PURA D'OR Shampoo & The Effects of Retinol on the Scalp

[Rainbouu]

Ok, so. I've been doing caffeine rinses on and off for years, and ironically enough, while my stomach can't stand coffee or energy drinks or anything caffeinated, my hair and scalp seem to love it. I feel that I've gained an extra couple of inches over the years as well as a result of simply applying some (cooled) freshly brewed coffee to my scalp. However, I have a healing ear piercing now, and so I've been more reluctant to put food on my head near my ears. Call me paranoid. That caused me to check the shelves at my store for caffeine-infused products for my hair...the only one that really stuck out to me is in the section for thinning hair. It's called Pura D'or, and it doesn't actually have any active clinical ingredients in it, it's just an herbal shampoo and conditioner that help with hair thinning "by preventing breakage and damage" and improving hair health. I'm a huge believer in conventional products and whatever has the most hard research, but also all of my favorite shampoos are "herbal" shampoos with an ingredients list bloated with herb extracts and oils, so I feel like I'll probably really like this Pura D'or stuff. I'm a little nervous that there's capsaicin in the formulation...the idea is that it will stimulate the scalp just like mint or caffeine, but I can see that being potentially irritating for comparatively little benefit...but who knows, I'd have to research more. I have used pain relief patches with capsaicin, and I was fine, so maybe this is formulated similarly. I certainly want to try it and report back.

Here's what gave me enough questions to pause and come to the forums first though. The matching conditioner has Retinol in it! I've started to notice the trendiest ingredients in skincare (hyaluronic acid, for example, is in EVERYTHING these days) are starting to pop up a lot in haircare as well. Retinol is a powerhouse of skincare...but I've never heard of it being used on hair until now. What are it's effects on the hair shaft? Or is this conditioner meant to be used on the scalp as well? I use a retinol serum on my face for acne scarring and it works wonders, but I have to be careful to always use a sunscreen with it...I would be really nervous about putting retinol on my scalp and having inadequate sun protection while doing so. Even IF retinol is very low on the ingredients list...

This also connects to the conversations I see occasionally about scalp care. How necessary is it really to have a whole skincare routine for your scalp, where you use a different shampoo or treatment every few days just to exfoliate, moisturize, and get anti aging benefits? I don't know anyone who does that, but it almost seems like we are inching towards that in the mainstream beauty industry.

I dunno, I have so many thoughts on this, and a lot of interest in it...but essentially, what do you guys think of this products ingredients list, which I will share blow? Are there any promising studies on the effects of retinol on the scalp and hair? What about capsaicin? Do you have a scalp care routine that involves conventional products that you buy in a store? Do you think the concept is just overkill?

Shampoo:

Decolorized Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Sodium Lauryglucosides, Hydroxypropyl Bis-Hydroxyyethyldimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Polyquaternium-73, Cocamide Mipa, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Biotin, Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) Fruit Oil, Urtica Diocia (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit Extract, Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Bark Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil, Polygonum Multiflorum (He Shou Wu) Root Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa (Hibiscus) flower Extract, Nicotinic Acid (Niacin), Zinc Gluconate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Soy Isoflavone, Beta-sitosterol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Citric Acid.

Conditioner:

Decolorized Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steramidopropyl Dimethylamine, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Squalane, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroethylcellulose, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) Fruit Oil, Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil, Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Bark Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa (Hibiscus) flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Urtica Diocia (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Beta-Sitosterol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Polygonum Multiflorum (He Shou Wu) Root Extract, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Lecithin, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Nicotinic Acid (Niacin), Biotin, Capsicum Frutescens (Cayenne) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica (Apple) Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Catalase, Caffeine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Linoleic Acid, Stearyl Glycrrhetinate, Meadowfoam Estolide, Micrococcus Lysate, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Stem Extract, Prunus Africana (pygeum) Bark Extract, Caprylhhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phospholipids, Plankton Extract, Retinol (Vitamin A), Panthenol, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid.

[Mariekeeee14]

In regards to retinol, I’ve heard regularly in regards to skincare that it isn’t very effective in wash off treatments. The retinol, I think, will only be effective in a scalp serum or scalp oil. It’s also more effective without exposure to light so it should be used at night.

That said, I’ve not heard of retinol in scalp care. It sounds like a good idea, promoting cell turnover and whatnot.

[Rainbouu]

In regards to retinol, I’ve heard regularly in regards to skincare that it isn’t very effective in wash off treatments. The retinol, I think, will only be effective in a scalp serum or scalp oil. It’s also more effective without exposure to light so it should be used at night.

That said, I’ve not heard of retinol in scalp care. It sounds like a good idea, promoting cell turnover and whatnot.

Yes, it's interesting because it's prescense along with the cayenne extract in the conditioner indicates to me that you're meant to put it on your scalp...it says for 2 minutes. Might be enough time to absorb? I can always do a patch test. Actually I wish I worked in a lab so I could grow some hair in a petri dish and just test it out on it in a controlled way. Now that would be enlightening.

[evernia]

there's a lot of "snake oil" ingredients in that combo! it seems most of those are there as a kind of ingredient marketing and might not serve any purpose. with a sulfate free shampoo, you really shouldn't apply conditioner on the scalp, i'm thinking if they wanted to give your scalp benefits of retinol, they would just put it into the shampoo and not conditioner. however, i think it's a very bad idea in any case - retinol is known for its photosensitizing properties, that's why all retinol creams tell you to wear a high SPF sunscreen religiously. i feel like a percentage that would be high enough to have the benefits of retinol would also have a high risk of these side effetcs, since you can't really put sunscreen on your scalp. getting sunburned there is nothing good and both sunburns and retinol can also give you dermatitis, which often brings hair loss with it...

[Rainbouu]

there's a lot of "snake oil" ingredients in that combo! it seems most of those are there as a kind of ingredient marketing and might not serve any purpose. with a sulfate free shampoo, you really shouldn't apply conditioner on the scalp, i'm thinking if they wanted to give your scalp benefits of retinol, they would just put it into the shampoo and not conditioner. however, i think it's a very bad idea in any case - retinol is known for its photosensitizing properties, that's why all retinol creams tell you to wear a high SPF sunscreen religiously. i feel like a percentage that would be high enough to have the benefits of retinol would also have a high risk of these side effetcs, since you can't really put sunscreen on your scalp. getting sunburned there is nothing good and both sunburns and retinol can also give you dermatitis, which often brings hair loss with it...

Yeahhh the more scrutiny I look at it with, the less sense it makes to me. I initially swapped the ingredients list of the shampoo and Conditioner in my head, so it at least made sense to me to think "ok, they're trying to put retinol and such on the scalp" but then I realized it's in the Conditioner...then I got perplexed on what system the company imagines this as a part of lol.