As a beauty editor, my hair is treated to some of the best hair treatments but also goes through its fair share of styling damage from testing all of the best hair styling tools. When my hair is in need of some serious TLC, there's one product I turn to: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. It turns my dry, drab strands into soft and healthy hair in just one wash. Originally created for Audrey Hepburn without a single reformulation, the deep conditioning hair treatment is a classic beauty product deserving of its iconic status.
Here's everything you need to know about Elasticizer and where to shop for it.
What makes Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer so good?
The Elasticizer is a pre-shampoo hair conditioning mask designed to reduce breakage, making hair softer, shinier and more conditioned.
The inclusion of hydrolysed elastin in the formula strengthens strands by repairing the hair bonds giving them more flexibility. This flexibility is important because it means your hair can stretch without snapping more while doing things like brushing and styling. Castor oil, olive oil and glycerin help to lock in moisture making hair feel instantly softer and less dry.
History of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
The Elasticizer was created by the late Philip Kingsley, a trichologist who had an incredibly successful 65-year career. Today, his daughter, Anabel Kinglsey, a successful trichologist, carries on the brand's legacy through products and clinics.
Audrey Hepburn and Philip Kingsley worked together from 1974 to 1980 to create the world’s first pre-shampoo hair treatment. It made such a difference to her hair she publicly dubbed it as "miraculous." But it wasn't until two years later that Elasticizer was available to purchase for everyone, not just those clients of the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic.
”[Hepburn] was doing a lot of filming and her hair was in terrible condition because of all the styling and colouring they were doing on set," explains Anabel. "So she went to see my father and requested a moisturising treatment that wasn't going to weigh her hair down, as she had quite fine hair. The experimenting began but many of the heavy post-shampoo creams were leaving Hepburn's hair feeling flat. Audrey wanted a product to get her hair in better condition, whilst also giving more body and shine. He went straight to his laboratory in London's East End and formulated Elasticizer just for her."
Apparently she loved it so much that she ordered countless pots of the formula to be sent to her home in Switzerland. The Elasticizer has grown in popularity ever since and is such an iconic product today that one is sold every 30 seconds.
Elasticizer - a beauty editor's review
Before using Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
Before using Elasticizer my hair is generally a bit limp. It looks dry, lifeless and lacks that shine that I always long for. I promise you this hair was heat-styled but since it was so dry it just wasn't holding styles that well.
After using Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
This was after using Elasticizer on damp hair and letting it marinate for a good hour (you don't have to wait that long but I always think the longer the better). I then styled as usual and here's the result. Not only does it look healthier, but it also feels in much better condition; banishing my dry ends.
It's such a fantastic treatment if you've put your hair through its paces and feel like it needs a fast, but effective pick-me-up.
Shop Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
Since it's such a well-loved product, you can get Elasticizer in so many different sizes. There's the regular 150ml size, the 75ml travel size (ideal for summer holidays when hair gets a little neglected) and a huge 1000ml pump bottle, which also comes available in a recyclable pouch, too. There are also limited edition scents like the current lemon and bergamot one.
