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Your hair may be your crowning glory, but when it comes to products, sometimes less really is more. It's easy to get swept away at the drugstore and lured in by promises of glossy, healthy hair for a few dollars. But you shouldn't buy something just because it's affordable — and these 6 drugstore hair products and tools should be avoided at all costs.
Anti-dandruff shampoo
The occasional bout of dandruff can benefit from an affordable anti-dandruff shampoo, most of which are formulated with ingredients like salicylic acids, zinc pyrithione, and selenium sulphide. Here's where things can get tricky: if you are waking up and discovering white flakes on your scalp and in your hair far more often than normal, your best bet is to visit a dermatologist and get to the root (no pun intended) of the problem. Perhaps you need to change your diet, add supplements and vitamins, and reduce your stress levels. And there's a solid chance a doctor-prescribed scalp formula will prove far more effective than a temporary dandruff solution found at your drugstore.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Color-enhancing shampoos and conditioners
It's natural to want to protect your color-treated hair — all of those sessions at the salon add up! But most drugstore color-enhancing shampoos and conditioners contain trace amounts of color and aren't likely to boost your color, particularly if you've committed to a notoriously difficult shade to keep up, like red or platinum. Ask your hair stylist to create a colored gloss that you can take home and apply to your hair periodically to keep your hair color toned and spend your money on shampoos and conditioners that are free of damaging sulfates. Even better: wash your hair less often to truly extend your time between salon appointments.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Highlights/ombre hair coloring kits
Many beauty experts will caution you to avoid drugstore hair dye altogether, but we know there are times when all you want to do is cover up a few grays and the next available salon appointment isn't for weeks. Relying on root touch-up products and single process hair dyes is one thing — investing in highlights and ombre hair coloring kits is quite another. Remember that you aren't just paying for dye at a salon — you're paying for a color expert to properly place those foils and remove color at just the perfect time, before it transforms into a platinum or brassy disaster. Consider whether your hair coloring skills are up to par before convincing yourself that a box of drugstore dye will deliver the same perfect caramel highlights sported by the model on the box.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Cheap hair dryers
If most of us had a dollar for every time a cheap hairdryer died a painful death, usually right in the middle of a blowout an hour before an event. we'd all be wealthy. Super affordable hairdryers are great when you're in a bind — and they make for fantastic travel companions when you can't lug around a heavier tool. But for everyday use, it really pays to invest a bit more in a hairdryer that is more powerful and can dry your hair in half the time while eliminating frizz, which does wonders to protect your mane from heat damage. You needn't spend $400 on your hairdryer, and some truly great ones, like the BaBylissPRO Italo Luminoso Dryer ($79.99), cost less than $100 and won't break down months after you've started using them.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Salon hair products
Salon-quality hair products are usually the top of the line and their price tags are a reflection of the effective ingredients they contain (you're also, of course, paying for their name). Don't make the mistake of falling for online drugstore deals that promise to deliver the same luxury products for a quarter of the price. "Grey market" counterfeit beauty products are sold without guarantees of authenticity, which means you really can't prove you're purchasing the real deal. Play it safe by only buying salon hair products at a salon.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Hair masks
If your goal is to "Marie Kondo" your beauty closet this year, start by kicking drugstore hair masks to the curb. While some make your hair feel totally luxurious, many contain chemicals and fragrances that could irritate your skin and leave your hair looking limp. Recipes for DIY hair treatments can be found everywhere online and it's never been easier to assemble honey, coconut oil, avocado, mayo, and eggs and create your very own personalized hair mask — one that is both natural and super affordable.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
