{"id":556431474761,"title":"Better Not Younger Review: Perfect for Aging Hair?","created_at":"2022-04-29T23:04:39-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Better Not Younger Review: Perfect for Aging Hair?\",\n \"keywords\": \"better not younger, better not younger review, better not younger reviews, better not younger hair serum, better not younger shampoo, better not younger amazon\",\n \"description\": \"Our MD and research team reviews every ingredient in Better Not Younger's hair serum and shampoo based on published medical research to determine if the products are likely to be effective.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/better-not-younger-review\",\n\"author\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Taylor Graber\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": \"M.D.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/taylor-graber\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/taylor-j-graber-md-81351642\/\",\n \"https:\/\/www.asapivs.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Content Partner\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"medicine, health, anesthesiology, iv therapy, science, drugs, pharmaceutical, medical research, scientific research, medical journals, entrepreneurship, healthcare, orthopedic surgery, biomedical engineering\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"University of California San Diego\",\n \"Arizona University\",\n \"University of Arizona College of Medicine\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n }\n],\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Brian Moore\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.D.\",\n \"F.A.A.D\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/brian-moore\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/brian-moore-md-faad-2b1b77a2\/\",\n \"https:\/\/www.apexskin.com\/our-team\/dr-brian-moore-md\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Dermatology Advisor\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"dermatology, skincare, pigmented lesions, anti-aging, medical research, clinical trials, sunscreen, moisturizer, wrinkles, makeup, shampoo, soap\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"Columbia University\",\n \"University of Toledo\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Better_Not_Younger_Thumbnail.png?v=1651288315\",\n\"width\": \"2292\",\n\"height\": \"2292\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29032741\/\", \n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7595365\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.jstage.jst.go.jp\/article\/sccj1979\/29\/4\/29_4_411\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6266641\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/keeps-review\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22171682\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32599587\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31988350\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28478814\/\",\n\"https:\/\/shop.drbronner.com\/collections\/hair-care\",\n\"https:\/\/better-notyounger.com\/pages\/our-story\",\n\"https:\/\/www.fakespot.com\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WeAreBetterNotYounger\/reviews\/\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"hops extract\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"caffeine\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"phenoxyethanol\"\n},\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"Instagram\"\n},\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"Dr. Bronner's\"\n},\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"Sonsoles\"\n}\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2022-04-30\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ], \n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Better_Not_Younger_Review_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1651288291\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eB\u003c\/span\u003eetter Not Younger is a women’s hair care brand targeting women over 40. They claim that their products are designed for aging hair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll review the ingredients in some of the brand’s most popular products based on published medical research to assess whether we believe they’re likely to improve the quality of aging hair, or if we recommend alternatives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter Not Younger Hair Serum Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Better_Not_Younger_Hair_Serum_Ingredients.png?v=1651290607\" alt=\"Better Not Younger Hair Serum ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger’s Hair Serum, called “Superpower,” is their most popular product. It’s to be applied to the scalp and massaged in before washing, and the brand claims this product strengthens and promotes healthier hair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe first botanical active ingredient in this serum is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003egotu kola extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. One \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29032741\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003etest tube study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that this compound may support healthy hair growth, but test tube studies don’t necessarily translate to human studies so this is a weak standard of evidence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCastor oil\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is the second-listed botanical ingredient in Superpower serum, and a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7595365\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e of botanical ingredients for hair loss concluded that there was “no clinical evidence to support” its use. We can’t locate any other medical studies suggesting that castor oil improves hair quality in any way.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHops extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is one ingredient in this formulation with promising early research backing its efficacy. A \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstage.jst.go.jp\/article\/sccj1979\/29\/4\/29_4_411\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003estudy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan found that hops extract not only repaired damaged hair in human trials but also had promise for anti-balding effect, because it inhibits an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase which is directly associated with balding (especially in men).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnother effective ingredient in this product is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003elicorice extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, which was proven in an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6266641\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003einteresting medical study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to be more effective than standard commercial shampoo at improving hair quality. Specifically, the cleansing ability of the licorice shampoo outperformed the regular shampoo. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCaffeine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is an efficacious choice for a shampoo, as a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32599587\/\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/a\u003e of topical caffeine uses stated the following: “...caffeine to alleviate hair loss may provide a much-needed alternative to drug-based approaches.” The compound has essentially no side effects when used topically at appropriate doses, while pharmaceutical hair loss compounds often have several (see our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/keeps-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eKeeps review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article for more on those side effects).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNiacinamide\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e does not improve hair growth, but it may improve hair thickness according to a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22171682\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e that combined it with several other nutraceutical ingredients. Hair diameter increased by 10% in the group using the topical niacinamide solution.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe can’t find strong evidence of efficacy for the remaining ingredients, but they all appear safe and non-toxic. The only ingredient we find somewhat questionable is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ephenoxyethanol\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, which is a preservative found to be \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31988350\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emoderately toxic\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in medical research. We tend to recommend less harsh preservatives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe wouldn’t recommend this serum due to the phenoxyethanol inclusion, but this preservative isn’t a huge health concern compared to some other ingredients we commonly analyze in cosmetic formulations like artificial dyes. For the most part, this is an effective and well-formulated product, and certainly better than the industry average in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter Not Younger Shampoo Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Better_Not_Younger_Shampoo_Ingredients.png?v=1651290628\" alt=\"Better Not Younger Shampoo ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger’s second-best selling product is a shampoo called “Wake Up Call.” It’s quite expensive for a shampoo at $29, so we would expect a highly potent and effective formulation at that price point.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWake Up Call shampoo has two ingredients we already confirmed to be effective for hair quality in the previous section: caffeine and hops extract.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt contains several other botanical ingredients, such as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003esage extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ebamboo extract\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, but we can't identify any medical data backing these compounds for improving hair quality. Put simply, we can’t find any ingredients in this shampoo that didn’t already exist in Better Not Younger’s hair serum that are effective.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWake Up Call shampoo contains the preservative we discussed in the previous section phenoxyethanol, but it also contains an ingredient we believe to be more of a health risk: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003efragrance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFragrance was described as a “pervasive health risk” in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28478814\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eresearch paper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the Medical Hypotheses journal in 2017. It’s a term which encompasses a wide variety of compounds; some of which are likely safe and some of which are likely not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWithout knowing which fragrance chemicals are used, we can’t determine safety, which is why we recommend that consumers choose fragrance-free personal care products.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe find the shampoo formulation overall to be inferior to the hair serum formulation, and would not recommend it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFake Social Following?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEngagement rate is a good metric that consumers can use to check whether a brand may have paid for their social following.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger has an absurdly low engagement rate on Instagram. They have 21,700 followers, and their most recent post at the time of writing has 3 comments. That’s an engagement rate of 0.01%. For every 7,000 followers Better Not Younger has, one of them commented on the post.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt’s also notable that the brand’s Twitter only has 156 followers. Such a discrepancy makes no sense.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou can never tell for sure whether a brand has purchased followers online, but engagement rates as low as this indicate they may have, and it would be an ethical red flag if they did. Transparency is important.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter Alternative\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe recommend \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/shop.drbronner.com\/collections\/hair-care\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDr. Bronner’s hair products\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e over Better Not Younger, because they are all effectively formulated with no questionable additive ingredients. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe have no affiliation with this brand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDr. Bronner’s Organic Hair Rinse contains thickening and conditioning natural ingredients like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ecoconut oil\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eshikakai powder\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, but most importantly it contains no synthetic preservatives or fragrance. It’s naturally fragranced using organic lemon oil and organic orange oil.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis product is also only $9.99, which is less than half of the price of Better Not Younger’s shampoo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter Not Younger Pros and Cons\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHere are some quick takeaways to consider when evaluating a purchase from Better Not Younger:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePros:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEffective hair serum formulation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eParaben-free\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAesthetically-pleasing products\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCons:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePoor shampoo formulation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVery expensive\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePotentially fake Instagram following\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eUses synthetic preservative phenoxyethanol\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter Not Younger Pricing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger products are available for sale on their website, on Amazon, and on Ulta Beauty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe prices are slightly worse on their website and slightly better on Amazon at the time of writing. Here are the current prices for the products we reviewed:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSuperpower Hair Serum\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWebsite: $68\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eUlta: $61\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAmazon: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e$59\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWake Up Call Shampoo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWebsite: $29\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eUlta: $27\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAmazon: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e$24.30\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe don’t understand why so many eCommerce companies outprice themselves on their own website, but this shows why it’s important to check all authorized retailers before making a purchase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNo Public Team\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe generally think it’s a good sign when a health and wellness company has a public team of credentialed medical experts. It takes a lot of expertise to formulate an effective and safe product, and a company with scientists and researchers on their team is more likely to do so in our opinion (and based on our past reviews).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger has a public founder, named Sonsoles, who worked in the beauty industry for 25 years according to the brand’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/better-notyounger.com\/pages\/our-story\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAbout\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e page. However there is no mention of any relevant scientific or medical credentials she possesses, and while the page makes vague reference to experts on their team, there are no specific references explaining who they are.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is a minor red flag in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eUser Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger has favorable user reviews on their Amazon listings. They receive an A grade (which is the highest grade) as a brand on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.fakespot.com\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFakeSpot\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, which is an algorithm that detects likely fake Amazon reviews.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt’s a good sign that Better Not Younger is not trying to game the system with fake reviews, and an ethical green flag.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTheir hair serum has a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5, with 48 5-star reviews out of 84 total reviews at the time of writing. The most popular positive review of this product highlights that it’s vegan and paraben-free, and that it left their hair feeling “lustrous.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe most popular negative review still gave the product 3 out of 5 stars, but complained about the smell and feel:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eI won't go in to details here but just say that between the weird scent and the way my scalp tingled and itched and my hair felt 'dirty' - I can't use it”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe more concerning negative reviews are on the brand’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WeAreBetterNotYounger\/reviews\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFacebook page\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, where the brand doesn't even appear to respond to negative user reviews or try to resolve the stated issues. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAny consumer can complain (accurately or falsely) about anything, but we find it to be a red flag when a brand doesn’t publicly explain their side of the story or try to resolve the issue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBetter Not Younger is a slightly better-than-average personal care products brand. Both of their top-selling products that we reviewed contained some effective ingredients, but also contained some filler ingredients that we recommend avoiding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe products are well-designed and we appreciate that the brand doesn’t make misleading claims of “clinical efficacy” just because they designed a user study like so many cosmetics brands do. However we find their Instagram engagement rate concerning and suggestive that the brand may have purchased followers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe believe that Dr. Bronner’s products are better options for hair care, because their formulations contain no preservatives or fragrance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2022-04-30T11:03:21-04:00","updated_at":"2022-12-21T13:51:01-05:00","summary_html":"We review every ingredient in Better Not Younger's hair serum and shampoo based on published medical research to determine if the products are likely to be effective.","template_suffix":"","handle":"better-not-younger-review","tags":"_related:anti-aging, _related:hair"}

Better Not Younger Review: Perfect for Aging Hair?

Better Not Younger Review: Perfect for Aging Hair?


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Better Not Younger is a women’s hair care brand targeting women over 40. They claim that their products are designed for aging hair.

In this article we’ll review the ingredients in some of the brand’s most popular products based on published medical research to assess whether we believe they’re likely to improve the quality of aging hair, or if we recommend alternatives.

Better Not Younger Hair Serum Review

Better Not Younger Hair Serum ingredients

Better Not Younger’s Hair Serum, called “Superpower,” is their most popular product. It’s to be applied to the scalp and massaged in before washing, and the brand claims this product strengthens and promotes healthier hair.

The first botanical active ingredient in this serum is gotu kola extract. One test tube study found that this compound may support healthy hair growth, but test tube studies don’t necessarily translate to human studies so this is a weak standard of evidence.

Castor oil is the second-listed botanical ingredient in Superpower serum, and a medical review of botanical ingredients for hair loss concluded that there was “no clinical evidence to support” its use. We can’t locate any other medical studies suggesting that castor oil improves hair quality in any way.

Hops extract is one ingredient in this formulation with promising early research backing its efficacy. A study published in the Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan found that hops extract not only repaired damaged hair in human trials but also had promise for anti-balding effect, because it inhibits an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase which is directly associated with balding (especially in men).

Another effective ingredient in this product is licorice extract, which was proven in an interesting medical study to be more effective than standard commercial shampoo at improving hair quality. Specifically, the cleansing ability of the licorice shampoo outperformed the regular shampoo. 

Caffeine is an efficacious choice for a shampoo, as a medical review of topical caffeine uses stated the following: “...caffeine to alleviate hair loss may provide a much-needed alternative to drug-based approaches.” The compound has essentially no side effects when used topically at appropriate doses, while pharmaceutical hair loss compounds often have several (see our Keeps review article for more on those side effects).

Niacinamide does not improve hair growth, but it may improve hair thickness according to a medical study that combined it with several other nutraceutical ingredients. Hair diameter increased by 10% in the group using the topical niacinamide solution.

We can’t find strong evidence of efficacy for the remaining ingredients, but they all appear safe and non-toxic. The only ingredient we find somewhat questionable is phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative found to be moderately toxic in medical research. We tend to recommend less harsh preservatives.

We wouldn’t recommend this serum due to the phenoxyethanol inclusion, but this preservative isn’t a huge health concern compared to some other ingredients we commonly analyze in cosmetic formulations like artificial dyes. For the most part, this is an effective and well-formulated product, and certainly better than the industry average in our opinion.

Better Not Younger Shampoo Review

Better Not Younger Shampoo ingredients

Better Not Younger’s second-best selling product is a shampoo called “Wake Up Call.” It’s quite expensive for a shampoo at $29, so we would expect a highly potent and effective formulation at that price point.

Wake Up Call shampoo has two ingredients we already confirmed to be effective for hair quality in the previous section: caffeine and hops extract.

It contains several other botanical ingredients, such as sage extract and bamboo extract, but we can't identify any medical data backing these compounds for improving hair quality. Put simply, we can’t find any ingredients in this shampoo that didn’t already exist in Better Not Younger’s hair serum that are effective.

Wake Up Call shampoo contains the preservative we discussed in the previous section phenoxyethanol, but it also contains an ingredient we believe to be more of a health risk: fragrance.

Fragrance was described as a “pervasive health risk” in a research paper published in the Medical Hypotheses journal in 2017. It’s a term which encompasses a wide variety of compounds; some of which are likely safe and some of which are likely not.

Without knowing which fragrance chemicals are used, we can’t determine safety, which is why we recommend that consumers choose fragrance-free personal care products.

We find the shampoo formulation overall to be inferior to the hair serum formulation, and would not recommend it.

Fake Social Following?

Engagement rate is a good metric that consumers can use to check whether a brand may have paid for their social following.

Better Not Younger has an absurdly low engagement rate on Instagram. They have 21,700 followers, and their most recent post at the time of writing has 3 comments. That’s an engagement rate of 0.01%. For every 7,000 followers Better Not Younger has, one of them commented on the post.

It’s also notable that the brand’s Twitter only has 156 followers. Such a discrepancy makes no sense.

You can never tell for sure whether a brand has purchased followers online, but engagement rates as low as this indicate they may have, and it would be an ethical red flag if they did. Transparency is important.

Better Alternative

We recommend Dr. Bronner’s hair products over Better Not Younger, because they are all effectively formulated with no questionable additive ingredients. 

We have no affiliation with this brand.

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hair Rinse contains thickening and conditioning natural ingredients like coconut oil and shikakai powder, but most importantly it contains no synthetic preservatives or fragrance. It’s naturally fragranced using organic lemon oil and organic orange oil.

This product is also only $9.99, which is less than half of the price of Better Not Younger’s shampoo.

Better Not Younger Pros and Cons

Here are some quick takeaways to consider when evaluating a purchase from Better Not Younger:

Pros:

  • Effective hair serum formulation
  • Paraben-free
  • Aesthetically-pleasing products

Cons:

  • Poor shampoo formulation
  • Very expensive
  • Potentially fake Instagram following
  • Uses synthetic preservative phenoxyethanol

Better Not Younger Pricing

Better Not Younger products are available for sale on their website, on Amazon, and on Ulta Beauty.

The prices are slightly worse on their website and slightly better on Amazon at the time of writing. Here are the current prices for the products we reviewed:

Superpower Hair Serum

Website: $68

Ulta: $61

Amazon: $59

Wake Up Call Shampoo

Website: $29

Ulta: $27

Amazon: $24.30

We don’t understand why so many eCommerce companies outprice themselves on their own website, but this shows why it’s important to check all authorized retailers before making a purchase.

No Public Team

We generally think it’s a good sign when a health and wellness company has a public team of credentialed medical experts. It takes a lot of expertise to formulate an effective and safe product, and a company with scientists and researchers on their team is more likely to do so in our opinion (and based on our past reviews).

Better Not Younger has a public founder, named Sonsoles, who worked in the beauty industry for 25 years according to the brand’s About page. However there is no mention of any relevant scientific or medical credentials she possesses, and while the page makes vague reference to experts on their team, there are no specific references explaining who they are.

This is a minor red flag in our opinion.

User Reviews

Better Not Younger has favorable user reviews on their Amazon listings. They receive an A grade (which is the highest grade) as a brand on FakeSpot, which is an algorithm that detects likely fake Amazon reviews.

It’s a good sign that Better Not Younger is not trying to game the system with fake reviews, and an ethical green flag.

Their hair serum has a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5, with 48 5-star reviews out of 84 total reviews at the time of writing. The most popular positive review of this product highlights that it’s vegan and paraben-free, and that it left their hair feeling “lustrous.”

The most popular negative review still gave the product 3 out of 5 stars, but complained about the smell and feel:

I won't go in to details here but just say that between the weird scent and the way my scalp tingled and itched and my hair felt 'dirty' - I can't use it”

The more concerning negative reviews are on the brand’s Facebook page, where the brand doesn't even appear to respond to negative user reviews or try to resolve the stated issues. 

Any consumer can complain (accurately or falsely) about anything, but we find it to be a red flag when a brand doesn’t publicly explain their side of the story or try to resolve the issue.

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Conclusion

Better Not Younger is a slightly better-than-average personal care products brand. Both of their top-selling products that we reviewed contained some effective ingredients, but also contained some filler ingredients that we recommend avoiding.

The products are well-designed and we appreciate that the brand doesn’t make misleading claims of “clinical efficacy” just because they designed a user study like so many cosmetics brands do. However we find their Instagram engagement rate concerning and suggestive that the brand may have purchased followers.

We believe that Dr. Bronner’s products are better options for hair care, because their formulations contain no preservatives or fragrance.




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