Briogeo is one of the most popular hair-focused cosmetic brands. The brand sells everything from shampoo to hair masks to scalp serums, and claims that their products are “award-winning for a reason.”
But do Briogeo products contain ingredients proven to enhance hair quality and appearance? Does the brand use any unhealthy ingredients? Why do we take issue with some of the health claims on Briogeo's website? And is Briogeo better or worse than popular hair care brands like Prose?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of Briogeo’s most popular products (Scalp Revival Shampoo and Don’t Despair, Repair!) to give our take on whether or not they’re likely to be effective for improving hair quality, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll also share our concerns about some of the health claims on the Briogeo website, and compare the brand to other popular hair care brands in terms of formulation quality to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Brand uses many research-backed active ingredients
- Contains one inactive ingredient we consider to be unhealthy
- We don't currently recommend Briogeo
Scalp Revival Shampoo Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Briogeo Scalp Revival shampoo are shown below:
A number of these ingredients have research backing for the potential to improve hair quality.
Coconut oil is one of the most effective natural ingredients for healthy hair.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that coconut oil reduced protein loss from hair, suggesting it can prevent hair damage.
Castor oil was shown in a 2022 medical review to “improve hair luster,” which is the clinical term for shiny hair.
Panthenol may improve scalp health, as we documented in our Hairitage reviews article on another hair brand that contains this ingredient.
Charcoal may be healing to the skin according to a medical review, although research on the cosmetic benefits of this compound seem early-stage.
Peppermint oil is one of the most effective botanical compounds for supporting hair growth.
A clinical trial published in the Toxicological Research journal found that “peppermint oil promotes hair growth without toxic signs.”
Ginger root oil may also naturally support hair growth according to a 2017 medical review.
Clearly there are a number of research-backed ingredients in Briogeo’s shampoo. However, there is also one inactive ingredient that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Fragrance is a broad categorical term that fails to describe the specific fragrance compounds used, and a 2016 medical review analyzed safety data on fragranced consumer products and concluded that fragrance can "impose serious risks to human health."
Overall, we consider Briogeo Scalp Revival Shampoo likely to improve hair quality and appearance, and potentially likely to support hair growth.
We do not currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of fragrance.
Questionable Clinical Claims
There are a number of uncited and questionable clinical claims on the Briogeo website.
As shown below the brand claims that their hair mask is "scientifically proven" to decrease hair breakage:
However, there is no citation or proof of this claim which makes it highly confusing. We cannot find clinical trials on Briogeo products on PubMed or any other clinical trial database.
Briogeo also claims that their rice water product is proven to strengthen hair:
However, again there are no links to the scientific studies referenced and no proof provided of this claim.
We urge Briogeo to either transparently publish the clinical studies they reference in their marketing or remove these statements entirely from their website.
It's simply unfair to consumers to make specific clinical claims of efficacy and not clearly provide the proof of those claims.
Don’t Despair, Repair! Hair Mask Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Briogeo’s “Don’t Despair, Repair!” hair mask are shown below:
The brand claims that this product can “strengthen and repair dry, damaged hair.”
Like the previous Briogeo product, there are a number of active ingredients in this formulation with research backing.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein was shown in a 2018 medical review to be non-toxic and to effectively condition hair.
Argan oil was shown to protect hair against damage in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
Avocado oil was also shown to be effective in preventing hair damage in a 2021 clinical trial, although this was an animal study so the data is less convincing than a human trial.
Aloe vera may have scalp-healing properties as we documented in our review of Odele Clarifying Shampoo.
Panax ginseng root extract was shown to promote hair growth in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Medical Food.
We consider this hair mask likely to strengthen and repair hair as the brand claims, however it contains fragrance (which we reviewed in the previous ingredient analysis section) so we don’t currently recommend it.
Briogeo vs. Popular Hair Care Brands
Here's how Briogeo compares to other popular hair care brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Prose
Brand offers fragrance-free options, and includes naturally-derived active ingredients like jojoba seed oil, which is clinically shown to protect hair and improve breakage resistance.
Winner: Prose
Mane 'N Tail Shampoo
Beyond fragrance, this popular shampoo brand contains a synthetic preservative combination that is clinically shown to be toxic, as we documented in our Mane n Tail Shampoo review article.
Winner: Briogeo
Kitsch
Like Briogeo, potent formulations that should improve hair quality and appearance, but include fragrance.
We give Kitsch the (very slight) edge in regard to potential healthiness because the brand uses plastic-free shampoo bars, which may be less subject to microplastic leaching.
Winner: Kitsch
Our Clean Hair Care Picks
Acure Vivacious Volume Shampoo is our top shampoo pick.
It contains argan oil which is clinically shown to help protect hair from damage.
Ritual HyaCera is our top hair growth supplement.
This supplement contains wheat oil extract, and a 2024 clinical trial reported that a wheat lipid complex had "a reducing effect on hair shedding and a stimulating effect on hair reappearance and growth."
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Briogeo Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Many research-backed ingredients
- Should improve hair appearance
- Should improve hair moisture content
- Should improve hair luster
- Should improve scalp health
- Beautifully branded
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- Expensive
- Brand website charges shipping fee on all orders
