Why Your Haircare Routine Is More Expensive Than It Should Be
- Anna CurlyCosmos
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Recently, I threw €377 worth of empty beauty products into the trash. That’s how much the cosmetics I finished over the past three months had cost.
This little calculation became a perfect starting point to rethink what I buy, why I buy it, and whether these products actually justify the investment. That’s how the idea was born to break down the 5 reasons our beauty routines end up costing far more than they should and how to reduce expenses without sacrificing quality.
Relying on marketing claims
“Shine-enhancing,” “smoothing,” “repairing,” “natural,” “clean beauty,” “professional,” “for curls”, – none of these phrases actually speak to a product’s effectiveness. They reflect how a brand wants to position itself.
Don’t take marketing claims literally. Let me explain using three conditioners as examples.
Living Proof Curl Conditioner, marketed as “for curls,” €35
It’s silicone-free and apparently, that’s where its “curl adaptation” ends.
Because in practice, it doesn’t deliver what a conditioner for curly hair must provide:
poor conditioning,
poor detangling,
no smoothness,
zero slip.
These qualities are critical for curly hair, which tangles more easily and requires far more slip during application than straight hair. So a product marketed as “for curls” simply doesn’t perform the basic functions needed for curly textures. That’s why I consider it one of the worst conditioners I’ve ever tried and I do not recommend it for curly hair.
Matrix Mega Sleek «for smoothness», 12€
“Smoothing” doesn’t mean your curls will become straight. No conditioner is capable of changing the shape of your hair.
Here’s what this one actually does:
conditions really well,
detangles effectively,
provides good slip,
reduces frizz and visual dryness.
It does contain silicones, but it doesn’t weigh my hair down. The formula is well balanced. However, for fine, inelastic wavy or straight hair, it may feel too heavy. So I wouldn’t recommend it for those hair types.
Matrix Instacure «anti-breakage», 12€
You’ve probably guessed it already: no conditioner actually “restores” hair. There is no such thing as “split ends appeared – applied a product – hair magically healed from within.”
But as a conditioning product, Matrix Instacure is excellent:
it conditions well,
detangles reliably,
provides comfortable slip,
is silicone-free and fairly universal,
works for many hair types.
For me, it’s one of the best conditioners I’ve tried recently. The formula is genuinely well-designed and effective.
The takeaway: marketing claims do not equal real performance.
Do you now need to dissect every ingredient list? No. Even experienced cosmetic chemists can only predict how a product might behave on the hair and who it might suit. The formula gives you a general direction, but it doesn’t guarantee the result.
What should you do?
Take the brand’s promises into account – and divide them by ten.
And then try to translate each claim into what it actually means in real life:
“Smoothing” = less frizz, not straightening.
“Repairing” = good conditioning, not fixing split ends; most likely protein content that improves elasticity.
“For curls” = often just convenient positioning, not a guarantee that the product meets the actual needs of curly hair.
When you interpret marketing language through the lens of a product’s real function, it becomes much easier to choose formulas that truly work — and avoid overpaying for pretty words on the label.
Using multiple products that serve the same purpose
If you have two conditioners and two masks, then you have four conditioners.
A conditioner and a mask are essentially the same product, performing the same function: conditioning.
The only difference is the marketing label. This allows brands to artificially expand their product lines and create the impression that you need several products from the same category to have a “complete” routine.
In reality, one good conditioner or mask is enough.
A higher price doesn’t mean better quality
The price goes up not because the formula contains some unique ingredient, but because:
the brand wants to appear premium,
packaging and marketing are expensive,
the line is positioned as “luxury,”
the product has to match the brand’s overall price point.
As a result, the formula may be completely ordinary while the price is high.
And yes — there are plenty of mass-market products that perform better than premium ones.
Lack of understanding of your hair type and its needs
This is one of the main reasons people overpay for hair care. It’s especially true for curly hair. So many people are convinced they simply have “dry and frizzy straight hair.”
When you don’t understand the basic characteristics of your hair, you end up buying products chaotically: “maybe it’ll help,” “maybe this one will finally work,” “everyone loves it, I’ll try it too.”
What you should know about your hair:
thickness: fine, medium, coarse
level of damage
whether it’s colored or bleached
tendency to frizz
natural pattern: straight, wavy, curly
professional porosity (how the cuticle actually behaves)
Your routine becomes expensive not because you have “difficult hair, ”but because you’re buying products at random instead of choosing them for a specific need.
Improper product usage
Very often, a product seems “ineffective” not because it’s bad, but because we:
apply it incorrectly,
use too much or too little,
don’t understand how it’s supposed to work (for example, stylers that activate only with heat),
distribute it unevenly,
expect results the product simply can’t deliver (a cream will never give strong hold, for example).
The result: the product “doesn’t work,” we buy a new one, and end up disappointed again. Even though the issue was the technique, not the formula.
The minimum set of haircare products that actually works
Let’s break down the minimal effective set of products using haircare as an example.
If you don’t style your hair, two basic products may be enough: a shampoo suited to your scalp type and a conditioner (or mask). That’s the foundation.
If you’re reading my blog, chances are you do style your hair. In that case, add two more product types to your base routine:
a cream / leave-in conditioner / anti-frizz spray,
a styler suited to your texture (whether you straighten your hair or enhance your curls).
And then special care only when needed: a scalp scrub, blonde-specific products, or targeted treatments for your individual concerns.
That’s it. Your routine doesn’t need twelve products. The most effective haircare systems rely on well-chosen basics plus a few targeted additions tailored to your needs.
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