When it comes to hair care products, you might wonder when it pays to save and when you should go ahead and splurge. With so many different brands on the market, experimenting can be pretty costly, but there are definitely areas where you can scrimp and you won't notice a difference.
When to Splurge
For great hair that gets all of the conditioning and gentle treatment it deserves, it's worth spending the money on:
Shampoo
Black hair tends to be dry. It needs moisture and conditioning on a regular basis. While you can easily find inexpensive shampoos, they may contain harsh ingredients that are too drying to your hair. Better shampoos can be found in your salon or salon stores like Trade Secret. The best shampoos for your hair contain quality ingredients that won't strip the natural oils that your hair really needs.
Good shampoo brands worth the cost: Paul Mitchell, KeraCare and Mizani.
Gels
Cheap gels often leave tacky, flaky residue in your hair that can build up within a day. This is one product you should feel comfortable splurging on. If your hair is relaxed, you might only use gel to slick back your hairline if you're wearing a pulled back style. For natural hair, you can create a carefree look on wet or damp hair with a good quality gel; cheap gels will probably leave your hair stiff and with telltale residue.
Good gels to try: Paul Mitchell Super Clean Sculpting Gel and KeraCare Clear Protein Styling Gel.
Oils
When it comes to the best oils for black hair, sticking as close to natural ingredients as possible is the best way to maintain a healthy style. The extra cost of high-quality natural oils is worth it. Cheap black hair products often contain petroleum and mineral oil, which do nothing but cause buildup and attract dirt to your hair. The prices can seem high, but you don't need as much product; therefore, a 4 oz. bottle of natural oils will last longer than an 8 oz. bottle of cheap product.
A few companies that make good quality natural oil products: Carol's Daughter, Oyin Handmade and Qhemet Biologics.
Heat Straightening Tools
Using heat on your hair should be done with the greatest care to avoid permanent damage. While ceramic flat irons and curling irons can seem pricey (the best ones run over $100), view them as investments in the business of healthy hair. These aren't generally tools you'll have to buy more than once every several years (or once per decade) so the cost is much more reasonable when you look at the amount of time you own them.
Spending the money on a Chi or Sedu flat or curling iron is worth it in the long run.
When to Save
While it pays to splurge on some hair care products, there are many others that you can buy on the cheap and no one will know but you. You don't even have to be especially budget-conscious to appreciate the savings you can net by not breaking the bank on these styling products:
Accessories
Walk into any discount or drugstore and you can find hair accessories that are cheap, but gentle enough for black hair. Elastic scrunchies or ponytail holders (without metal), headbands, barrettes - all of these can be found easily and inexpensively, perfect for styling your hair without spending big bucks.
Two inexpensive accessory lines that deliver: Goody and Scuunchi.
Conditioner
Unlike gels, oils, mousses, creams and other products that stay on your hair after styling, conditioner does its job and then goes down the drain. There are tons of conditioners on the shelves today, in the ethnic hair care section as well as the more mainstream section, that work on any type of hair and whose prices are very reasonable. There are many high-priced conditioners that do a good job, but don't perform better than products that are a fraction of the price.
Skip: The Body Shop's Olive Glossing Conditioner. It has olive oil in it, but doesn't have the moisturizing properties you'd expect for the high price tag. Instead, try Suave Professionals Humectant Conditioner which retails for much less, but is a very moisturizing bargain.
Combs and Brushes
If you wear your hair natural, you might not even use a brush that much, except to smooth your edges. If you wear your hair straightened, chances are you're still not performing the ritual of 100 brush strokes every night before bed. You can get a decent brush for cheap.
Skip: The Mason Pearson brush, which can run upwards of $100. Instead, try a Scuunchi natural boar bristle brush for about $10 - $15. As for combs, wide tooth combs are available in so many colors, widths and styles in local shops, you can easily buy a whole collection without putting a crimp in your wallet.
Blow Dryers
While flat irons and curling irons are another matter, super expensive blow dryers really aren't necessary for maintaining a healthy hair routine. You can find inexpensive blow dryers with diffuser attachments, which are great for distributing air in an allover pattern instead of focusing on one section of hair and potentially drying it out. Still, you should use a blow dryer sparingly. This isn't a tool to use every day if you want to keep your hair at its healthiest. Because you don't need to use it daily, buying a less expensive dryer is a smart, money saving idea.
Unless you're a professional, you can skip the ConairPro Plimatic or the Bio Ionic iTools Travel Pro. Instead, choose a basic Conair for about a $40 - $60 price difference.
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