Professional Vs. Drug Store Buying. Know the Difference

We’ve all  done it. Bought shampoo and conditioner the same place we buy milk. But, unlike milk, do you know what is really inside that bottle?

Professional Vs. Drug Store Buying

If you’re like me, you like to kill two birds with one stone. But what if the result of that is actually killing your hair? When you buy hair products at drug stores or general retail stores, you are not always getting what you think.

Professional brands like Redken, Paul Mitchel, and MoroccanOil sell their products through reps to salons and spas only. So then, how do these professional names get on the drug store shelves? Well, through the Black Market.  Yup, that’s what I said…and although this Black Market is the world’s least threatening, it’s very real!

Underlords buy salon products from a legitimate distributor, then set them aside in a warehouse for years until the barcode expires so they can’t be tracked. But the barcode isn’t the only thing that expires – the product itself does! Heat, age and ingredient breakdown cause whatever is inside the bottle to no longer be effective, yet you still think you’re buying professional-grade products.

Not convinced? Next time you are browsing the haircare aisle, look at the back or  the bottom of the bottle/box. More often than not, the bottles barcode has a sticker bar code with a totally different barcode.

Unfortunately, the consumer is the one that suffers. When your stylist recommends a product to help you style, or help the overall health of your hair, 9 times outta 10 they work. But if you are buying expired products, your hair problem isn’t fixed, and you’ve spent more money than if you bought at your salon.

Unfortunately, the people that sell professional products to drug stores can tamper with or water down the products. Products that were created to be clear can come out yellow, or you notice that your shampoo is running out too fast (because it’s mainly water!). A client came in with a bottle of MoroccanOil Oil. Instead of the silky light brown color, it was tinted blue. She paid close to the real price but got a HUGE difference in the product.  

Surprisingly enough, the price difference between drug store and salons is minimal. The $3-5 difference isn’t worth the risk of buying bad products that may damage your hair!

Unlike the drug stores, the salon allows you to return products that didn’t make you happy, you were unsatisfied with and allows you to try something else. We understand every head of hair reacts differently to new products and we want you to be happy.

Take advantage of the trained and educated professional you are paying as your beauty consultant.  They have such a wide range of knowledge and experience with products that a metal shelf can’t tell you. For example I have pin straight hair, and to get volume I use a curly hair products, but I would never have thought to use it unless my hairdresser told me.

Another really good example of professional grade vs a cheap drugstore copy is The Wet Brush. When you buy your Wet Brush from us, you’ll receive a beautiful long-lasting rubber brush that is safe for your hair. The rubberized handle not only allows for a longer brush life, but makes for a soft, sure grip. This makes it both a consumer favorite and a stylist favorite as well. The drugstore copy is made of plastic, a cheaper product, and is more likely to break if dropped or after long-term use.

We want you to be happy with your hair and how you care for it. This blog is to educate you about spending your hard earned money on the right hair care products for your particular hair. Your hair and beauty is an investment, and can be an expensive one. Don’t spend more on old, tampered-with, watered-down “professional” products. Know what is in your bottles, buy your hair products from your salon professional!