L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil — Fact or Myth?

Packaged inside a radiant, yellow gold-toned plastic bottle with gold foil floral motifs that almost resemble tumbling snowflakes, the L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil ($29, visit LOrealProfessionnel.com for salon locations) is designed to look like a glowing elixir, the golden laurel descended from the Greek god-inhabited Mount Olympus. But is this nourishing oil worthy of your inner Athena? And will it transform your hair into an Aphrodite-esque vision of beauty?

Well, the formula relies heavily on avocado oil, which contains vitamins A, D, and E, as well as magnesium, iron, folic acid, and essential fatty acids like lecithin and pantothenic acids. Together, these vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids work to soothe and heal the scalp, stimulate hair growth, moisturize strands, and fight frizz. The other vital ingredient in the Mythic Oil is grape seed oil, which works as a carrier oil, allowing other stronger oils (in this case, the avocado oil) to penetrate the hair cuticle, and which conditions, softens, and protects hair from free radicals due to its high antioxidant content.

You can use the Mythic Oil on damp or dry hair depending on your goal. If your ends tend to be frayed or unruly, you can apply about two pumps’ worth of product onto ends while hair is still damp, so as to tame these pesky hairs. You can also apply it all over your hair (which I tend to do seeing as my hair is rather dry and prone to frizz) and use it as a smoothing agent and a heat tool protector (the grape seed oil in particular will protect your strands as you blow dry or flat iron them). And, of course, you can always apply a couple of drops when you need a touch-up. If I’m wearing my hair in a slick ponytail, for example, I’ll rub a few drops in between my palms and gently glide my hands over my hair so as to give the top and sides of the head more control and hold. Not only does the Mythic Oil nourish your mane, then, it also provides some frizz control and boosts shine.

That being said, be advised that, if your hair tends to frizz rather dramatically, you’ll need a back-up player to really keep your style looking smooth and sleek. I often combine the Mythic Oil with a dab of Fekkai Smooth or some drops of John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease. Once I do so, I benefit from both the hair health benefits of the Mythic Oil and the styling bonuses of the chosen anti-frizz product.

So is it this oil’s performance worthy of mythological status? Not even close. But, then again, it’s also not a terrible product or one you’ll rue purchasing. It delivers the results it promises — it just doesn’t do so as effectively as some of its competitors.

Though it can make hair appear more manageable, softer, and more lustrous on a near-immediate basis, a few of the ingredients in the formula could result in long-term damage. Mythic Oil contains controversial ingredients like: dimethicone, a silicone that, over time, can build up and weigh tresses down; butylphenyl methylpropional, which could function as an irritant or allergenic for those with sensitive scalps; and benzyl alcohol which, after continuous and repeated use, could roughen up the cuticle and actually dry out your strands (this substance is used as a pore-cleaning astringent, hence why it can strip hair).

Overall, then, I’m on the fence about this product. I’ve enjoyed the instant results it provides but, considering some of the chemical ingredients in the formula, I’m not likely to continue using the Mythic Oil, as I’d like to safeguard my hair from any further damage down the road. For me, then, this was a myth-busting experience.