the milk shake collection of hair products.

Just remember shampoo is for the scalp & conditioner the hair itself.