Professional Hair Product vs General Retail Products

[oey]

Seen as we now have this fab new Hair Geek section thought I would try and find out more.

With you geeks that are in the professional field of hair what do you say to your clients to get them to buy into using professionally recommended hair products (shampoo, conditioners, other hair products etc) instead of using those that can be purchased from the supermarkets over the counter at a fraction of the price! Especially the ones that are advertised as being previously only available through hair salons (think you know which I mean).

Where I rent my Beauty space this is one area that I feel that the hair staff really do not focus on but I dont have the professional answers to help them along the way!

I think it has now become more widely accepted from the clients that professional Beauty products are so much better, but feel that this isnt the same for hair products.

Please hair professionals - let us have your expert knowledge!

 

[CadenceAlex]

I was thinking this the other day!!! We often grab a bottle of Pantene when in the supermarket as he likes it too.. but I was looking in the hairdressers at the L'Oreal products and Wella....

... Pantene smells so nice... but would happily pay more money for something professional..

 

[oey]

I was thinking this the other day!!! We often grab a bottle of Pantene when in the supermarket as he likes it too.. but I was looking in the hairdressers at the L'Oreal products and Wella....

... Pantene smells so nice... but would happily pay more money for something professional..

Yes I agree Caroline but what do we get more of from the professional products that the cheaper shops bought ones!

 

[CadenceAlex]

Yes I agree Caroline but what do we get more of from the professional products that the cheaper shops bought ones!

I think that Pantene is just frothy stuff which smells so gorgeous... and it does smell fab for several days.... but I think cheaper stuff like that is just full of more soap!!!

I also used to use that Tre'seme (whatever) - but only because it came in black and white bottles which looked good in my bathroom ... (now it's full of multicoloured stuff for the kids :lol: ). THAT claimed to be professional stuff.... BUT when you go to a hairdressers... even expensive ones.... what they are putting on your head has always come from HUGE big bottles of what looks like cheapo stuff!!!

Where are all the hairdressers when we need them?!

 

[Clairet]

I have access to quite a wide variety of professional shampoos and conditioners in my local wholesaler, and I have tried many of them.

To be perfectly honest, I seem to get better result from my hair with John Freida which I buy in the supermarket.

When I feel like treating myself, my absolute favourite hair care range has to be Aveda!!

 

[loubylou]

my friend is an hairdresser and she goes to sallys and buys the gallon bottle containers of really cheap shampoo and then puts into her own dispensers, it is rubbish stuff and dosent even get a good lather up, she said it keeps her over heads down,
so even when it is in fancy containers we cant be sure that that is what we are getting our hair washed with,
i always go to her for my hair cutting but i wash my hair at home and go to hers with my hair wet

 

[Rosey]

my friend is an hairdresser and she goes to sallys and buys the gallon bottle containers of really cheap shampoo and then puts into her own dispensers, it is rubbish stuff and dosent even get a good lather up, she said it keeps her over heads down,
so even when it is in fancy containers we cant be sure that that is what we are getting our hair washed with,
i always go to her for my hair cutting but i wash my hair at home and go to hers with my hair wet

We do really well on retail with our hair products (Joico). If we used cheap stuff at the backwashes then we wouldn't sell any retail. All our products that we use in the salon from shampoo to hairspray are Joico. It costs us more but the clients hair looks great for it and we sell lots of products. Your hairdresser would surely GAIN financially by using a quality brand and retailing. I suppose that this is the same for beauty and nails as well.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

We do really well on retail with our hair products (Joico). If we used cheap stuff at the backwashes then we wouldn't sell any retail. All our products that we use in the salon from shampoo to hairspray are Joico. It costs us more but the clients hair looks great for it and we sell lots of products. Your hairdresser would surely GAIN financially by using a quality brand and retailing. I suppose that this is the same for beauty and nails as well.

From a consumer end I have to agree, Joico is a super brand and whilst it costs more I believe the ingredients are better - they don't contain loads of crap that coats the hair to make it shiny, the product makes the hair shiny by using more superior ingredients in the first place. That's how it was sold to me and if I choose a Pro brand then I always choose Joico.

 

[lotus blossom]

at our salon we only use tigi products,
right from the backwash shampoos and conditioners and treatments
down to the products used in the hair to cut with , to the products used to finish, then a full retail stock for homecare
to use cheap stuff in the backwash, is in my opinion, fraudulently, conning the client, and as one poster above has noted,
thats why she washes her hair at home,
in our salon, we do basin service for approx 10 mins, with top products, including products that are designed for their hair type, and the service they are about to recieve, it includes a head massage, and most clients comment on the fact that it starts their pamper experience off!!!!
its all about the little things that makes a great job in my opinion!
thats why ppl WILL pay more for it!

 

[Rosey]

From a consumer end I have to agree, Joico is a super brand and whilst it costs more I believe the ingredients are better - they don't contain loads of crap that coats the hair to make it shiny, the product makes the hair shiny by using more superior ingredients in the first place. That's how it was sold to me and if I choose a Pro brand then I always choose Joico.

This is how I have had the difference between high and low end hair products explained to me - the difference between coating the hair with cheap product and nourishing the hair from the inside with a superior product. Our hair stylist sometimes comments on the huge build up of products on clients hair and these clients always use well known high street brands.

I love Joico, especially the KPAK range - plus it smells gorgeous, and the packaging looks good too.

 

[CadenceAlex]

This is how I have had the difference between high and low end hair products explained to me - the difference between coating the hair with cheap product and nourishing the hair from the inside with a superior product. Our hair stylist sometimes comments on the huge build up of products on clients hair and these clients always use well known high street brands.

I love Joico, especially the KPAK range - plus it smells gorgeous, and the packaging looks good too.

That says to me that some hairdressers just aren't that interested in what is good for the client!

I would much rather go to a salon where they talked me through what they were using on my hair... and why... and TOLD me if they suspected build up ... and THEN I would be inclined to buy what they recommended... if I felt that they cared enough to comment.

That's what differentiates between a good hairdresser and someone who is just out to get money.

BUT, on the other hand.. are the girls who wash the hair trained to comment on stuff like that? Or do some hairdressers wash the clients hair themselves?

 

[lotus blossom]

That says to me that some hairdressers just aren't that interested in what is good for the client!

I would much rather go to a salon where they talked me through what they were using on my hair... and why... and TOLD me if they suspected build up ... and THEN I would be inclined to buy what they recommended... if I felt that they cared enough to comment.

That's what differentiates between a good hairdresser and someone who is just out to get money.

BUT, on the other hand.. are the girls who wash the hair trained to comment on stuff like that? Or do some hairdressers wash the clients hair themselves?

at ours, all the juniors who wash the hair are trained by tigi( at a cost to the salon)
so they know what they are talking about or using,
and the rest of us,( even me!) have had the same training
most of our stylists dont wash the clients hair, but will ask the junior to use such and such shampoo, as they have done the consultation prior to the wash, and will have a "plan" in order for the service

 

[Rosey]

That says to me that some hairdressers just aren't that interested in what is good for the client!

I would much rather go to a salon where they talked me through what they were using on my hair... and why... and TOLD me if they suspected build up ... and THEN I would be inclined to buy what they recommended... if I felt that they cared enough to comment.

That's what differentiates between a good hairdresser and someone who is just out to get money.

BUT, on the other hand.. are the girls who wash the hair trained to comment on stuff like that? Or do some hairdressers wash the clients hair themselves?

She does exactly that - explains to her clients what products that she is using and why she is using them. If there is a problem then she would advise the client accordingly. Usually, the clients hair is washed by our hairdressers, sometimes the saturday girl does it at weekends, but she obviously cannot advise.

 

[Bagpuss]

SPEAKING AS A CLIENT......I buy our shampoo and conditioners at the supermarket whilst doing my weekly food shop...often they are buy one get one free...(or some kind of offer)....I'm sorry if this offends but i cant afford to buy the professional shampoo's and conditioners that you are talking about....like with nails i feel its a luxury and one that i just cant afford....but i still have to wash my hair so i get what i can afford...and also with 3 girls with very long hair...we get through alot of shampoo/conditioner.

if someone wants nails but cant afford it then i don't really see any alternatives...(apart from stick on's and they ain't that cheep) so its just something people don't have.

but.....if someone wants professional hair products and cant afford it then they do have an alternative...non professional products.

I don't see anything wrong with this...we all have to wash our hair...you don't have to be trained to do so....so if the alternatives are better suited to your financial needs then why not.

 

[gillian w]

SPEAKING AS A CLIENT......I buy our shampoo and conditioners at the supermarket whilst doing my weekly food shop...often they are buy one get one free...(or some kind of offer)....I'm sorry if this offends but i cant afford to buy the professional shampoo's and conditioners that you are talking about....like with nails i feel its a luxury and one that i just cant afford....but i still have to wash my hair so i get what i can afford...and also with 3 girls with very long hair...we get through alot of shampoo/conditioner.

if someone wants nails but cant afford it then i don't really see any alternatives...(apart from stick on's and they ain't that cheep) so its just something people don't have.

but.....if someone wants professional hair products and cant afford it then they do have an alternative...non professional products.

I don't see anything wrong with this...we all have to wash our hair...you don't have to be trained to do so....so if the alternatives are better suited to your financial needs then why not.

I totally agree.Just because a product isnt professional use only doesnt make it rubbish or ineffective.There are plenty of perfectly good skin care ranges in the general market as there are nail care products so haircare ranges must be the same.

 

[JDs]

Hi All, Getting back to the orginal question of What do you say to the client to get them to buy Professional Hair care products vs. OTC products.

You need to sell the high points of the products. I, myself am really intent on the natural products. Sulfate free, DHE free. Adding proteins to the hair.
I upsell the positives of using a professional product vs OTC ex: Pantene.
Did you know that you can actually wax a floor with pantene? and strip the floor with prell?

Did you also know that it takes about 8 stripping(chelate) shampoos to remove the wax build ups in the hair from Pantene?
Next time you have a client who says they use pantene

Ask the client:

How did your hair feel the first couple of shampoos with Pantene?
How did your hair feel after that?

I can bet my last dollar on it that 99% of the users of Pantene will tell you that their hair felt Great after the first couple of shampoos and felt dry and nasty thereafter. Why? Because it is like a buildup of wax on the hair which 1) will not allow any conditioning to penetrate the hair. 2) This buildup will suck the existing moisture out of the hair leaving it dry and brittle.

You will not find this in Professional products unless the stylist sold you a shampoo and conditioner that is totally wrong for your hair.

There are decent OTC products out there. Some of the above that you all mentioned were at one time "professional" products but the companies tweaked the product slightly for cost effectiveness and took it to the open public market, thinking they would make more money.
What they find out is that once it is on the open market and in the salons, We the stylists quit using it and selling it. So they tweak the forumula a bit more to cut costs of manufacturing it and hope to make more of a profit.

Sally's products are like the OTC products if not worse. They make the labels on the bottles to resemble big named professional lines like Paul Mitchell etc.
To me that is just totally wrong. These companies are trying to hang on to the coat tails of those companies who do make a wonderful and sucessful product.

if someone wants nails but cant afford it then i don't really see any alternatives...(apart from stick on's and they ain't that cheep) so its just something people don't have.

there are alternatives besides stick ons.. Look at sallys for that. they supply everything you need to do your own nails. Linen, Silk, fiberglass, acrylic, Gels...It just takes time patience and reading the directions to learn how to do it yourself. Same with haircoloring...What it comes down to is the individual person willing to put that much effort into the technical of doing it to themselves or is it easier just to pay someone to do it and pamper themselves.

So it all comes down to " Know Your Products"
You should be able to recite everything about the product by memory.
Always tell the client WHY you are using the Shampoo.
Why you chose the conditioner , why you are using a mousse and not a gel in their hair. Educate the client and you will have a client for life.

Whew, Sorry for getting on a soap box..I guess it has been hammered into my head over the years.
JD

 

[JDs]

.I'm sorry if this offends but i cant afford to buy the professional shampoo's and conditioners that you are talking about....like with nails i feel its a luxury and one that i just cant afford....but i still have to wash my hair so i get what i can afford...and also with 3 girls with very long hair...we get through alot of shampoo/conditioner.

Bagpuss:
You are a professional nail tech. Over here in the USA, that gives you license to go into the professional hair supply shops and buy anything for wholesale cost. I am not sure about over in Europe?

Here is something to help you out with long hair girls and over using shampoos and conditioners.. and lord knows that we all have the tendency to over use..
When shampooing, you need to only cleanse the Scalp only.
By applying the shampoo on to your finger tips and massaging in at the scalp, you are ridding the scalp of excess oils, dirt and pollutants. When rinsing the hair, the shampoo will rinse down to the ends of the hair, getting rid of any dirt pollutants etc.

When conditioning, apply conditioner only to the ends of the hair. By making a pony on top of your head, apply the conditioner from your hand out to the ends.so Approx: 4 inches out from the scalp.

Your scalp produces sebum which is the body's natural conditioner for the scalp. by applying conditioner to the scalp is wasteful. By applying shampoo to the ends of the hair ( unless you are a heavy styling product user) is only strippin the hair of moisture that is needed.

Hope this helps

JD~

 

[oey]

Hi All, Getting back to the orginal question of What do you say to the client to get them to buy Professional Hair care products vs. OTC products.

You need to sell the high points of the products. I, myself am really intent on the natural products. Sulfate free, DHE free. Adding proteins to the hair.
I upsell the positives of using a professional product vs OTC ex: Pantene.
Did you know that you can actually wax a floor with pantene? and strip the floor with prell?

Did you also know that it takes about 8 stripping(chelate) shampoos to remove the wax build ups in the hair from Pantene?
Next time you have a client who says they use pantene

Ask the client:

How did your hair feel the first couple of shampoos with Pantene?
How did your hair feel after that?

I can bet my last dollar on it that 99% of the users of Pantene will tell you that their hair felt Great after the first couple of shampoos and felt dry and nasty thereafter. Why? Because it is like a buildup of wax on the hair which 1) will not allow any conditioning to penetrate the hair. 2) This buildup will suck the existing moisture out of the hair leaving it dry and brittle.

You will not find this in Professional products unless the stylist sold you a shampoo and conditioner that is totally wrong for your hair.

There are decent OTC products out there. Some of the above that you all mentioned were at one time "professional" products but the companies tweaked the product slightly for cost effectiveness and took it to the open public market, thinking they would make more money.
What they find out is that once it is on the open market and in the salons, We the stylists quit using it and selling it. So they tweak the forumula a bit more to cut costs of manufacturing it and hope to make more of a profit.

Sally's products are like the OTC products if not worse. They make the labels on the bottles to resemble big named professional lines like Paul Mitchell etc.
To me that is just totally wrong. These companies are trying to hang on to the coat tails of those companies who do make a wonderful and sucessful product.


there are alternatives besides stick ons.. Look at sallys for that. they supply everything you need to do your own nails. Linen, Silk, fiberglass, acrylic, Gels...It just takes time patience and reading the directions to learn how to do it yourself. Same with haircoloring...What it comes down to is the individual person willing to put that much effort into the technical of doing it to themselves or is it easier just to pay someone to do it and pamper themselves.

So it all comes down to " Know Your Products"
You should be able to recite everything about the product by memory.
Always tell the client WHY you are using the Shampoo.
Why you chose the conditioner , why you are using a mousse and not a gel in their hair. Educate the client and you will have a client for life.

Whew, Sorry for getting on a soap box..I guess it has been hammered into my head over the years.
JD

Thanks JD! Welcome to the site - so glad to have you on board to help keep us unruly ones in check!

Thanks is the kind of answer I was looking for!

Am going to speak to the hair salon owner and give her all the info you have suggested above - in fact I am going to pursuade her to now join this fab site - now we have you on board I am sure it will help her business loads!

Many thanks - looking forward to hearing loads more from you JD.

 

[bombini]

at our salon we only use tigi products,
right from the backwash shampoos and conditioners and treatments
down to the products used in the hair to cut with , to the products used to finish, then a full retail stock for homecare
to use cheap stuff in the backwash, is in my opinion, fraudulently, conning the client, and as one poster above has noted,
thats why she washes her hair at home,
in our salon, we do basin service for approx 10 mins, with top products, including products that are designed for their hair type, and the service they are about to recieve, it includes a head massage, and most clients comment on the fact that it starts their pamper experience off!!!!
its all about the little things that makes a great job in my opinion!
thats why ppl WILL pay more for it!

This is the same as the salon I work in except they use Tigi & Paul Mitchell.

I have used professional face, body & hair products since I started college. I love my pro goodies :green:

 

[Snugglepuss]

Here is something to help you out with long hair girls and over using shampoos and conditioners.. and lord knows that we all have the tendency to over use..
When shampooing, you need to only cleanse the Scalp only.
By applying the shampoo on to your finger tips and massaging in at the scalp, you are ridding the scalp of excess oils, dirt and pollutants. When rinsing the hair, the shampoo will rinse down to the ends of the hair, getting rid of any dirt pollutants etc.

When conditioning, apply conditioner only to the ends of the hair. By making a pony on top of your head, apply the conditioner from your hand out to the ends.so Approx: 4 inches out from the scalp.

Your scalp produces sebum which is the body's natural conditioner for the scalp. by applying conditioner to the scalp is wasteful. By applying shampoo to the ends of the hair ( unless you are a heavy styling product user) is only strippin the hair of moisture that is needed.

Hope this helps

JD~

JD that is fab advice - I always shampoo my scalp opposed to all of my hair but always used a rather large dollop of conditioner all over and it takes ages to wash out Now I know why!