John Masters Organics Deep Scalp Follicle Treatment & Volumizer

My hair and scalp has been an increased priority the past year or so since I noticed my hair was thinning a bit and generally has less volume. I have been trying to remedy this internally but I'm using topical products to help the progress along. Currently I'm using the John Master Organics Deep Scalp Follicle Treatment and Volumizer for thinning hair.

My hair is slightly on the finer side, wavy and my scalp is quite sensitive and can get easily irritated by the wrong shampoo or using overly stripping products (or eating too much crap!), so as well as helping the thinning, I like using scalp specific products as they do seem to calm it and promote a healthier scalp.

The John Masters Organics Deep Scalp Follicle Treatment and Volumizer for thinning hair is 'a unique combination of 19 certified-organic herbs and essential oils improve the scalp by promoting nutrient intake, stimulating circulation, balancing sebum production and eliminating free radicals. Select ingredients work to enhance hair volume and shine. Safe for colour-treated hair'.

Key ingredients:
 

Thyme - scalp stimulant; antiseptic

Irish moss - natural detoxifier

Arnica - healing to the scalp; anti-inflammatory

Che qian zi - reduces inflammation

Gotu kola - anti-inflammatory; anti-irritant

I use this on damp hair after washing and conditioning. I section the hair and spray a small amount at the roots then style as normal.
What I notice with this it that it does seem to give my hair a bit more substance and volume at the roots so it doesn't appear as fine. With continual use I think my hair does feel better so for me it's doing what it says on the tin. For scalp comfort I personally prefer the Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner as that has a bit more cooling, soothing feeling, but overall I like the John Masters more for the volumising element.
 

I was a bit critical of Phylia de M.'s Connect as that is rather pricey for the amount you get but the John Masters product works out almost the same if you're comparing by mls as the Connect is £45 for 120ml and this is around £21 for 59ml.

I really can't put either product against each other as I like them both and feel they are both unique in their approach to hair health. 

 

Ingredients: 

Aqua (water), glycerin, sorbitol, panthenol (vitamin B), centillica asiatica (gotu kola) extract,* chondrus crispus (irish moss) extract,* plantago asiatica (chegian zi) extract,* arctium lappa (burdock root) extract,* hydrolyzed wheat protein, urticia dioica (nettle) extract,* yucca schidigera (yucca) extract,* hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) distillate, arnica montana (arnica) extract,* anthemis nobilis (chamomile) extract,* hyaluronic acid, camellia sinensis (white tea) extract,* lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract,* calendula officinalis (calendula) extract,* tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), carica papaya (papaya) extract, cucumis sativa (cucumber) extract,* soy protein, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil,* triticum vulgare (wheat germ) oil,* thymus vulgaris (thyme) oil,* linum usitatissimum (flax seed) oil,* rosmarinus officinalus (rosemary) oil*

* Certified Organic

Philip Kingsley Jet Set Pack - Take Comfort for Flaky/Itchy Scalps

My scalp is a bit troublesome, I often get periods of flakiness and irritation and it seemed to be playing up a bit these past couple of months. I don't think it helped when I run out of some of my other scalp soothing shampoos like Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic and started using something that I think ended up making my scalp drier then usual.

Anyway, I was looking for something to address these issues and had been meaning to try this particular range by Philip Kingsley for a while so now seemed like a good time!

One thing I appreciate a lot are haircare brands that do smaller sizes in their products. As my scalp is so fussy I prefer buying the trial size to begin with as often in the past I have wasted money on full size products that do not agree with me so I very grateful to those who do trial sizes.

Philip Kingsley is great in that the majority of his products come in various sizes so I purchased this kit which has the Flaky/Itchy Shampoo (60ml), Moisture Balancing Conditioner (60ml) and the Flaky/Itchy Scalp Toner (75ml).

The Flaky/Itchy Shampoo is a normal clear, thickish gel consistency which lathers nicely and rinses cleanly out. It doesn't make my scalp feel tight or dry and has a soothing quality to it. Once rinsed out I do need to use a conditioner because it doesn't feel like it smooths or nourishes the lengths of my hair but that is where the Moisture Balancing Conditioner comes in to play. This stuff is amazing, it's a creamy conditioner that makes the hair feel sooo smooth and silky. My hair is slightly fine and wavy and this makes it less dry without weighing it down. Even after blow-drying my hair doesn't feel dried out.

The Flaky/Itchy Scalp Toner provides welcome relief to the scalp as it's a watery type liquid that you apply to the hair in sections and it instantly feels cooling and soothing on the scalp. It is applied after towel drying but can be used as and when needed too. The pointed nozzle bottle makes it easy to use and allows for precise application.

Since using these products, my scalp is definitely in much better shape and the irritation and flakiness has gone down considerably.

Ingredients:

I purchased this kit from Marks & Spencer

Phylia de M. Connect Review

Phylia de M. is quite a new haircare brand hailing from LA, having launched only this year and one I had been intrigued about after reading information from VictoriaHealth.com (who exclusively stock the range in the UK) as it combines 'ancient Aztec and Mayan herbal remedies with modern science'.

Phylia de M. promotes more healthier, thicker hair for a variety of hair and scalp conditions through a unique blend of ingredients which they grow in their own private organic gardens - I'll leave it them to explain this so here is the information on the ingredients taken from the leaflet that came with the product:

'Aloe Blend
A powerful anti-oxidant, aloe rehabilitates cell damage and assists in the production of keratin, the main component of hair, skin, and nails. Our potent, customized aloe blend revives and encourages regeneration.

Tannic Acid Blend
When a plant is damaged, it secretes tannic acid to repair and renew. We apply the same method to hair follicles with our pure blend of select tannic acids.

Fulvic Acid (Fulphyl de M.) 
(our custom organic humic-free pure fulvic acid)
Fulvic acid provides nutrients to scalp and nerves while removing excess toxins. It transports vital keratin to cells and reminds them to work to their full potential. Our custom-created fulvic acid is completely pure and humic free.'

In the past I've used supplementation that contains Fulvic Acid and it's not an ingredient I've seen used in haircare before so this did pique my interest in the line.

These past 2 years I have noticed that my hair is generally thinner than it once was and while I am trying to address this through nutrition and supplementation, I wanted something topical to use so the product I was most eager to try is the Connect. A review I had read described this as 'fertiliser' for hair, so I had high hopes for this!

Connect is a treatment product for follicles, scalp and hair that comes in a spray form that you apply to scalp and hair in sections after washing and towel drying. It can also be used in dry hair, before styling, on brows and also on nails. It feels light like water so when sprayed it doesn't weigh hair down or make it feel greasy, so I can be liberal with it without issue.

I have been using this a little over 2 months now, about 2 times a week after washing my hair and for me I have noticed a bit of an improvement in that my hair (especially near the roots in the centre) seems a little less thinner. During the first month of use of didn't really notice much, it's only recently that I've seen some positives.
Another thing I've noticed is that if I leave my hair to dry naturally, it helps to promote the natural waves in my hair which is an unexpected plus.

Ingredients:

A gripe I do have is the amount of product you get - when I first opened my package from Victoria Health, I held up the 120ml bottle and thought 'this looks small', which may have been ok if it wasn't £45! I have, as initially thought, got through the product rather quickly even though I have only being spraying in my roots rather than all over. I haven't tried the other uses yet as I didn't want to run out so quickly as I think I would have probably gotten through it in around a month or less had I used it frequently. Ideally it would have been nice to have at least a 200ml bottle for that price considering the versatility of use.

If you would like a super-size version, Victoria Health just announced today there is a 570ml refill bottle available for £180.  A saving if you were to buy the standard bottles individually, but still a considerable sum.

The range also has a shampoo (£28 for 265ml) and conditioner (£30 for 265ml) which I will probably try once I get through some existing products. There is a kit with all three products for £103 (which works out the same as if you were to buy each product individually, so not sure what the incentive is there?).

I really do like this product, and even though the size/price bugs me, I will most likely repurchase as it is straightforward to use and does seem to actually do something.

Phylia de M. is available from Victoria Health in the UK (not affiliate link)
and also http://phyliahair.com (which also has stockist list)