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Home • Hair Products & Tools

What’s the Difference? 10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused

Your guide to all the seemingly similar products sitting pretty in the hair isle, collecting dust on your vanity, or the treatments you didn’t know were offered by your stylist.
By Laurice Rawls · Updated October 27, 2020
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01
Texturizers and Tex-Lax
A texturizer softens curls while maintaining their bounce. Tex-lax has a similar goal, but uses relaxer chemicals.
10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
02
Edge Control and Hair Gel

Edge control tames fly-aways and a unruly hairline. While gel adds definition, provides hold, and controls curls.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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03
Ombre and Balayage

Balayage is a coloring technique that gives hair a natural sun-kissed look, while ombre gradually changes in shade from root to tip.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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04
Dye and Rinse

Hair dye is permanent and long lasting, while a rinse is washed out in a few shampoos.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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05
Dry Shampoo and Texturizing Spray

Texturizing spray blasts a dry mist onto the root of the hair adding volume, while dry shampoo comes in a powder or spray form and cleanses hair without water.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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06
Conditioners and Hair Masques

Conditioner replaces the moisture that is stripped away from the hair while shampooing. A masque should be used weekly or bi-weekly as an intense hydrating treatment.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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07
Hair Fragrances and Body Fragrances

Spritzing your everyday fragrance on your hair can be too potent for the office and, the alcohol is very drying. Hair fragrances come in toned-down versions of your fragrant favorites and conceal any of the unwanted scents your strands may have picked up.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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08
Highlights and Lowlights

Lowlights add darker colors, highlights provide lighter tones to your strands.

10 Hair Treatments and Products That Are Easily Confused
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