Hoping to save money by purchasing your salon hair care products online or at a drugstore? Buyer beware! There is an ever-evolving “grey market” within the beauty industry that involves the sale of products without the guarantee of authenticity from the product’s true manufacturer. This means that counterfeit products are being circulated and unknowingly purchased outside of the salon.
If you’ve ever wondered why you can find the same salon products online, sometimes for less money, there are a few variables that come into play. For one, many of these products replace the higher quality ingredients from the original formula with fillers. These lower-grade ingredients typically coat the hair rather than penetrate it, stripping your strands of their natural moisture.
Another factor involves the sale of outdated or expired products. In this case, a legitimate distributor will sell the real products. However, the company that buys these products might take them outside of their intended channels, put new barcodes on them so that they can’t be traced, and then they can sit on shelves (sometimes for years) before they ever get to the end consumer. This puts the products at risk of damage, particularly when kept at inappropriate temperatures. Beauty brands are aware that this is a huge issue and it’s for that reason that many of them have a disclosure on their bottles stating that the quality of their products are only guaranteed if purchased from salons.
So, how do you avoid getting scammed into buying hair products that aren’t what they claim to be, and could actually be counterproductive to the health of your hair? The most obvious answer is to trust your hairstylist’s recommendations and buy your haircare products straight from a salon.
Bottom line: You know the value in finding the perfect salon and stylist for your desired look. The same applies to your products. To get the best products for maintaining your color and style, we always recommend purchasing directly from a salon to ensure the integrity of the products.