Fruu Phyto-Keratin Conditioner Bar

Most conditioner bars coat the hair. This one repairs it. The phytokeratin conditioner bar from Fruu Cosmetics, handmade in London, uses a hydrolysed protein complex from soy, corn, and wheat to penetrate the hair shaft and fill in damage from the inside rather than simply smoothing the surface. Shea butter, coconut oil, and olive squalane provide the conditioning weight, and a five-oil citrus blend of bergamot, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and mandarin gives it a fresh, layered scent that sits well in a daily routine. In a 55g bar providing 45 or more applications, waterless and plastic-free.

Key Facts

• Phytokeratin protein complex: hydrolysed soy, corn, and wheat proteins
• Key conditioning ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, olive squalane
• Scent: bergamot, grapefruit, orange, lemon and mandarin essential oils
• 55g bar providing 45+ applications
• Handmade in London by Fruu Cosmetics
• 98% plant-derived, 100% natural fragrances
• Vegan, cruelty-free, PETA approved
• Plastic-free, FSC-certified recyclable packaging
• Contains wheat protein: those with gluten sensitivities should patch test first

Phytokeratin: What It Actually Does

Keratin is the protein that makes up the structure of hair. Heat styling, chemical processing, and everyday mechanical stress all degrade it, leaving gaps in the hair shaft that cause breakage, frizz, and dullness. Phytokeratin is a plant-derived equivalent made from hydrolysed proteins, broken down into small enough molecules to penetrate the shaft rather than simply sitting on the surface. It fills those structural gaps, reinforces the cuticle layer, and adds body and bounce as a by-product of repairing rather than coating.

The practical difference is that the benefit builds with regular use rather than washing out: hair becomes progressively stronger and more resilient rather than just temporarily soft after each wash.

The Conditioning Ingredients

Shea butter provides intensive moisture and is particularly effective on dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair. Rich in vitamins A and E, it nourishes and protects without the heaviness of heavier waxes. Coconut oil is one of the few oils that genuinely penetrates the hair shaft, reducing protein loss during washing and styling and preventing breakage from within rather than just coating the outside. Olive squalane, derived from olives, is exceptionally lightweight and compatible with hair: it adds slip for detangling, shine without greasiness, and a degree of heat protection for styled hair.

Cetearyl alcohol and behentrimonium chloride are the conditioning agents that give the bar its melt-on-contact quality: the bar softens immediately when it touches warm wet hair, allowing even distribution without excessive rubbing. This is the formulation detail that makes the practical difference between a bar that is quick and easy to use and one that is not.

The Scent

Five citrus essential oils: bergamot, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and mandarin. Bergamot leads, with its distinctive floral-citrus quality; grapefruit and lemon add brightness and edge; orange and mandarin provide warmth and roundness. Benzoin resin extract adds a soft, slightly sweet base note that prevents the citrus from reading as sharp and gives the scent longevity in the hair. The result is fresh and layered rather than simply fruity.

Limonene, linalool, and citral occur naturally in the essential oils and are listed as required by UK cosmetics regulations. Those with a known sensitivity to any of these should choose an unscented conditioner instead.

Who This Bar is For

Dry, damaged, colour-treated, or heat-styled hair where structural repair is as important as surface conditioning. The phytokeratin makes it particularly well suited to hair that feels brittle, breaks easily, or has lost its natural bounce and body. It works on all hair types, but the richer shea butter base means fine hair should apply from mid-lengths to ends only, avoiding the roots.

It pairs naturally with any of the Fruu shampoo bars: the Tangerine Blossom everyday bar for a complete citrus-scented routine, or the Lemon and Lavender Volume+ bar for a combination that addresses both volume and condition.

How to Use

After shampooing, squeeze excess water from hair. Run the bar from mid-lengths to ends, or warm between the palms and apply as you would liquid conditioner. The bar will soften on contact with warm wet hair. Work through with fingers, leave for two to three minutes, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. For dry or damaged hair, leave for up to five minutes and focus on the most damaged sections.

Store on a draining soap dish away from direct shower spray between uses. The shea butter content means the bar will soften in sustained heat, so keeping it dry between washes is important for longevity.

Additional Product Details

• Full ingredients (INCI): Glyceryl stearate, Cetearyl alcohol, Butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, Polyglyceryl-4 oleate, Glyceryl oleate, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Squalane, Behentrimonium chloride, Isopropyl alcohol, Aqua, Hydrolysed soy protein, Hydrolysed corn protein, Hydrolysed wheat protein, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated ethylhexyl olivate, Hydrogenated olive oil unsaponifiables, Citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, Citrus paradisi (grapefruit) peel oil, Citrus dulcis (orange) peel oil, Citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, Citrus nobilis (mandarin) peel oil, Dipropylene glycol, Styrax benzoin resin extract, Tocopherol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citral*  *occurs naturally in essential oils
• Weight: 55g
• 45+ applications per bar
• Contains hydrolysed wheat protein: patch test first if you have a gluten sensitivity
• Handmade in London by Fruu Cosmetics
• Vegan, cruelty-free, PETA approved
• 98% plant-derived, 100% natural fragrances
• Plastic-free, FSC-certified recyclable cardboard packaging