Which one to choose?

I’ve been mixing and matching shampoo and conditioner for years. I remember believing that I MUST use the same brand and line of conditioner that matches my shampoo, but that simply isn’t the case.

You can kind of do whatever you want with the products!

In some cases, you’ll have a much greater result if you stick to a coordinating shampoo and conditioner, but in general, I’ve found that simply staying with the same brand can grant you quite good results!

Personally, I like to use a volumizing shampoo and a hydrating conditioner. Volumizing conditioners don’t work very well for me, and can leave my hair full of static electricity! Smoothing or deeply hydrating shampoos won’t give me the lift I want but will deliver nice softness to my hair.

If you are looking for a new shampoo and conditioner, but you aren’t interested in purchasing both products, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Oily Hair

If your hair is oily, greasy, or is generally lifeless at the root, look for a really good volumizing shampoo. You can probably save a few bucks on a lower end conditioner but I’d look for a good quality, well-reviewed cleansing shampoo.

Dry Hair

If your hair is dry or damaged, it may be better to invest in a really good, hydrating conditioner and find a cheaper shampoo.

If your hair is generally normal or doesn’t fall into the above categories, I’d say to always default to a higher quality conditioner over shampoo. In my opinion, there is a pretty enormous jump from cheap conditioner to even a low priced professional brand, but it’s not as dramatic with shampoos!