In-Vitro Testing for Mamaearth Onion Shampoo

A: It reduces hair breakage during washing, which is a real and everyday part of the hair you see in the shower. In an in-vitro study on human hair swatches it recorded 91% less hair fall after one wash compared to a non-conditioning shampoo. Shedding from the follicle is a separate matter, driven by hormones, health, stress and genetics, and is best addressed alongside your topical routine.

A: No. It was tested on human hair swatches in a laboratory, which is what in-vitro means. It is a controlled, reproducible way to measure how well a shampoo protects hair fibres during washing.

A: They do different jobs and were tested differently. The shampoo was tested in-vitro on fibre breakage during washing. The Onion Hair Oil was tested clinically on human volunteers and reduced hair fall by 95% over 14 days versus a neutral hair oil. Most people use both: oil before washing, shampoo to cleanse.

A: Yes, if your scalp gets oily. It is sulfate-free with mild surfactants. Most people do not need daily washing, and three to four times a week is usually enough.

A: It is sulfate-free and contains cationic conditioning polymers, plant keratin, hydrolysed lupine protein and panthenol, which is why it measures well on breakage. Follow with the matching conditioner on the lengths.

A: Yes. The formula is unisex and suitable for all hair types.

A: This study measured fibre breakage during a single wash, which is a fibre endpoint. For growth, the Rosemary Hair Growth Oil was studied over 12 weeks on exactly that endpoint.

A: No. It uses onion seed extract and onion seed water rather than raw onion juice, and includes an IFRA-certified fragrance.

A: The study tested the finished product, where all the ingredients work together. Mechanically, the conditioning polymers and the protein complex are what reduce breakage during washing, with onion as the formula’s signature ingredient.

A: Yes. It is sulfate-free, silicone-free and paraben-free, which is the profile generally preferred for coloured hair.

A: It helps. Breakage happens mostly when hair is wet and being combed, and a conditioner reduces the friction at exactly that moment. Apply it to mid-lengths and ends, not the scalp.

A: Because of what it is measured against. A non-conditioning shampoo is a laboratory control containing no conditioning agents at all, so comparing against it isolates exactly what the conditioning system contributes - which is why the difference is so clear. Both the test conditions and the comparator are stated here so the figure can be read in context.

Start by identifying which kind you have. Hair snapping mid-length is breakage, and a shampoo helps directly - this one recorded 91% less hair fall after one wash in an in-vitro study on hair swatches, against a non-conditioning control. Hair coming out from the root is shedding, driven by hormones, nutrition and thyroid function, and is best addressed alongside your topical routine.

For breakage, one with a conditioning system that reduces friction while hair is wet - cationic polymers and proteins, which is what this formula uses. For shedding from the root, the useful next step is identifying the underlying cause, often with a simple blood test. Knowing which of the two you are dealing with makes everything else easier.

Roughly 50 to 100 hairs a day is completely normal, and it looks like far more when it collects over several days in the shower drain. Tracking the trend over weeks is a more reliable guide than counting on any one day.

Indirectly, and usually temporarily - scratching an itchy scalp breaks hairs mechanically. Settling the flaking usually settles the shedding with it. If shedding continues once the scalp is clear, a doctor can look at what else might be going on.

Iron most commonly, particularly in women, then vitamin D and B12, with thyroid function worth checking too. For sudden or persistent hair fall, a simple blood test is the most useful next step, and topical care works best alongside it.

The fastest wins are all mechanical: a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, looser ponytails, gentle towel-drying and less heat. Wet hair is at its most fragile, so what you do in and just after the shower makes more difference than most people expect - and that is exactly the window this shampoo was tested in.

For breakage during washing, this one has a measured result - 91% fewer fibres detached in an in-vitro swatch test versus a non-conditioning shampoo. Mechanically that comes from the conditioning polymers and the protein complex working together, with onion as the formula’s signature ingredient. The published onion research relates to crude onion juice in alopecia areata, which is separate published context.

No - it uses onion seed extract and onion seed water rather than raw juice, so it has a clean fragrance. The strong smell people associate with home onion remedies comes from sulphur compounds in fresh juice.