Ornate packaging paired with enticing advertisements that claim expensive shampoos are elixirs to all hair woes can leave one wondering: Are the higher prices really worth it? Should I abandon my $8 drugstore mainstay for a $42 premium brand?
Experts say affordable shampoos and conditioners found in grocery stores and pharmacies can do the job as well as the pricey versions with tempting messaging and testimonials on social media. They advise consumers to evaluate the ingredients in products, their own scalp and hair concerns, and their entire hair care routine — and to check with a doctor when in doubt.
Premium brands can work well, and some have active ingredients that cost more, according to dermatologists. Other factors influencing the price include the size of the company and whether it has invested in organic ingredients, sustainable agriculture and recycled materials.
Dr. Crystal Aguh, dermatologist and director of the Ethnic Skin Program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said she generally categorizes people into two hair types: damage-prone and damage-resistant.
Damage-prone includes people with very curly hair, people who chemically treat their hair and those who use hot tools to style it. She said damage-resistant attributes include oily hair and straight hair, The Associated Press reported.
People with damage-prone hair should avoid shampoos that have sodium lauryl sulfate as the main ingredient, Aguh said. It removes a lot of sebum, a natural oil that coats and protects hair. Without sebum, hair could feel very dry and break easily.
For curly or dyed hair, Aguh recommends washing less frequently to avoid removing too much sebum. She said people with tightly curled or coily hair should only wash their hair once a week. People with wavy hair that is dyed might find it best to wash every two to three days.
Damage-resistant hair that is oily and straight can be washed every day.
Expensive shampoos and conditioners can work well, but there are affordable products that perform just as well, Aguh said. She tells patients that “it’s not the products, it’s the process” that affects hair health the most, including how often hair is washed, dyed or treated with heat.
“Instead of spending hundreds of dollars thinking, 'If I just find the right shampoo, right conditioner, all of my troubles will go away,' you also have to just look at what your process looks like ... because that will often do the trick,” she said.
She said it is fine to mix high-end and mass market products and that people shouldn’t feel compelled to buy an entire line of expensive products.
Aguh said some common brands are more affordable because they are made by large corporations that can achieve economies of scale. Sometimes expensive brands have a smaller team and lack the workforce and resources to reach those same cost advantages.
When treating dandruff, for example, Aguh often recommends over-the-counter shampoos instead of prescription formulas. But she added people should see a doctor for lingering dandruff problems.
Shampoo is skincare for the scalp Dr. Joe Tung, a dermatologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said people should think of shampoo as skincare for the scalp, not just a cosmetic product.
“Hair itself is biologically inactive once it grows out, but underneath the surface of the skin on the scalp is a full ecosystem with stem cells, immune cells, oil glands, nerve endings," he said. “When that ecosystem is balanced, the scalp feels comfortable and hair grows optimally; when it is disrupted, people can experience itching, flaking, excess oil, or hair loss.”
Tung said people should consider what their scalp needs when choosing shampoo, and a conditioner should be chosen based on hair texture and damage level. He said dandruff and itchiness benefit from shampoos that address inflammation and microbial imbalance, whereas dry or chemically treated hair could benefit from a gentle cleanser with a rich conditioner.
Tung said expensive shampoos and conditioners are sometimes worth the price, but a product's effectiveness is determined by active ingredients and not branding. "An antifungal ingredient works because of its molecular activity, not because it comes in a luxury bottle or from a prestigious brand," he said.
Expensive shampoos typically rely on more refined conditioning agents and soothing ingredients that may make frequent hair washing more comfortable, Tung said. But some luxury products contain fragrances or botanical extracts that can irritate sensitive skin, he said. Simpler formulas are often better tolerated by people with sensitive skin.
Hair products with a sustainability focus MOKO Organic Beauty Studio in Philadelphia stocks organic shampoos and conditioners that cost from $24 to $45. Owner Monique Mason said it is the salon's mission to provide products that are good for scalps and the planet.
Ingredients are the biggest of many factors influencing price, Mason said. Organic products typically avoid inexpensive sulfates, synthetic fragrances and parabens that are widely used in the personal care industry, she said. Mason said she also researches how the brands she sells manufacture their products to ensure their sustainability claims can be verified.
“I get to know them, whether they’re family-owned, how they farm, how they source their ingredients," she said.
