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 improving hair health and appearance? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Why was the company sued? And is Mane 'N Tail better or worse than other shampoo brands like Head & Shoulders?

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 whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also explain why the company was sued, and compare Mane 'N Tail shampoo to other popular shampoo brands to pick our winners.

Key takeaways:

• Contains at least one active ingredient for hair health
• Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
• We do not currently recommend Mane 'N Tail Shampoo

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Mane 'N Tail Original Formula Shampoo are shown below:

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.

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.

Mane 'N Tail vs. Popular Shampoos

Here's how Mane 'N Tail compares to other popular shampoo brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:

Head & Shoulders

Contains many similar inactive ingredients to Mane 'N Tail shampoo (like fragrance and synthetic preservatives), but also contains synthetic dyes which are clinically shown to be harmful to human health.

Winner: Mane 'N Tail

Native Shampoo

Contains two research-backed active ingredients for cleaning hair, as we documented in our Native Shampoo review article.

Contains one synthetic preservative we consider unhealthy, but is free from the phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin combination, which gives it the edge from a health perspective.

Winner: Native Shampoo

Kitsch

More active ingredients we can find research backing for, and fewer inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy.

Also, this is a bar shampoo rather than liquid shampoo, which is better for the environment.

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.

Mane 'N Tail Shampoo Pros and Cons

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

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.

We consider Mane 'N Tail shampoo to be better-formulated than Head & Shoulders, but an inferior option to Kitsch or Native Shampoo.