Phyto's a brand I've been interested in for a while now. When I first discovered Sephora when I was twelve, I used to browse pretty much everything for hours (I'm sure my fellow beauty addicts did the same thing. And the Benefit section? Omg...), and Phyto, along with René Furterer and Klorane, was a French hair care brand that always caught my eye. Naturally when I went to France years later, I knew I had to test out some of the products.
The first product I tried out was the Phyto 9 hair cream, a leave in day moisturizer for the hair. Although I've been through two tubes of the stuff (they were bought at the same time), I was pretty disappointed. While it didn't do anything bad to my hair, it didn't do anything either. I didn't find it made my hair shiny or soft. It just kind of weighed it down a bit, but not enough to fight frizz. Plus the texture is a bit weird. It's like a sticky cream that almost feels like fresh aloe vera goo (and I mean the stuff you get when you crack open the plant). It's slimy. The smell was kind of play-doughy, too, and while not bad, it wasn't my favorite. Also, the packaging is a nightmare. The metal tube makes it hard to get every drop of product, and it cracks towards the end. I'd give this a pass and go for an oil instead for my frizzy hair (Free Your Mane makes my favorite).
The Phytokératine Shampoo is actually a pretty nice product. The major downside, again, is the packaging. It's hard metal, so you can't squeeze it, and you can't see how much there is left. You just kind of turn the bottle upside down and hope enough product will drool out. The product itself is nice, though. It is sulphate free but it still has a nice lather that clarifies hair without stripping. It smells planty. I find that this leaves my hair shiny and soft (combined with my other products) and is great for fighting off frizz. That being said, finer oily haired people might be weighed down too much by this.
I also picked up the Phytobaume conditioner to go with the shampoo. Again, I have to complain about the packaging. I just don't like that I can't see through the package to see how much I have left. The conditioner also comes with less product than the shampoo, so I imagine I'll be running out of it sooner. The smell is that same doughy and planty mix. It's a thinner cream (not too thin), not a thick balm like a lot of conditioners. That being said, this does pack a moisturizing punch. It really helps weigh down and moisturize my frizzy hair. Combined with the shampoo, my hair feels healthy and looks shiny. I do like it. Again, the fine and oily stay away. This will totally flatten your hair out.
My favorite product that I've tried from Phyto is the Phytokarité Masque Brillance Nutrition Extrême. Wow. I used this once (a sample sachet) and I was left with the softest, shiniest, frizz free hair of my life. It was like night and day. My hair looked so healthy. I was so impressed. I will be purchasing the full size, that comes in an easy to use jar, by the way, before leaving France.
All in all, I'm pleased with the products I've tried from Phyto. Aside from the Phyto 9, my hair felt really nice and looked so shiny after using the products. However, the major downside to the brand (aside from the price) is the packaging. I don't think the metal tubes and bottles are the best format for these products, and quite honestly, that will be the only reason I won't repurchase the shampoo and conditioner. The mask though? Can you say hairgasm??? It's a winner.
You should be able to get these products at most French pharmacies (like Rue du Four and Pharmacie Monge, the cheapest ones). Otherwise, if you google the products, I'm sure you can find them outside of France.
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