PhytoSpecific Intense Nutrition Shampoo

Awhile back I was shopping at Sephora and I asked one of the sales clerks if they could recommend a good shampoo for my dry, coarse hair texture. He recommended PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo, and gave me two samples of it.

Price of
PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo

A 5oz bottle costs $24.

Ingredients in
PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo

This shampoo is supposed to be rich in Kukui and Macadamia oils which are supposed to hydrate and replenish the hair, while a cocktail of four plants - calendula, comfrey, elder flower, and hibiscus flower combined with the essential wax of mimosa, panthenol, and wheat proteins strengthen the hair shaft and makes it easier to detangle.

The sample claimed that the Intense Nutrition Shampoo would leave my hair naturally radiant, soft, and beautiful, but I was skeptical once I saw that it contained ingredients like ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth-11 carboxylate. I try not to use shampoos with sulfates and I feared this PhytoSpecific one would leave my hair even drier.

Texture of
PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo

The texture of this shampoo is thick and rich. I only need a bit to cleanse my hair, even though it doesn't produce a thick lather.

Scent of
PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo

The scent left a bit to be desired for me. It's basically a no-nonsense mature fragrance, it's not girly or playful, it has a generic plain shampoo kind of smell.

Does PhytoSpecific's Intense Nutrition Shampoo Work?

The first sample that I received I only used once. That was at least a year ago. I believe that at that time my hair was super dry, and I expected the Intense Nutrition to work an instant miracle. While it didn't dry out my hair, I was really paranoid that it would, so I just began using Carol's Daughter Rosemary Mint Shampoo exclusively.

I didn't really give it a chance, though I did keep my other sample, and two weeks ago I finally decided to use it. While my hair isn't as dry as it was a year ago, my texture is still dry, coarse, kinky, & rough.

After using the PhytoSpecific shampoo, I could feel the difference that the wheat proteins made as soon as I rinsed. My hair felt a bit stronger and less frizzy. I applied my regular conditioner and then styled my hair as usual.

That's when I really noticed a big difference. My hair felt soft, but it felt so much smoother than it normally does. It was a lot less frizzy, my curls were more defined and my hair wasn't a pain in the butt to detangle.

Since that time I've used the shampoo again, and the results were even better. My hair is softer, it actually has a shine to it, and it's more manageable.

In the End...

I'm kicking myself for not being more open-minded about this shampoo. I should have given it a fair shot a year ago because it has really made my hair look beautiful as it promised. I haven't found another product that's been able to make my hair feel so smooth and manageable in the two years that I've worn my hair natural.

If my hair was severely dry and brittle I'd probably try a more moisturizing shampoo, because I don't feel that the Intense Nutrition was exceptionally hydrating. But I will definitely be buying the Intense Nutrition shampoo (as well as trying other PhytoSpecific products) because it was great with moderate dryness, but it's even better at smoothing the hair and taming frizz. I have to give it 5 out of 5 stars.