hair care gone bad

Let's chat about a topic I'm sure you've all wondered about at some point or another. You probably have noticed the plethora of high-end hair products at Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Walmart or even your supermarket. Have you ever actually bought one? I have. In college, I bought a Kerastase shampoo at CVS because it was convenient and I wanted to spend my hard-earned babysitting money on something luxurious. I didn't know it then, but I was buying a top-quality brand in a store that was unauthorized to sell it.

So, what does this mean? Whenever you go to the drugstore and see professional brands like Bumble and bumble, Kerastase, Matrix, Redken, Biolage, etc, lining the haircare aisles, it's likely they're counterfeit, diluted, stolen, contaminated, and/or expired. Ew.

The official term for this is diversion. Diversion, believe it or not, is a huge issue in the professional haircare industry and an equally troublesome problem for consumers. Think about it - you're paying FULL PRICE (yep, sadly, this is true) for a salon product that could potentially be dangerous and/or make your hair look like crap. And guess what? Every time you buy one of these, your cash isn't going to support your fave brand.

Someone I worked with once told me a story about a high-end, professional detangling spray she bought from a drugstore that left her hair so knotty that her strands literally felt glued together. I think cutting a portion of her hair off was also part of the story. Eek - sounds like she got a drugstore dud.

So, ladies and gents, next time you're in the market for some top-notch, pro hair products, head to a salon (they're authorized to sell them) or purchase directly from the brand's website. You'll be doing your hair a favor.