Looking after your locks: supermarket vs. salon hair care

 

Your hair is one of your greatest accessories; so it’s worth ensuring your tresses stay in mint condition. Hair care plays a key role in maintaining healthy, shiny locks and it’s important you use products that contain essential and quality ingredients to protect the condition of your hair as well as make it look and feel fabulous! Which heralds the question: Can supermarket products do the trick or is it best to invest in salon-endorsed hair care?

The price and quality of supermarket vs. salon products is often debated. Supermarket-bought products are in general, considerably cheaper than salon-bought, but the quality is more-often-than-not compromised. Some maintain that there is no a difference between the two, however we beg to differ.

Here are a few things to consider:

More bang for your buck

• Believe it or not, salon products can give you more value for your money!


• Due to the a higher concentration of active ingredients (including essential vitamins and proteins), you only need to use a small amount- which means it can last longer than supermarket products that are less concentrated and have higher quantities of fillers (such as water and unnecessary chemicals and preservatives).

The facts about foam

• Fact: Lather has no real benefit in making your hair clean.


• Supermarket products often use harsh foaming agents such as ammonium laurel sulphate and sodium lauryl sulphate that remove essential oils from hair resulting in dry and coarse hair. These elements can also strip hair colour, cause scalp irritation and accelerate the thinning of hair due to their acidic properties.


• Surfactants in salon products are generally much kinder. Sodium laureth sulphate is the gentlest option with very little lather (which is why a lot of shampoos won’t use it). It helps remove the build up of oils, dirt and environmental pollutants, without stripping natural sebum or hair colour- leaving your hair softer and shinier.

Silky and smooth

• Hair care products generally contain conditioning agents to produce soft and moisture-rich hair.


• Supermarket products use ingredients such as silicone to produce this effect. Silicone coats hair strands making your locks feel silky smooth, but it restricts   moisture absorption and inhibits cleaning, resulting in residue build-up that leaves hair limp and lifeless.


• Salon hair care contains higher-quality moisturising conditioners with essential proteins that help lock moisture within the hair shaft and scalp. This protects hair from drying out, assists in repairing damage and helps maintain soft, pliable locks.

I think celebrity hairstylist Dario Cotroneo says it best...”The difference between salon-professional shampoos versus supermarket shampoo is the investment made in the product development to protect hair against UV protection; thermal repair from over-styling; and colour-fade preservation," he says. "The internal makings of professional shampoos and conditioners are more concentrated with essential ingredients to repair hair from the inside out. "Supermarket shampoos are detergent based, so they will lather up and give you the impression that it is cleansing faster, but this is smoke and mirrors, as it cleanses from the outside in. When I was at college and a colour did not work out, we used a supermarket shampoo to strip the colour out faster! So professional is my choice for that reason as it's all about protecting your investment, so your hair colour lasts."*

We recommend that you invest in quality hair care that does just that- cares for your hair. We endorse Wella products and have them available in our salons and very soon, our online shop. Make an informed choice by talking with your stylist about the best hair products for you based on your hair type, condition and exposure to elements including the sun, chlorine, hair colour and thermal stylers.

*Quote from Your Beauty Spot