Drug store products versus high end products is one of the biggest debates in natural haired history. Ever since companies began creating products geared towards natural hair, women have flocked to them to better care for their tresses. But a resistance arose comprising of women who refused to say goodbye to the tried and true drugstore products that have worked for years. As a curly this can be very confusing because while there are numerous articles (many of which you can find here on NaturallyCurly”> speaking out against the evils of lower end products, there are plenty of women advocating for them. So what is a curly to do? We are going to break it down for you to help make your purchase decision an educated one.
The Price
When this debate arises it is inevitable that the price of many high end products is discussed as they can sometimes be double or triple the price of what you can get in your local beauty supply or drug store. Whether or not these products are worth their price depends on what you are looking for in a product. For the most part, the more expensive products contain ingredients which tend to be naturally derived as opposed to cheaper products which tend to contain a lot of fillers like petrolatum or lanolin. This is especially important for curlies who follow the Curly Girl Method who can only use natural products on their hair.
However, paying more money does not always guarantee that a product has a superior list of ingredients. As of late, hair care companies have begun to pouring more effort and research into formulating their products which means that we are seeing many drugstore brands with natural ingredients and entire product lines dedicated to curly hair. Now that the drugstore brands have upped their game it is beginning to become difficult to tell the difference between drug store and high end products.
Generic Brands
As a curly girl I know that there is nothing more annoying than getting a product or sample for free, trying it, loving it, then realizing you’ll have to take out a small loan to buy it regularly. But all hope is not lost. For curly women whose hair has expensive taste, you’ll be happy to know that it is possible to get a champagne product on a beer budget. Many of our beloved name brand products have cheaper generic alternatives. These no name products usually contain similar if not the same ingredients as the brand name products and work just as well at a fraction of the cost. Brands like generic Paul Mitchell, Infusium, and Nexxus to name a few all have generic versions which are used and loved by curlies.
It Is Possible
Most important of all you should note that it is possible to get gorgeous healthy natural hair using the cheap stuff. There is no rule that states that the more expensive a product the more effective it is, and there are plenty of curlies whose hair is a testament to that fact. The truth is our hair can’t tell the difference between high end or low end products and will respond to a product regardless of the price tag. So if you’re a curly on a budget and can’t buy every product raved about on CurlTalk or YouTube, then don’t fret because your hair will grow and can be healthy using what you can afford.
Lately even the stars have begun to take note of drugstore brands and have been quoted expressing their love for products that you and I can afford. One such celeb is none other than the gorgeous curly Jordin Sparks who has been photographed purchasing products from the L’Oreal EverCurl line. This has probably come as a shock to many of us who believed her healthy tresses were a result of celebrity stylists and an exclusive hair care line. So for the curlies out there who aspire for celebrity-worthy curls, know that you can now get them without breaking the bank.
