John Masters Haircare: Evening Primrose Shampoo & Rosemary Pepermint Detangler
I’ve heard many great things about John Masters Organics haircare products.
So when it was time to replace my used up shampoo & conditioner, I went on a limb and picked up two haircare products by John Masters Organics…
1) The Evening Primrose Shampoo (for dry hair)
2) The Rosemary & Peppermint Detangler
At the time, I was slightly worried that I’d made a rather arbitrary and frivolous purchase.
But after having seen the stellar results on my hair…
I’m confident that I’ve found two amazing haircare products that’s well worth their price.
About The Brand
The brand John Masters Organics was founded by famed hairstylist John Masters, who was inspired to create a clean, botanical-based luxury-end haircare brand in the early 90s.
They only have a select few products that have been made with great care, keeping not only the beauty of their clients in mind, but also their safety and that of the environment.
John Masters goes beyond just having safe, natural and organic ingredients in their products. They also source their ingredients from local farmers. And the simplicity of their packaging reflects this great respect for the environment.
Evening Primrose Shampoo (For Dry Hair)
This is a shampoo that helps to replenish dry, damaged hair.
My hair naturally tends to be very dry. So at the bare minimum, I want a shampoo that…
- Cleans my scalp without over-stripping it of its natural oils
- Moisturizes my hair without weighing it down
- Leaves my hair soft, smooth and shiny
At the same time, a product that is made of safe, gentle ingredients by a company that has some sense of ecological responsibility are also qualities that are well appreciated!
And hooray! I did find all these qualities in this John Master’s shampoo.
The ingredients list is crazy long and chock-full of botanical ingredients.
Ingredients: Made with 21 certified organic ingredients
Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, aqua (water), babassuamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside, sodium cocoamphodiacetate, panthenol (vitamin B5), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, urtica dioica (nettle) root extract*, sorbitol, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil*, glycerin, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, hydrolyzed soy protein, chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extract*, equisetum hyemale (horsetail) extract*, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract*, symphytum officinale (comfrey) leaf extract*, achillea millefolium (yarrow) extract*, camellia sinensis (white tea) extract*, potassium sorbate, salix alba (willow) bark extract*, arginine, serine & threonine (amino acids), sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid), sodium pca, borago officinalis (borage) seed oil*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, linum usitatissimum (flax) seed oil*, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil*, sulfur, soy tocopherol, cananga odorata (ylang ylang) flower oil*, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil*, juniperus mexicana (cedarwood) oil*, pelargonium pelatum graveolens (geranium) flower oil*, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil*, santalum album (sandalwood) oil*, linalool†, citronellol†
* Certified Organic
† A natural component of essential oils
My view of plant-derived essential oils in beauty products is that they are usually harmless, provided they are formulated in the proper amount.
And they provide wonderful benefits to the skin and hair. Though often times more studies are needed to show the true scope of their effects.
Other ingredients that caught my eye:
- Aloe Vera Leaf Juice – A humectant that helps to retain moisture
- Babassuamidopropyl Betaine – An antistatic, hair conditioning agent
- Decyl Blucoside – A mild non-ionic surfactant
- Sodium Cocaomphodiacetate – Used to clean the hair and increase foaming capacity; made from fatty acids from coconut oil
- Panthenol – Used to coat the hair shaft
- Arginine, serine & threonine – Amino acids for stimulating hair growth
- Sodium Chloride (salt) – Used to thicken the formula, but can also be used to remove dead cells and product build-up
- Sodium PCA -A derivative of naturally occurring amino acid proline; a conditioning agent and humectant; binds moisture to cells
- Sodium Hyaluronate – Salt form of hyaluronic acid; used to retain moisture
- Sulfur – Often used in shampoos to help relieve dandruff, and to enhance the appearance and feel of hair by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen
- Evening Primrose Oil – the star ingredient of this shampoo; helps to add moisture and strengthen hair
I’m not sure why evening primrose oil is the main featured ingredient of this shampoo.
If you look at where it’s located in the ingredients list, there are a lot of other essential oil ingredients that come before it.
Why not call this John Masters “Jojoba Oil & Nettle Root” shampoo? Hmm…?
How To Use: Shake well. Apply to wet hair. Lather. Rinse.
My experience:
The first thing I noticed is the dark amber color of this shampoo. It has the consistency of a non-sticky gel. And the scent is a light herbal blend of mint and pine.
Another noticeable characteristic of this shampoo is that it hardly lathers up.
If you like sudsy foamy shampoo, then the lack of bubbles in this shampoo might bother you. But keep in mind that bubbles in shampoos are used to make it seem like the product is really good at cleaning your hair.
When I use this shampoo, I only need a teaspoon’s worth. I focus on working it onto my scalp and then work my way down to the tips.
Results:
I’ve been using this shampoo for a month now. And the results were everything that I could want from my shampoo!
My scalp is clean without being stripped of its natural oils.
My hair looks and feels super soft and shiny, frizz-free and full of body. And the results last for up to three days.
In summary, I love it!
Rosemary & Peppermint Detangler
This is a lightweight conditioner made with organic plant oils, protein & vitamins. It works to detangle unruly hair and add shine.
As a detangler, this product has a thinner consistency than regular conditioners. Detanglers are not as deep-moisturizing. But they work to soften hair and reduce static in order to keep hair tangle-free.
This is the first time I’ve used a detangler, so I expected it to be quite similar to a conditioner. But in fact, I would say it’s better at reducing hair frizz than other conditioners that I’ve tried.
As with the shampoo, the ingredients list is long and packed full of plant extracts and essential oils which work to soften and moisturize the hair.
Ingredients: Made with 17 certified organic ingredients
Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, aqua, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, panthenol (vitamin B5), hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, sorbitol, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, linum usitatissimum (flax) seed oil*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, borago officinalis (borage) seed oil*, lecithin, tocopherol, sulfur, citric acid, arnica montana (arnica) flower extract*, camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract*, chamomilla recutita (chamomile) extract*, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract*, equisetum hiemale (horsetail) extract*, foeniculum vulgare (fennel) seed extract*, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, hyaluronic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil*, rosa canina (rose) flower oil*, geranium maculatum (geranium) oil, mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil*, nardostachys jatamansi (spikenard) rhizome/root extract*, limonene†
* Certified Organic
† A natural component of essential oils
Ingredients of interest:
- Behentrimonium Methosulfate – Despite the fact that it has the word ‘sulfate’ at the end, this ingredient is considered to be mild and safe, and acts as an anti-static and conditioning agent
- Cetearyl Alcohol – Don’t be fooled by the word alcohol. Not all alcohols are created equally. This is a fatty alcohol, and fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural sources to give a smooth, soft feeling to the hair shaft by helping the cuticle to lie flat on the surface of the hair
- Panthenol – Used to coat the hair shaft
- Hydrolyzed Soy Protein – ‘Hydrolyzed’ means it’s been formulated to be absorbed by the hair shaft. A protein that’s used for moisture retention and for improving hair texture and gloss
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein – Used to increase hair’s ability to retain moisture, add volume and reduce hair porosity, overall improving smoothness
- Sorbitol – A humectant that prevents moisture loss by pulling water by osmoses
- Jojoba Seed Oil – A natural ingredient that works to condition hair and scalp and balance sebum production
- Coconut Oil – Another popular natural hair conditioning agent. Coconut oil is wonderfully moisturizing!
- Rosemary Oil – Stimulates hair growth; adds volume and shine
- Peppermint Oil – Reduces scalp irritation, treats oily scalp
Again, as with the shampoo, the featured ingredients of the Detangler (Rosemary & Peppermint) are found lower on the ingredients list.
Maybe calling this product John Masters “Jojoba and Coconut Oil Detangler” would have made more sense?
How To Use: Apply desired amount to clean, wet hair. Leave in 1 to 3 minutes. Rinse.
My experience:
This is a light cream with a fresh peppermint scent. More peppermint than rosemary, actually.
I need to use only a teaspoon’s worth of this stuff.
I work backwards, starting from the tips of my hair and work may way up towards the scalp.
Results:
I’ve washed my hair with and without this detangler. After a month of use and observation, I can say that this detangler really makes a difference on my hair.
It works immediately to reduce static and frizz. Especially at the tips, which makes combing through my hair a lot easier.
It leaves my hair soft, moisturized and full of bounce. When I scrunch my hair, there is less static and frizz. So for a lightweight conditioner, this works very well for me.
As I have thick, medium coarse hair, I’m not sure how well this detangler would work for very coarse hair types.
(Closeup view of the Shampoo and Detangler)
Closing Thoughts
On occasion, I’ve tested these products separately. But mainly, I’ve used them in conjunction with each other. So it’s hard for me to say which product really made the difference.
I can say with certainty that, for me, the John Masters Evening Primrose Shampoo and Rosemary & Peppermint Detangler work wonderfully together!
When I say that the effects last for up to three days, I simply mean that I can go three days without washing my hair.
But these products seem to have an on-going effect on my hair.
Overall, my hair feels softer, looks shinier and is a lot more manageable than it’s been in a long time.
(BEFORE photo. My greasy hair badly in need of a wash)
(AFTER photo. Better, but I still need a haircut! )
To sum it up…
What I Like About The John Masters Evening Primrose Shampoo & Rosemary and Peppermint Detangler:
- Clean and healthy balanced scalp
- Soft, moisturized hair
- Silky strands, reduced frizz
- Bouncy hair (not weighed down)
- The light herbal scent
- Packed with incredible ingredients
- High quantities of natural and organic ingredients
- The clean simple presentation of the bottles
- Recyclable packaging
What I Don’t Like About Them :
- The scent is too light; there’s hardly a trace of a nice scent left on my hair… but this is just me looking for something to complain about
How Much: $16 for each bottle (both products come in 8 fl oz / 236 ml size bottles)
Would I Buy These Two Products Again: A resounding YES!!!
(Sorry to get all like 'The Ring' on you, but...)
(The proof is in the shine!)
I’m really happy with how soft and shiny my hair looks and how my scalp feels clean and healthy. The effects are incredibly long lasting.
I’m also impressed with the level of quality with which these products were made and the ethics behind the John Masters Organics brand.
To me, I’m willing to pay more for stellar results by quality products from responsible companies.
* * *
A note about where I like to read up about cosmetic ingredients…
Like most of you, I don’t have a background in cosmetics chemistry and I don’t have a cosmetics ingredients dictionary, so I end up having to rely on google search pretty much all the time.
The sites that I frequent the most are:
Cosmetics Ingredient Review
Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Truth In Aging
Paula’s Choice Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary
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- Your Unruly And Rebellious Hair Is Dead
- I’m Currently Digging These 3 Haircare Products
- Kiehl’s Solutions for Flaky/Itchy Scalp & Dandruff
- A Look At 3 Different Haircare Products By Klorane
