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Phyto

LIUM+ Initial Stages Strengthening Treatment

Scalp treatment

  • Scalp treatment
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
  • Moisture-rich
  • Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size3.38 fl oz
Price$27.60 Good valueseen at one store · 3.38 oz
Price / oz$8.17/ozat 3.38 oz

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.

Manufacturer page: us.phyto.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.

  • About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
  • Every product matched against your hair across the 19 factors we check.
  • A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
  • Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
  • Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.

$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates

$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.

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Upper-mid price for a scalp treatment

$8.17/oz at 3.38 oz, more than 52% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

this product has a scent
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Whether this much richness suits you depends on your strand thickness, porosity and how easily your hair goes flat. We work that out in the consultation.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Slip and detangling Little

Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Weight on the hair Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Water-binding (humectants) Moderate

Humectants in the working part of the formula.

Protein Minor

Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
WaterAqua / Water / Eau solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Alcohol Denat.Alcohol Denat drying alcohol Speeds drying but can leave hair feeling dry Drying
Niacinamide vitamin A marketed vitamin addition Detangles
Capryloyl Glycine preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Cleanses
Triethanolamine pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil solubilizer Helps dissolve the oils Stabilizes
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides emulsifier Stabilises the mix Softens
Glycerin humectant Adds a little water-binding Moisturizes
FragranceParfum / Fragrance fragrance The scent Fragrance
Sodium Benzoate preservative Keeps the product from spoiling Stabilizes
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein film former A supporting film former Protein
Adenosine active A secondary active Active
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or silicones. Contains fragrance. Fast-drying alcohol is in the list.
Full ingredient list (16)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Water · Aqua / Water / Eau
    General function

    The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 2 Alcohol Denat. · Alcohol Denat
    General function

    Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Porous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.

    May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    It evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.

    PubChem
    • drying alcohol
    • solvent
  • 3 Niacinamide
    General function

    Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Deposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.

    PubChem
    • vitamin
    • conditioning agent
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 4 Capryloyl Glycine
    General function

    An amino-acid derivative used to support the preservative system and, in scalp products, for a clarifying claim.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Cleansing is what lifts deposited films off the strand. How completely depends on which detergent it is and how high on the list it sits.

    DependsVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.

    PubChem
    • preservative
    • cleanser
  • 5 Triethanolamine
    General function

    A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic polymers so a gel thickens.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

    PubChem
    • pH adjuster
  • 6 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
    General function

    A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    • solubilizer
    • emulsifier
  • 7 PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
    General function

    A coconut-derived emulsifier that softens a cleanser and helps oils disperse.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

    • emulsifier
    • emollient
  • 8 Glycerin
    General function

    Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

    DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

    Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

    Scientific Reports
    • humectant
  • 9 Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
  • 10 Fragrance · Parfum / Fragrance
    General function

    An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

    Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

    • fragrance
    • declared fragrance
  • 11 Lentinus Edodes Extract
    • botanical extract
  • 12 Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
    • antioxidant
  • 13 Sodium Benzoate
    • preservative
  • 14 Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
    General function

    A plant protein used in strengthening blends, often with wheat and soy.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    Filling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.

    May suitMaximum-hold styling

    Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    Hydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.

    • film former
    • protein
    • hydrolysed protein
  • 15 Adenosine
    • active
  • 16 Carnitine

What the whole list adds up to

  • 2 solvents
  • 2 preservatives
  • 2 emulsifiers
  • 1 drying alcohol
  • 1 vitamin
  • 1 conditioning agent
  • 1 cleanser
  • 1 pH adjuster
  • 1 solubilizer
  • 1 emollient
  • 1 humectant
  • 1 fragrance
  • 1 declared fragrance
  • 1 botanical extract

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-17. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.38 oz

Seen at $27.60 1 store · checked Sep 18
Good value under $56 Under $16.53/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $56 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $69 at this size.

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Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out
  1. 3.38 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $27.60 is the price we have observed for the 3.38 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $56 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $16.53/oz; at 3.38 oz that is $56. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $69 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.38 oz.

Formula

Formula score
5 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a scalp treatment does and costs about what scalp treatments cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • Costs more per ounce than 52% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced
  • No conditioning agents up front in the formula
  • Salon tier, sold at Brand website and Specialty beauty
  • Salon tier
  • Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
  • Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

PhytoSame function PHYTOCYANE Densifying Treatment for Progressive Hair Thinning - Men $315.92/oz $307.75/oz more
  • Fragrance-free
  • Unscented
  • Lightweight
Differs
  • Unscented
  • Prestige tier
  • 0.1 oz bottle
Compare
KerastaseLowest cost per oz Genesis Serum Fortifiant $21.05/oz $12.88/oz more
  • Scalp active
  • Protein-free
  • Lightweight
· Close function
Function
  • Protein
Also
  • Prestige tier
  • 3 oz bottle
Compare
Better Not YoungerFragrance-free Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum $28.50/oz $20.33/oz more
  • Fragrance-free
  • Unscented
  • Lightweight
· Close function
Function
  • Water-binding (humectants)
Also
  • Unscented
  • Cruelty-free
  • Vegan
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

Good for the right person
Best user

Hair that craves moisture, looking for moisture that stays in and something that will not weigh hair down

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping

Best alternative if not

Nothing in our library matches it closely at a lower price.

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
4
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
93% OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS | PHENOXYETHANOL-FREE.

A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.

—

Stated by brand

Only the brand’s testing shows this.

Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil.

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides.

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract.

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

More from Phyto

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-18.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 5 of 8 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-09-21.

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