Full ingredients list
- Decolorized Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice*
- Decyl Glucoside
- Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
- Polyquaternium-71
- Cocamide Mipa
- Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
- Polyquaternium-73
- Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
- Lactobacillus Ferment
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract*
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil*
- Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*
- Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil*
- Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract*
- Grateloupia Elliptica (Red Korean Seaweed) Extract
- Biotin
- Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit Extract*
- Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Bark Oil*
- Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil*
- Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil*
- Polygonum Multiflorum (He Shou Wu) Root Extract*
- Hibiscus Sabdariffa (Hibiscus) Flower Extract*
- Prunus Africana (Pygeum) Bark Extract*
- Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*
- Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*
- Zinc Sulfate
- Soy Isoflavones
- Beta-Sitosterol
- Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) Fruit Oil*
- Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil*
- Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract*
- Cymbopogon Flexuosus (Lemongrass) Oil*
- Nicotinic Acid (Niacin)*
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E)*
- Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
- Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
- Citric Acid
Ingredients explained
Wow. There are a lot of ingredients in this shampoo! So I’m just going to focus on the ingredients that have been studied using proper scientific methodologies.
Lactobacillus
I was amazed to find out recently that at least according to one study, Lactobacillus increases scalp VEGF. VEGF is a growth factor that helps increase the growth phase of hair, reducing hair loss. However, I’m unsure as to whether there will be enough lactobacillus in this shampoo to have the effects found in the study.
Willow Extract
Tea Tree Oil and Red Korean Seaweed
Tea tree oil and Red Korean Seaweed have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation of the hair follicles is widely believed to have a causal correlation with hair loss.
I’ve also seen this study, which found Red Korean Seaweed increases PGE2.
Nettle, Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, Beta-sitosterol and Pumpkin seed oil
It’s impressive to see all of these well known natural DHT blockers in one shampoo. All of these ingredients have been shown to reduce DHT in the blood. However I’m sceptical of topical DHT blockers because most of the body’s DHT is produced in other parts of the body (mostly in the prostate) and once it’s been created these DHT blockers can do nothing to stop it from damaging the scalp hair.
In my view you’d be much better off using a treatment that reduces the number of available androgen receptors in the scalp: using treatments like RU58841, CB-03-01 and EGCG.
Rosemary
Rosemary oil was shown to have similar effects to Minoxidil when applied to the scalp: improving scalp blood circulation. However, I suspect you’d have to use pure rosemary oil and leave the oil on your scalp to absorb into the skin for several hours to achieve simila results.
Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract
Green tea contains the polyphenol EGCG, which has been shown to bind with androgen receptors. This reduces the number of androgen receptors available for DHT to bind to, helping to protect the hair follicles from DHT.
Soy Isoflavones
Soy isoflavones may help reduce the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Whether this works topically is uncertain.
Nicotinic Acid (Niacin)*
Niacin is often included in topical hair loss treatments because it increases blood circulation. I have seen one study, which showed an increase in hair growth in people who applied niacin to their scalps.
Conclusions
This shampoo contains absolutely loads of beneficial plant extracts. However, these types of chemicals are unlikely to have much (if any) effect on hair growth when applied to the scalp for just a minute or two during shampooing. Research has shown that plant extracts like rosemary oil can significantly increase hair growth, but those treatments would have been applied to the scalp and left for hours so the chemicals could take effect.
All that said, this is still one of the best shampoos for hair loss I’ve seen.
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