The Benefit of Salon Products

A shampoo is just a shampoo. Or is it? All shampoos work the same way; they all clean your hair. Or do they? What is the difference between professional salon products and generic brands sold at your grocery store and Wal-Mart? Is there one? Some will say ‘No’, but yes, there is a difference.

Professional vs. Store Bought Hair Products

Have you ever gone to a salon and purchased a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, taken it home and tried the shampoo? The shampoo will typically lather up very quickly and will require a lot less. This is because the ingredients used in the professional products are typically of higher quality and have gentler surfactants (type of soap used in shampoo). Professional products want to give you an experience! The creators of the products want you to use their shampoo and feel luxurious, to notice the smell, and to see a difference in your final outcome. They want you to use their product and notice a difference. And in this process, the quality of ingredients used is higher than those sold in general hair care.

It use to be that professional products were the only ones that catered to curly hair, straight hair, damaged hair and ‘I need more volume’ hair. But now there are numerous generic brands that have been expanding their lines to cater to the different types of hair. You can even find shampoo for Blondes, Brunettes and even Red heads. But what is the quality of the bargain shampoo?

Professional Products Sold In Places Other Than Salons

You may have been shopping in your grocery store or Target and noticed professional products that are being sold on their shelves. These products have landed on the shelves due to what is called diversion. Diversion is when the product is sold through another source outside its intended channel for distribution. You may have read on the back of a bottle of professional shampoo, ‘Only guaranteed if sold in a salon.” If bought elsewhere, you as a consumers may be getting a product that has been tampered with. Also, a lot of these products are old. I’ve seen discontinued products that were sold in stores 3 years after the product had been discontinued. Hair products have a shelf life of about 1 year. Buying from these stores may save you a couple cents, but you have no idea what else you are putting on your hair. So buyer beware; it’s safer to buy professional salon products in a salon.

It’s Really Up To You

Deciding to use professional products over the generic product is clearly up to you and your checkbook. One way to see if you notice the difference is to buy a bottle of shampoo and conditional from a salon and use it for 3-4 weeks. Notice the way your hair feels and looks. Then go back to your generic brand and see if you notice the difference.  I am positive you will!

Clients ask me everyday what hair products are best for there hair to give it volume,  lift, hold a curl, or not have frizz. The most important product you can use on your hair starts with your shampoo.  It is the foundation for healthy shiny hair. So make the investment in quality shampoo! I would recommend Arimino hair shampoo. This is one of the best Japan hair products.