Luxury Hair Care Is Out, Drugstore Hair Care Is In.

I’ve fallen into the trap of buying luxury hair care as much as any other girl in her 20’s, but when I started seeing my favorite creators talking about switching to more affordable “drug store” products, I realized the more expensive stuff might not be doing much for my hair. Looking back at my hair’s history, it was the longest, smoothest and most luxurious before I even knew what a luxury hair product was. In my teens I used whatever was available, and that was usually the mega-big bottle of Pantene my entire family shared. 

In recent years, I have become a serial user of OUAI shampoo and conditioner, which I would still recommend and love for the scent and hair-smoothing capabilities, but found that for the $32 a bottle price tag it wasn’t giving me the luxe, long-lasting results I was hoping for.

This year I decided to put drugstore products to the test and completely revamp my hair care routine. 

What Are Hair Care Professionals Saying?

I brought all my technical questions to the source, and sat down with Marc Anthony True Professional Sr. Director of Product Development, Kimberlee J. Blakley, a licensed Hair Stylist and Trichologist (a specialist who focuses on the study of hair and scalp health), to get the scoop on drug store hair care. 

Blakley shared that in the past, there was a clear divide between the quality of “high-end” and “drugstore” hair care, with prestige brands claiming superiority with exclusive ingredients, specialized formulations, and salon exclusivity. In recent years this is no longer true, with many drugstore products innovating their way to the top. 

“Innovations in ingredient sourcing and formula development have made it possible to achieve high-performance formulas at a more accessible price point,” said Blakely. “Combined with the growing consumer demand for effective yet affordable products, the distinction between drugstore and luxury hair care has become increasingly blurred.”

It became obvious that a high price tag does not always guarantee a better product; instead, you may find yourself paying for the brand name and marketing. 

“In the luxury space, a significant portion of the cost often goes toward premium packaging, marketing, and brand positioning rather than the formulation itself,” said Blakley. “While aesthetics and presentation play a role in consumer perception, they don’t define the efficacy of a product.”

This leaves a wide space for brands like Marc Anthony True Professional, who prioritize formula over glamorous packaging and marketing campaigns. 

“Our focus is on selecting high-quality, performance-driven ingredients that deliver real results, ensuring that every product meets the high standards of salon professionals and consumers,” said Blakley.

After asking a professional, I decided to poll the people around me—what are the women in my life using? Do different hair types matter when it comes to the drug-store vs. high-end debate?

What Are the Women in My Life Using? 

Lauren, Straight Hair 

Lauren is no stranger to high-end products. She has super-straight hair inherited from her Singaporean mother, and prefers to leave it alone rather than using heat to style it. For years, she was swooned by the marketing team at Olaplex into exclusively using their products. Within the past six months, Lauren has started using Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal with Pro-V Nutrients in an attempt to find something that doesn’t break the bank. After consistent use, she came to the conclusion that Pantene left her hair feeling stronger than it did when she was using Olaplex, and because she rarely uses heat on her hair, she found it prevented frizz when air drying. 

With an almost 70% price difference between the shampoo and conditioner from Olaplex and Pantene, it started to become obvious that the price tag on products has less to do with its function and more to do with brand names. 

Jordanna, Curly 2B/3A Hair

As a naturally curly-haired woman, Jordanna has tried her fair share of hair products. Curly hair is often overlooked in the luxury haircare space, and finding a routine that is perfect for your curls can take years to master. Since her teens, Jordanna has used both L'Oréal’s EverPure Curl and Shea Moisture’s Black Castor Oil Shampoo and Conditioner to tame and moisturize her curls.

On wash day, it is important for Jordanna to use products that are good for her curls, but that don’t cause much buildup, which can weigh her hair down. If she plans to air dry, Jordanna usually uses Carol’s Daughter Leave-in Milk–a brand a lot of curly-haired people swear by. The only time Jordanna splurges on her haircare routine is for styling, when she’ll use Kérastase Discipline Mousse Curl ideal to protect her hair and lock in her curls. 

Gianna, Wavy Hair

For Gianna, who has tried almost every trending, high-end product on the market, it became obvious that when it came to the health of her hair it was more about how much heat and strain she put on it rather than the price of the formulas. 

“When I get my haircut they use high-end products, so I wanted to see if that would help with growth….I feel like the process after washing matters more than the products themselves,” said Gianna.

With this in mind, she decided to try some products from Kristin Ess Hair, a brand founded by a celebrity hairstylist by the same name who rose to fame for her work on Lauren Conrad and Lucy Hale. The products made Gianna’s hair feel strong and smell nice–which was crucial to meeting her hair goals.

Allegra, Curly 4A/4B Hair

When I talked to Allegra I was shocked to find that she was not loyal to one brand, instead she provided me with a long list of the drugstore brands she loved including Pantene, Aunt Jackie’s, Carol’s Daughter, Eco Style, Shea Moisture and Tresemmé among others. 

Her reasoning for her lack of a set formula is that she is constantly changing her routine depending on the season and how she’s planning to style her hair–something that is common among women with tighter curls like hers. She tends to find all her products at black hair care supply stores, but most of the products she mentioned are also available at retailers like Target, Amazon, Ulta and CVS. 

The only challenge Allegra faces when looking for a product is that it is common for products that work for her hair to be unscented, which goes against her want for a flowery, fruity scented formula. More often than not, Allegra has to choose between a great product and a great scent. 

“I think because I’m someone who is using a lot of products and constantly going between things, using drugstore products just makes more sense economically,” said Allegra. “My hair routine is already expensive because I use a lot of things, there is no reason to make it even more expensive if the “cheap” things that I’m using already work.”

Another issue with “going high-end” for Allegra is that unfortunately there aren't many options for curly, black hair on the luxury market. By looking at the shelves in Sephora, it is pretty obvious that the products offered are targeted toward certain hair types–usually straight or wavy hair. Most luxury hair brands may claim to have a line of curly hair products, but in reality they are more useful for people with very loose curls and certain hair types. 

The common thread among all the women I interviewed was that they agreed “high-end” hair care does not always mean high quality. Most of the women were able to find products at the drugstore that they loved–whether it was how it made their hair feel, or the scent of the formulas. It does not appear that by going with the cheaper option any of them are missing out on a good hair day. 

The Drugstore Products I’m Integrating into my Routine

Kristin Ess

Occasionally, the difference between high end and drugstore products can become difficult to distinguish, that is the case when it comes to Kristin Ess Hair, the sleek packaging looks like something you’d find at Sephora—not lining the shelves of Target or Ulta. I was excited to add the Kristin Ess + Peptide Restore Strengthening Shampoo, Kristin Ess + Peptide Restore Strengthening Conditioner and Kristin Ess + Peptide Restore Overnight Bond Revitalizing Dry Mask Hair Treatment to my daily routine to see if they could measure up to high-end, bond repair products like Olaplex. 

This line came highly recommended by friends and hair professionals alike, with a formula loaded with Bond Building + Biomimetic Peptide Technologies in one supercharged bottle. The products claim to be clinically tested to increase hair strength and repair hair from heat, bleach, color, chemical + UV damage. Besides the amazing reparative qualities of the Kristin Ess products, they also have a delightful honey cream fragrance that I love with notes of almond, violet, honey, vanilla cream + sandalwood.

Marc Anthony

If you are familiar with the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray you will love the Marc Anthony True Professional Grow Long Ultimate Blow Out Spray. The best part–it's a third of the cost of its counterpart at your local CVS or Walgreens. The ultra-lightweight mist delivers salon-quality results that go head-to-head with luxury brands without the luxury price tag. Using advanced heat-activated polymers, it helps speed up dry time, protects strands with 450°F heat protection, and an anti-humidity shield that blocks frizz for a full 72 hours. 

This product was the perfect replacement for my Color Wow spray and gave me the same results–if not better. I got smoother, shinier blowouts that lasted way longer than without the product and helped fight frizz. 

Renpure

When I feel like my scalp needs a spa day I lean on Renpure’s Tea Tree & Rosemary Refresh & Rebalance Shampoo to cleanse, balance and soothe my scalp. The plant-based formula helps balance my scalps PH without any nasty sulfates, parabens or phthalates. 

Besides soothing my dry-scalp, Renpure is also known for their eco-friendly packaging, they are one of the only brands with fully recyclable bottles–including the pumps–utilizing CleanFlake™ technology, which allows labels to peel off easily, making recycling simpler and more efficient.. 

Frenshe

Started by Ashley Tisdale, Frenshe is my go to for affordable, nourishing products that don't sacrifice overall wellness. Positioned as an everyday wellness ritual, each product is cruelty free, vegan and free from sulfates, parabens and phthalates which can be hard to find in a drugstore formula. I started using the Being Frenshe Multi-Tasking Moisture Oil and Being Frenshe Ritual Refresh Dry Shampoo to moisturize my ends and freshen up my hair between washes. I fell in love with the Cashmere Vanilla scent, backed by the brand’s Moodscience Technology which is formulated by professional perfumers to help soothe and calm your mind.