Dakota Johnson’s Hair Stylist Told Me to Use This Shampoo, and It’s Made My Hair Thicker Than Ever

When I received an email offering a haircut and styling session with Mark Townsend, I hit reply so fast, I almost left smoke on my keyboard. If you’re not familiar with his name you’re definitely familiar with his work. For those of you who remember the era when the Olsen twins reigned supreme, he’s responsible for their perfectly undone tresses, and is Dakota Johnson’s longtime stylist, too.

I sat in his chair and he tousled my curls and examined my scalp and my strands in advance of my cut. Before I left, he went through the Dr. Groot products he had at his disposal and told me to use the Scalp Revitalizing Solution Purifying Clay Shampoo from here on out. I listened to him, and I’m glad I did because it’s had a tremendous effect on the thickness of my hair. 

This was my introduction to Dr. Groot, a hair care brand from LG that’s quite popular in Korea but hasn’t made its mark in the U.S. market just yet. I shampooed like normal, though the results were anything but. My hair felt so light, I didn’t realize it was weighed down by whatever the shampoo got rid of — buildup on my scalp, leave-in creams on my strands, oil, debris, etc. The lightness made my curls bouncier, more defined, and voluminous, though the most drastic change was in the thickness of my hair, which came after six weeks of use. There was less shedding for sure, but it seemed like there were more strands of hair and less of my scalp showing through.

What gives? Well, a very complex, rich, and carefully crafted formula made up of three types of clay (white, herbal, and glacial) and salicylic acid. The clay concoction is high in bentonite, which is an antimicrobial and antibacterial ingredient that soothes irritation caused by dryness and rids your scalp of skin and product buildup without stripping away healthy oils and nutrients. Lastly, and most importantly for me, it improves the health and strength of hair follicles, which means less shedding, split ends, and breakage, thereby leading to thicker, healthier hair. Dr. Groot’s Purifying Clay Shampoo also contains salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that reduces dandruff and rids the scalp of unhealthy oil and buildup.

All in all, it’s an easy-to-incorporate product that drastically improved the thickness, weight, and softness of my hair. Head to Amazon to shop Dr. Groot’s Purifying Clay Shampoo.