I spend a fortune at the salon but these are the hair products I buy at home

I spend a fortune at the salon but these are the hair products I buy at home | Freelance Editor Published October 9, 2026 7:00am The cheap haircare products that outperform expensive alternatives. (Picture: Metro/Getty) Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more There’s not much merit in thinking the more you pay for a product, the better it works, especially when it comes to beauty. Particularly haircare. As a beauty editor, I’m lucky enough to try a lot of products, from salon-exclusive treatments to the luxury bottles that cost more than my weekly food shop. While some of them are genuinely worth the splurge, plenty of the products I rely on day-to-day are inexpensive. For context, my own hair is fine, with blonde highlights and prone to getting knotty the second it gets wet. I also use heat on it pretty much every day, so I need products that protect, repair and keep my colour looking fresh, without weighing it down or helping it get beyond a day without needing to wash it again. So, I’ve curated a shopping guide to the best haircare products under a tenner. From maintenance formulas that keep hair clean to styling treatments that hold a blow-dry in place or freshen up greasy roots, it features my top 10 picks worth a spot in your routine. Ironically, I’m happy to spend the bulk of my beauty budget at the salon, but so unwilling to do the same for products at home in between appointments. Some of the products below are regularly compared to cult buys that cost five times as much, while others are simple, hardworking finds that have earned their place on my bathroom shelf. Whether you’re trying to cut back on spending or just want to find a few new favourites without an eye-watering price tag, these are the budget buys I recommend to everyone. The best haircare products under £10 L'Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Anti-Brassiness Purple Shampoo If you have blonde colouring in your hair, this bargain purple shampoo works just as well as products three times the price, lathers well, smells great and keeps cool-toned blonde hair ashy and bright. It’s a budget find I tell every blonde person about. If you’ve already spent a small fortune in the salon to get it done, there’s no reason to fork out loads more to maintain your fresh colour. Buy Now for £6.99 got2b Get Fresh Dry Shampoo Hair Mist This is widely talked about as a dupe of K18’s £48 dry shampoo, but to me, it’s just an excellent liquid dry shampoo for a bargain price. It’s a wet spray, which may make you panic at first, but stick with it. It’s very easy to overapply and just saturate your hair, but I find three spritzes is enough to revive my greasy roots. Leave it on for a few minutes, then gently brush your hair as normal and watch the greasy roots transform as it absorbs excess oil. Buy Now for £5.75 Superdrug Shower Hair Brush As soon as my hair gets wet, it becomes a big, knotty mess, so a few years ago I started brushing it just before I put my head under the shower. This is what I use, because you can hang it on your shower caddy, and brush through hair masks and treatments, and when you step out, it’s a lot less painful process to brush it straight. Buy Now for £3.50 L'Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray You cannot go wrong with a bottle of this from L'Oréal Paris. It’s been around forever and is popular because it works. For my fine hair, I like this normal-hold option, but you’ll also find ultra-hold versions. It has a nostalgic scent and keeps curls and blow-dries in place for hours. If you have a special occasion, like a wedding or job interview, this is a failsafe. Buy Now for £5.15 brushworks Microfibre Hair Wrap Duo A microfibre hair wrap works wonders to reduce static on wet hair and keeps it off your face when you get out of the shower. It also absorbs the water to dry quicker and minimises friction, which is ideal if your hair is prone to breakage. This one stays securely in place while I do my skincare and never pills in the wash. Buy Now for £9.99 Being Hair Mask Mega Shine When my hair needs a bit of TLC beyond just a shampoo, I reach for this colourful tub. My blonde highlights may look good when they’re first done, but a few months later, there’s always a bit of dryness. Slathering this onto strands for a few minutes each week makes a world of difference to both its condition and texture. It’s a decent all-rounder for hydrating tired tresses. Buy Now for £7.99 TRESemmé Thermo Sculpt Memory Shampoo 400ml If like me, there’s not a day that goes by without applying some sort of heat, this is a shampoo that will do you well. It gently cleanses hair with a heat-activated complex called KeraKinetic tech, which helps it hold its shape longer. Plus, it’s often on offer at Boots for under a fiver. Buy Now for £7 Ciroa Mango & Coconut Sleek Stick If you love a slick back bun or ponytail, don’t worry about flyaways with this clever little stick. Slightly bigger than a roll-on deodorant, it’s a waxy balm that smooths baby hairs for a smooth finish. Packed with mango extract, coconut extract, argan oil, avocado oil, vitamin E and castor oil, it’s effective and foolproof. Plus, it smells of mango and coconut. Delicious. Buy Now for £9.95 Aussie Moisture Recharge Detangling Leave-In Spray I don’t have the time for knotty hair, nor the headache of taking ages to detangle it all. So on wash day, I spritz this through clean, wet hair, wait a few minutes and brush out the tangles without the tears or teary eyes. It smells great, does the job and is less than a fiver. What’s not to love? Buy Now for £4.99 L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Wonder Water This is one of the most transformative hair treatments you can find, making an almost immediate difference. It has a very thin nozzle that can be applied directly to the lengths of your hair, left for eight seconds and rinsed out – my hair always feels smoother, looks shinier and glossier after using this. If you want high-shine, glass hair without being weighed down with product or looking greasy, you need to try this. Buy Now for £9.99 Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Share your views in the comments below Arrow MORE: Dove’s new haircare range promises up to 90% less hair fall for fuller, thicker looking locks Arrow MORE: Best detangling sprays for knotty hair from £5 including Cécred and Tangle Teezer Arrow MORE: These shower heads promise softer skin and shinier hair and shoppers are obsessed Puzzles Newsletter Get your favourite puzzles when they are ready to play on the website sent directly to you every day and track your daily streak!