Product Junkism: A Few Tips to Keep it Under Control

So...you're sick. You go straight to the hair care isle whenever you walk into a store, the inside of your room looks like a Beauty Supply, you have more products under your bathroom sink than you have food in your fridge and your paychecks disappear at the speed of light. If you have more than two of the symptoms listed above, you most likely have a mean case of Product Junkism. Like in any 12-step program, the first step is to admit you have a problem. The thing is…you’re not actually ready to stop being a PJ. You actually like it. Now what? Well, hopefully my tips will allow you to still indulge without going broke in the process.

1. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I know you ladies have heard this saying a lot but it is true.  Some of us seem to always be on the lookout for the next best thing, the product that's going to change your life. Chances are it doesn't exist. If you already found your staples and love the way they make your hair feel, why chase in vain after a miracle product?

2. Use up what you already have.
 Is your current stash already used up or do you still have a ton of products waiting for you under your bathroom sink? If so, don't buy anything else. Finish what you already have. If you don't like a product, give it away. Not only will it make room for your new products but it'll also give you a good idea of what you already have so as to avoid buying things twice.

3. Don't be too quick to dismiss products.
It's very easy to use a product once, not be impressed and dismiss it. Overtime, this practice ends up costing you a lot of money and taking up a lot of space on your shelves. You know what they say. If at first you don't succeed try, try again. Well, this applies to hair products also. For instance, if you've tried a deep conditioner on wet hair didn't like it, try it on dry hair. Try adding your favorite oil or heat to it.  Unless a product gave you a setback or caused breakage the first time you used it, you should try it at least a few times before giving up on it.       

4. Research the product before buying it.
 Before deciding to spend your hard earned money on something you should always do your homework. 1) Check the ingredient list: does it contain any ingredients you're not comfortable with such as mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum, sulfates or parabens? 2) Look for reviews from people with your hair type. If you're relaxed don't base your decision on a natural's review. Look for a relaxed person's review. The same thing applies to naturals. Youtube, LHCF, Hairlista, Kiss and personal blogs are all great sources of information. 3) If the product is salon quality, go to a salon that carries it and ask for a professional’s opinion.

5.  Make a wish list and stick to it.
Make a wish list of all the products you've properly researched and want to buy. It's very important that you try to not deviate from the list. It will help you not make impulsive buys. You can try to organize the list in a specific order. For instance, the ones you need most first. Also, every once in a while, check the items listed and make sure you still want them. If you don’t, cross them off.

6. Write out a budget and stick to it.
Determine an amount of money you can spend every month or (on more extreme cases) paycheck on ‘’hair stuff’’ without going broke and don’t go over it. This will help a lot, especially if you’re on a student budget, like me.

7. Buy from stores with a return policy.
Do I even need to explain why? You get your money back if you’re not 100% satisfied. It’s fantastic!

8. Get sample/ travel sizes products if you can find them.
Sample sizes are quite a bargain. Most of the time you get a good amount of product to try out for only a fraction of the price of the full size item. What’s not to love?

9. Be on the lookout for sales!
Again, this is pretty self-explanatory. Why pay full price for something you’re not even sure is going to deliver?

10. Swap out with your friends!
If you have close friends on a hair journey you can check each other’s stash to see if they have anything you’d like to try. If so, you can try to trade with each other.

Hope this helped!