What to do in order to save damaged and stressed hair? Before giving my hair a drastic cut, I’ve given ApHogee professional hair care a try.
After a decolouring and dying session, hair can become dull and extremely dry, especially if they are naturally frizzy like mine. So, here’s a detailed review of four ApHogee products I’ve been and I’m still currently using: ApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment, the Balancing Moisturizer, the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner and the Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer.
ApHogee is an American brand specialised in professional and cruelty-free hair care for damaged, dry, coloured and texturized (afro or curly) hair with proper products, kits and supplements to repair, hydrate and style them.
These products are richly infused with vitamins, proteins and natural ingredients and have a gentle pH level; they are studied for professional usage but can be easily enjoyed at home with common tools (blow dryer) and by following the instruction at the back of each product.
The products I’ve introduced into my hair care routine have a pH optimised to respect very stressed hair and contains a special formula, called PropHytamine Complex, consisting of a balanced mix of proteins to strengthen weak hair, emollient agents to give extra shine and humectants to re-establish softness.
I’ve used these products after a regular shampoo for damaged hair in the following order: firstly the Balancing Moisturizer, the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner and the Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer and, every 4/3 weeks before the moisturiser, the extra treatment Two-Step Protein Treatment once.
As you can see from the before pictures, my hair was extremely dry, with a dull and yellow shade along the tips and a lot of split ends, while my root and lengths were very dark but flat in colour.
This is the result of a bleaching and hair colouring session at a salon…
Let’s start from the hair conditioner: I always used a hydrating product after shampooing (I normally use Avon Advance Techniques Instant Repair 7 as my shampoo), because my hair are very frizzy and I need extra moisture and control over my frizziness.
The AphHogee Balancing Moisturizer is a thick pearly white cream with a masculine, yet fresh scent reminding of eau de cologne. Its ProHytamine Complex is boosted by the following natural extracts: chamomille, rosemary and sage as well as silk proteins.
This hydrating product has to be applied and left working for 2 minutes, then rinsed off with warm water. It instantly gives my hair softness and makes them easy to comb, without adding extra weight, this is why I apply it from roots to the tips…
Just a note: it’s extremely thick so, the more you use it, the more you have to shake the bottle in order to pull the product out from it. The bottle is solid, sometimes hard to squeeze, and the cap avoids wastage.
After it, I wrap my hair with a towel and let it soak extra water, then I apply the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner.
This is a hair moisturising leave-in treatment and has to be applied on towel dry hair. It doesn’t require to be rinsed off. I spread it from roots to tips, trying to do not over dump my hair, indeed it’s a liquid product and I can easily exaggerate with it…
Since it’s liquid, it can easily slop from one’s hands while applying it. Here again, the cap comes in handy and one won’t lose product if one carries it everywhere.
The scent is amazing with a sweet vanilla note, its texture doesn’t stick my hair, while its formula is enriched with panthenol, jojoba and wheat germ oils. The result is extremely soft and light hair.
The ApHogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer is a spray treatment suitable for all hair types and recommended after colour or other strong chemical applications. This spray contains keratin and green tea extract, the last one renowned for its anti-oxidant properties.The ApHogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer promises to “add body, help prevent breakage, control frizz and help preserve hair colour and chemical services”. This is why I wished in a magical touch!
The instruction recommends spraying it onto towel dry hair, while heat from the body and the blow dryer will lock in the treatment onto the hair structure.
I apply it from roots to my tips after the Leave-in Conditioner (I dry a bit my hair after the liquid conditioner), then I braid my hair into two boxer braids and let my hair naturally air dry.
When I wake up and I lose my braids… I get the wished, craved volume. My hair is extremely light but voluminous starting from the roots.
When I wake up and I lose my braids… I get the wished, craved volume. My hair is extremely light but voluminous starting from the roots.
I hope my frizziness could get better, but the control over it isn’t complete. My hair colour improved, indeed my tips aren’t that dull anymore!
My hair is stronger but my tips are less smooth as I expected from the ApHogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer. This spray treatment has surprised me for those points I haven’t considered before, while I still looking for extra frizz control.
The last product is something very peculiar and hard to find in regular drugstores: it’s theApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment. For good results, one has to seriously follow the instructional back on the label.
It’s a long and detailed list and it’s a step that requires some time, but if one respects it, the Two-Step Treatment will work wonderfully.
ApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment is an intensive liquid treatment containing proteins, collagen and panthenol, it has a masculine scent and is extremely sticky once it dries… using it can be quite messy.
It has to be applied right after the shampoo and before the hair conditioner, the Balancing Moisturizer.
After shampooing, I wrap my hair with a hair towel, let it absorb water, then I jump outside the shower and I completely soak my hair with it, then I dry my hair with a blow dryer by taking great cautions, because hair becomes hard and stiff during the process. I touch them gently and when I’m sure they are completely dry, I jump again in the bathroom and rinse it off thoroughly.
Then I follow my basic routine with the Balancing Moisturizer, the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner and the Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer.
I introduce this special treatment once a month and I get amazing results, with soft and smoother hair.
Then I follow my basic routine with the Balancing Moisturizer, the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner and the Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer.
I introduce this special treatment once a month and I get amazing results, with soft and smoother hair.
I still find some split ends but my hair colour has survived and passed summer, sunbathing and salty sea water splashes.
Where to find ApHogee hair products? They can be found online and retailers such as Target, Sally Beauty and the ApHogee Amazon store.
For a complete list of sites and shops, you can take a look at this page.
For a complete list of sites and shops, you can take a look at this page.
I’ve been impressed by ApHogee formulations and attention to each product, especially about how “normal people”, not hair professionals, will going to use them.
Do I recommend ApHogee? Yes but, there’s a but: I highly recommend Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer and the ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner to all people with curly and frizzy hair, but I still think the last product can be quite a mess.
I recommend the Two-Step Protein Treatment just to those of you who have enough patience and in case of very damaged hair.
I still have some doubts on the Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer…
I really think there’s something missing in this product, that is the frizz control which would make my hair smoother to the touch. However, the volume the Restructurizer gives is incredible and all the line tested so far has been extremely gentle and has never overdried my stressed hair.
I have lioness hair in the morning: roaaaar!
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
