Hair: PhytoKeratine Extreme review

Glossy, healthy hair is one of those things that is always on my wish list, but years of heat styling and the odd bit of bleach have left it looking more like a ginger fluffball. I’ve been putting the PhytoKeratine Extreme* range to the text over the past few weeks to see if it would make a difference to my hair and I have to admit right now that I’m totally hooked!

PhytoKeratine Extreme has been designed to repair ultra-dry, damaged and over-processed hair and contains a botanical keratin technology that gets to work on rebuilding the original architecture of the hair. The molecules mimic natural keratin (which make up our hair and nails) and plug the gaps in the hair cortex which can develop over time and lead to weaker, more brittle hair.  They’ve also included two types of hyaluronic acid which add hydration deep down inside the hair, giving it a healthy, smooth look without weighing it down.

The Extreme Exceptional Mask in this range is absolutely amazing and if you only buy one product, make sure it’s this one! Apply a small amount to the mid lengths and ends of towel dried hair and leave it on for 3-5 minutes for fine hair and up to 10 minutes for thicker hair. Rinse well and after you’ve blow dried, you should be left with super soft, healthy feeling hair with a really good shine. Depending on the level of damage in your hair, this is best used once or twice a week.

For everyday use, I’d highly recommend the Exceptional Shampoo, which is free from silicones, sulphates and parabens and gently cleanses the hair while leaving it feeling nourished and supple at the same time. It doesn’t foam massively due to the lack of sulphates, so don’t panic if you’re net getting much soapy action (you only need about a ten pence piece’s worth per shampoo). Give it a decent massage into the roots and leave it on for a couple of minutes to allow the product to penetrate the hair and then rinse using lukewarm water for the best results.

If like me, you love a bit of heat styling, then the Extreme Exceptional Cream will be right up your street. It helps to nourish and repair the hair, while still offering protection up to 220 degrees (so turn those straighteners down if you can!). It contains a similar botanical keratin complex to the mask, which is great if you want to layer up products and go for a seriously nourishing trio. Apply two to four pumps to damp hair before styling and use in place of your regular heat protector. It also works well used on dry hair to help get a really smooth finish, just be very sparing with it to avoid overloading the hair.

Prices start at £15.50 for the shampoo and go up to £36 for a 200ml mask. The whole range can be found via Space NK, Selfridges and other Phyto stockists.

Have you tried Phyto before? What do you normally use on dry or damaged hair?

*PR samples