Side by side
Nioxin Hair Fall Defense Serum vs Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum
50% function match · 4 of the 10 functions we compared match Formula overlap 0%. Nioxin Hair Fall Defense Serum and Nioxin Scalp Recovery Serum share 1 ingredient among each other's most prominent.
Which of these fits your hair?
We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.
Your profile at a glance
- Your answers appear here
- Your answers appear here
- Your answers appear here
- Your answers appear here
When each one is the right call
What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.
- Hair Fall Defense Serum — protein-sensitive hair
- Scalp Recovery Serum — flaking scalps
Side by side
Every trait, aligned
One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Fine hairthat flattens under most products
- Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
- Flaking scalpsthis carries an over-the-counter active
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
- Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
- Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
- Non-medicated routinesthis is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- protein-free
- curly-method compatible
- sulfate-free
- protein-free
Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".
The bottom line
The bottom line depends on your hair
Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.
$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.
The detail behind the table
Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.
Shared and distinct ingredients
Shared and distinct ingredients
Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.
What both formulas carry
What only one of them carries
Hair Fall Defense Serum
Full ingredient list — Hair Fall Defense Serum (16)
-
1
Alcohol Denat.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
2
Water
- solvent
-
3
Niacinamide
- vitamin
- conditioning agent
-
4
Caffeine
- active
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
5
Sandalore
- fragrance
-
6
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
7
Lauric Acid
- emulsifier
-
8
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
- 9 PEG-35 Castor Oil
-
10
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
11
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
12
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
13
Alcohol Denat.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
14
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
15
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
16
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
Full ingredient list — Scalp Recovery Serum (57)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Cetyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
3
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
- conditioning agent
-
4
Stearyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
5
Distearyldimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
-
6
Hydroxyethylcellulose
- gum
- thickener
- film former
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
7
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
8
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
9
Peg-2m
- emulsifier
-
10
Dimethicone
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
11
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
12
Cetearyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
13
Methylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
-
14
Glyceryl Stearate
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
15
Oleyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
-
16
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
- fragrance
- botanical extract
-
17
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
18
Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
19
Polysorbate 60
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
20
Propylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
21
Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
22
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
23
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
24
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
25
Silica
- powder
- thickener
- mineral
-
26
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
27
Benzyl Salicylate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
- 29 sodium polynaphthalenesulfonate
-
30
Yeast Extract
- botanical extract
-
31
Disodium Phosphate
- pH adjuster
- salt
-
32
Niacinamide
- vitamin
- conditioning agent
-
33
Panthenol
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
34
Biotin
- vitamin
-
35
Lecithin
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
36
Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
37
Ethoxydiglycol
- solvent
- humectant
-
38
DMDM Hydantoin
- formaldehyde releaser
- preservative
-
39
Maltodextrin
- absorbent
- film former
- binder
-
40
Cellulose Gum
- gum
- thickener
-
41
Sodium Phosphate
- pH adjuster
- salt
-
42
BHT
- antioxidant
-
43
Glucose
- humectant
-
44
Propylparaben
- paraben
- preservative
-
45
Lactic Acid
- pH adjuster
- humectant
- exfoliant
-
46
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
47
Betula Alba Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
48
Achillea Millefolium Extract
- botanical extract
-
49
Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract
- botanical extract
-
50
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
51
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
52
Equisetum Arvense Extract
- botanical extract
-
53
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
54
Calcium Pantothenate
- vitamin
- humectant
- 55 inositol
-
56
Caramel
- colourant
-
57
Tartaric Acid
- pH adjuster
- exfoliant
Claims check
What each brand says, against what each formula shows
Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.
Hair Fall Defense Serum
Free of parabens, sulfates, and colorants
SupportedGentler on colour and coils.
Scalp Recovery Serum
ANTI-DANDRUFF TREATMENT
SupportedA recognised active does the work.
What owners say
What people report
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.
Hair Fall Defense Serum
Several users find the serum light and non-greasy, with little residue on the hair.
US exact serum reviews; IDs1145071764 and1145071763; duplicate syndicated copies excluded.A strong cologne-like fragrance is a recurring reason users dislike or discontinue the serum.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1221842646, 1220405157, 1194007192, 1193887057, 1165028641Some reviewers report no noticeable improvement from the serum.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1145071947, 1145071837; corroborated by additional exact serum review1145071763.Scalp Recovery Serum
No review themes researched for this product yet.
Price check
Cost per ounce, in context
Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.
$15.59/oz vs $16.97/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.
Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 154 scalp treatments with a computable unit price.
Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.
Compare with something else
Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.
Hair Fall Defense Serum · Scalp Recovery Serum · All scalp treatments in the library
How this page was made
- This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
- We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
- The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 13 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.
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