Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum
Scalp treatment
- Scalp treatment
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Vegan · brand states
- Cruelty-free · Leaping Bunny-listed
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.
Manufacturer page: better-notyounger.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 20 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Show all 20 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Same job for less elsewhere
$28.50/oz at 2 oz, more than 88% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/oz.
Great for
Maybe skip if
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.
No oils or butters in the list.
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Humectants near the top: binding water is one of its main jobs.
Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient.
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
No chelating agent in the list.
No fragrance is listed.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterAqua (Deionized Water) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Polysorbate 20Polysorbate-20 | solubilizer | Keeps oils dissolved in water | Stabilizes |
| Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract | botanical extract | A plant extract, there as much for marketing as for function | Neutral |
| Butylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| PPG-26-Buteth-26 | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil | solubilizer | Keeps oils dissolved in water | Stabilizes |
| Apigenin | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Stabilizes |
| Oleanolic Acid | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Neutral |
| Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 | vitamin | A trace vitamin addition | Protein |
| Caffeine | active | A secondary active | Active |
| Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein | film former | A supporting film former | Protein |
| Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
Full ingredient list (28)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Water
· Aqua (Deionized Water)
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Polysorbate 20
· Polysorbate-20
General function
Keeps fragrance and oils dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
3
Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract
General function
An extract of Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica). Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- botanical extract
-
4
Butylene Glycol
General function
A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.
- humectant
- solvent
-
5
PPG-26-Buteth-26
General function
A solubiliser used with PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil to keep oils dissolved in clear liquids.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
6
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
General function
A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
7
Apigenin
General function
A plant flavonoid used at low levels in scalp and thinning-positioned products.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
8
Oleanolic Acid
General function
A plant triterpene used in scalp and thinning-positioned products at low levels.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- botanical extract
-
9
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
General function
Biotin bonded to a short peptide, included in thinning-positioned products. Evidence for applied biotin changing hair growth is limited.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemDependsVery dry or highly damaged hairUnhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.
- vitamin
- protein
-
10
Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Zingiber Officinalis (Ginger) Extract
- botanical extract
- 12 Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract
-
13
Niacinamide
General function
Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
- vitamin
- conditioning agent
-
14
Caffeine
- active
-
15
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
General function
Wheat protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It adds temporary strength and body; too much can feel stiff.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairFilling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
- 16 Fucus Vesiculosis (Seaweed) Extract
-
17
Ascorbic Acid
· Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
- antioxidant
- vitamin
- 18 Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Extract
-
19
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
20
Ceramide NG
General function
A lipid of the kind that sits naturally between cuticle scales, added to help hold a damaged surface together.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairRestoring surface lipids lowers friction between strands, which is where much of the roughness in damaged hair comes from.
May suitProtein-sensitive hairA lipid, not a protein, despite sitting alongside proteins in most repair claims. It does not carry the stiffening effect.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairCeramides are the lipid class bleaching and heat deplete. Replacing them works on the surface layer rather than adding protein stiffness.
- ceramide
- emollient
-
21
Biotin
- vitamin
-
22
Betula Alba (Birch) Extract
- botanical extract
-
23
Retinyl Palmitate
· Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
- vitamin
- antioxidant
-
24
Sodium PCA
General function
A moisture-binding ingredient that occurs naturally in hair and skin.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.
- humectant
-
25
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil
General function
The essential oil of Citrus Aurantium. Essential oils are aromatic — they are in the formula for scent, and they are a common source of declared fragrance allergens.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- botanical extract
-
26
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
27
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- preservative
- emollient
- 28 Bixa Orellana (Annatto) Extract
What the whole list adds up to
- 7 botanical extracts
- 6 vitamins
- 4 antioxidants
- 3 solubilizers
- 3 emulsifiers
- 2 solvents
- 2 humectants
- 2 proteins
- 2 emollients
- 2 preservatives
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 active
- 1 film former
- 1 hydrolysed protein
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-07. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 2 oz
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $32 line; products that do this job typically go for about $46 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 2 stores
-
Better Not Younger (brand site)
$49.002 oz · $24.50/ozOct 7Lowest per oz
-
Better Not Younger
$57.002 oz · $28.50/ozOct 8
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 2 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $57 is the price we have observed for the 2 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $32 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $16.00/oz; at 2 oz that is $32. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $46 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 2 oz.
Formula
It costs more per ounce than 88% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced, the formula leaves out conditioning agents up front, and 4 close matches sell for at least a quarter less per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 4 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 88% of the 280 scalp treatments we’ve priced
- No conditioning agents up front in the formula
- No oils or butters in the working zone either
- Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
- Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
- Vegan & CF
- Differs
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Silicone-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right person, not the lowest costPeople sensitive to fragrance, for a formula with no added fragrance and a product with no scent
Worth skipping for very dry or very humid climates, people shopping on a budget, or anyone who wants a product to smell of something
Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Soothing Serum for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Several reviewers say their hair looks shinier and healthier after using the serum.
Reviewers across hair typesMany reviewers say the serum helped thinning areas fill in and hair look thicker over time.
Reviewers with thinning hairSeveral reviewers note that visible results take time and come after long-term, steady use.
Reviewers with thinning hairMore from Better Not Younger
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
- 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.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- 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.
- 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 1 editorial), last checked 2026-10-31.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 8 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-08.
