I used to love trying new products, accessories, and tools — but now, I keep it simple. Here’s how.
1. Less Is More
Our hair does the best when we use the least amount of products, styles, and manipulation. Water, oil and a great conditioner are our staples that have been keeping our hair healthy, shiny and growing.
2. What Works For Others May Not Work For You
I’ve been tempted on several occasions to try products others recommended. Marketers also do an amazing job making new products seem like a must-have and I found myself being very disappointed over and over again.
I’ve learned to stick with products that work for us and to not stray unless I discover a new hair problem (like dry scalp).
3. Shop At Stores With A Great Return Policy
Because of its 100% satisfaction guarantee, our local Walgreens takes back products (within 30 days) even if they are open. So if we try a conditioner and it breaks out our skin or mattes our hair, or simply does nothing for our curls, we can return it to the store for a full refund. As of 2020, Walgreens has over 9,000 stores and according to their website 78% of people in the US live within 5 miles of a physical store. This makes Walgreens a great option for in-person beauty shopping.
Amazon is another retailer with an excellent return policy. They also make returning items super easy through their app (especially as an online store). When shopping at Amazon, look for the Prime logo next to the price. This will let you know if a product has free returns. It's also important to know that, Amazon does not allow returns from 3rd-party sellers. Meaning you'll have to return the product through the seller, which in my experience isn't as convenient. You can learn more about their return process here.
4. Embrace Our Crowns The Way They Are
I’m not big on buying accessories, because our crowns are our accessories. Meaning, I think our hair does an excellent job complimenting our face without any extra products.
Even when we do use the traditional accessories (such as bobbles, barrettes, or headbands), I love to exhaust what we have. For example, with one box of beads, we like to try different patterns and color schemes.
5. Avoid Allergic Reactions
Even natural products left us with irritated skin and bouts of eczema - which made me less enthusiastic about trying new products.
6. Stay Loyal to Brands
We are also pretty loyal to brands that have amazing back stories and effective products. Once we find something we love, we stick to it. Right now, our favorites are ...
These are the brands we love and I hope you find a brand or brands that makes your hair want to be a loyal customer.
7. Find A New Style
Over the years, I’ve discovered that the way I style my hair determines my hair budget.
For example, when I cut my hair to about an inch, I only needed a tiny amount of gel each day. That meant I was spending $18 a year on product. When I wore weave-ins, I was spending $60 a month on new hair. That's over $700 a year.
When I was figuring out how to perfect my wash and go, again I was spending about $60 a month just on conditioner. Nowadays, I'm addicted to my mom bun, which has grown my hair down my back and costs around $10 a month.
Experimenting to find what style compliments you may require a ton of trial and error. If this is your situation, keep trying until you discover a style that works for you. Once you figure it out, the savings will start rolling in. Below is a graph of my hair spending depending on the style I wore.
Locs were definitely the least expensive, because I just used a cleanser, oil and clips. Weave ins were the most expensive. But to be honest, I probably could have saved more if I knew how to take better care of the extensions. Again, my current go-to style is a sleek bun. It's a little more costly than locs, but it keeps my hair healthy and I love the way it looks.
Is your hair care getting expensive? How have you cut cost without sacrificing the health of your hair? Curious how much it costs to main 4 heads of hair? Check out our posts here.
Until next time...
Love The Journey,
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