Plantur 39 is a hair care brand formulated for women over 40 with thinning hair. The brand claims that their products are “specifically formulated” for women losing hair due to menopause, and that decreasing estrogen levels can have negative effects on hair.
But does Plantur 39 contain research-backed ingredients for hair regrowth? Does it contain any questionable additive ingredients? What retailer sells Plantur 39 for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Plantur 39 products?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in two of Plantur 39’s most popular products (Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo and Phyto-Caffeine Scalp Tonic) based on medical studies to give our take on whether or not they’re likely to be effective.
We’ll also provide a cost breakdown showing what retailer sells Plantur 39 for the best price, and feature real, unsponsored Plantur 39 user reviews.
Plantur 39 Shampoo Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo are shown above.
There are some active ingredients in this formulation that can improve hair quality.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein was shown in a 2018 medical review to be a non-toxic and effective hair conditioning agent.
Caffeine is a natural hair regrowth agent. A medical review published in the International Journal of Trichology found that topical caffeine counteracted the suppressive effects of testosterone on hair growth.
This suggests that caffeine may be more effective in a hair regrowth formulation for men than women.
Camellia sinensis (tea) leaf extract was shown in a medical review published in the Molecules journal to “stimulate hair roots and extend the hair growth phase.”
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that may support hair growth according to a 2021 clinical trial, although this was an in vitro (test tube) trial which makes the results weaker than a trial with human participants.
Clearly Plantur 39 shampoo contains a number of potentially effective active ingredients. But it also contains some questionable inactive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid.
Fragrance was studied in a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal that we often cite on Illuminate Health, and the study authors concluded that fragranced consumer products can "impose serious risks to human health."
Potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and phenoxyethanol are preservative ingredients.
Phenoxyethanol was shown in an in vitro trial to be toxic to human cells, as we documented in our article reviewing the Raw Sugar Shampoo lawsuit on another brand containing this ingredient.
We consider Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine potentially effective for regrowing hair based on its formulation, but we don’t currently recommend it due to the additive ingredients.
But how do real users rate the shampoo? We’ll review in the next section.
Real, Unsponsored Plantur 39 User Reviews
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Plantur 39 shampoo has been reviewed over 700 times on Amazon with an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “DearAmber” who claims the product has not only stopped but actually reversed thinning:
“Beginning in November I began to lose handfuls of hair in the shower, when combing and random shedding throughout the day. I ordered and received this shampoo in early December and the hair loss has stopped and my hair has grown out enough to already to cover up the thin areas.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “DENISE F.” who claims the product has actually accelerated hair loss:
“I used this for about a month or so. It says it promotes hair growth but that’s a lie. It doesn’t work because now my hair is falling out and not just a few hairs my shower has a lot of hair in it when I’m done. Needless to say I quit using it.”
One of the few unsponsored video reviews we could find on Plantur 39 comes from a user named “Selfcare Karen” who explains whether or not the product was effective for her:
Plantur 39 Scalp Tonic Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Scalp Tonic are shown above.
Caffeine and niacinamide, which we reviewed in the previous ingredient analysis section, are the only active ingredients that we can find research backing for in regard to hair growth.
Glycerin and panthenol may support a healthy scalp environment, as we documented in our review of another hair growth brand called ScalpMED, but we can’t find any clinical evidence that these ingredients directly cause hair growth.
Fragrance is included in this product and we already shared our concerns about this ingredient in the previous analysis section.
BHT is a synthetic preservative with a metabolite that was clinically shown to be a “tumor promoter” in animal studies.
Alphaisomethyl ionone is a fragrance ingredient shown to have some level of toxicity in rats in a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Toxicology.
Our conclusion about this product is similar to our conclusion about Plantur 39’s shampoo. We consider it potentially effective for hair regrowth due to its active ingredients but would not recommend it due to some questionable inactive ingredients.
Where to Buy Plantur 39 for the Best Price
Plantur 39 is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article for the two products reviewed:
Plantur 39 Shampoo
Brand website: $18.45 (plus $4.95 shipping)
Walmart: $18.45 (free shipping – link)
Amazon: $18.45 (free shipping – link to official Amazon listing)
Plantur 39 Tonic
Brand website: $18.45 (plus $4.95 shipping)
Walmart: $18.45 (free shipping – link)
Amazon: $18.45 (free shipping – link to official Amazon listing)
When considering the shipping charge, Plantur 39’s products are 21% cheaper on Walmart and Amazon than on the brand’s official website for single orders.
Our Clean Hair Growth Picks
Happy Head Topical is our top hair growth solution.
This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%.
The brand also publishes the percentage concentration of each active ingredient, which is a sign of quality and transparency.
Interested consumers can check out Happy Head Topical Finasteride & Minoxidil at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Nutrafol Hair Serum is our top over-the-counter (OTC) hair growth and hair quality promoter.
This product contains Lactobacillus probiotics which were shown to promote hair growth in a medical review published in the Molecules journal.
Niacinamide is included, and a 2021 clinical trial concluded that "Our data demonstrate that niacinamide could enhance hair growth."
Interested consumers can check out Nutrafol Hair Serum at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Pros and Cons of Plantur 39
Here are the pros and cons of Plantur 39 as a brand in our opinion:
Pros:
- Caffeine does have research backing for hair regrowth
- Both formulations contain research-backed active ingredients
- Potentially effective
- Decently affordable
- Contains fragrance
- Contains synthetic preservatives
- Contains additional fragrance ingredients
