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 in clinical studies to enhance hair quality and appearance, or are these just marketing claims? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? What retailer sells Briogeo for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Briogeo products?
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 they’re likely to be effective or if they’re a waste of money.
We’ll also provide a cost breakdown to show which retailer sells these products for the best price, and feature real, unsponsored Briogeo user reviews.
Scalp Revival Shampoo Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Briogeo Scalp Revival shampoo are shown above.
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." It's also a common contact allergen.
We find it unfortunate that Briogeo chooses to use fragrance in this formulation, because we would recommend it otherwise and consider it a highly impressive shampoo from an efficacy and aesthetic perspective.
We’ll analyze the ingredients in Briogeo’s hair mask next, but first we’ll feature some real user reviews of the brand.
Real, Unsponsored Briogeo User Reviews
A popular beauty influencer named Abbey Yung reviewed various Briogeo products in a video with over 50,000 views:
A YouTube creator named Leo Toshiye shared her experience using Briogeo for two straight months:
Don’t Despair, Repair! Hair Mask Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Briogeo’s award-winning “Don’t Despair, Repair!” hair mask are shown above. 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.
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.
Where to Buy Briogeo for the Best Price
Here’s a price breakdown for the two products reviewed in this article at the time of publishing:
Scalp Revival Shampoo
Brand website: $42 (plus $6.95 shipping)
Sephora: $42 (free shipping – requires account)
Ulta: $42 (free shipping – link)
Amazon: $42 (free shipping – link to official Amazon listing)
Don’t Despair, Repair! Hair Mask
Brand website: $39 (plus $6.95 shipping)
Sephora: $39 (free shipping – requires account)
Ulta: $39 (free shipping – link)
Amazon: $39 (free shipping – link to official Amazon listing)
When considering shipping fees, the two Briogeo products we reviewed in this article range from 14-15% cheaper on Amazon and Ulta than on the brand’s website.
Real Customers Review Briogeo
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair! hair mask has been reviewed over 3,500 times with an average review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Abigail cordero” who claims that it caused positive changes to hair appearance:
“I have tried so many products and I finally tried this one and was scared at first because of some people stating that it causes rash so I go ahead and tried it and first use my hair was so soft …. Second use my hair was feeling so good and I have really medium...Light curls and it’s very dry bc of the coloring .this really helps my hair”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Michelle Smith” who claims the product caused hair loss:
“I used this product exactly as directed, I even set a timer to make sure I didn’t leave it in too long, and it made my hair fall out! My hair is now horribly rough and tangled, and smells awful, even after washing it out with my normal shampoo and conditioner. Definitely do not buy!”
Our Non-Toxic Hair Care Picks
The shampoo we recommend is Acure Vivacious Volume Shampoo.
This shampoo is formulated with effective and non-toxic plant-based compounds like aloe vera juice and argan oil. It also contains rosemary leaf oil which was shown in a clinical trial published in the Phytotherapy Research journal to promote hair growth.
Most importantly, this shampoo is entirely free of fragrance and synthetic preservatives.
Interested consumers can check out Acure Vivacious Volume Shampoo at this Amazon link.
The conditioner we recommend is Carina Organics Citrus Daily Light Conditioner. This product is entirely free of questionable additive ingredients and uses botanical ingredients like coconut oil and tangerine oil to naturally condition hair.
Interested consumers can check out Carina Organics Citrus Daily Light Conditioner at this Amazon link.
Pros and Cons of Briogeo
Here are the pros and cons of Briogeo as a brand in our opinion:
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
