"Created by nature. Unlocked by science," reads the text on the solid purple box called the GROH Ergo Boost Lifestyle Kit.
Inside lies the latest in at-home organic anti-aging hair and skincare treatments: a hair and scalp conditioning treatment, daily replenishing supplement, skin repair treatment and skin recharge cleansing bar. GROH has also partnered with Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas to offer GROH Ergo Boost Aromatherapy Scalp Treatment, a salon service that is five times more potent than the at-home version.
GROH has a somewhat unconventional beginning for a beauty product: it was formulated in association with renowned immunologist Dr. Marvin Hausman, who unexpectedly found a new way to use the antioxidant Ergothioneine in combination with Vitamin D while studying patients with autoimmune disease.
I tried out both the Aromatherapy Scalp Treatment and Lifestyle Kit. Keep in mind that I've been using the at home kit for just under two weeks, so results may be more dramatic with more time.
First, let's look at the the Ergo Boost Daily Replenishing Supplement, an all-natural supplement pill that offers nutritional support for cellular health for stronger skin, hair, scalp, nails and lashes. The supplement seems to be the brand's biggest draw with consumers, if blog posts, Amazon reviews and Google search autocompletes are to be believed.
The downside: these pills aren't pleasant to take. They're huge, about three times the size of an Advil, and were difficult for me to swallow. And while all of GROH's other products smell like lavender, the supplement smells bad and has a distinct aftertaste - a friend took a whiff and said it smelled like cheap psychedelic mushrooms he'd taken in Kentucky! This makes sense as Ergothioneine is sourced from mushrooms, so the smell means that the pill is packed full of cell-boosting nutrients. If you're not good at swallowing pills or are especially sensitive to smell and taste, be warned.
The bright side: the supplement does seem to be working! After less than two weeks, my nails seem a lot stronger, though I haven't yet noticed much of a change in my hair, skin, or lashes. However, my nails were quite damaged when I began taking the supplement - a result of overusing nail wraps - while my hair, scalp, skin and lashes were pretty normal.
My favorite GROH product has to be the Ergo Boost Hair & Scalp Conditioning Treatment, which I've tried out both at home and as an Aromatherapy Scalp Treatment at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon in Manhattan's Union Square. The treatment is a pleasure to use and it gets results! Every time I use it, my hair feels so much softer and silkier. And it smells amazing, like lavender. Lemon peel, coconut, rosemary, sweet almond oil, and argan oil also join the sweet-smelling ingredients list.
The Ergo Boost Skin Repair Treatment and Ergo Boost Skin Recharge Cleansing Bar smell just as lovely as the Hair & Scalp Conditioning Treatment, however, while I definitely appreciate the aromatherapy in the shower, I haven't noticed visible results yet. Keep in mind that A) I haven't been using it for long and B) I'm 24 so those age-fighting nutrients don't have much to fight yet!
The GROH representatives I talked to during my visit to Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon talked about people who'd benefited from the treatment: men and women whose skin and hair were suffering due to stress at work, women who were losing hair postpartum, and men who were going bald and didn't know why. (The treatment is said to work for both men and women experiencing hair loss from stress, though it won't be as effective at fighting male-pattern baldness due to the genetic link.)
"After years of clinical research, we believe we've successfully solved the age-old question of how to best combat aging...with the launch of GROH," Dr. Hausman said.
Shop GROH products yourself in salons or lean more on mygroh.com.
This article was originally published on Fashion & Style.
