He is the man for Hollywood-hair, literally. The strands of many celebrities run through Philip B.’s hands and they all swear on the formulas he creates since the early 90ies. Award-winning blends, all based on pure botanicals and essential oils as potent, in maximal possible concentrations.
IRMA: Which products, chosen from your range, would you recommend as the best package for mature hair? (mature hair = not only in terms of hair at age 40+ but very long (old) hair, too).
PHILIP B.: I love how you’ve grouped these two categories. It’s smart because they do share a need: moisture. And not just any moisture, but the right kind, via the right delivery system. Why? As we age, our hair becomes thinner and drier, and our scalps produce less sebum (the oils that qualify as nature’s conditioner). Even if you’re young, long hair is vulnerable, too. Your scalp’s natural moisturizing oils only gravitate a few inches down the hair shaft, so the ends can easily become dry, fragile and frayed. For that reason, I’d prescribe the following:
- Rejuvenating Oil Treatment(once a week). A blend of ultralight plant and flower oils, with molecules small enough to sink inside the hair shaft, restoring lost moisture in the most effective way.
- Oud Royal Forever Shine Shampoo & Conditioner: Both formulas are made with strengthening amino acids as well as safflower nanospheres, which are like tiny parcels filled with essential oils. Rather than coat the hair with moisture, weighing it down, the nanospheres are small enough to penetrate the hair fiber, nourishing and plumping up strands from the inside-out. All hair types come bouncy and gleaming with health.
IRMA: What is it, that mature hair needs more (or less) than “normal“ hair?
PHILIP B.: Again, mature hair comes from a mature scalp with slowing oil production. Graying strands have little to no melanin (the natural pigments that give hair its color), which also makes it drier: Less melanin means less moisture. Hormonal changes can also cause hair to thin or become frizzier or coarser. That’s why you need to build moisture into every step of your haircare regimen. All the moisture that’s missing has to be put back. Beyond that, it’s also important to use a shampoo and conditioner that contain amino acids to strengthen your hair and boost its elasticity. Oud Forever Shine Shampoo and Conditioner both contain a supercharged amino-acid complex that does just that.
IRMA: Styling mature hair, what is important – are there any do’s and don’ts?
PHILIP B.: Baby it. Gently press it dry with a towel – don’t towel-dry vigorously. Comb it out gently. Don’t pull your hair back into tight ponytails or buns that stress the follicle. Use a style primer (like my Thermal Protection Spray) before blow-drying, to guard against heat damage. (It also protects hair against damage from sun, saltwater and chlorine.) Invest in a quality hairbrush with a mix of boar’s-hair bristles and snag-free nylon bristles. The boar’s-hair bristles will help move the natural oils from the scalp down the hair shaft, to “feed” your hair; the nylon bristles will help them glide through the hair. And go easy on heated styling tools in general. They pull moisture out of the hair and, overused, can really wreak havoc.
IRMA: Do you have a very special Philip B.-super-tip on haircare on this topic or in general?
PHILIP B.: To get touchable, shiny, healthy hair, regular botanical oil treatments are a necessary luxury. I swear by my Four-Step Hair & Scalp Treatment Kit: It revives even the finest strands without adding weight. To bring back life to mature hair, or long hair that’s dull and dry at the ends, I’ve discovered another trick: Swap out the lightweight conditioner in the kit with my Oud Forever Shine Conditioner. The formula penetrates more deeply, infusing parched and compromised hair with its supercharged botanical hydrating complex.
