When I bought the new Dyson Supersonic Nural hair dryer, I wanted to try one of Dyson’s other highly anticipated new hair care options. But this is no machine…Dyson is now making hair products!
Dyson Chitosan Styling products
Summary
After using each of these over about 2 weeks, I was so disappointed with the results that I initiated a return to Dyson. For $140 CAD in total value for both of these I was expecting a lot more.
Pros
- Products look high-end
- Unique packaging & dispenser
- Bottles are refillable
Cons
- Unpleasant & chemically smell
- Dispenser is awkward & stingy
- Incredibly expensive
- No noticeable difference in hair after using
- Needed to wash hair more often
- RFID instructions didn’t work
- Refills only save you $5
Dyson Chitosan is a two-part line of hair care products. There’s a pre-style cream, and a post-style serum. At $70 Canadian per 100 mL bottle, these are probably some of the most expensive hair care products on the market, so my expectations are extremely high.
In this review I’ll take a look at what you get, and how the product worked for my hair. I’ll go over the pros and the cons including what the products feel and smell like and let you know if I think I can recommend them for you.
Chitosan comes in two different options; a version for straight to wavy hair, which I chose, and one for curly to coily hair.
When the products arrived I have to say they look pretty chic. With a peach and violet package these look like they’re going to be something special. Unboxing them I can see the bottles and packaging are extremely unique. A clear plastic cover protects the dispenser which is in the base of the bottle. Pushing that funnel shaped plunger onto your hand will dispense the product.
Interestingly Dyson has gone the eco-friendly route and made these bottles refillable. By unscrewing the interior from the outer cover you can replace the bottle with a refill. Rather hilariously though, a refill will still set you back $65, really only saving you about five dollars per bottle.
And because this is Dyson you won’t be surprised to learn that the instructions for use are not printed on the bottle but come in the form of technology. Holding your phone near the top of the bottle will activate a RFID chip that will take you to Dyson’s website where you can read more on how to use the product. I have to say though the interface is kind of clunky and the website doesn’t really look like it’s mobile optimized.
Further disappointment came when I tried to click through to the website and simply got an error message.
So what is Chitosan? More than just a fancy Dyson name this is a key ingredient in both hair products. Derived from oyster mushrooms it’s supposed to be good for your hair, by locking in styles without crunch, reducing frizz and giving a soft shiny finish.
Using Dyson Chitosan
Dyson says its Chitosan haircare range has been made to use on their own or are even better when used together.
What are they like to use? Dyson Chitosan Pre-style cream is made for use before styling, on towel-dried hair. Dyson says it’s for priming, hold and conditioning. The Post-style serum is designed for use on dry, styled hair to define, hold and hydrate your locks.
I quickly learned the dispenser isn’t ideal. If you press it flat you can’t really see how much product you’re getting, so you kind of have to press it at an awkward side angle. It dispenses tiny amounts, which is probably fine, but if you have longer hair and need more product, you’re going to be pumping a while.
I found the Pre-style cream was smooth and silky, and used it on my towel-dried hair before I blow dried with the Supersonic Nural.
Scent
Right away though I found the smell really off-putting. It’s not super strong, but it does smell very chemically, which surprised me. Dyson claims the creams have a “fresh, delicate fragrance with citrus notes of sparkling bergamot and mandarin. Tempered by green tea and floral notes, with hints of musk and cedarwood.” If that sounds like a lot, trust me it smells like a lot once it’s all mixed together. I think the result is none of the individual scent notes come through and it just smells like an unidentifiable mishmash.
I actually quite disliked the scent.
After I finished blow drying I have to say I was further disappointed. I don’t feel like it added anything to my hair care routine, and it certainly did not help my hair feel smoother on its own. I did definitely still need to use my flat iron to get that sleek and shiny look.
After a day or so, I also feel like the pre-style cream weighed down my hair and whereas with my regular styling product I can go several days without a wash if I need to, after Chitosan, I felt I definitely needed a wash in two days.
Post-Style Serum
I’m really disappointed to report that the post-style serum was also not a keeper for me. I’ve used plenty of different after-style treatments and serums and I know these can make a huge difference. Unfortunately, the post-style serum didn’t seem to have an effect on my hair at all. It didn’t add softness or shine that I could see and it didn’t make my hair feel better or softer than before.
It also had the same chemical tang as the pre-style cream.
After using each of these over about 2 weeks, I was so disappointed with the results that I initiated a return to Dyson. For $140 CAD in total value for both of these I was expecting a lot more.
Let’s go over the pros and cons so you can see where these fell short for me.
On the Pro side the products look high end and they’re certainly unique when it comes to the packaging. The dispenser is also unique, and the refillable bottles are a good idea environmentally.
Sadly, that’s really it for the pros.
On the cons side, I found the smell was unpleasant and chemically, the dispenser was awkward and stingy, and in the end, most importantly, neither product made a noticeable difference in my hair. And it made me feel like I needed to wash my hair more often.
Plus, the RFID instructions didn’t work and while the product is refillable, the discount on a refill is only $5, and the cost at about $70/bottle is incredibly high.
As I noted earlier, I sent these both back to Dyson for a refund and for that reason I can’t recommend the Chitosan lineup for you.
You can learn more about the lineup from Dyson’s website, and while this is a rare miss for Dyson, it’s not the first time I’ve been disappointed… check out why Dyson’s wet mop didn’t get a recommendation, or find out why I AM a big fan of the Supersonic hairdryer.
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