Professional Products vs. Drugstore Brands: Confession of a Hairstylist.

Everyone wants to know what the difference is between a professional product and a drugstore one. Perhaps you cannot see the difference from the bottle and the fancy labels, but the difference is there!
I cringe when my clients come in for their Colour Services or Keratin Smoothing service, spend a lot of time in my chair and a fair amount of money to go home to a drugstore quality product!!!
It is like investing in a beautiful soft and luxurious Angora sweater and throwing it in warm water cycle of your washing machine. Ouch!
The difference in price of a Salon Professional Product and a drugstore one is not only the higher quality and higher concentration of those ingredients, it is also that the salon product will last you much longer.
Unless you suffer from allergies. you probably never look at the ingredients. You most likely base your decision on the price, the packaging and of course the smell. 
Next time, do read your label and remember that the 1st ingredient is the strongest and the last is the weakest.
WATER: Is H20 the 1st ingredient listed on your shampoo bottle? If so it means that your shampoo is diluted with water more than others. Which means a cheaper price but it also means you will use more and run out of it faster.
ALCOHOL: Talk about drying your hair. Again a lot of drugstore product will have a high content of alcohol. The product may still make your hair feel smooth… However, it is not getting the moisture and protein it needs to stay strong and heathy.
SULFATES: Every body talks about sulfates but I am sure very few really understands why you want to avoid it in your products.
Sulfates are a salt of sulphuric acid. In a product, sulfate get sudsy and later well. But they do tend to dry out the hair and strip out your color.
A few things to remember if you color your hair like I do:
Color treated hair is more sensitive to heat from tools.
Your color will last longer if you are using color protecting products for exemple a heat protector or/and using a shampoo that is too strong.
if you shampoos less frequently and instead use your conditioner to freshen up and nourish.
Voila, I hope this will help you shop smart. Thank you.
Hair by Veronique.

---