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 unhealthy additives? Which retailer sells the brand for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Plantur 39?
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) to give our take on whether or not they’re likely to be effective for hair regrowth, and whether or not they're healthy.
We’ll also provide a cost breakdown documenting which retailer sells Plantur 39 for the best price, and feature real Plantur 39 customer reviews.
Phyto-Caffeine 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.
This shampoo contains some inactive ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Fragrance was studied in a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal, 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.
Overall, we consider Plantur 39 Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo to be potentially effective for hair regrowth, but we don’t currently recommend it due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above.
Real People Try Plantur 39
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Plantur 39 shampoo has been reviewed over 4,500 times on Amazon, and has an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “DearAmber” who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
“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.”
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “DENISE F.” who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
“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.”
A YouTube creator named “Selfcare Karen” explains whether or not the product was effective for her:
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 Ingredient 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 this tonic to be potentially effective for hair regrowth due to its active ingredients, but we don't currently recommend it due to some questionable inactive ingredients.
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%.
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."
MBG Omega-3 Potency+ is our top hair thickness pick.
Supplementation with omega-3 fats and antioxidants is clinically shown to improve hair density, and MBG's supplement contains both.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Where to Get the Best Price
Plantur 39 is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase of the two products reviewed in this article, at the time of updating this article:
Phyto-Caffeine Shampoo
Brand website: $18.45 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $18.45 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $18.12 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Phyto-Caffeine Scalp Tonic
Brand website: $18.45 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $18.45 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $17.99 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Plantur 39's products are currently around 15% cheaper at Amazon than at the brand's website, when factoring in shipping fees.
Plantur 39 Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Plantur 39 in our opinion:
Pros:
- Caffeine may support hair regrowth
- Both formulations contain research-backed active ingredients
- Relatively affordable
- Mostly positive Amazon reviews
- Contains fragrance
- Contains synthetic preservatives
- Contains additional fragrance ingredients
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
- Brand's website charges for shipping
- Unappealing packaging & branding
