It’s no secret that natural hair products can be pricey. For this reason, natural hair has gained a reputation for being more expensive to maintain than relaxed hair. I have definitely spent a pretty penny on hair care products since I’ve been natural, but I was also spending $65 plus tip every 8 to 12 weeks when I was getting my hair relaxed at a salon. That didn’t include the cost of products I used to maintain my hair in between salon visits. How much am I spending now? I honestly haven’t really done the math. My spending habits are not consistent every month, and I’m not really good at keeping track of how long a product lasts me. But if I had to guess, I’d say probably around $50 every couple months or so.

 

With all that being said, natural hair can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a few different factors that can make natural hair maintenance expensive:

 

• You haven’t found the right products yet, so you’re constantly buying and experimenting with new products
• You have found products that work for you, but you’re a product junkie who constantly wants to try new products anyway (I must admit, I’m guilty of this myself)
• You’re using an expensive product line (we’ll come back to this)
• You’re using more products than you actually need (more on this later)

 

The good news that there are several ways you can reduce the amount of money you’re spending on your hair. Here are my top money-saving tips:

 

Stock Up During Sales

 

This is obviously the easiest and most well-known way to save money on your favorite natural hair products. Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens often have special buy one get one half off deals on hair care products. Target is also known for their sales as well as promotions that promise a $5 Target gift card with a $20 hair care purchase. Hair care brands themselves will also run sales through their sites throughout the year, usually around holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Your Favorite Brands On Social Media

 

Following brands on social media is a great way to learn about current deals and upcoming sales. Some brands even host product giveaways via social media. Most giveaways will require you to repost or retweet a photo and/or tag a couple of friends, but it’s a quick, easy way to score some freebies. Last fall, I won all 5 of these full-sized products from Eden BodyWorks, one of my favorite brands.

 

 

Comparison Shop

 

This may seem like a given, but the prices of some natural hair products can vary significantly from store to store. Beauty supply stores are often a great one stop shop for all your hair care needs, but they are not always the cheapest (even if they often have the best selection). If you don’t already, start comparing the prices of your favorite natural hair products at different retailers. You may be able to buy them somewhere else a lot cheaper.

 

Go To Natural Hair Shows/Events

 

Natural hair shows/events are a great way to score free and/or discounted hair products. Some events will offer a gift bag full of full and/or sample-sized products with your purchase of a ticket. Other events will feature vendors selling products at discounted prices. Every event is different: some offer gift bags on a first come, first serve basis while other events guarantee a gift bag with entry, regardless of arrival time. Most natural hair events I’ve attended have charged $20 or less, but there are many free events as well, such as Curlfest. You can read my post on this year’s Curlfest here.

 

 

 

Find Samples Of New Products

 

If you don’t want to pay for a full-sized product you’ve never used before, do some digging and see if any sample sizes are available. Some companies will offer samples automatically with a purchase through their website. Others offer a sample pack that allows you to try multiple products. Many companies also make travel sized versions of their products that only cost a few dollars. Target and Ricky’s both offer a good selection of travel sized hair products.

 

Subscribe To A Beauty Box

 

The subscription beauty box business is booming now more than ever. In addition to CurlBox and CurlKit, there are a variety of other subscription boxes available that cater to natural hair. Most boxes cost $20-$25 per month and contain a combination of sample-sized and full-sized products. This is a great way to feed your inner products junkie and/or try new products each month without paying full price. These boxes could be worth the investment if you are still trying to find your “holy grail” products.

 

Quality Over Quantity

 

You might be spending a lot of money on natural hair products because you have expensive taste. Let’s face it: some product lines are more expensive than others. My line of thinking is this: if the products are made from natural, quality ingredients and the products work really well for your hair (and you haven’t found a cheaper alternative), then it’s an investment. I believe in quality over quantity. Now, if the product is expensive but it’s filled with cheap ingredients that aren’t doing much for your hair, then obviously it’s not worth the money. But high-quality ingredients generally cost more money, so be prepared to shell out a little more in most cases. Luckily, many of the strategies listed in this post will help you save money on even the most expensive brands.

 

 

 

Too Much Of A Good Thing

 

If you’re using 7 or 8 products every time you wash and style your hair, the cost will start to add up. Simplifying your routine can help you save money. It’s true that there’s no one size fit all routine that works for everyone, but I’ve found that I only need about 4 products, sometimes less, on most wash days: a cleanser, a conditioner, a leave-in/moisturizer, and a styler. Some products double as a leave-in and a styler and some rinse out conditioners can be used as a leave in, which can reduce the total number of products I have to use. I think of it this way: your hair is like a sponge. There’s only so much moisture/product it can absorb, so if you keep layering product on top of product, the last products you apply may not really be doing anything for your hair. The wide range of different products available make it seem like we need a lot of products to maintain our hair, but the truth is, many products can serve multiple purposes.

 

 

So, while I’m still a bit of a product junkie, I’m a lot more strategic about how I buy new products. Trying a new product without breaking the bank always makes the experience even sweeter. How much do you usually spend on hair products? What are some ways you save money?

 

***If you haven’t already, subscribe here to my email list for a bonus money saving tip 🙂