Phytokarite Review

Introduction

One of my main concerns with relaxing my hair was the damage it might do to my color-treated thick coarse hair.

(Image of Lisa Castillo - courtesy of Lisa Castillo - all rights reserved).

With most relaxers comes damage, but with Phytospecific products the damage is very minimal, if anything, it made my hair much softer, something I would have not expected from a chemical treatment.

My daily hair regimen always includes conditioning and once to twice a week deep conditioning. Deep conditioning can be tricky though. Your hair feels incredibly soft right out of the shower, but after blow-drying and using a straightening iron, the softness goes away. I have tried several deep conditioners and the common problem is the heaviness you feel in your hair right afterwards. Of course you want a thick conditioner, but you don’t want it leaving your hair heavy or flat.

Upon applying my Phytorelaxer I wanted to maintain my daily regimen and try a deep conditioner that will make my hair soft but maintain it’s volume. Since a relaxer takes away a little of the natural volume, I chose a product within the same Phyto line.

When ordering my Phytorelaxer package, I was advised to try Phytokarite, which is described as “an intense treatment mask that helps repair and rejuvenate very dry, damaged hair”. My hair was already dry and damaged before applying the relaxer so I thought that it would be best to try this product after the relaxer.

The conditioner comes in a uniquely packaged blue and white jar. It almost looks like a jar of night cream. The scent is fruity and the consistency is somewhat light, yet creamy. Upon reading the ingredients, the conditioner contains Shea Butter, Cashew and Pastel oils filled with essential fatty acids. When I opened the jar I could immediately smell the Shea Butter. It also comes with an instruction sheet, which is translated in many languages.

I shampooed my hair with Phytotherathrie’s Phytojoba Gentle Shampoo, rinsed and repeated. Once the shampoo was completely rinsed out, I applied a dollop of the Phytokarite treatment mask (about the size of a half dollar coin) and generously applied it more to the ends to saturate where it was the driest. I tried not to apply any to the roots since it will only weigh down the hair. I ran a wide toothcomb through my hair to insure even coverage. The instructions read to leave on for 5 to 15 depending on hair’s porosity. I left the conditioner on my hair for 10 minutes then rinsed thoroughly. I didn’t want to leave any conditioner residue in my hair so my hair can achieve full volume. I especially rinsed mostly at the roots.

When completely rinsed, I gently towel dried my hair and applied a leave in conditioner and the Phytodefrisant Baum. I blow-dried my hair for about 10 minutes and then when completely dry ran a straightening flat iron through it, which took only 5 minutes. The end result: my hair felt completely soft and silky. It was not heavy nor was it difficult to straighten my hair. My brush ran very smoothly through my hair and most of all, my hair still had volume. The true test was to see if my hair would remain the same throughout the day. Since I fixed my hair right before going to bed, I wanted to see if my hair would get oily, tangled, or heavy throughout the night. I woke up the next morning and ran a straightening iron through my hair for about 5 minutes, lightly hair sprayed my hair and went on my way to work. The condition of my hair was exactly the same as when I went to bed the night before.

Where I live, the humidity is always 100% during the summer, so the real test was to see if the conditioner would withstand through humidity as well. To my surprise, my hair remained the same throughout the day. It remained extremely soft and silky and never went flat. I usually can’t run my fingers through my hair because of the dry ends, but with Phytokarite, my hair texture never felt so soft. I was so excited and surprised, I told people at work to feel how soft my hair felt, and I’ve never let anyone touch my hair before because it always felt dry and damaged.

Summary

My overall experience with Phytokarite was excellent. It’s a great deep treatment for your hair that doesn’t weigh it down like most intense conditioners. I especially like the fact that it leaves your hair incredibly soft even after using heat appliances. I would rate this product a 9. Though it is somewhat pricey for a 6.7 fl oz jar, it works wonders for your hair leaving it soft, silky and manageable all day long.

The Phytotherathrie line continues to amaze me again with it’s nourishing conditioner, a great follow up to any chemical treatment!

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