Nineless Root Biome Caffeine Scalp Shampoo & Ampoule Review – Dandruff & Hair Loss Treatment

Nineless has been famous for their hair care, long before their skincare took off. Their brand-new releases, caffeine-rich hair products have been a return to basics that is long welcome. Enriched with a variety of classic haircare ingredients, this set brags about its ability to restore hair root health and improve thickness. Although cosmetic products can gently improve hair thickness and growth, they have not been shown able to reverse patches of hair loss of androgen-pattern hair loss (think receding hair line and loss from the centre of the scalp. 

But, if this hair set is not able to magically reverse hair loss – what is it for? This hair set is balanced and enriched with menthol, panthenol and Nineless’s patented Root Biome complex. Balanced with refreshing botanical extracts, such as ginseng, heartleaf and probiotics – it's ideally designed to help tackle dandruff and hair fall due to clogged pores on the scalp and poor circulation. Simply put, this is ideal if you have flaky skin, or diffuse thinning hair from all over your scalp. So, can it make truly visible effects in just three weeks of use? Let’s see the before-and-after! 

Although the shampoo and ampoule have slightly different formulations (to allow for their unique functions), they have a few common ingredients that allow your hair to shine and grow: 

Panthenol: soothing and hydrating vitamin B5 that helps nourish and heal damaged and irritated skin on your scalp. 

Caffeine: helps stimulate hair growth and improve circulation to individual hair roots, for demonstrated improvement of hair thickness and healthy growth. 

Menthol: cooling agent that helps restore blood flow to damaged roots for improved hair health and reduced inflammation of scalp. 

Allantoin: soothing and moisturizing emollient that helps soothe scalp and improve cell turnover to clear pores and preventing frizziness. 

Red Ginseng extract: rich healing agent that helps stimulate follicle growth, preventing hair loss and loss of follicles over time, for improved and lasting hair density. 

Niacinamide: enriching vitamin B3 that helps boost circulation of the scalp and reduce hair breakage. Works synergistically with panthenol to improve hair strength and thickness. 

Bacillus/Lactobacillus probiotics: important skin-protective agent that helps improve hair thickness, reduce itching of scalp and provides vital enzymes for hair shine. 

Biotin: enriching vitamin B7 that helps support keratin production for new hair strands, improving hair density and thickness. 

Turmeric: powerful antioxidant that reduces cell stress, improves texture of hair and reduces dandruff flaking and irritation. 

Ginkgo nut extract: enriching extract that helps improve circulation of scalp, boosts nutrients and cools redness and itching. 

This has a variety of active agents in it and should not be used over very broken or irritated skin. It also should not be used in dry hair, due to the exfoliating agents within the shampoo, it can exacerbate dryness. It’s perfect in dandruff or oily scalps, helping provide relief and unclogging pores that may be leading to hair loss. 

This hair set is, in my opinion, a perfect duo for dandruff and oily scalp care. I have moderate dandruff, that is itchy if I go even a day or so without washing with a dandruff shampoo and my entire scalp can get inflamed and irritated. The menthol/panthenol combination in the shampoo provides instant relief to an irritated scalp and following up with the massaging ampoule was amazing. The ampoule is small, but has a little massaging head that feels amazing to use.  

The shampoo only needs to be used on the scalp to reduce oil build-up and has a pleasant, herbal scent. I ended up using it every other day and within two weeks it helped clear flaking dandruff and completely soothe my scalp. I followed this with daily use of the ampoule, which once you massage all over gives an amazing, tingly and cooling effect from the menthol (about 1-2 minutes after application). It’s just the perfect thing after having scalp irritation and I would recommend the ampoule to anyone who just needs a little extra TLC for a tender scalp. 

You can see the clear before and after of 3 weeks using both together. There was a complete reduction in dandruff flaking, clearing of scalp and reduction in redness. Not just that, there was an improvement in hair thickness and shine, which just shows how effective this combination is together. I wouldn’t recommend it for dry hair (the agents together would be too exfoliating and it has little hydration benefit), but for oily scalp it’s an amazing duo. The main downside is the little ampoule is quite small and you are likely to run out quite quickly with daily use (mine ran out after two weeks). You still need a good conditioner to use after your shampoo to maintain shine, but if you are after dandruff treatment – this is a great addition to try. 

Nineless has always made quality and interesting hair products and their latest duo is a great success. It’s important to only use it if the intention matches your hair type (i.e. dandruff-prone, oily scalp and increased hair fall) as this will maximize the benefit for you. I would absolutely purchase the little ampoule again as a small, frequent treatment and to help instantly cool scalp irritation. The duo works well synergistically and has great function for dandruff and scalp care.

Looking for more fabulous hair products? Check out the latest range from South Korea, from all the hottest and up-to-date scientific releases from Seoul. 

After more haircare knowledge? Check out our guide to caring for thinning hair, to maximise your natural hair fullness and shine. Or check out our review of the amazing Cosrx Hair set:

How to Care for Thinning Hair 
Cosrx Hair Care Shampoo & Treatment Review