Probiotic-infused shampoo is a new trend to watch, as consumers grow increasingly health-conscious about not only what they put in their bodies, but what they put on them. Probiotics—microorganisms that produce healthful benefits within the body, such as maintaining or even producing beneficial bacteria, and are especially known for aiding the digestive tract—have generally been packaged for consumption, whether pertaining to health or beauty.
But in recent years, probiotic shampoos have been appearing more frequently on the market, boasting healthier hair and scalps as benefits that result with regular use. MotherDirt Shampoo, which is preservative free and has recently extended the expiration date of its product to six months, takes the probiotic shampoo up a notch. The formula highlights its six plant-based ingredients that enable users to extend the time between shampoos. Another brand, Onesta’s Probiotic Color Care Shampoo, includes organic ingredients, and markets its probiotic ingredients as helping protect the scalp, along with quinoa and vegetable proteins that are included to help protect and strengthen damaged hair. Baroness’ And Yoghurt of Bulgaria Probiotic Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo promises stronger, more manageable hair, via a combination of hydrolyzed yogurt protein, eight percent urea, creatine and natural Bulgarian rose oil. It refers to its combination of ingredients as a “powerful cellular regenerator.”
Consumers have posted rave reviews on some of these products, sharing a variety of benefits, from shinier, thicker hair to becoming dandruff-free. And consumers seem to enjoy the concept of adding good bacteria to their bodies to balance out the fact that modern-day living is stripping away a lot of good, natural bacteria. All this said, not all researchers are convinced that probiotics in products such as shampoos are truly serving their purpose, as many believe that the probiotics must be ingested in order to reach the gut alive to truly be effective. Still, consumers seem to be seeing benefits. Stores considering adding probiotic shampoo to their offerings may want to consider doing additional research to intelligently talk about probiotic shampoos with its consumers.
[Image courtesy of MotherDirt]