As a renowned hair stylist in Paris in the 1950s, Ales styled hair for first ladies and legendary screen stars, experimenting with different plants and essential oils to create a variety of natural hair care products. With the help of a holistic healer in Provence, Ales researched the medicinal properties of many plants. He began harvesting fresh, botanical ingredients with the most potent active properties, coming up with his famous hair treatment oil, rightfully named "Huille D'Ales." His signature treatment contained sage, rosemary, juniper, berries, lemon, and castor oil to moisturize, protect, and restore luster to the hair. With this concoction, Phyto was born.

While Phyto products were conceived long before the emergence of environmental awareness and botanical ingredient trends, the brand continues to deliver natural botanicals backed by nearly four decades of research, all while staying true to their eco-friendly philosophy (all packaging is 100 percent recyclable; for more information see Secret Ingredient). Over 35 years later, the Phytosolba Laboratories in France are still family owned, and if you're lucky, you'll get a glimpse of Ales himself knocking around Phyto's greenhouses and laboratories just outside of Paris. To this day, the company operates under Ales's trademark motto inspired by years of research and discovery: "There is no such thing as bad hair, there is only poorly treated hair."