Mane 'N Tail Shampoo Review: Can Humans Use Horse Shampoo?

Mane 'N Tail Shampoo Review: Can Humans Use Horse Shampoo?


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Mane 'N Tail is a shampoo brand that was originally marketed for horses, but is now described as a "horse to human crossover shampoo" that can be used by humans as well.

But does Mane 'N Tail contain research-backed ingredients for supporting hair health in humans? Does it contain any questionable additives? Which retailer sells it for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Mane 'N Tail?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Mane 'N Tail Original Shampoo to give our take on whether or not it's likely to improve hair health and appearance, and whether or not it's healthy overall.

We'll also provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells this shampoo for the best price, and feature real Mane 'N Tail customer reviews.

Ingredient Analysis

Mane 'N Tail Original Formula Shampoo ingredients

The ingredients in Mane 'N Tail Original Formula Shampoo are shown above.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is used to remove dirt and oil from hair.

However, a medical review published in the International Journal of Women's Dermatology described it as "more irritating and damaging to the follicle compared to sodium laureth sulfate."

Collagen is clinically shown to promote hair growth when taken orally, but we can't find any evidence it has the same effects when used topically.

There are five inactive ingredients in this formulation we consider to be unhealthy.

Fragrance can "impose serious risks to human health" according to a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown to be toxic to human cells in a clinical trial published in the Experimental Eye Research journal.

Ethylhexylglycerin is a synthetic preservative shown to potentiate the toxic effects of phenoxyethanol in a 2016 medical review.

Benzyl benzoate is another synthetic preservative, and hexyl cinnamal is another fragrance ingredient; both of which can be irritating to the skin.

Overall, we consider Mane 'N Tail Original Formula Shampoo likely to be effective for cleaning the hair, but we do not consider it to be healthy, given the inactive ingredients discussed above.

Real People Try Mane 'N Tail

A YouTube creator named Helen Avery shared her experience as a hair loss sufferer trying Mane 'N Tail. Her video includes before-and-after images:

A YouTube creator named Elle Wysocki shared the "growth results" she experienced from Mane 'N Tail's shampoo and conditioner:

Why Was Mane 'N Tail Sued?

In 2021, a class-action lawsuit against Mane 'N Tail's holding company Unilever was dismissed according to Top Class Actions.

The plaintiffs alleged that the shampoo and conditioner sold by the brand caused hair loss.

The ingredient DMDM hydantoin was called out as the potential culprit.

DMDM hydantoin is clinically shown to release formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic to humans according to the American Cancer Society.

Thankfully, the brand has since removed this ingredient from their shampoo.

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.

Happy Head Topical is our top premium hair growth solution.

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

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."

All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

Where to Get the Best Price

Mane 'N Tail shampoo is sold at a variety of online retailers.

Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase, at the time of publishing this article:

Brand website: $13.99 (plus shipping, link)

Target: $9.49 (plus shipping, link)

Amazon: $7.47 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)

Mane 'N Tail is currently over 50% cheaper at Amazon than at the brand's website when factoring in shipping fees.

Mane 'N Tail Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Mane 'N Tail in our opinion:

Pros:

  • Should effectively clean hair
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • Contains fragrance
  • Contains phenoxyethanol & ethylhexylglycerin combination
  • Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
  • Used to contain an ingredient that released a carcinogen
  • Brand was previously sued over alleged hair loss
  • Brand's website charges for shipping
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Conclusion

Mane 'N Tail shampoo may be a good choice for horses, but it's not a healthy choice for humans in our view.

This shampoo has an underwhelming formulation, with only one active ingredient we could find research backing for in regard to hair health.

And even that active ingredient (sodium lauryl sulfate) was clinically shown to be more irritating to the skin than an alternative.

Mane 'N Tail Original Formula Shampoo has a number of questionable inactive ingredients, including fragrance and synthetic preservatives.

The company that owns Mane 'N Tail was sued over allegations of hair loss, but we find the potential health risks related to the ingredient called out in the lawsuit to be more concerning than potential aesthetic risks.

At the time of publishing this article, Amazon has the best price on Mane 'N Tail shampoo by a significant margin, when factoring in shipping fees.