Salon Shampoo vs. Supermarket Shampoo: Is There Really a Difference?

Hairstylist of 21 years here. If your going the supermarket route, plain old Suave has the same PH levels as salon brands. Stay away from Head and Shoulders, Prell ect, PH levels are comparable to rug shampoo! Conditioners are a different story. Supermarket brands contain only wax to smooth the hair and make it "feel" soft and healthy. Salon products actually have protein and other ingredients that repair the hair and condition. So go ahead and stinge on the shampoo but splurge on the better brand conditioner. :)

Worked in Market Research...Pantene(chemicals) was at the bottom of the list..do not use.
Dr Oz's show..only use shampoo that is creamy not clear. Salon is greatly overpriced for the average person. Redkin is drying. No SULFATE works great...easy on hair. Don't fight with your hair "LET IT GO"! fROM a Vidal Sasson Instructer..Boston !

I'm a white haired lady and I use Shimmer Lights . Keeps my hair nice and white with NO yellow. I do that several times a week and use Remove All Plus to take any hair spray or build up off the hair once a week. Baking soda works the same way as Remove All Plus, but the Remove All Plus is a shampoo. My hair is awesome.

i have extra oily hair....any suggestions?

From a hairstylists point of view we are looking for the best way to take care of your hair. Pantene and other under quality products you can buy at the supermarket just make your hair appear healthy because of the wax. But to really nourish, protect and reconstruct your hair you need to do your research before you decide. We are trained to see differences in the texture and condition you may not notice. I strongly suggest Paul Mitchell, Matrix or Redken. Don't settle for second best!

Pantene is it for me!

I'm a WEN gal... best stuff I've ever used... not really a shampoo in that it doesn't get all sudsy.. but once I got used to it... well there is no going back to salon or supermarket shampoo.

VO5 Extra Body at $.99 is a real winner.

I use Wella shampoo & conditioner in the red bottle. I get it at ULTA. I also use their heat treatment spray when I blow dry. I LOVE the way it makes my hair feel, and it feels cleaner longer--mostly I can't stand myself if I go a day without washing my hair, but with this shampoo, it's more bearable. Plus, I'm big on how the shampoo smells...if it smells cheap, fruity, or just icky, I don't buy it. I strayed away from Wella for a long time, but now that I am using it again, I will NEVER go back.

I love Pantene (and Dove) volume, because I have fine hair. Unfortunately, I have to use a lot of product and hairspray to get full hair and style. I don't believe in the supermarket brand(s) for styling products. My hair doesn't look good, AND, there's such a build-up, I have to buy a special shampoo (Neutrogena) to thoroughly cleanse the gunk out of my hair before I use the Pantene.

im a african american female who once went to the salon once a week.Now that funds are tighter i've resorted to doing my own hair and yes there is most definitely a difference in the appearance of hair when using salon products vs. supermarkets

Personally, I prefer salon brands. Or at least the more expensive brands. I have tried every super market shampoo there is, and my hair was OK, but I had a lot of breakage and split ends because I always have to style my hair with tools, because if I don't do anything to it, it's has an ugly, frizzy wave to it that makes it clear I didn't try to style it at all. So very often I blow dry and flat iron my hair.

It wasn't until I decided to try the more expensive shampoos. I figured, there's gotta be a reason it's so much more expensive, right? I noticed a HUGE difference in my hair when I used Frederick Fekkai. This stuff is amazing. I only have to blow dry my hair, a straightener is only needed for my bangs, and only a few weeks after a haircut. The difference is so big, that my hair stylist even notices. And I've only seen her 3 times in the last 7 months, so it's not like she sees me often. I don't have to use as much after-shower product either like serums and volume sprays because there is a line for everyone with Fekkai.

I love the Shea Butter one because it makes my hair feel like silk! The color protect line made my pink peekaboo highlights fade in half the time that it did before, when I wasn't using Fekkai. The volume one gives my hair a perfect amount of body. I get soo many compliments on my hair now, when I didn't before. So I give credit to Fekkai for my great hair. Oh! And Fekkai's hairspray is the best hairspray I've ever used! Brushable, in fact I can run my fingers through my hair (fingerable?), but it gives the right amount of hold that my hair has volume all day. And it smells great! I would HIGHLY recommend Fekkai to anyone wanting to take your hair to the next level. It's expensive, but worth every penny.

Shampoos - no difference. But, other product not easily bought in supermkts., like
gels, certain curl products are much better in a salon..

Buy whatever in made in the USA!

Tried everything out there. I swear by Moroccan oil mask/conditioner!! And a good shampoo that's sulfate free. I use "its a 10 w/ keratin". Oh, and a good multivitamin will do you wonders. Your hair will be amazing in a month. My hair's longer, shiny,and my color has last waayy longer. Never going back to drug store brands!!!

I have used Sauve daily clarifing shampoo. It seems to do the same job that salon shampoos do.Maybe better!!

yes there is a HUGE difference, natural and salon quality is the way to go..yes it is a bit more expensive, but many times they are more concentrated so you can use less than shampoos you would purchase at the supermarket, meaning they will last longer adn in the long run save you money.. pantene is the absolute worst thing you can you use on your hair, it is full of nothing but wax and chemicals, that make your hair APPEAR shiny and healthy.. try scraping a strand of hair with a pair of shears or a razor and check out the residue that comes off your hair, that should convert you hahaha :)

I also say Biolage products are excellent, just a bit pricey. I certainly appreciate all comments entered.

Baltimore,United States-I've been a hair stylist for 30yrs do not see any difference in salon vs supermarket shampoos. I do know styllists get a commission for products they sell. Hope that helps you.

If you're in question do your own study, go buy a mannequin head, do 1 side your choice of store bought and the other side professional. I'd say do about 15-20 shampoo's see how it turns out. As a stylist that is what I've done because I won't suggest something unless I know for a fact that it works how it's supposed to. Yes stylists make commission off retail most of the time but we're also educated in the products we use. We're not feeding you a line when we tell you that the stuff you're buying in a drug store really is not the best thing for your hair. ESPECIALLY if your hair is chemically altered in any way. Any stylist that tells you otherwise is not paying attention to your hair. You may find that some professional products may not give you the exact result you are looking for, it may be that the chemistry of your hair is not jiving with the chemistry of the product, or, the wrong type of product was recommended to you. If you're in question, see if your stylist has samples for you to try or purchase a travel size. Getting your hair done can be quite an investment and most stylist want to make sure that you get a good life out of that investment, because in all honesty, we make more money off the client who washes their hair with the drugstore product as far as color is concerned, because that shampoo strips that color right out of your hair so instead of doing just a touch up your next appointment, we're going to have to bring that right through the ends which equals more product, which equals more $$$... just a little food for thought.