Old hair got you down? Kronos can help!
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photo: we heart this
As middle age encroaches upon my youth I’ve grown weary trying to save my face from the ravages of time. Keeping up with the moisturizers for fine lines and wrinkles, the eye creams for crows’ feet, and the serums for sagging skin and disappearing collagen has become a full time job.
While trying to come to terms with this responsibility, I have been assaulted with another, previously unbeknownst-to-me fact: I have old hair. That’s right, my hair is aging disproportionately to my well-lubed skin. Fortunately, as this new gem of aging knowledge was brought to my attention, so was its solution: Kronos Hair Care.
I was happy to find out that hair aging isn’t based on one’s actual age. According to founder Dusty Simington, there are three factors that determine your hair’s true age: biology, environment and chemicals. Problems in any or all of these areas can make your hair look and behave older that it is. Age, genetics, stress and nutrition can wreak havoc on your tresses, but so can coloring, styling, pollution and UV exposure. And let’s face it, these factors are present in nearly all of lives; resulting in limp, thinning hair with no volume, and/or frizzy, dull, weak hair with poor color retention.
Kronos claims that independent studies have demonstrated that Kronos’ patented technology improved the “aspect of overall hair youthfulness by 98%.” That means that volume, hydration, strength, elasticity, shine and color retention were all dramatically improved while damage was greatly reduced…blah, blah, blah. Science doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t work in practice. Luckily, I got a lot of practice (meaning products to test!), and in this case, practice makes perfect.
The K-Charge Discovery Kit ($55) contains four travel-size products, a taste of the essentials for young, voluminous tresses, including the K-Charge Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner, Phyx Overnight Repair Masque, and Liquid Theory Conditioning Detangler , all in a clear plastic travel bag. This set was enough to want me craving more. Luckily for me, I got full-size versions of the Repair Masque and Detangler as well.
First, let me tell you about the Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
(full sizes available for $35 and $40, respectively). My hair is long, fine and flat, and my scalp is in constant turmoil. The volume achieved was considerable, even when no additional volumizing products were added to my hair before styling. The scent was pleasant, almost neutral. But what really amazed me is how my scalp reacted.
I guess my scalp must be old because it responded amazingly well to these. With the first shampoo, my scalp was instantly calmed. Unfortunately, because my hair is so long, the sampler sizes only lasted for two shampoos. Upon returning to my usual shampoo, my irritated scalp surfaced again.
I did a little investigating to discover the secret to my happy scalp is all wrapped up in Kronos’ ingredients and technology. First, the active ingredients are potent oceanic minerals. But I’ve tried other oceanic mineral shampoos with disappointing results. Why is Kronos different? The answer lies in the patented t-sfere technology, a delivery system that improves the effectiveness of the active ingredients by targeting their release to the areas they are most needed for maximum effectiveness, then delivering these ingredients deep into the scalp, follicle and hair shaft. Whatever you call it, my scalp can’t wait for more.
The Liquid Theory 7- In -1 Conditioning Spray (4 oz, $40) was another hit. Not since the Johnson and Johnson’s No More Tangles of my youth has my hair allowed a comb to pass through my locks with minimal pain and pulling. Having fine, long hair, I have grown accustomed to knots, matted tufts, and hair ripped from the scalp before these give way. Thick conditioners make this problem easier, but then they weigh down my already oh-so-flat tresses. How nice that Liquid Theory is as light as it is effective! Fine hair that’s tangle-free and voluminous is now within my reach.
Finally, I will share my pleasure with the piece d’resistance, the Phyx Overnight Repair Masque (4 oz, $105). This masque is really a light cream in a pump container, not a pudding-like masque in a jar like most I’ve tried. When applying this to my hair before bed, it soaked in quickly. I was pleased that I didn’t want to have to wrap a towel around my head to save my sheets and pillowcases.
In the morning, my hair appeared to have doubled in size as though I had slept in a poofer. Once in the shower rinsing the product from my hair, I felt the slipperiness of the conditioner. After shampooing and conditioning as usual, I didn’t even need the detangler. Again, this product made my hair feel every bit as healthy as it looked.
While Kronos won’t take away the telltale grays sprouting in clustered colonies about my crown, at least those grays will germinate in a healthy, fertile scalp, bouncing and swaying with shiny splendor.
Testers, let’s hear it for old hair! After all, thanks to Kronos everything old is new again.
Sherri is co-author of What Would You Do With This Room?
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
Julia Roberts, she has thick, curly, red hair, that looks just as beautiful straight as it does when she wears it curly, and has anyone ever spotted a split end in her hair? I mean really!
Ooooo @tiglesia! I was going to say Julia Roberts too! I will use my 2nd choice and name Gisele Bundchen as best head of hair.
I covet not only her hair color, but mostly her fullness and soft beachy waves. I am hair challenged and have always pined for a thick mane!
You know, I’m kind of surprised that it’s taken beauty experts this long to come out with anti-aging products for your hair. I’m not terribly old (only 26!) but I’ve noticed in recent years that my hair is getting dryer and more likely to have flyaways, etc. This set of products looks amazing! Thanks for taking the time to break down all the science behind it @sherrishera. Great review, I may just have to try this stuff!
I have been using the Conditioning Spray. And I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first. I don’t usually use hair products that cost this much. Nor do I usually buy into the types of claims made by this company. But the results are pretty impossible to deny. This is no joke-every day that I use this product I get a ton of compliments on my hair. It is so weird! But it really makes a dramatic difference in how my thick, curly hair looks and feels. Believe me I don’t want it to work this well! Now I have to shell out the big bucks if I want to keep getting the compliments. But for no more ragged tangles and beautiful shiny hair I’d say it is worth it! Five stars from me-no doubt!!!
I’ve only used the shampoo and conditioner twice, but I liked it a lot. My hair felt and looked shiner afterwards. I have been using the leave in conditioner on a daily basis. My hair has been looking shinier, healthier and fuller. The product I use to enhance my natural curls seems to work better. I’m in love with my hair right now. It just looks so amazing right now. I haven’t tried the hair mask but I will. I’m might chalk up the big bucks to buy the leave in conditioner. Is it sold separately? :-)
I tried The Liquid Theory 7- In -1 Conditioning Spray and wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I have short, fine, limp hair and need to apply some kind of volume product like mouse or gel for my hair to do anything at all. This is a conditioning spray, and normally when I use a spray in conditioner it means my hair will be flat to my head once it’s dried and be so soft it won’t hold any style. Not true with Liquid Theory! This not only made my hair soft and lustrous, but gave it volume too! I was taken aback. I actually reread the bottle to make sure it didn’t say “Liquid Theory 7-In-1 Volume Spray”
I would give this 5 stars if the price was a bit lower. I’m still a huge fan of Hercut and would probably reach for that before I would this one. But I also don’t have frizz or long enough hair to worry about tangles. I think someone with long, fine, limp, dry hair would really like this product. For me it was good, but not amazing. I give it 3 stars.
This was a very informational review! Just like you Sherrishera, I have not given much thought about my hair getting older. I guess I have spent my time mainly focusing my face and body. This was a great reminder that it is time for me to diversify. My hair/scalp needs attention too.
Hey all, just a reminder:
This is not the giveaway. This is the product review post. Telling us who you think has the best hair here won’t enter you. The giveaway is here: https://weheartthis.com/2010/07/20/win-our-200-kronos-high-end-hair-care-giveaway/
Thanks!
I tried the Liquid Theory 7- In -1 Conditioning Spray. At first I just started using it without knowing what it was for – haha! I just like spraying stuff in my hair so it smells like I went to the salon. I’m ridiculous. But I did have noticeably softer hair that was easy to comb through (which is saying a lot for my curls). And wouldn’t you know it, but it’s a detangler (and much more)!
I like this product but it is difficult to tell if it is actually doing the 6 other things besides being a detangler. And I could get a much cheaper detangler. Sooo…maybe I would notice more of a difference after months of use? I give this product 3.5 stars.
I tested the Phyx Overnight Repair Masque, although I must confess that I didn’t exactly use it overnight. I have pretty new sheets that I was afraid would get gooped up if I slept in the masque (glad to hear this won’t be the case, @sherrishera). Instead, I used it on days I was just working around the house, and had it on for many hours before a shower.
Phyx is surprisingly light for a product that conditions so heavily. I found it to be a good intensive treatment which helped with the frizzy wildness that takes over my otherwise calm hair in the summer.
I agree that after shampooing, my hair is tangle-free and less fly-away, and shiny, too! My results weren’t miraculous, but it’s a very nice product. 4 stars.
Thanks for the tip about the K-Charge Discovery Kit. It might be worth the investment to get to try the other products, which sound fabulous!
I totally agree with you @turboterp! I loved the beachy scent and light feel of the PHYX Overnight Repair Masque,(many overnight conditioners can make you feel like you have Crisco on your head- not this one).
It did not damage my pillow cases and washed out without any oily residue. I have fine hair and I wonder if this product is better suited for thicker, unruly hair. My hair felt nice, but my lower priced conditioners do just as well. I would not be able to justify the high price tag, but I will continue to use the product. I give this product 4 stars.
I admit, when I received Kronos Phyx Overnight Repair Masque, I couldn’t wait to test out! Why? BECASE my scalp and locks are in constant need of help. Just like my skin, my scalp and hair tend to be dry and let’s not talk about my frizz! Oh, of course I’m loaded with gray which means I color my hair often. What a mess I can be and look at times! Let me tell you, I was more than happy to see if this product was worth its salt and put it to the test. Its claim to fame is that it will deeply condition overnight and repair damaged hair. It’s formula works within a few hours while we slumber. I couldn’t wait to read the ingredients. Trust me, they are good and they are many! The evening after I got this, I put it on evenly and liberally throughout my dry hair a ½ before going to sleep. In the morning, I washed my hair and conditioned it. As I wet my hair, it feels like silk (big plus) and even when you are done- it really feels great. Not that I do it often, because it can take a while, I took the time to blow out my hair and it really turned out well. My mop looked great. Not much frizz to contend with and I believe my hair felt stronger after I used this product. Not as much breakage, and I swear the color looks better.. it looks shinier and not so blah! I give this product a 4 star rating. Because of the $105.00 price tag. If it were more than 4 ounces, It’d be a five!
I got the 7-In-1 Conditioning Spray and like others I’m finding it to be a really great light weight conditioner/detangler, Even with my thick, wavy hair which tends to get weighted down very easily it left my hair smooth and took care of the little flyaways. I’m definitely giving this 5 stars and while I do like it and would love to continute using it I think the price is a just a smidge too high for me.
@Kellie76, I agree with you about all that fancy-schmanzy science babble–it usually seems to be some sort of marketing ploy to me (mostly because I slept my way through molecular science). I have no doubt that the companies validly employ these technologies or that they patent these technologies, but none of it concerns me if the end result isn’t a fabulous product.In the case of Kronos, I was beyond satisfied. My scalp is ragged (I haven’t gotten a haircut in ages because of it) but with these Kronos products my scalp is seriously renewed (I’m finally almost at the point that I can schedule a hair appointment without embarrassment).
After blowing through the shampoo and conditioner samples, I immediately ordered the full-size products online (at which time all Kronos products were half-off, a sale which is no more; therefore, I wish y’all luck in the contest…). My only complaint is that the full-sized products aren’t that big (and the thick conditioner comes in a smaller bottle that the much thinner shampoo). I’ve been alternating with my usual Matrix products and have found the results aren’t nearly as good as using the Kronos daily on their own.
Bottom line is that Kronos is expensive because it’s really good and if you have as many hair and scalp ailments as I do, find the money to give this a try. I’d give this stuff 5 stars for performance, but I’d like to see some slightly more economically priced quart-size megabottles a la Matrix or Aveda.
I tried the Liquid Theory Spray Conditioner and I loved it. I usually don’t buy conditioning sprays but this one really made a difference in my hair. It felt softer, smoother and just looked healthier! I also really liked the fine mist spray because it didn’t feel like I was over saturating my hair and it even has a nice light smell, not too overpowering. Yes, it’s a bit steep at $40, but I think one bottle will go a long way, and if it gives me visible results, I’ll buy it again. I give this five stars… I was very happy to be introduced to a new hair product that actually works!
I also tried the Liquid Theory 7-in-1 conditioner spray. I LOVE the smell – so light and fresh, and I agree with you, @katieg it has that “just-left-a-salon” scent. It feels refreshing on my scalp, also. I was impressed with how it detangled, softened, and shined my hair – but honestly, for the price tag – I’ve used other products just as good for much less money – especially in the detangling area (although I do have very thick, course, frizzy hair without some major management). Maybe I need to try all the products together sometime, since I’m really appreciating the science behind this (great write-up, @sherisherra), and am thinking alot of you saw great results that used the other stuff, or that have different type hair than me. I am impressed with my results, just not spend my last $40 on it can’t live without it, impressed! So…3 stars.
I had the Overnight Masque and I LOVE it. My hair is healthier now than when I was younger, but that’s because I’ve stopped doing crazy crap to it. But this masque was nice and light without me feeling like I was going to ruin my sheets. It gives my hair nice bounce and softness without being greasy or gross.
I think I might do my good deed for the year and pass it on to a friend who straightens her hair daily, I think she’d really benefit from it!
5 stars from me!
@sherrishera I have to thank you for such a thorough and wonderful review! Sounds like you’d get an A in any science class! I had the Phyx Overnight Repair Masque to try and after the very first night of using it I was getting compliments on my hair. Sold!
The only thing I don’t like about it is the smell. It smells like a perm to me and then I get flashbacks to 6th grade and who wants that? Well, I guess I do because then my hair was much younger, albeit frizzier. And this formula definitely makes my hair young – yet – wonderfully without the frizz! I notice a huge difference when I use it.
My limp hair has bounce, the color becomes brighter and shinier as well. I agree with Sherri…this product is worth the price tag if you are a nut bag about your hair. Which…I am. I’m giving it a 4 just because of the smell. I love it otherwise.
I also tried the Liquid Theory 7-in-1 conditioner spray. I find this spray gives me some volume and light conditioning. For the price, I’m not wowed, but do enjoy using it. It smells nice and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I also think using all the Kronos product together would make a big difference. I’m a big believer in using a complete hair care line for best results. I give this 3 stars mainly because of price, but would love to try out some of the other Kronos products along with this product.
I also tried the 7-in-1 spray. And I hate to only give a product one star…but I just didn’t notice a difference in my hair at all. I just was….very greasy. Maybe that fine mist spray just wasn’t enough for my thick mane.
I got to try the Overnight Repair Masque and like Melissa said, I wasn’t going to use this at night b/c I have dry clean only Anthropologie bedding and I didn’t want to damage my gorgeous quilt or shams.
I ended up using this through the day and then washing it out before bedtime. The texture was very thin and it took SEVERAL pumps to saturate my hair. The smell, like Jennifer said, is very chemically and perm-like. It was overpowering. I can’t imagine trying to sleep with that smell lingering. When I washed my hair, my hair felt a little smoother while it was wet. I could run a comb through my damp hair a little easier. Something I noticed: when I let my hair air dry, my ends were frizzy (I don’t have frizzy ends) and when I blew my hair dry, my ends looked normal. Overall, my hair looked okay using this, but I get better results from my drugstore conditioner or hair mask. I hate to say it, but this was only a 3 stars for me—stars being deducted for scent, cost, and for only so-so results. I was really hopeful this would be a “miracle” product for me, but sadly, it just wasn’t.
I got to try the whole system, the travel sizes (including the K-charge shampoo and conditioner) and the full sized 7-in-1 leave in spray and the overnight hair masque.
After getting over the initial shock that I have old hair (boo!) I tucked right in to see what Kronos could do about it. I have to say, I share the scalp loving benefits @sherrishera. My scalp has been feeling odd lately; tight and kind of itchy. Not dandruff, just…odd. And The K-charge was really soothing. The scent is really subtle, almost no scent at all. And the claims of added volume were legit. I had that “shampoo commercial hair” afterwards! I do wish the conditioner was a bit richer though. My dyed hair felt like it needed a bit more.
On to the 7-in-1. I always use a leave in spray. I don’t think I could get a comb through my hair if I didn’t! I liked this, but honestly; I’ve used other leave ins that I’ve liked better. It did detangle and it has some “cones” in it for flyaways. But because of those, if you use too much it can feel a bit greasy. You really have to get the amount just right. Once you do, it works well. The scent really didn’t do much for me either, I get a slight whiff of alcohol (but in it’s defense, I am a super sniffer!)
And lastly, I’ll agree with @sherrishera again, the overnight masque is amazing. It really does soak right into your hair, without leaving it a big oily, pillow staining mess. And as it soaks in to your hair, it was like I could hear my hair applauding! My dry ends instantly looked better. I’m not a morning shower person, so I may spritz this on when I get home from work, then wash it out before bed. I’m even tempted to use this as a styling product, since it’s really similar to the types of creams I use to style with anyway. (Anyone try this?) I’d def. buy this again.
I’d gladly give these products 4 stars, but I will deduct 1 star for price, because really, it’s just a bit too much for me to feel comfortable with spending (but would, because it’s good!)
I need to ammend my earlier post where I said that I did not notice a big difference in my hair after using the Phyx overnight mask…although I may not have noticed, my hairdresser did! As soon as I sat down in her chair last week, she asked me what I had been using beacuse my hair looked fuller and thicker than ever before- she even asked me if I was pregnant due to my shiny, happy hair! So now I am sold! and with compliments like that I can almost justify the steep price tag.
I have really, really long, thin hair, and it tangles horribly. I tried the Overnight Repair Masque, and it was the first time I haven’t had to battle post-shower tangles in ages. I’m definitely sold, though I can’t say that I can afford the $105 price tag, so I give it four big stars!!!!!
Anyone know where we can still purchase the liquid theory? I’ve been using it on my “old” hair for years and don’t know how I’m going to manage without it!!!