CUTICLE PROTECTION TREATMENT
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
Nioxin
Pro Clinical Density Defend Hair Booster Serum
Scalp treatment
- Scalp treatment
- serum
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
- Curly-method
- Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size3.38 fl oz (100 ml)
Price$55–75commonly seen · 3.38 oz
Price / oz$16.67/ozat 3.38 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $55.00–94.60
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Manufacturer page: nioxin.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 19 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.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
Low
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
Present
Not in your profile
Show all 19 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
34 ingredientsA long list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Prestige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Salons · Specialty beauty +1Widely sold
Not in your profile
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
Upper-mid price for a scalp treatment
$16.67/oz at 3.38 oz, more than 71% of the 280 scalp treatments , which mostly run $3.84–19.05/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Easy to findsold through several channels
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Silicone-free routinesit does contain silicones, the water-soluble kind
Vegan and cruelty-freeour record does not support both claims here
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
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.
Slip and detangling
Some
Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Water-binding (humectants)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
Rinses with water
The silicones here are the water-soluble kind.
Hard-water defence
None
No chelating agent in the list.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
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 | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| WaterEau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Phenoxyethanol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| Benzyl Alcohol | preservative | Keeps the product from spoiling | Stabilizes |
| PEG-23M | polymer | Supports the hold | Holds |
| Acetamide MEA | humectant | Adds a little water-binding | Detangles |
| Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer | thickener | Adjusts the texture | Holds |
| PEG-12 Dimethicone | emollient | A softening touch, low in the list | Shine |
| Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| FragranceParfum/Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil | botanical extract | A trace plant extract | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or drying alcohols. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label.
Full ingredient list (34)
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
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
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
-
3
Water
· Eau
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
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
4
Phenoxyethanol
General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
-
5
Benzyl Alcohol
General function
A preservative and solvent that also occurs naturally in some essential oils.
Estimated lower-concentration zonePubChemIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- preservative
- solvent
-
6
PEG-23M
General function
A polyethylene glycol polymer used to adjust product thickness and help keep emulsions stable.
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.
- polymer
- thickener
- binder
-
7
Acetamide MEA
General function
A humectant that also improves slip, used in conditioners and styling creams.
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.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHumectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.
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
- conditioning agent
-
8
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
General function
A gel-forming thickener that also keeps oils suspended. It contributes a little hold.
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 suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingSynthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSome acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
-
9
PEG-12 Dimethicone
General function
A water-soluble silicone that smooths without the build-up concern of standard silicones.
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 suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDelivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.
- emollient
- silicone
- water-soluble silicone
-
10
Triethanolamine
General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic polymers so a gel thickens.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
11
Polysorbate 80
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
12
Polysorbate 60
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
13
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
14
Tocopheryl Nicotinate
- antioxidant
- 15 Methyl Nicotinate
-
16
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
General function
Cornmint oil, used for a cooling sensation and mint scent.
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
-
17
Fragrance
· Parfum/Fragrance
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
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
- declared fragrance
-
18
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
19
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
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 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
-
20
Silica
General function
A fine mineral powder that absorbs oil and adds grip. It is what makes texture powders and matte pastes feel dry to the touch.
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 suitFine or easily flattened hairA dry powder takes up oil and adds friction between strands, which is most of what root lift in fine hair actually is.
- powder
- thickener
- mineral
-
21
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
General function
Peppermint essential oil, used for scent and the cooling feeling on the scalp.
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 routinesEssential oils are fragrance. Several carry constituents on the EU list of declared fragrance allergens, so a label with no fragrance line can still be a scented product.
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
- 22 Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
-
23
Limonene
General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
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 not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
24
Lecithin
General function
A soy- or sunflower-derived lipid that helps conditioning ingredients spread evenly on the strand.
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.
- emulsifier
- emollient
-
25
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
- botanical extract
-
26
Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract
- botanical extract
-
27
Carrageenan
· Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract
General function
A seaweed gum that thickens and adds slip.
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 suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
- gum
- thickener
- 28 Prunus Persica (Peach) Juice
-
29
Centella Asiatica Extract
- botanical extract
-
30
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
- 31 Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract
-
32
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
- botanical extract
-
33
BHT
- antioxidant
-
34
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
What the whole list adds up to
- 7 botanical extracts
- 5 solvents
- 5 thickeners
- 4 preservatives
- 4 fragrances
- 3 emulsifiers
- 2 polymers
- 2 humectants
- 2 emollients
- 2 solubilizers
- 2 antioxidants
- 1 binder
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 film former
Ingredient list captured 2026-09-11. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 3.38 oz
Commonly seen
$55–75
Good value under
$9
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $9 line; products that do this job typically go for about $11 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it3 listings · 3 stores
-
Amazon
$55.003.38 oz · $16.27/ozSep 13Lowest per oz
-
Ulta Beauty
$55.003.3 oz · $16.67/ozSep 11
-
LookFantastic
$94.603.38 oz · $27.99/ozSep 11
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. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.
How we work this out
- 3.38 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 3.38 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $9 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.55/oz; at 3.38 oz that is $9. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $11 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 3.38 oz.
Formula
3
Formula score
3 of 10
Mid-range per ounce for a shorter formula: there is no conditioning agents up front here.
How the score is counted
- 6 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 71% 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.
Head & ShouldersFragrance-free
BARE Itchy Scalp Relief Serum
$3.09/oz $13.58/oz less
- Scalp active
- Fragrance-free
- Protein-free
- Function
- Also
Head & ShouldersClose function
Royal Oils Instant Soothe Scalp Elixir
$2.56/oz $14.11/oz less
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
PanteneLowest cost per oz
New Lengths Scalp Revitalizing Treatment
$2.52/oz $14.15/oz less
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Alcohol-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 personBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, for a protein-free formula and something that will not weigh hair down
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, silicone-free routines, or vegan and cruelty-free shopping
Best alternative if not
Head & Shoulders BARE Itchy Scalp Relief 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.
Claims check
What the brand says, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
0
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
2
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
protects the diameter of hair strands
This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.
—
Stated by brand
Can’t be confirmed from label.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
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 users find the serum easy to use and light enough for fine hair.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1184533720, 1183219050Burning, redness or scalp irritation makes the treatment uncomfortable for some users.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1180174993, 1170241710, 1169402610, 1169084489Some users describe sticky or brittle hair after applying the serum.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1169402610, 1169084489Visible thickening is inconsistent, with some users seeing no clear change.
US exact-product reviewer accounts; promotional sampling appears in the corpus. Review IDs: 1183219050, 1169906442, 1170241710More from Nioxin
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.
- 8 sources consulted for this product (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 5 editorial), last checked 2026-09-13.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 12 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 2026-10-03.
