Are expensive shampoos really better?

If you’re anything like me, you read the ingredients on every food item before you buy it. So why wouldn’t you do the same thing for anything you put on your body? Your skin absorbs much of what you put on it, so it’s important to know what you’re using. Here’s the breakdown.

(Feel free to skip the boring stuff!)

Pureology

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate- surfactant based on fatty acids derived from coconut oil Sodium

Lauroyl Sulfoacetate-an organic salt

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate-disodium salt of ethoxylated lauryl alcohol bound to sulfosuccinic acid

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate- ionic surfactant derived from sarcosine

Cocamidopropyl Betaine-a mixture of closely related organic compounds derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine

Suave

Sodium Laureth Sulfate-anionic detergent and surfactant

Cocamidopropyl Betaine- a mixture of closely related organic compounds derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine

Sodium Chloride- Salt

Glycol Distearate- compound based on stearic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid

Dimethiconol- silicone based polymer

These are the first 5 ingredients found in the salon shampoo and the drug store shampoo. It boils down to this. The salon shampoo uses higher quality surfactants and cleansers. The cheaper cleansers will over strip the oils from your hair and fade color more quickly. Salon shampoo is also more concentrated so it lasts much longer than store bought. Instead of using chemicals for scent, they use essential oils which are beneficial to your scalp. For example, the Pureology has patchouli oil in it. Patchouli is used to improve the appearance of dry skin. Many salon shampoos also have peppermint or tea tree oil which are both antifungal/antibacterial.

If you’re spending $100+ on a color, wouldn’t you want to insure that it lasts as long as possible? As with anything, you get what you pay for, but the most important thing is that you read the ingredients and know what you’re putting on your skin!