Confessions of an Ex-Product Junkie

My name is Jhanelle and I am...err...was... a product junkie :)

This weekend I decided to take out all of my products...the ones in my room, in the shower, under the bathroom sink, on my coffee stand, in my dresser...all of them. The above picture is based on products I have accumulated in the last year alone....

So are you a product junkie? Don't worry, I'm here to help. I have a 6 step program :)

Step 1: Admission

Naturally Curly did an article... "You Know You're a Product Junkie If.." ...and I answered yes to almost every single question. No lie. That's when I knew I had a problem.

The first step in recovery, is admitting you have a problem. If your collection looks like this, or you spend more on hair products than you do groceries, you have a problem. So say it..."My name is [insert name here] and I am a product junkie."

Step 2: Stay away from sales and hair aisles

This may be the hardest step, trust me, I know.

I use to go into Walmart for groceries...and walk out with at least one new hair product. My favourite part of my shopping trip was strolling down the hair aisle - whether it was a new conditioner or hair accessory, I always bought something!  And don't get me started on sales...I became good at justification.... "I'm investing in my hair"....."It's only 6.99"..."It's 30% off!"...well let me tell you, it adds up!
So Step #2, stay away from sales and hair aisles! You went into the grocery store for a reason, so stick to that mission. Yes the item is on sale, but it doesn't mean you need to buy it. You may save 30% by purchasing it today, but you save 100% of your money and additional closet space by not buying it.

Step 3: Research

Stop shopping on a whim or solely on reccomendation. I use to buy things because friends swore by them or I'd see people using them on youtube. Well, what works for someone might not work for you.

Now, you will need to try products to learn what works with your hair but it's important to research products before you purchase them. Learn about your hair texture, porosity abd research ingredients that will work well with your hair. Sometimes it may not be the product...but the method you're using (i.e., product application).

Many companies also promise the world in order to get you to purchase their product, but when you read the ingredient list, there are next to no natural ingredients listed. The words are there to grab your attention...it's called Marketing. Often times the products don't work as promised, so do your research and be a smart shopper.

Step 4: Go in with a mission

It's important to define a need vs. a want.

If you do decide to purchase a product (that you need, after you've done the research) make sure you go into the store with a mission. Enter store. Ask for product. Don't look around, you'll get distracted.
Back in the day, I could easily spend 1 hour in Beauty Supply Warehouse. Now I give myself 10 minutes to get in and get out. I'll march in, purchase it and march right back out. And I stay proud of myself for not deviating from said mission :)

Step 5: Samples, samples, samples!

Instead of buying full size products that you'll just chuck under the sink after one use, try samples instead.

If your friend has a product you want to try, ask her for a sample of it.

Or do a product swap with a friend. Trade a product  that didn't necessarily work on your hair for a product that your friend may have that you want to try.

Step 6: If it works, stop looking!

Finally my last rule, if you found something that works on your hair: stop looking.

From that massive collection, these are the products
I currently use in my product rotation.

Are you a product junkie? How big is your collection? Do you need help?! Don't worry - we'll work through it together :)

xx.

J
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