The name might not be familiar to you (yet) but there are celebrities in the US who would trust their tresses to no other hairdresser. And these days John Masters is more than just a crimper-to-the-stars, he's also the man behind a growing luxury-organic hair and skincare line – the result of his own long-standing passion for environmentally-friendly, non-toxic beauty products.

It was back in the 1980s, while working as a stylist and colourist (a recognised talent, even back then) in New York, that John first became interested in organics. he was concerned that the harsh salon chemicals he was coming into contact with on a daily basis could be a health risk and eventually he started to see clients in his own apartment – where he used only ammonia-free herbal and clay-based shampoos and dyes. His experimenting with no-toxic haircare led, in 1991, to his first organic product and after further research and testing of essential oils, plant
extracts and other health food goodies, he launched John Masters organics – he also opened his first salon.

It quickly earned a reputation as the only 'clean-air' salon in manhattan – so, it didn't offer any services that involved the use of toxic chemicals. So popular was the concept that he outgrew his salon and had to move to larger premises. He also – in response to client demand – introduced organic skincare. The icing on the cake must have been when he received the Soil Association's Award for Best Organic Product in Europe, in 2004.

Today he's still working hard to better his organic offer. The line continues to grow –  there's even a shampoo for dogs  – and all the organic ingredients he uses are certified by various US and international bodies like EcoCert. There are no artificial colours or fragrances; no GMOs; no petro-chamicals and no animal testing. And of course, all the ingredients he chooses are proven to be beneficial to the hair and skin and are as bio-degradable as possible.

At this point, any organic sceptics will be thinking: 'yes, but do they actually work?' And the answer, based on the few that I have tried, is; 'yes, they do!' I don't personally think that any organic products do more than their chemically-based alternatives (and not as much in some cases). They just do what they're supposed to do.... and they do it nicely. There's that feel good factor that comes from knowing that everything you're using is almost pure enough to eat (certainly John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash – £18 – smells good enough to eat).

I wouldn't say that my hair was necessarily shinier after using Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner (£20) but the product lathered well (on the second wash – but that's normal) and left my hair feeling soft and my scalp clean and itch-free (it's great for dry hair.flaky scalp combos). I love the Linden Blossom Face Creme Cleanser (£22). It has a gentle, milky texture and if you want to give your skin a moisturising boost, you can leave it on for a few minutes to let the various ingredients (like rose flower oil, aloe vera and ginseng) do their work before rinsing off. I also experimented with tissuing off and using a linen cloth in hot water to remove the lotion – all work beautifully. Less fragranced than the shampoo, wash and body lotion, it has a slightly vegetal aroma  so even smells like it's good for you.

www.johnmaster.co.uk