Madison Reed is one of the most popular home hair care brands in the US. The brand claims to be an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner, and to help customers “get gorgeous, lasting, award-winning hair color at home.”
But does Madison Reed really compare in quality to salon products? Why was the brand sued? Do they use any unhealthy ingredients? And is Madison Reed better or worse than popular hair color brands like oVertone?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Madison Reed to give our take on whether or not the brand is likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also explain why the brand was sued, feature a video on a natural hair coloring option, and compare Madison Reed to other popular hair coloring brands to pick our winners (and losers) from a health perspective.
Key takeaways:
- Brand was sued over allegations of hair loss caused by their products
- Some formulations contain ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Madison Reed
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Madison Reed’s “Ravenna Brown” cream color are shown below:
image source: https://www.madison-reed.com/
There are a number of research-backed ingredients for improving hair quality in this formulation.
Argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil was shown in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology to protect hair against damage.
Silica may be an effective ingredient for hair loss, given that a 2016 medical review reported that hair with higher silicon content has “lower falling rate and higher brightness.”
Silica and silicon are not the exact same thing; silica is an oxide of silicon.
Hydrolyzed keratin is another effective ingredient, and is clinically shown to increase hair volume and repair hair damage as we documented in our Ouai shampoo reviews article.
Panax ginseng root extract was shown to promote hair growth in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
While there are a number of potentially effective ingredients in this product, there are also several ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective.
M-aminophenol was shown in a 1984 clinical trial to cause toxicity at the highest dose level, but this was when the chemical compound was included in diet so it doesn’t necessarily apply to topical products.
2-methylresorcinol was associated with a significant reduction in body weight gain in an animal study, suggesting it may have harmful effects on metabolism, but again this was when added to diet so it doesn’t necessarily apply to a hair product.
Toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate was shown in a 2014 clinical trial to cause “strong local inflammation” when applied to skin at a 1.60% concentration.
This was an animal study which is a weaker standard of evidence than a human study.
Fragrance is included in the Barrier Cream, Cleansing Wipes and Shampoo that are sold with this hair color kit, and this compound was shown in a 2016 medical review to be potentially harmful to human health and to the environment.
Overall we consider Madison Reed’s hair coloring kit likely to be effective, not only for coloring the hair but also for potentially improving hair quality due to some research-backed active ingredients.
However, we do not currently recommend Madison Reed due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above.
Why Was Madison Reed Sued?
In 2022, Madison Reed was sued in a class-action lawsuit according to Top Class Actions.
The lawsuit alleges that the brand misrepresents their products as being free of harsh chemicals, while containing ingredients that may cause aesthetically damaging effects such as hair loss.
The plaintiff claims that after using Madison Reed for the first time, her scalp became irritated and she suffered hair loss.
Further, the lawsuit alleges that a compound called ethanolamine that’s in some Madison Reed formulations “is known to cause hair loss.”
At the time of updating this article, the lawsuit appears to be ongoing.
Is Henna a Safer Hair Dye?
A dermatologist and YouTube beauty influencer called "Dr Dray" has a video suggesting that henna is a natural alternative that's healthier than traditional hair dye products:
Madison Reed vs. Popular Hair Dyes
Here's how Madison Reed compares to other popular hair dye brands in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Simpler Hair Color
Contains research-backed active ingredients like hydrolyzed wheat protein, which is clinically shown to naturally condition hair.
While Simpler Hair Color contains two ingredients we consider unhealthy, it's fragrance-free and the brand appears to be free from lawsuits alleging hair loss.
From a health and safety perspective, we give Simpler Hair Color the edge.
Winner: Simpler Hair Color
oVertone
oVertone contains many synthetic dyes, which are harmful to human health, as we documented in the linked article.
We don't currently recommend either brand, but we consider Madison Reed to be the healthier choice.
Winner: Madison Reed
Naturtint
Contains fragrance, but no other inactive ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Naturtint is the healthier option.
Winner: Naturtint
Madison Reed Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Should be effective for changing hair color
- May be effective for improving hair quality
- Contains research-backed ingredients
- Much cheaper than salon treatment
Cons:
- Contains some ingredients with questionable toxicity data
- Some products contain fragrance
- Currently being sued over products causing hair loss
- Less healthy than some competitors
