Philip B - Extraordinary Hair Care

Philip B has been my hair care line of choice for about 19 years! How's that for loyalty? I was introduced to Philip and his products at Neiman Marcus when he had just become a "phenomenon" in the beauty business. He is a really nice, fun guy - in addition to being so talented.

I have been using his products ever since. Sure, I mix it up now and then with other lines, but I always come back to Philip B. So, after 19 years, I have a lot to say!

The Philip B products became famous due to Rejuvenating Oil, a treatment you can leave in for 20 minutes or overnight. This botanical conditioning oil is a blend of carrier and essential oils derived from plants, nuts, and flowers. Rejuvenating Oil imparts lipids into dry to damaged hair and scalp. Deep, penetrating, and soothing, it revives and restore the hair's elasticity, resilience, and overall strength. I tend to apply it on Sunday mornings when I plan to read the paper and "laze around" for awhile. Then, I wash it off by applying Peppermint & Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo before adding water (oil and water don't mix well). The result? Soft, shiny, and beautiful hair.

I rotate three of Philip B's shampoos, depending on the condition of my hair. The Peppermint & Avocado Volumizing & Clarifying Shampoo is a good choice when I need a good cleanse. Formulated with 16 pure plant extracts, eleven essential and carrier oils, and a potent, active dose of 2.3% pure peppermint oil, the shampoo works to soothe scalp tension, stimulate circulation, and leave your scalp feeling tingly fresh and clean. Fabulous!

When my hair is a bit dry, or after highlighting, I use African Shea Butter Gentle & Conditioning Shampoo, a lightweight moisturizing blend of African shea butter, hops, nettle, and comfrey. Additionally enriched with Panthenol (Vitamin B5), this shampoo delivers much-needed moisture to dry hair to strengthen and restore elasticity and prevent breakage.

In the dead of winter or when my hair screams "dry" or sends out a damage warning, I use White Truffle Ultra-Rich Moisturizing Shampoo. I'm convinced that Philip's White Truffle shampoo and conditioner (see below) are the most luxurious hair care products on earth. The shampoo is an ultra-rich, moisturizing shampoo containing a herbaceous blend of 19 pure plant extracts, including hops, nettles, thyme, lavender, horsetail, and burdock; Italian white truffle oil; soy protein; and Panthenol (Vitamin B5) for supreme restoration of your hair.

I use two post-shampoo conditioners: Light-Weight Deep-Conditioning Creme Rinse or White Truffle Nourishing & Conditioning Creme, depending on the state of my hair. The Light-Weight Deep-Conditioning Cream Rinse is a rich, thick cream formulated with pure African shea butter, which provides natural UV protection and has been used for centuries by the natives of the Ivory Coast and Senegal to heal and protect. This conditioner leaves a fine seal of pure protein on hairshafts to volumize, moisturize, and detangle without weighing your hair down.

My treat is a once or twice a week use of White Truffle Nourishing & Conditioning Creme, which is intensely moisturizing and softening. It is the solution when your hair is parched, dry, or color treated and in need of serious conditioning. Made from pure, revitalizing botanicals, it's combined with strengthening amino acids and soothing Vitamin E. My stylist and the owner of the salon where I go for cuts, blow drys, and highlighting are both astounded by this product. I would use it every day if it weren't so pricey ($75 without a discount - more on that in a second).

Last, but not least, another player in my routine is Restorative Detangling Toning Mist, a detangling, leave-in toner for the hair. I lightly wash it out, though - don't know why, just do. This super-lightweight spray toner contains apple cider vinegar as a natural astringent and pH balancer, which allows the cuticle of the hair to seal tightly, leaving smooth, detangled, shiny, gorgeous, finished, and toned hair with no frizz or static, but plenty of shine.

Philip B recently went 100% "green" and introduced new packaging (gorgeous) and products without parabens, phthalates, and petrochemicals. There is a new paraben-free shampoo, Russian Amber Imperial Shampoo, that was featured in the November 2008 Vogue, one of the many magazines that have spotlighted Philip B products. Unfortunately, at $140, I haven't been able to scrape together the money in this recession to try it. I will try the new Katrina Hair Mask ($40) soon.

You can read about all of the new products and more on the Philip B Web site, the best source of information on all of the products, including many I haven't described. I have found that I can usually get a discount at Hello Gorgeous! So, rather than ordering directly from the Philip B site or purchasing in a retail store, I go for the discount. SkinStore also carries a portion of the Philip B products.

Philip B is a definite "genius" choice in my book.

Photos courtesy of Hello Gorgeous and Philip B. Ingredient lists courtesy of Philip B.