Sainsbury’s debut hair range has just hit shelves - but does it deliver? Here’s the lowdown on the refreshingly low cost collection
For many of us, the pursuit of a good hair day is one that often comes at a price. So when I found out that Sainsbury’s was launching a budget beauty haircare range called My Hair Matters this month, I was keen to see if it could provide as much bang for my buck as its more costly counterparts.
How much do the products cost?
A purse-pleasing £1.50 per 400ml bottle of shampoo or conditioner. A sizeable deal. “We don’t believe that quality needs to be expensive,” comments My Hair Matters Product Developer Alicia Mendez, whose previous experience within the beauty sector includes working for brands such as Toni&Guy, label.m and Superdrug. She further adds, “The formulas use luxury ingredients but are also affordable, so customers can indulge in the best haircare without worrying about the price.”
What hair concerns do the products tackle?
The collection comprises of four separate ranges, each designed with a specific hair concern in mind: Smooth & Shine for unruly fine to normal hair, Colour Protect, Nourish & Repair for damaged hair and Volume Boost.
Looking to increase my humidity-causing frizz management skills and reduce my dependence on heating tools this summer, Smooth & Shine seemed like the best pairing for my particular hair needs.
What’s in them?
The brand’s chosen to include strengthening pro vitamin B5, hydrating wheat proteins, cashmere and jojoba oil and smoothing arginine across all of the products in the My Hair Matters collection. However, each formula has been subtly tweaked to make each more specific in their approach. For example, the Smooth & Shine range contains the addition of keratin for extra frizz control (full ingredients lists below). It does contain sulfates though, so those with coloured or super dry hair types may prefer to use something more targeted for their individual needs.
First impressions?
At 400ml, you get an impressive amount of product for your pennies. They’re scented pleasantly, but not overwhelmingly so and their rose gold packaging is simple yet chic for a supermarket brand. After one use, I was able to see a difference to the manageability of my wavy hair (I only really needed a straightener for the front bits) and the shampoo left my roots grease-free and ends feeling nice and clean.
Budget conditioner -wise though, I’d probably opt for something a little more intensive for my dryness-prone lengths. However, those with untreated thinner hair that gets greasy easily may reap greater benefits - especially if they wash their hair every day. It’s recommended for unruly fine to normal hair and I’d certainly agree with this guideline. I’m interested to keep using it to see how it agrees with my hair long-term though and at £1.50 a pop, the range acts as a stark reminder that a good cleanser and conditioner shouldn’t break the bank.
The Sainsbury’s My Hair Matters collection is available to buy online here and will be available to buy in-store at selected Sainsbury’s stores nationwide in the coming months priced at £1.50.
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Full ingredients list
Smooth & Shine Shampoo: aqua, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium chloride, panthenol, laureth-4, hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed wheat starch, parfum, glycol distearate, glycerin, PEG-4 rapeseedamide, sodium benzoate, tetrasodium EDTA, citric acid, sodium hydroxide, formic acid, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, sodium sulfate, CI 17200.
Smooth & Shine Conditioner: aqua, cetearyl alcohol, cetrimonium chloride, panthenol, dimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, stearamidopropyl, dimethylamine, hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed wheat starch, parfum, glyceryl stearate SE, disodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, dipropylene glycol, citric acid, sodium chloride, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, sodium sulfate, CI 17200.