How to Buy Hair Products and Keep Costs Down

Learning what products work for your hair is a process. I returned to my natural hair five years ago and I am still experimenting with different products. Or sometimes my hair will build up a tolerance to a product that I've been using for awhile and I'll need to switch to a new one. But finding good products for your hair can become expensive. Here are some ways to keep costs down.

Don't be Brand Loyal
Just because one brand makes a leave-in conditioner that leaves your hair feeling moisturized doesn't necessarily mean that same brand will have a shampoo that will work well with your hair. Be willing to try different products in your price range regardless of brand, unless you've had more than one bad experience with a particular one.

Start with Small or Trial Sizes
It's better to pay just a few dollars for a small sized hair product, just in case it doesn't work out. If the product is good then you can always buy the larger more economical size the next time.

Participate in Product Swaps
Yes, there are such things as hair product swaps. Nappturality.com members have them frequently. You can swap your slightly used products via snail mail. This could be a great way to swap an expensive product for another one that is close to the same value.

Introduce New Products One at a Time
If you are trying to find hair products that work for you then introduce new ones slowly. If you use a new shampoo, a new conditioner, and a new hair gel and then your hair winds up feeling dried out then you will have no way of knowing which product is causing the undesired effect on your hair.

Stick with what Works
I wish I had learned sooner to leave well enough alone. On my quest to find the "perfect" products I temporarily became a product junkie. I have the product cemetery to prove it (the cabinet underneath my bathroom sink). Buying products and then using them once is a very expensive habit.

But eventually I realized that when I find a product that works it's OK to just keep using it. I have found a good clarifying shampoo and will continue to use it unless my hair starts to build up a tolerance to it.

It takes some trial and error to find products that work well with your hair. But you do not have to break the bank in your quest to keep your hair looking great.

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