Your Beardo With Attitude, ChopsAngeles here, back to do another hair care product review. This week I’m trying out the NEXXUS – Keraphix Damage Healing Treatment Masque on my beard (available at CVS, Amazon, Walgreens; $4.99). The ends of my facial hair are getting slightly crispy due to the heat, so I thought I’d try a treatment that claims to do “damage control” for hair.
The description on the back of the packet states “Salon-crafted with our exclusive PROTEIN-FUSION blend with Keratin Protein and Black Rice, Keraphix Masque works both on the inside and the outside of the fiber. From the very first application it helps to heal roughness and brittleness for smooth and heathy-looking hair.”
Usually hair treatment products claim to repair damage, split ends etc. Through my decades of having facial hair, I know that cannot be true. Once the hair is split or broken, that is it. You can’t repair it. Hair is not a lizard’s tail! However, you can use a product to help prevent future damage and/or saturate the brittleness to hopefully keep it from splitting/breaking, which is what NEXXUS is claiming this masque does. Let’s see if it does what it says, shall we?!
When applying a deep conditioner to your facial hair:
Step 1: wash beard thoroughly removing any beard oil build up, etc. Pat the beard to dry it a little, but leave damp. Do not blow dry.
Step 2: put on a shirt you don’t mind getting conditioner all over, or wrap a towel around your neck and shoulders like a barber’s smock. It’s going to be a little messy. Obviously, if you are in the shower, you do not need this step.
Step 3: open product and put a good amount of conditioner in your palm and rub both hands together.
This particular brand and type of conditioner is like a thick, but creamy butter. Almost a souffle texture (yes, i used the word “souffle” as a descriptive. What? I can be fancy and “pinky-up” when necessary! LOL). It has a very fragrant flower-like smell. Honestly, I found it a little overwhelming to have a dense perfumey smell on my face for the duration of the process. It didn’t induce a headache, but I can see that it might if someone is sensitive to heavy fragrances.
Start applying it to the ends and tips of your beard first since this is the oldest and driest part of your facial hair. Then work your way up to the beard hair roots. DO NOT RUB INTO YOUR SKIN. That may cause pore clogging and a breakout. Then take a comb or wet-brush and run it through your facial hair lightly to ensure all strands of hair are covered. (On a personal note, I like to “style” my ‘stache out of the way so that I can use a straw to drink something while the treatment processes.)
This packet actually contains a lot of conditioner. If you have a smaller beard, you can most likely get 2 or 3 uses out of it.
According to the directions, you are to leave the conditioner in for 3-5 mins, and then rinse thoroughly.
It rinsed out well and left my beard feeling soft, but somewhat waxy. I assume that is from the keratin protein in it. I don’t really care for that feeling on my beard. I prefer a smoother feel to my facial hair after a treatment. Though, the brittle ends of my beard were definitely addressed and don’t feel quite as dry. So, I guess it did what it said it would do, but I personally did not like that wax feel on my beard.
I give it 3.5 whiskers out of 5.
Step 4: after your beard is rinsed out thoroughly, replenish your beard using your daily beard oil regimen. I prefer to use Pulpo Beard Oils because they are thick and will help keep your facial hair saturated to avoid breakage. Plus, they have unique scents that I really like! Click the photo below to check them out!
