I try to buy as many products as I can from the drugstore to save money. My foundation is like $5 - Maybelline Pure Makeup, and most of the products I buy are drugstore finds. However, I can't give up my expensive Shiseido sunscreen, since it works so well, and I haven't found anything similar to it at the drugstore. Except for one, I buy all my hair products from the drugstore. And I also love Paula Begoun, and her books and website.
:) Jeni
http://www.savvyskin.com

Very interesting post. Thanks for the recommendations. I use several of the Neutrogena Healthy Skin treatment products and think they are actually better than the department store night cream and eye cream I used to buy. There's an interesting book on this subject called "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, which I read years ago.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

for me most of the drug store brands don't seem to do my hair any good...I have thick coarse hair.

I have never found a good drugstore hairspray or mousse.

Salon one's have always been better.....

So I just shop around the salons for the best prices for the quality products that I like.

I worked in a salon for years and so got to know what worked for me and what didn't.

I can't live without my Joico Kerapro shampoo and my Sebastian Hair spray.

Laurie, I haven't heard about salons refilling bottles with drugstore brands but I will tell you, I worked in a spa where the prices were jacked up on the services and we were using products equivalent to neutrogena in their facials. that was about the time i left.

I've had to search high and low for really good products and mostly it was because I didn't want to carry the same as everyone else. And also, the ingredients are mostly crap. You'll notice most salons carry dermalogica, pevonia, jan marini, yon ka, redken, rusk, pureology...those are a few, but it's because they're well known high end brands. I only shop for high end organic/natural brands and they're out there, but hard to spot.

And I'm still hooked on the sebastian spray too. but i think it's because i like the way it smells, not the way it holds! (but my hair is so thick and heavy, nothing seems to work!)

Ellen OlsonSpa Diva

It's funny that you wrote about this now because I was recently in a similar situation, but instead of salon vs. drugstore, I was debating buying a generic product vs. a brand name. Many times generic products are actually made by the same manufacturers that produce the more expensive brand name. I wasn't sure how to tell, so I looked at the ingredients as you recommend. (Great tip!) They seemed the same, so I was about to save big money by buying the generic lotion when a disclaimer on the brand name bottle caught my eye: "The makers of Cetaphil do not manufacture store brands." Hmmm... I was specifically told to use Cetaphil by a dermatologist, so I did buy it. But I'm not entirely sure that it made a difference.

Any thoughts on the generic v. brand name situation?

Suzanne, BlogHer Contributing Editor - Feminsim & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS)& Other Rants

When I was little, and really through my 20s, Clairol Herbal Essence was my preference. Maybe younger healthier hair can handle more abuse (if it is abuse)? But when I started experimenting with color and highlights, I had trouble finding a conditioner that could make up for the damage.

Then a stylist introduced me to Aveda, and I've hardly looked back. Their products work for my hair (which went through a total freak-out period moving from humid coastline to arid mountain plains), they smell really nice, and their a green company, at least according to their marketing. I initially blanched at the $58 for the large bottle of shampoo, but for something that I buy maybe every two months, I don't feel so bad paying a few extra dollars for what seems to be a real step up in quality over most of the other brands, at least for my hair.

For skin, though, I've stuck by Neutrogena. Everything else leaves me feeling dry, even the lotions. And the generic glycerin soaps smell like pesticide to me.

Laura Scott
design, snap, blog ... admin

I stick with neutrogena products and swear by cetaphil for almost any part of my skin.
I also have started making my own soap, albeit with a long learning curve, and use Really Raw honey for other hair and skin treatments.

not what it seems

As with prescriptions I always buy the generic. If the ingredients are the same, why buy the name? If you're a tightwad like me, go as far to write the number or website down from the bottle and find some information on it. But as in the case of the L'Oreal vs. Kerastase, the ingredients were damn close! But maybe in a different order. (Which does make a difference) When in doubt, call the manufacturer.

It just goes to show that you can buy quality without the huge pricetag. It does take some time if you're willing.

Ellen OlsonSpa Diva

I find in most cases there are comparable store brands. I remember reading an article in Consumer Reports some years ago that most department store brands were comparable to salon brands. I've read that Shampoo brands don't matter as much as conditioners do, since they're all doing the same thing.

I think it's a matter of what works for you. I do agree with Laura, though. Aveda does work really well on my hair. I'm a huge fan of Neutrogena for my face - it's always worked better with department store brands for me. I use various brands of shampoo but tend to use fancy conditioners. Likewise, I go for MAC foundation, but will pick up lipstick and eyeshadow at CVS.

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