Better Not Younger is a hair care brand targeting women over 40. The brand claims that "Each Better Not Younger product is uniquely blended to maximize its effectiveness on aging strands."

But does Better Not Younger contain ingredients shown in research studies to improve hair quality, or are these just marketing claims? Are hair care formulations for "aging" hair a real thing? How do real users rate and describe the effects of Better Not Younger? And what retailer sells the brand for the best price?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in two of the most popular Better Not Younger formulations (Hair Serum and Shampoo) to give our take on whether they're likely to be effective or if they're a waste of money.

We'll provide a cost comparison documenting which retailer sells Better Not Younger for the best price, feature real customer reviews of the brand and discuss whether nutrient deficiencies can cause hair loss.

Hair Serum Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Better Not Younger "Superpower" Hair Serum are shown above.

There are a number of research-backed ingredients in this product.

Gotu kola extract was shown in a 2017 clinical trial to support hair growth, but this was a test tube study which is a weaker standard of evidence than a trial with human participants.

Castor oil was found to improve hair shine in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Hops extract may cause hair growth. A medical review published by the Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan found that hops extract not only repaired damaged hair in human trials but also may have an anti-balding effect, because it inhibits an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase which is directly associated with balding (especially in men).

Licorice extract was compared to standard commercial shampoo in a 2018 clinical trial. The licorice shampoo reduced scalp irritation and dandruff and trial participants had favorable reviews of it.

Caffeine may be another effective hair growth ingredient. A 2020 medical review concludes the following: 

“...caffeine to alleviate hair loss may provide a much-needed alternative to drug-based approaches.”

While Better Not Younger's serum contains a large number of effective ingredients, it also contains one ingredient that may be questionable from a health perspective.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that's been shown to be toxic to human cells in a clinical trial as we documented in our Hairitage Shampoo review article.

Overall, we consider Better Not Younger Superpower Hair Serum highly likely to improve hair quality, reduce hair loss and improve the aesthetic appearance of hair. 

From a potency and efficacy perspective, this is one of the best hair products we've ever reviewed on Illuminate Health.

We don't currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of the synthetic preservative, but this is a more minor concern than ingredients like fragrance or synthetic dye.

But how do real users rate and describe the effects of Better Not Younger hair products? We'll review in the next section before analyzing the ingredients in the brand's shampoo.

Real Better Not Younger User Reviews

A TikTok creator named "Mandynotmoore" claims that Better Not Younger sells the best hair thickener that she's ever used, and includes before-and-after images suggesting the product has reversed hair loss:

@mandynotmoore The best hair thickener I have ever used !!✨on my website ✨@betternotyounger #betternotyounger #betternotyoungerhairthickener #hairthinning #hairthickening #besthairproducts #hairlossjourney #hairlosssolution #hairlossremedy #voluminoushairhacks #hairthinningproducts #grwmhair #grwmroutine ♬ original sound - Mandynotmoore💫

A YouTube review from creator "Tammy's Ageless Beauty" is unsponsored, has over 25,000 views, and discusses her experience with a wide range of Better Not Younger products:

Shampoo Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Better Not Younger's most popular shampoo, called "Wake Up Call," are shown above.

Like the hair serum, there are a number of effective active ingredients in this formulation, two of which we already reviewed in the previous ingredient analysis section: hops extract and caffeine.

Niacin may be effective for hair loss, given that a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found derivatives of this ingredient to increase hair fullness.

Argan oil is clinically shown to protect hair against damage, as we documented in our review of Briogeo hair products.

There are two inactive ingredients in this shampoo that may be questionable from a health perspective.

Phenoxyethanol is the preservative discussed in the previous section.

Fragrance was described as a “pervasive health risk” in a medical review published in the Medical Hypotheses journal. The study authors suggest that fragrance can disrupt the endocrine and immune system in humans.

Overall, we consider Wake Up Call likely to improve hair quality, somewhat likely to slow or stop hair loss and likely to improve the aesthetic appearance of hair.

However, we don't currently recommend the product due to the use of fragrance and phenoxyethanol, and consider this formulation to be worse than the hair serum which is fragrance-free.

Can Nutrient Deficiencies Cause Hair Loss/Thinning?

A video from YouTube creator Kayla Chandler has over 460,000 views and discusses five nutrient deficiencies that may play a role in hair issues:

Where to Buy Better Not Younger for the Best Price

Better Not Younger is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here's a price breakdown for the two products reviewed in this article at the time of updating:

Better Not Younger Hair Serum

Brand website: $49 (plus shipping, link)

Ulta: $49 (free shipping, link)

Amazon: $45.91 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)

Walmart: $44.99 (free shipping, third-party seller, link)

Better Not Younger Shampoo

Brand website: $29 (plus shipping, link)

Ulta: $29 (plus shipping, link)

Amazon: $29 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)

We recommend avoiding purchasing from third-party sellers (like the Walmart listing) when possible, because the risk of fake products may be higher.

All of the other retailers listed above sell directly from the brand.

Real Customers Review Better Not Younger

Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion. 

The shampoo reviewed in this article has over 300 Amazon reviews and an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Marcia Stauffer" who likes the volume it provides:

"I have fine hair and this really gives it volume. My favorite shampoo now!"

The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "unknown" who claims it's not worth the price:

"This brand seems no better than other shampoos and conditioners. Did nothing special for my hair."

The brand has a worse average review rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars on Facebook, and fails to respond to the majority of customer complaints at the time of updating this article, which we consider a red flag.

Our Clean Hair Care Picks

Ingreendients Daily Shampoo is our top shampoo pick, because it's formulated 100% from plants and contains research-backed active ingredients like acetic acid, derived from apple cider vinegar (ACV), which researchers suggest "can condition hair making it softer, silkier, shinier."

Happy Head Topical is our top hair growth solution.

This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%.

The brand also publishes the percentage concentration of each active ingredient, which is a sign of quality and transparency.

Better Not Younger Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Better Not Younger in our opinion:

Pros:

• Hair serum has highly effective formulation
• Both products reviewed should support hair health
• Both products reviewed have some hair growth ingredients
• Paraben-free
• Aesthetically-pleasing products

Cons:

• Expensive
• Both products contain phenoxyethanol
• Shampoo contains fragrance

Conclusion

Better Not Younger does use a large number of research-backed ingredients in their hair care products, but we haven't seen any convincing evidence that these ingredients are particularly effective in "aging" hair.

A cosmetic ingredient that's clinically shown to improve hair thickness in older adults should also improve hair thickness in younger adults based on the research we've reviewed and cited in this article.

Better Not Younger Hair Serum has an impressive formulation, and we consider it likely to improve hair quality, improve hair thickness, and to potentially slow or stop hair loss based on its active ingredients.

Better Not Younger Shampoo has a less impressive formulation with fewer ingredients we consider likely to be effective.

We don't currently recommend either product due to the inclusion of a synthetic preservative in both products, and fragrance in the shampoo.

Customer reviews of Better Not Younger are relatively favorable on Amazon, and less so on Facebook.

At the time of updating this article, Walmart has the best price on the hair serum and Amazon has the best price on the shampoo.