How To NOT Be A Product Junkie:

 9 Ways to Save Money on Natural Hair Products

As a natural hair enthusiast sometimes it gets tempting to try all of the overwhelmingly number of new natural hair care products on the market, but becoming what some call a "product junkie" can have a major impact on your wallet as well as your hair. Don't worry, there are ways to being a smart shopper  in order to prevent becoming a product junkie. If you find that you have a lot of products here are some tips to get you started on the road to recovery.

1) Set a Budget – Allocating your funds so that you have a limit on how much to spend on hair products help eliminate splurging on too many items at once. Setting a budget can prevent you from overspending and can help you save money in the long term. 

2) Have Standard Ingredients – Natural haircare is the way to go. Stay away from products with mineral oil, petrolatum, parabens and sulphates. Avoid buying products with cheap and toxic ingredients even if they are recommended or on sale. 

4) Buy in Bulk – Some hair stores have deals such as buy one, get one half off or buy one get one free. These deals will help to save you a buck or two or twenty.  If the product is your holy grail buy the larger product because it will last longer and prevent you from having to buy for a while  

5) . Use It Or Loose It- Maybe you really needed a product one time and decided to make a purchase. That deep conditioner you bought last week, it could definitely be your holy grail that will leave your curls moisturized for days, but finish that one product before you go on to the next, and if you find that it you don't like something, don't be afraid to throw it out or give it away. Which brings us to our next tip...

6) Swap Brands – If you have another natural friend then swap products with them. If a gel doesn’t work for you and your natural friend has a product that doesn’t work for her, it's not a total loss, you can always make someones day and give them some free product. Also, if you're on social media you can have a fun giveaway with your curl friends or followers. 

7) Know Your Products – You may have a product that will work on your hair just depending on the hair style you have. You may have a gel that is good for laying your edges as opposed to doing a braid-out or your styler may be good as a moisturizer. Knowing what each product is for helps to eliminate multiple products. 

8) Know Your Styles – If it is winter then you are going to need moisturizing agents such as shea butter or deep conditioners. In the summer you will need more leave-in conditioner, gel and a hair oil. When you know what styles you will have depending on the seasons you will also know what type of products to buy and when.

9) Reduce Your YouTube Product Review Watch Time - I know there are so many natural hair tutorials on YouTube who have amazing results with the products that they use but just because a natural hair YouTuber said this product is amazing means you should get it. If you have a product similar to it – use it!

Being a natural doesn't have to be expensive, just know what you need and what you don't need and have a plan when it comes to buying new products. Every product is not for everybody and when you learn what works for you you are well on your way to becoming a smart shopper and preventing overspending on too much product.

Happy Shopping!