5 Popular Hair Growth Supplements, Compared: What's Actually in the Bottle?
We looked at the labels, doses, biotin content and price of five well-known formulas. Here's how they stack up.
Hair supplements are everywhere — gummies, liquids, 4-capsule-a-day premium formulas. But many of them ask you to trust what you can't see: doses hidden inside "proprietary blends" and mega-doses of biotin that most people don't need.
So we put five popular options side by side and compared what's actually on the label.
How we compared: we looked at what's actually on each label — format, daily serving, biotin content, whether every ingredient dose is disclosed, and approximate monthly price. We ranked them from #5 to #1 by how transparent and targeted we think each formula is.
Weem Hair, Skin & Nails GummiesBest for: people who just want an easy, tasty gummy
Weem is a vegan, biotin-based hair, skin & nails gummy. It's cheap and easy to take — but at its core it's a multivitamin in candy form, without the targeted hair actives you'll find further up this list.
- Cheap and tastes like candy
- No hair-specific actives at meaningful doses — it's basically a sweet multivitamin
- Independent reviewers (e.g. Illuminate Labs) concluded it's unlikely to do much for hair growth
- Biotin-based — high biotin intake can skew common blood tests
- Gummy format — check the label for added sugar and fillers in every serving
Bottom line: Tasty and cheap — but if your goal is thicker hair, this is a candy-shaped multivitamin, not a hair formula.
MaryRuth's Hair Growth Max LiposomalBest for: people who prefer a liquid over pills
The purple bottle you've probably seen everywhere. It contains Lustriva®, an ingredient that has been clinically studied in women for hair thickness, plus saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil in an almond-cookie-flavored liposomal liquid.
- Liquid — no pills to swallow
- 10,000 mcg of biotin — 33,333% of the daily value, far more than anyone needs
- High-dose biotin is known to interfere with lab tests, including thyroid and cardiac markers
- Key herbs are hidden in proprietary blends — you can't see the doses
- 70 calories per tablespoon; contains almond
Bottom line: A mega-dose of biotin in a cookie-flavored liquid, with the important doses hidden. Hard to recommend.
Viviscal Hair Growth SupplementBest for: a long-established brand name
One of the longest-running names in hair supplements. The formula is built around AminoMar®, a proprietary marine complex sourced from fish and shellfish, plus biotin, zinc, vitamin C and iron.
- Long-established brand name
- Core ingredient is a proprietary "marine complex" — you can't see what's really in it
- Made from fish and shellfish — not vegan, and a no-go with seafood allergies
- Contains biotin
- Its clinical studies are largely brand-sponsored
Bottom line: An old name with an old-school formula: a hidden marine blend, biotin and seafood allergens.
Nutrafol WomenBest for: a premium whole-body approach (if budget isn't an issue)
The best-known — and most expensive — name in the category. Physician-formulated with 21 ingredients — including marine collagen, saw palmetto, curcumin, tocotrienols and ashwagandha — aimed at stress, hormones and nutrition.
- Long ingredient list
- Overpriced: ~$88 a month — more than double most alternatives
- The brand advises 3–6 months of daily use — that's roughly $260–$530 before you know if it works for you
- 4 capsules every single day
- Key ingredients locked inside proprietary blends ("Synergen Complex") — you can't see individual doses
- Contains ashwagandha and biotin
Bottom line: It may work for some — but you'll pay a premium for months, swallow 4 pills a day and still not know exactly what you're taking.
Denra Daily DensityBest for: people who want to know exactly what they're taking
Daily Density takes a different approach from most hair supplements: no proprietary blends and no mega-dose biotin.
Every one of its 11 ingredients is listed with its exact dose — including 320 mg saw palmetto, 250 mg L-cystine and 100 mg mixed tocotrienols, plus vitamin D3, zinc and copper bisglycinate, selenium, B6, B12, vitamin C and K2. All formulated with RCT-studied ingredients, in just 2 capsules a day.
No biotin (so no lab-test surprises), no ashwagandha, no sugar, no gummy fillers — at less than half the monthly price of the premium option above.
- Every dose on the label — no proprietary blend
- No biotin, no ashwagandha, no sugar
- Just 2 capsules a day
- Less than half the monthly price of Nutrafol
- Third-party tested, vegetarian capsule
- Unisex adult formula
- Like any supplement, it takes time — take it daily for at least 3 months
Bottom line: If you want a serious, fully transparent formula without mega-dose biotin or a premium price tag, this is our top pick.
Side-by-side comparison
| Product | Format | Daily serving | Biotin | All doses disclosed | Approx. price / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denra Daily Density | Capsule | 2 | None | Yes | $39 |
| Nutrafol Women | Capsule | 4 | Yes | No | ~$88 |
| Viviscal | Tablet | 2 | Yes | Partly | ~$40–50 |
| MaryRuth's Hair Growth Max | Liquid | 1 tbsp | 10,000 mcg | No | ~$55–65 |
| Weem Gummies | Gummy | — | Yes | — | ~$25 |
Based on publicly available labels and retail listings, October 2026. Prices are approximate one-time-purchase prices and vary by retailer.
Ready to see what's actually in your supplement?
Denra Daily Density: 11 ingredients, every dose on the label, no biotin, 2 capsules a day.
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