How to use Ellips Hair Vitamin: the steps, the 4 formulas and what the capsule colours mean
Here is how to use Ellips Hair Vitamin: twist the tip off one capsule, pour the oil into your palm and work it through the lengths and ends of damp, towel-dried hair, keeping it off the roots. Do not rinse it out: dry and style as usual. Which of the four formulas suits you, and so which capsule colour you get, depends on how fine or thick your hair is and what bothers you most.
What is Ellips Hair Vitamin?
Ellips Hair Vitamin is a cosmetic leave-in treatment: oil in soft, single-use 1 ml capsules, made for the lengths and ends of your hair. It is not a food supplement, and nothing is swallowed. "Hair Vitamin" is the product's name. Ellips is an Indonesian brand from PT Kino Indonesia and has been sold across Asia for many years.
Every formula has a silicone base. Silicones smooth the hair, reduce friction and add shine, and some of them evaporate after you apply them, leaving a light layer behind. The plant oils and extracts differ from formula to formula, as the table below shows. The labels also list vitamin E, A and C derivatives, panthenyl ethyl ether, soybean oil and fragrance. Applied before styling, every formula protects from heat up to 220 °C.
How to use Ellips Hair Vitamin, step by step
- Wash and towel-dry. Squeeze the water out with a towel. Your hair should be damp, not dripping.
- Open one capsule. Twist off the tip. If the capsule is hard from the cold, warm it in your hand for a moment or snip the tip off with small scissors.
- Spread it on your palms. Pour the oil into one palm and rub your hands together, so the oil spreads evenly instead of landing in one spot.
- Work it through the lengths and ends. Start at the ends, then smooth your hands up through the lengths. Keep it off the roots and scalp.
- Do not rinse. Dry and style as usual. The oil is now in your hair before the heat of a dryer or straightener reaches it, which is when heat protection works.
The whole routine takes about 30 seconds. Keep the jar below 30 °C and out of direct sunlight. Each capsule stays closed until you open it.
Should you use it on wet or dry hair?
The main way is on damp hair: towel-dried after washing, not dripping wet, and before you dry it. It also works on dry hair: spread the oil between your palms and smooth it over flyaways and dry ends, or over your ends before you use a straightener. Either way, it only protects from heat if it goes on before the heat, not after. Our article on why heat protection has to go on before the straightener explains the order.
How many capsules should you use?
One capsule per use. Each holds 1 ml, which is enough for the lengths and ends. With a pump bottle it is easy to use too much, and too much makes fine hair look heavy. If your hair is very fine, use half a capsule, on the ends only.
A jar holds 50 capsules, so how long it lasts depends on how often you use one. If your hair looks greasy or flat afterwards, you used too much for your hair or went too close to the roots. Next time, use half a capsule and keep it to the ends.
Which Ellips Hair Vitamin should you choose?
There are four formulas. They are split first by how fine or thick your hair is, then by what bothers you most.
| Formula | Capsule colour | Made for | Key plant ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair Treatment | Pink | Fine to medium hair, including coloured or often heat-styled hair; helps prevent split ends and breakage | Argan oil, jojoba oil |
| Smooth & Shiny | Yellow | Natural, light or grey hair, fine to medium, that lacks volume and shine | Argan oil, aloe vera |
| Hair Repair (Pro-Keratin) | Pearly pink | Medium to thick, frizz-prone hair after colouring, bleaching or heat | Jojoba oil |
| Smooth & Silky (Pro-Keratin) | Amber | Very dry, tangle-prone hair, medium to thick or curly | Aloe vera |
Hair Treatment (pink capsules)
The most popular formula, with argan oil and jojoba oil. It is made for fine to medium hair, including hair that is coloured or often heat-styled, and it helps prevent split ends and breakage. If your hair is not thick and you are not sure where to start, start here.
Smooth & Shiny (yellow capsules)
With argan oil and aloe vera. It is made for natural, light or grey hair that is fine to medium and lacks volume and shine. Choose it when your hair is fine and your main wish is smoother, shinier-looking hair.
Hair Repair (pearly pink capsules)
One of the two Pro-Keratin formulas, with jojoba oil. It is made for medium to thick hair that frizzes after colouring, bleaching or heat styling. The name is a product name, not a promise: like every formula, it works on the hair surface, leaving hair smoother, easier to comb and less frizzy. Our guide to bleached hair care covers the rest of the routine for lightened hair.
Smooth & Silky (amber capsules)
The other Pro-Keratin formula, with aloe vera. It is made for very dry, tangle-prone hair that is medium to thick or curly. Choose it when dryness, knots and frizz are your main problem.
What do the capsule colours mean?
The colour tells you which formula is inside: pink is Hair Treatment, yellow is Smooth & Shiny, pearly pink is Hair Repair and amber is Smooth & Silky. That helps once the capsules are out of the jar, for example in a travel pouch.
The two pinks are the easiest to mix up. Hair Treatment is pink; Hair Repair is a pearly pink. The jars help: the two Pro-Keratin formulas have dark lids, and Hair Treatment and Smooth & Shiny have silver ones. If in doubt, check the formula name on the label.
Ellips makes more formulas than these four, and some of them are sold in other countries. This guide covers the four sold on getellips.com.
What does Pro-Keratin mean?
Pro-Keratin is the name of the line that Hair Repair and Smooth & Silky belong to, and both labels name a Pro-Keratin complex. Keratin itself is not on either ingredient list, so do not expect a keratin treatment. Like the other two formulas, they are silicone-based leave-in oils. They are made for medium to thick hair that is frizzy, very dry or tangle-prone.
Can you switch between formulas?
Yes. Use one formula at a time, one capsule per use, and change jars when your hair's needs change, for example after a colour appointment or when the weather turns dry. Do not mix two formulas in the same application.
What does Ellips Hair Vitamin do, and what does it not do?
Used this way, it leaves hair smoother, softer and shinier-looking, easier to comb and less frizzy, with fewer flyaways. It helps prevent split ends and breakage, and it protects from heat up to 220 °C when applied before styling.
It cannot undo damage that is already there. Hair is not alive, so the oil works on its surface. A split end cannot be glued back together; only a trim removes it. The oil goes on the lengths, not the scalp, so it does not change how much hair you shed. If you are losing more hair than usual, see a doctor or dermatologist.
Good to know before you start
- Every formula contains soybean oil. If you are allergic to soy, do not use it.
- For external use only. Keep it away from your eyes, and if it gets into them, rinse with water.
- Keep the jar out of reach of children.
You can compare the four formulas and choose yours on the Ellips Hair Vitamin product page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Ellips Hair Vitamin every day?
Yes. It is a leave-in treatment you can use each time you wash or style your hair, one capsule per use. Put it on damp, towel-dried lengths and ends after washing, or smooth it over dry ends before heat styling. If your hair starts to feel heavy or greasy, use less: for very fine hair, half a capsule on the ends only is enough.
Do you rinse out Ellips Hair Vitamin?
No. It is a leave-in treatment, so it stays in your hair. Work it through damp, towel-dried lengths and ends after washing, then dry and style as usual. Put it on before you use a hair dryer or straightener, because the heat protection only works if the oil is in your hair before the heat reaches it.
Is Ellips Hair Vitamin a supplement?
No. Despite the name, it is a cosmetic oil for the outside of your hair, in capsules you open and spread through the lengths and ends. Nothing is swallowed, and the capsules are for external use only. The labels do list vitamin derivatives among the ingredients, but they are part of a hair oil, not a food supplement.
Pink or yellow Ellips: which one should I choose?
Choose by hair type, not colour. Yellow is Smooth & Shiny, for fine to medium hair that lacks volume and shine. Pink is Hair Treatment, for fine to medium hair that splits or breaks easily, including coloured or heat-styled hair. If your hair is medium to thick, look at the Pro-Keratin pair instead: Hair Repair (pearly pink) or Smooth & Silky (amber).
What if the capsule is too hard to open?
Capsules can harden in the cold. Keep the jar somewhere warmer, such as the bathroom, or hold a capsule in your closed hand for a moment before you open it. If the tip still will not twist off, snip it with small scissors and squeeze the oil into your palm. Store the jar below 30 °C, away from direct sunlight.