This seems to be quite counterproductive for a professional salon to say but it is the truth. If your hair is in a good condition due to a healthy diet and a good lifestyle, one is able to get by with a very basic range of aftercare products for home use.

But, if you do have problems such as dry hair, itchy scalp, thinning hair, oily roots, dry ends, colour services that fade too quickly (we can go on here!) then a salon professional aftercare product is what you would need. We are also going to give you some information about some of the differences between Salon professional products and retail products so that you are in a best position to make an informed choice.

For clients that tend to have issues with their hair, there are typically 3 things we find that will happen. The first is that a client will talk to their stylist and get the appropriate product for their hair type. This, more often than not, gives the client the best possible results. The second thing we find is that there tends to be a bit of self-diagnosis that takes place. The client will go to their local salon and buy the product that they feel suits them best. You get a mixed bag of results here. We have found that clients who have been buying salon professional products for a long time usually go down this route

The third thing we see happening is that clients will go to a retail or pharmacy outlet and buy a product over the counter. Now, as stated above, if your hair does not have any real issues, some people are able to get away with this approach. The unfortunate thing is that if you have genuine problems with your hair, there tends to be some high promises made on what the product can do for you. A client who would actually need a salon professional product ends up buying something that is not going to give them the results that they would need. There are millions that go into marketing these products and psychologically manipulating a consumer into believing that they have finally found their solution.

So, what are the differences between these two products?

Concentration of product

Salon professional products appear to come across as very expensive but in comparison to retail products you will use very little – just a marble size amount (this will also change depending on length and thickness of your hair). This is because the product is much more concentrated. This means that a salon product can last as long as 3 months or more. Retail products will be often be far more diluted, have a higher viscosity and are nowhere near as effective as Salon professional products.

The right ingredients

Retail products typically contain chemicals, which can strip your hair of its natural oils, essentially drying it out. They’re also known for diluting their products with fillers. These tend to make your hair feel super soft, but can also leave behind a waxy build-up. Basically, your hair feels soft but isn’t actually hydrated from within. The reason salon professional products tend to be on the pricier side is because they carry much more of the high-grade ingredients. They often consist of vitamins, oils and minerals that are truly nourishing, yet too pricey to exist in most retail options. These salon professional products also include less fillers than their retail counterparts, preventing that waxy build-up and instead, hydrating from within.

Extending the in-salon experience

Salons generally have a range of in-salon treatment options that you may decide to take advantage of while in the chair. These can range from helping to rebuild damaged hair, getting straightening treatments done or something as simple as getting a colour service. Post the in-salon service it is always recommended to take a salon professional product home to extend the duration of these treatments. You will find that you will need to visit the salon less frequently as the properly specified product is extending the service that you received in the salon. The most counter productive action is to use a retail product for your aftercare solution as this has been shown to strip colour, dry out the hair and generally undo all the work that was done while you were in the salon. Salon professionals very often will not be able to guarantee their results in this instance.

Last but not least salon products come with an endorsement from a professional that has had many years of training and experience and that knows you and your hair type intimately. This sure will beat the advice of a retail sales person/assistant who until yesterday may have been looking after the frozen foods aisle!

To browse our range of Salon Professional products simply go to our Product Page to browse the range of products we keep in salon.