How Can I Tell Which Hair Products Are the Best?

Firstly try not to let the packaging be your only point of judgement for a product, many brands invest millions of pounds in packaging so that customers impulse buy because they are attracted to the bright colours or gimmicky packaging.

Of course packaging can be an indicator of quality and a good brand should have packaging that is attractive to the consumer however its attractiveness pales in comparison to the effectiveness of contents.

When researching various brands you will notice that there is a huge range of prices attributed to the various brands available, often, although not always, the more expensive the product the more research, expertise and better quality ingredients are used in the manufacturing process.

Most supermarket brands are similarly priced to reflect 'value', generally these products are similar in formulation and result and for occasional use they are suitable. However if you want more dramatic results, then it makes sense to invest in a product that has proven results. I

t is also worth taking into consideration that lower priced products tend to be of a lower concentration of effective ingredients therefore you need to use more each time you wash your hair to work up a good lather and achieve a good conditioning result.

When using a more expensive brand, your initial costs may be higher, however, if the product is more concentrated a bottle the same size as a 'cheaper' bottle will in fact last much longer as you find that you need to apply far less product for an overall better result.

After parting with your cash you also want to know that you are purchasing the genuine article, believe it or not a lot of fraudulent copies exist within the market place, particularly if you are purchasing a product made by a more popular or exclusive brand.

The secret is to purchase products from an authorised retailer, a list is usually available on the brand's website or by calling the customer service, but as a guide authorised retailers tend to be, salons, department stores and online retailers bearing an authorisation from the brand.

Which brings us on to Salon-Only brands; these tend to be manufactured by well known brands to a high standard and are usually only sold through professional outlets where you are recommended a suitable hair care programme by a professional hairdresser.

The brands stocked in salons are usually of a higher quality and you will notice a lot of brands such as Redken, Kerastase and L'Oreal which have a huge cult following, thanks to celebrity endorsement, clever marketing and a proven track record when it comes to professional hair care.

But purchasing these products in the salon environment can prove a little too dear, particularly if you want a shampoo, conditioner and treatment or styling product. Thankfully there is now the opportunity to purchase these top brands from authorised websites which often offer free postage and or a discount on the RRP.

Redken are a key example of a salon professional brand who have branched out into the online ether, but still adhere strictly to the guidelines set above. Although a brand-name Redken are still selective of their distributors so you can be rest assured that when you are purchasing from an authorised retailer you are getting the full 'Redken Experience'.

Part of the success of Redken's hair products come from their philosophy on 'Beauty powered by science'. Redken has its own laboratories where it researches new ingredients and methods, in order to continually evolve its brand and products to meet the demands of millions of consumers world-wide.

The science that is invested into Redken is demonstrated in its ranges of products designed to suit virtually every hair-type and hair's needs. There are fourteen lines within Redken, a styling range, men's range and twelve specialist categories containing products for the care of specific hair types and needs for example; Color Extend that reduces colour fade in colour enhanced hair, Extreme for damaged hair, Smooth Down for coarse, frizzy hair and Body Full for fine, lacklustre hair to name a few.

Each range contains a shampoo, conditioner and treatment of some kind as well as some sort of finishing product like a thermal protector. These hair-type specific ranges will contain common ingredients known to benefit each hair type, and because the products are of salon quality you can be rest assured that they are formulated in a professional-strength concentration.

If you follow the above guidelines you will be able to make an informed choice when purchasing hair care products, and with any luck you'll find your perfect partner.

By : Maz Lopez