Salon VS Drugstore (or BSS)

[MizaniMami]

Hey Girls,
I was just stalking (lol ) some fotki's and I see that you guys have very nice shiny hair. Some people I see mostly salon stuff and some I see mostly drugstore (bss) stuff. Which brings me to the question: Do you prefer to strictly use salon stuff, mixture, or you stick to the bss/drugstore stuff?

Me personally I LOVE salon stuff. But I know there is good and bad salon stuff. I have some bss/drugstore stuff that work just as well as salon. But for the most part I find that the salon stuff is more concentrated therefore I use less. Most of my staples are salon. I have read hair books time after time statiing that most salon stuff is the same as bss stuff but I truly believe it is not (now there are some pretty bad salon stuff out there don't get me wrong).

What are your takes on this?

 

[baglady215]

I like everything!

I personally have more cheaper stuff because I have easier access to it and I'm cheap.

 

[MizAvalon]

I only use salon products, they are second to none IMO. I've been using Kerastase for the past 2 years and I LOVE it. Once you get spoiled by high quality products, drugstore stuff feels like dish soap.

I admit though, when I was natural I used cheap stuff and it did an adequate job. I'll never go back though.

 

[amy1234]

I used to love salon products but I think I will eventually switch to something like motions to supplement my moisturizing conditioners. The only products I will stick with that are salon brands are possibly going to be nexxus emergencee, and finishing products like paul mitchels superskinny serum, foaming pomade and dudleys creme press.

 

[Britt]

I only use salon products, they are second to none IMO. I've been using Kerastase for the past 2 years and I LOVE it. Once you get spoiled by high quality products, drugstore stuff feels like dish soap.

I admit though, when I was natural I used cheap stuff and it did an adequate job. I'll never go back though.

Hi MsAvalon!
What products from the Keratase do you use? Do youuse them exclusively or do you use other products also? I remember when I joined the board a long time ago, Keratase was a hit for some, but that little jar is hella expensive .

 

[Healthb4Length]

I like everything!

I personally have more cheaper stuff because I have easier access to it and I'm cheap.

ITA! Times is hard! I take what I can get!

 

[Sistaslick]

Well, guess I'm probably going to be one of the odd ones out, but I just can't be convinced that salon brands are better than non-salon brands across the board. I used to own a slew of salon products (some Paul Mitchell, Dudley, and Nexxus), but over time the price and results were simply not justified. It only took me awhile to look around me and see there are just as many women out there with dull, lifeless, broken off hair that swear by the salon and specialty brands. No product can make up for bad hair care I guess. There are bad products sitting on salon retain shelves, just like there are bad products sitting on the shelf in Wal-Mart. Its all about discernment for your own hair to weed out the posers

My hair took off once I stopped worrying about brand names, and started worrying about techniques and how different ingredients themselves work together in a regimen. Some of the brands that are on the shelves now started out in a the salon. To me, there are only so many ways that you can mix water, sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients to make a shampoo for example. There are products at your local grocery store and even in your kitchen that will do more for you than any $20-30 conditioner will do. Heck, I can take almond oil and throw some essential oils in a product make a better product than Nexxus can in my own "bathroom lab" I've been able to grow and improve the health of my hair exclusively with the kitchen and drugstore stuff And I'm sticking to them. Thats just me though. It is whatever gets you to where you are trying to go

 

[mochamadness]

I love products that work for my hair. It doesn't matter if I find them at the salon or the drugstore. I'll have to say that I enjoy most salon shampoo and conditioners over most drugstore brands, NTM being the only exception I can't live w/o this drugstore line in my regimen!! It softens and moisturizes my hair like a dream

 

[MonaLisa]

I love products that work for my hair. It doesn't matter if I find them at the salon or the drugstore. I'll have to say that I enjoy most salon shampoo and conditioners over most drugstore brands, NTM being the only exception I can't live w/o this drugstore line in my regimen!! It softens and moisturizes my hair like a dream

...co-sign...

My staples are Keracare and NTM...that combination has done it for me over the past year. Hair seems to not like it when I stray too far.

Keracare detangling poo, Humecto and NTM DDC are my bestesteses hair friends

 

[MizAvalon]

Hi MsAvalon!
What products from the Keratase do you use? Do youuse them exclusively or do you use other products also? I remember when I joined the board a long time ago, Keratase was a hit for some, but that little jar is hella expensive .

I use the Bain Satin 3 shampoo and the Masquintense conditoner. I'm also thinking of getting one of their serums. Yes, it is expensive, but so worth it to me. The shampoo actually lasts me for a long time, but I use a lot if conditioner so I go through that quickly.

Every now and then when I need to clarify, I'll just use some cheap whatever I can find, but otherwise I'm sticking to my Kerastase!

 

[Nightingale]

I love ALL products. I buy the salon products for things I don't do often. For example, PM Super Skinny and Matrix Smoothing system, when I straighten my hair. For cowashes, cheap Tresemme!

 

[carameldiva]

my hair loves SalonCare Shampoos and conditioners from Sally's BSS and CureCare Conditioner from Sally's BSS. It also love multipurpose liquid castille soap from www.thechemistrystore.com as well as their vitamin fortified hair conditioner.

These things are not name brand but are fairly inexpensive and work very good on my hair now i do doctor them up with a lil liquid aloe vera and lil glycerin and a lil honey for extra moisture/softening. But they also work great solo.

 

[Eiano]

Give me a bottle of Tressemme Conditioner, Cream of Nature and 1.49 bottle of suave clarifying shampoo and I'm good to go SssON!!!!!!

 

[natstar]

Well, guess I'm probably going to be one of the odd ones out, but I just can't be convinced that salon brands are better than non-salon brands across the board. I used to own a slew of salon products (some Paul Mitchell, Dudley, and Nexxus), but over time the price and results were simply not justified. It only took me awhile to look around me and see there are just as many women out there with dull, lifeless, broken off hair that swear by the salon and specialty brands. No product can make up for bad hair care I guess. There are bad products sitting on salon retain shelves, just like there are bad products sitting on the shelf in Wal-Mart. Its all about discernment for your own hair to weed out the posers

My hair took off once I stopped worrying about brand names, and started worrying about techniques and how different ingredients themselves work together in a regimen. Some of the brands that are on the shelves now started out in a the salon. To me, there are only so many ways that you can mix water, sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients to make a shampoo for example. There are products at your local grocery store and even in your kitchen that will do more for you than any $20-30 conditioner will do. Heck, I can take almond oil and throw some essential oils in a product make a better product than Nexxus can in my own "bathroom lab" I've been able to grow and improve the health of my hair exclusively with the kitchen and drugstore stuff And I'm sticking to them. Thats just me though. It is whatever gets you to where you are trying to go

So true!!!!

 

[MissB]

I used drugstore and BSS products in the past. My hair does okay with drugstore shampoos. But, I get better moisture and detangling results from salon conditioners. My relaxer also lasts longer with salon brand products.

 

[luvSLave]

Co-sign sistaslick on using the ingredients that work for you. It takes more time, but it'll save your hair and your money. When I first joined the boards I started strictly using salon brands and while some worked wonderfully, others were a $20 train wreck. I eventually learned to look for the specific things in each product that worked for me. Now I get fabulous results with a combination of a salon brand poo, a BSS (domincan) conditioner and a drugstore leave in and serum.

 

[baglady215]

Question: If I can find the item in my supermarket or drugstore, does it still qualify as a "salon" product? I was in Superfresh and they had Nexxus, PM, Rusk, Tigi, etc.

 

[gradygirl]

I've tried them both but so for I'm having better luck with the drugstore products that I buy from CVS like my NTM and ORS temple balm. Like some of the ladies said earlier it's just whatever you hair likes and I consider it a blessing that my hair is responding to cheaper brands because this makes me have more money to do other things with.

 

[SouthernJewel]

My products are mostly bss products : EQP DPR-11,ORS Mayo,Suave Clarifying/Humectress and MNT.The only salon product I use is Kenra Shampoo.I wont be buying it again, CON does a better job for about $15 less.Cheapie products are just as effective as expensive,but to each her own.

 

[MizAvalon]

Question: If I can find the item in my supermarket or drugstore, does it still qualify as a "salon" product? I was in Superfresh and they had Nexxus, PM, Rusk, Tigi, etc.

Girl, please don't buy a salon product outside of a salon. A great many of these products are fakes or at the very least, watered down and I have no idea how the stores even get away with selling them. There's a lot of info about this on the internet and there was a thread around here not too long ago about it as well.