Expensive products...are they worth it?

[niqu92]

Matrix Biolage doesn't get alot of love round here, glad to see it's a staple for someone other than me.

really?i never would have guessed lol i thought a lot of ppl used it...or maybe im confusing matrix with nexxus...i think its a really good line and that conditioning balm..ohmygoodness my hair feels like butter&silk&feathers all mixed together lol

 

[kellistarr]

Like most people have stated "my cheap may not be your cheap" With all products I go by ingredients.

Products that I pay good money for tend to give me what I'm looking for. I'm looking for good ingredients, I'm also looking for a certain consistency, I'm looking for multi-purpose, I'm looking for a certain feeling for my hair and I usually get it.

I do like buying from small businesses or places like Etsy. These products are usually my kind of cheap and made with good ingredients (I can't be fooled by whipped shea and a splash of oil) and generous in size.

 

[greenandchic]

I agree that "expensive" is relative.

Conditioner & Leave-Ins: Because my hair lives on conditioners, I try to keep it to no more than $12 bottle max (depending on the size). I've fallen in love with Curl Junkie products, but never paid full price on them, usually 50% off thanks to deals from AveYou.com.

Shampoo: I'm willing to spend more on a good shampoo because that usually last longer (no more than $15).

Styler: I don't really use stylers much (especially in the fall and winter) so I spend less on them in general. Also a lot of leave-ins and butters can double as stylers for me. Flax seed gel is very cheap to make.

Are they worth it? It depends on your hair and the product. I would never spend money on Miss Jessie's products because they are basically $.50 ingredients marked way up. I would give it a go if they used quality ingredients and essential oils.

If my hair was shorter, I could see spending more on products...

 

[morehairplease]

greenandchic By chance, do you have a recipe for flaxseed gel that you could share?

Thanks in advance for your response,
tishee

 

[hothair]

Aveda DR Intensive Treatment is worth every single penny they charge for it.

 

[choctaw]

Some expensive products are in fact worth their price. Now honestly the cheap products VO5, Suave, etc do diddly squat for my hair. I probably would have more luck with plain water.

I tried to wash henna paste out of my hair with V05 and Suave conditioners and it took a full bottle plus 30 minutes. I switched to using water from handheld shower head for 5 minutes straight and 95% of the henna is out.

 

[SuchaLady]

choctaw See someone agrees

I tried to wash henna paste out of my hair with V05 and Suave conditioners and it took a full bottle plus 30 minutes. I switched to using water from handheld shower head for 5 minutes straight and 95% of the henna is out.

 

[JeterCrazed]

The math geek in me measures whether something is expensive by the price per ounce for the product. If I catch Matrix Ultra Hydrating poo on sale it costs less per ounce than my NTM hair mask and will last longer.

The most expensive product I have bought was Miss Jessies Curly Pudding and I will not spend that much on product again without sampling it first. I refuse to even try Wen or Kerastase. Those products are too expensive for me think about liking.

thank God I'm not the only person who does that.

I will try products like Keratase from places with a very good return policy or when I have been impressed by the ingredients. If I can make it myself, they can forget it. I have a few friends using Biolage because we consider it cheap. The duos are $26. When I switched to sulfate-free paraben-free and started using Moroccanoil, nobody was willing to switch with me. For $80, they weren't tryna hear it.

Sent from my HTC Inspire™

 

[NikkiGirl]

I go back and forth. I like my cheapies, such as Vo5 and Herbal Essences. But I also like Phyto and Bumble and bumble. So it just depends. I will say the conditioner I use anytime I straigthen (which isn't often) is usually an expensive conditioner. I like to use PhytoJoba Intense Hydrating Mask and my hair feels so silky. But my leave-in is Silk Elements from Sally's and has been since the beginning of my journey.

 

[aviddiva77]

Depends on the product really: what I use it for, how long it will last and does it work. I have a L'anza conditioner I use that's $15 per 10 oz but it lasted for 3 months and I love it but it's expensive to me. Same with ORS DC 7 bucks! But it works and my hair loves it. Everything else has to be like 5 or under, cuz financial aid doesn't pay CRAP!

 

[greenandchic]

greenandchic By chance, do you have a recipe for flaxseed gel that you could share?

Thanks in advance for your response,
tishee

morehairplease

2tbsp whole flaxseed
1 cup boiling water (lately I've been using black tea)

Keep it on high until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit. I strain it in a mesh strainer and refrigerate. It will start to thicken up as it cools down.

I sometimes add EO or even a little fragrance oil if I'm so inclined, but its perfectly good plain.

Naptural85 on Youtube has a cool video on how she makes hers (pretty much the same way I do.

HTH

 

[greenandchic]

SuchaLady, choctaw on the Suave/Vo5 rant!

I only use those to mix my henna glosses with. I also sometimes use it to dilute intense protein treatments. They makes a good, simple, cheap conditioner for those purposes.

 

[MyInvisibleChyrsalis]

No, lol. Took me thousands to learn that crap.

 

[SimJam]

The math geek in me measures whether something is expensive by the price per ounce for the product. If I catch Matrix Ultra Hydrating poo on sale it costs less per ounce than my NTM hair mask and will last longer.

The most expensive product I have bought was Miss Jessies Curly Pudding and I will not spend that much on product again without sampling it first. I refuse to even try Wen or Kerastase. Those products are too expensive for me think about liking.

this is exactly how I feel about Qhemets AOHC BRBC and cocotree detangling ghee quality products that are soo super mouisturizing that a little goes a long way. So its not only price per ounce but how many uses I can get out of each container

 

[SmilingElephant]

Bublin, *doing MJ moves*

♪You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'♫
​

HOT MESS!!! I coudlnt even read the rest of your post bc i stopped breathing! Lol You are too much Nonie!!! Lol!!!

for some reason...your MJ reference made me think of this smiley ---->

*goes back to read the rest of your post*​

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Some are, in my opinion. My hair has really started to thrive when I used products like Qhemet and Hairveda. I am really glad I hopped on the band wagon with these products.

 

[SmilingElephant]

I'm still finding my balance. I think the most expensive hair product i've ever bought was from Curl Junkie...so the most i will spend on a product is around $20 smacks.

For the most part i spend between $4-$8 on conditioner...i'm resorting to buying stuff from the store that is mostly CG friendly, like GF,YTC and AO products. I'll spend like $10+ if the conditioner comes in a liter size.

I have started back using my CV shampoo bar...cut it up in chunks...those things last forever!!!

I'm gonna start making my own shea butter mix again and i want to start experimenting with making my own flax seed gel. I can't afford to just throw money at products right now

 

[pookaloo83]

Everything I use are cheapies. Except for Qhemets. I dish out my money for that and Aubrey Oragnics conditioners. I think it's worth it for those 2 things IMO.

 

[Rocky91]

It depends on the function of the product.
I find it necessary to use a semi-decent product for my DC's-most cheapo DC's don't do much for me.

A good middle-ground for me has been discovering the sally's GVP brand. I can try out all the expensive things I want without breaking the bank. I the Matrix Biolage dupe, and the Nexxus Humectress fakie. I really recommend checking out these products.