How To Save Money When Buying Hair Products

Being on a healthy relaxed hair journey can get expensive whether you’re starting out and trying to build a regimen or just trying to restock your staples. But good news. It doesn’t have to be expensive.

You can find hair products that are both budget-friendly and good for your hair. I used to think that I had to sacrifice quality in order to save some money, stay within budget, and not spend hundreds of dollars every few months buying hair products.

 

Related read: 10 Great Relaxed Hair Products Under $10

I soon learned that I didn’t have to do that. I could get good, quality hair products at discounted prices. For the last few years, I’ve rarely paid full price for hair products.

If you want to know how you can also save money on your hair products and even get some for up to 50% off then you’ll want to keep reading.

 

(This information is not meant to be financial advice and is just for educational purposes. This post may include affiliate links. Should you click an affiliate link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

1. Shop using a rebate site

I discovered rebate sites like Honey and Rakuten a few years ago and they have changed the way I shop online. The way these rebate sites work is when you use them to click through to a retailer site or have their browser app you can opt to get cash back on your purchase.

Now, this won’t score you the deepest discount as a lot of times the cash back offer is in the 2% to 5% range. Sometimes though I’ve seen cash back as high as 10% before. This is a good way to save a little if the hair products aren’t on sale or to save even more when the products are on sale.

Related read: 20 Wonderful Hair Care Gift Ideas Under $20

2. Get samples

Instead of spending money on a full-sized product, especially if it's one you're trying out for the first time, using a sample size can save you a lot of money. There are a few ways you can get your hands on some hair product samples.

One way is to sign up for free samples. There are several good sites out there that aggregate links to product samples. Also, some hair brands will send you free samples for signing up for their newsletter or during special promotions.

You can also buy sample-size products at stores like Ulta, Walmart, and Target. I've done this a few times with products I wanted to try out for the first time and was so glad I only spent a small amount of money on a sample size instead of the full size.

3. Use gift cards

I love it when I have a gift card and use it during a sale. There are a few ways you can get or should I say earn gift cards to use at different retailers. Here are a few of my favorite places

• ShopKick: With this app, you can earn Kicks (their version of rewards points) by visiting certain stores, scanning items, or making certain purchases. You can redeem the Kicks for rewards like gift cards.

• Bing.com: This is the rewards program for the Bing search engine. Since you're already doing online searches, why not earn points toward gift cards while you do it? You can earn extra points by completing quizzes and other activities. 
  

• Fetch Rewards: This is an app that you scan your receipts into to rack up rewards points that you can trade in for gift cards.
  

• Receipt Hog: This is an app where you scan your receipts plus complete surveys to earn rewards like cash sent to your PayPal account or Visa gift cards.
  

 

Related read: What To Buy During A Sally Beauty Hair Care Sale

4. Join brand/retailer reward programs

Several of the hair brands and retailers I shop at have some type of reward program where you rack up points or dollars that once they reach a certain amount can be applied as a discount to future purchases.

I’ll admit this one may not save you a lot unless you’re an avid shopper because the points to dollar conversion for most rewards programs is low. It can save you a few dollars here and there, especially when combined with coupons and sales. 

5. Use coupons

This may sound old school but it still works. It takes more planning than some of the other ways I previously mentioned. But in today’s world, finding coupons is so much easier. Here are a few ways and places you can get coupons for your hair products

Red Plum inserts that come in your mail: These are typically for drugstore brands like L’Oreal and Herbal Essences.

Coupons.com: They have an app where you can select the coupons you’d like and then later you just upload your receipt and once accepted they’ll add the amount for the coupon to your account.

Ibotta app: There you can find coupons for hair care brands like L'Oreal, Suave, and Carol’s Daughter. Additionally, Ibotta will sometimes have a store rebate for Sally Beauty purchases. If you'd like to give Ibotta a try, use my referral link to get a welcome bonus.

Hair brand sites and newsletters: Sometimes you can get coupons directly from the hair brand. Some brands have a section on their website where they put coupons. Others share discount codes or coupons in their email newsletters.

Retailer apps: Some retailers like Target or Ulta will have coupons that can be used when you buy hair products. I typically find these in the retailer's app.

 

 

6. Take advantage of sales

Sales are probably one of the easiest ways to save money on hair care products. Three of my favorite places to find sales for hair care products are Sally Beauty, Ulta, and Target.

Sally Beauty tends to have B1G1 and B2G1 free sales a few times a year for several great hair brands like Mielle and TGIN. I take advantage of those sales by stocking up on my favorites and buying products that I want to try for the first time.
 

Ulta has its Gorgeous Hair Event once or twice a year during which several great hair products are on sale for up to 50% off. The Gorgeous Hair Event is the perfect sale to stock up on higher-end brands like Nexxus, Joico, and It’s A 10.

Additionally, most hair brands that sell products directly on their site will have their own sales. And, especially during Black Friday, they can have really good discounts. I’ve found out about these brand sales by following my preferred brands on social media and signing up for their email or text alerts.

So you don’t miss out on the best hair care sales and discounts you’ll want to follow me on the free LTK app and sign up for my email newsletter.

 

 

7. Sale stacking

This is the best way to save money on your hair products. Sale stacking is when you buy a hair product on sale and then also use a coupon, discount code, gift card, get a rebate, or all of the above to save as much as possible.

What is the biggest amount you ever saved on hair products?