In 1997, the founder of Leonor Greyl, Jean-Marie Greyl had one question in mind. How could he create the best shampoo that was unlike the other ones on the market — pumped thick with smoothing dimethicones or scented heavily with synthetics. Of course, it still has to cleanse without stripping but Greyl was prescient in one thing — it had to be as relevant when launched as it will in future decades.

The shampoo had to be silicon, sulfate, paraben, coal tar and cruelty-free. Most importantly, it also had to be colour safe.

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The answer to his question for the best shampoo — as eccentric as it seems — came from his garden. He noticed how hardy and fast-growing his bamboo shoots were. It grew horizontally, sprawling across the neighbouring plants and plentifully, which is how bamboo grows no matter where it is planted. It shoots abundantly towards the sky as it does on river banks as it does in wastelands. It adapts copiously across a wealth of soil types and climatic conditions. Sometimes, even up to a 1,200-metre altitude or in temperatures as low as -3 degrees celsius.

Extracting its sap (the liquid itself is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants) to add to the shampoo, the Leonor Greyl Paris Shampooing Crème Moelle de Bambou was an instant hit. It cleansed grime and gunk off the scalp without stripping And, it even leaves one’s hair hydrated enough to skip conditioner and for the luckier ones, it encouraged the growth of stronger hair that did not split or snap off. Moreover living in a new era of male beauty, it is also colour-safe even for the most technicolour hues of hair.

The Leonor Greyl Paris Shampooing Crème Moelle de Bambou comes in a 200ml tube priced at $69 and is available for purchase at escentials ION, escentials Paragon, escentials TANGS @ Tang Plaza and on escentials.com.