There are a handful of beauty products that are so famous, any mention of them to someone in the beauty industry elicits a knowing nod. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is one such product, a hair mask known for its transformative effects – which I can attest to. I’ve tried so many hair masks during my beauty journalism career, but I always come back to Elasticizer.
A bit of beauty trivia that I frequently roll out is that Elasticizer was first created by Philip Kingsley himself for Audrey Hepburn, to counter the effects of frequent hairstyling while filming.
In the ‘70s the star visited trichologist Kingsley for help with her hair, which was very dry and suffering from breakage. She’d found that many nourishing treatments were leaving too much residue on her hair and weighing it down – and so, Philip Kingsley went off to the lab to create the best hair mask to moisturise without any heaviness. Elasticizer was born, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Though the formula has evolved somewhat over the years (it used to have to be mixed with water at home), it’s still widely regarded as one of the best hair treatments around. But that phrase is thrown around a lot in the industry, and so you may be sceptical about whether it’s that good. Here’s my full beauty editor thesis on why Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is truly worth its fanfare. And in arguably even better news, given that it usually costs a pretty penny, it’s currently discounted in the Black Friday sales.
Best Philip Kingsley Elasticizer deals
Why Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer is such a go-to in my haircare routine
As somebody with naturally dry hair, masks and deep conditioners are one of the core pillars of my wider haircare routine. I’m fortunate that I work from home and can leave it on for an hour or two to marinate while I write, meaning it’s easy to stick to a weekly treatment whenever I have it in my haircare stash.
The formula is rich in olive and castor oils to really nourish hair. But because it’s applied pre-shampooing, any product that hasn't been absorbed is washed away rather than sitting on the surface of strands – so for finer hair types that struggle with being weighed down, as Audrey had experienced with other products, that potential issue is nipped in the bud.
My hair after using the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
RRP: £39 for 150ml
For me, the thing that sets it apart is the level of bounce it gives my hair. Despite being designed to deeply moisturise strands (and doing so well), it never leaves mine weighed down – giving my naturally dry hair a new lease of life every time I use it.
There’s also an “Extreme” edition that packs in even deeper nourishment, designed for extra porous, coarse, or coily hair types.
The one potential downside to the mask, depending on your haircare preferences, is that it has zero fragrance. But while you can get around this with hair perfume or other scented products, Philip Kingsley also releases limited edition scented versions, with Nectar Honey & Peach, Sicilian Lemon & Bergamot, and Bluebell Woods all being recent editions.
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