Reactive Hair Editorial Team
This post was most recently updated on May 6th, 2023
You cannot talk about Monat haircare products without addressing the elephant in the room: What happened? Why are there so many complaints about Monat products? Is there any element of truth in them? Or is it all sensationalized news blown out of proportion? This Monat review has been complied after carefully looking at:
- the science behind the ingredient makeup in the haircare range,
- the policies and marketing strategies of the company,
- the company’s Haircare, Skincare, Wellness and Pet Care product lines,
- the complaints about Monat,
- the lawsuit Monat brought against particular individuals for defamation,
- and the various opinions of experts and real life users from numerous sources.
Why go all these extra miles to bring this Monat review for you?
Because we want to give you an unbiased, truthful and factual review about Monat’s products without trying to entice you with clickbait material.
We do not wish to create sensationalized news that might provide immediate gratification to our curious selves but at the cost of ruined reputations; of individuals as well as companies.
While we will be looking at Monat skincare products, this Monat review will primarily focus on their haircare products.
The Monat Brand
In this section we look at the launch of the Monat brand, the situation today and the science behind Monat.
What is Monat?
Monat Global is a US company based in Miami, Florida launched by the Alcora Group in 2014. Monat, short for Modern Nature established their brand concept around providing natural cosmetic products free of parabens, cyclic silicones, plastic microbeads and other toxins.
Founded by the Urdaneta family, it is a Direct Selling Company that specialize in selling cosmetic products imbued with natural ingredients. That means Monat is not sold in stores.
- Skincare Range – Various products specialize in treating anti-aging, wrinkles, acne as well as cleansing and replenishing dry, sensitive, oily, normal and combination skin.
- Haircare Range – Various products specialize in providing solutions for dry follicles, hair loss, hair thinning as well as treating hair that is dry, limp, frizzy, itchy, oily, flat, coarse, damaged, color treated, etc.
- Wellness Range – Various products specialize in promoting digestion, brain health, beauty, active energy and overall health.
- Pet Care Range – Various products to clean your pets and keep them stink-free.
They have numerous products for all sorts of skin, hair and health problems.
What was the Monat Scandal?
So what exactly happened?
Here we have attempted to note down the bare facts and the timeline of the scandal without exaggeration.
- In 2017, Monat has grown exponentially with 300 million sales in the US and Canada. Since Monat was involved in direct sales, all of their profit and reputation were dependent on the goodwill of their partners and customers.
- Four hairdressers selling competing brands of Monat began to trash Monat haircare products online and offline. A former Marketing Partner of Monat also joined this hate campaign.
- The culmination of this criticism was the creation of the Facebook “Hate Group” called “Monat-My Modern Nightmare”.
- By November 2017, nearly 12, 000 people had joined/ were added to the group.
What was presumably created as a safe haven for women who found problems with Monat to share them, became a place where people wrote malicious comments attacking all Monat products.
More Information about the Scandal
It became difficult to decipher truth from fiction.
- People started claiming that Monat was giving them hair loss, cystic acne, heavier periods, mood wings and even miscarriages and tumours with no sound evidence to back up their claims.
- Between 2017-2018, 15 Monat lawsuits were initiated.
Four of them were defamation lawsuits initiated against 3 of the hairdressers and the former Marketing Partner by Monat. Two of them were settled.
Eleven of them were class action lawsuits initiated by customers against Monat. They were transferred to one “Multidistrict Litigation” class action lawsuit.
- In February 2018, when the court ruled in favor of Monat regarding one of the defamation lawsuits, the Facebook page was asked to be shut down.
- In October 2019, the court gave a partial victory to Monat regarding the class action lawsuit filed against them.
Unfortunately, by that time, irreversible damage had been done to the brand with people presuming all sorts of diseases can be caused by a mere shampoo and conditioner.
In fact:
One of the defamation lawsuits, Monat brought against one of the hairdressers accused that person of:
Even today, people are skeptical about using Monat products due to the controversy surrounding the products.
We are here to help you decipher truth from fiction.
The Science behind Monat
Amidst the controversy, people accused Monat of using strong legal tactics to suppress the scandal.
While the loss of multimillion dollar profits to a company that encompasses thousands of employees and partners may justify such strong action, what is undeniable is the science behind Monat.
So how does science help Monat?
- Monat has their own Scientific Advisory Board consisting of professionals from medicine, cosmetics, haircare, science and health industries to ensure Monat adheres to its principles regarding quality, integrity, customer safety and superior product development.
Dr. Antonella Tosti, MD
World Renowned Dermatologist
Dr. Brent Agin, MD
World Renowned Anti-Aging Author and Physician
Dr. Amy S. Ross, MD
Dermatologist specializing in Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Dr. Kevin D. Smith, MD
Trained in Ophthalmology and Oculoplastics Surgery
2. Studies1,2 have been done to determine if Monat products caused breakage and/or damage to hair after the scandal.
The science seems to be telling a different story about Monat as opposed to the malicious comments posted online.
Monat Product Lines
As mentioned before Monat has four product lines for:
- Haircare
- Skincare
- Wellness
- Pet Care
Given below are images of some of the products in different lines.
Products in the Haircare Range
Products in the Wellness Range
Products in the Pet Care Range
Products in the Skincare Range
Since the product range is massive, in this Monat review, priority has been given to review Monat haircare products.
Monat Haircare Systems
Monat has product systems as opposed to individual products to cater to the type of hair problem you have.
Why?
Because each system as a unit attempts to solve your specific hair problem by undoing the years of damage you may have done to your hair. Monat haircare products’ end goal is to make your hair healthy again without coating it with additives that just hide the damage.
Thus, it is a process:
- Remove years of additives and toxins in your hair.
- Reveal the damage you have done to your hair.
- Rectify the damage using natural ingredients.
But, since there are several product lines, picking the product/ product system that suits you can be highly confusing!
We will be closely looking at these product lines:
- Rejuvenique Oil Line
- Hydration System
- Advanced Hydrating Hair Care Collection
- Volume System
- Magnify System
- Let it Grow System
e.g. Restructuring Hair Care Collection, Monat Studio One Collection, Classic Confidence System, Effortless Style System, Stylized System, Power Boost System, Monat Junior Line, Color Enhance Shampoo and Conditioner Collection, etc.
Since we did not want to overwhelm you with an excess of products you cannot keep track of, we did not include them here.
Which Monat Product/s Should You Buy?
Different product systems seek to solve different hair problems.
Therefore the first step is:
Figuring out what is wrong (or not wrong) with your hair.
Do you want to grow hair, counter hair loss, prevent hair thinning or just want regular treatment for your hair with no major issues?
Let’s dive in and figure out which Monat system you should invest in!
Rejuvenique Oil Line (Complementary products to the system you pick)
Suitable for:
All types of hair and skin.
For men and women.
Purpose:
Works as a moisturiser, protector, nourisher and rejuvenator of hair, face, neck, cuticles, nails, elbows, knees and heels.
Product Line:
- Rejuvenique Oil Intensive (original)
- Rejuvenique Light (lightweight version of the original)
- Rejuvabeads (designed to repair hair and split ends)
Hydration System
Suitable for:
Dry, coarse and frizzy hair;
causes of which could be genetic (curly, ethnic or kinky hair), humidity, chemical processing and/ or damage caused by various means.
For men and women.
Purpose:
Provides much needed moisture for hair to make it healthy, bouncy, shiny and vibrant again.
Product Line:
Advanced Hydrating Hair Care Collection
Suitable for:
Extremely dry, coarse and frizzy hair prone to breakage;
causes of which could be genetic (curly, ethnic or kinky hair), humidity, chemical processing and/ or damage caused by various means.
For men and women.
Purpose:
Provides much needed moisture for hair to make it healthy, bouncy, shiny, supple and vibrant.
Product Line:
Volume System
Suitable for:
Thin, limp, fly-away, flat, fine and lifeless hair that requires volume.
For men and women.
Purpose:
Boosts your hair’s strength, density and manageability.
Product Line:
Magnify System
Suitable for:
Regular hair with no major issues.
For men and women.
Purpose:
Provides your regular hair an effortless look after each wash if it needs a little pick-me-up.
Product Line:
Let it Grow System
Suitable for:
Hair with major thinning and shedding issues.
For men and women with extreme hair loss.
Purpose:
To encourage healthy regrowth of hair by cleansing and nourishing the environment for new hair follicles to thrive in.
Product Line:
Keep in mind:
Rejuvenique oil is the star of Monat haircare (which is imbued in some of their products), and is not a system. We will be talking in detail about the natural oils in the product which has important benefits for haircare as well as skincare.
Key Ingredients in Most Systems
The key ingredients in most of the systems are these:
| Rejuveniqe This is a blend of 13+ different oils which includes extract from coconut, moringa, sunflower, lemon, lime, tomato, bergamot, meadowfoam, carrot, etc. These oils have the ability to hydrate, protect, repair, rejuvenate and nourish, hair and skin. | Procataline Procataline3 is derived from pea extract. It can help combat oxidative stress that leads to hair loss. It reduces the impact of air pollution on hair. Thus, the product may have the ability to reduce hair cell death in stressful situations and may aid in preserving color. |
| Capixyl Capixyl4 is the combination of clover flower extract with water, Butylene Glycol, Dextran and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3. It is a preservative free product that works as an anti-inflammatory agent, anti-aging agent, hair growth stimulator and a product that may help in preventing the hair loss process. | Crodasorb Crodasorb5 is a substance that offers your skin and hair protection from the sun so that your skin and hair does not age prematurely. It works as a UV absorber and a protector from UV-B radiation so that you can enjoy summer without worrying about damaging hair or losing hair color. |
Rejuvenique Oil Line
Rejuvenique Oil Intensive
Highly concentrated blend of oils that aid haircare and skincare
Volume:
30 ml
Rejuvenique Light
Lightly concentrated blend of oils that aid haircare and skincare
Volume:
30 ml
As mentioned, the Rejuvenique oil line is not a haircare system.
It can be applied on both hair and skin.
It contains two products which can be used alternatively (Rejuvenique Oil Intensive or Rejuvenique Light), as well as the Rejuvabeads which can be used with either to repair damaged hair including split ends.
What makes this oil combination so special?
The effect is immediately visible with healthier looking hair and skin that is shiny and vibrant.
It contains Abyssinian oil derived from the crambe abyssinica crop which is armed with Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E and Vitamin C that provide multiple benefits for hair and skin.
Some of the benefits are:
- Moisturizing benefits for skin and hair without clogging pores.
- Anti-inflammatory benefits for skin and hair.
- Anti-aging properties that rejuvenate dry skin and prevent fine lines.
- Protection from excessive heat, UV rays and hyper-pigmentation that improve overall skin tone.
- Aiding skin regeneration.
As displayed above the product contains a lot of extracted oils from plants such as tomato, lime, lemon, carrot, gardenia, moringa, coconut, sunflower, etc., to protect, nourish and replenish your hair.
This is how the Rejuvenique Oil aids your hair and skin. It is a complementary product to your haircare regime.
A Closer Look at the Five Systems
If the Which Monat Product/s Should You Buy section helped you figure out which system is suitable for your hair problem, skip straight to the section that addresses it.
- Hydration System
- Advanced Hydrating Hair Care Collection
- Volume System
- Magnify System
- Let it Grow System
Hydration System
The Hydration System is for men and women who want to recover their hair from dryness, coarseness and frizziness and achieve shiny, bouncy and vibrant hair.
Advanced Hydrating Hair Care Collection
The Advanced Hydrating System is for men and women who want to recover their hair from extreme dryness, coarseness and frizziness and achieve shiny, bouncy, supple and vibrant hair.
What makes it different from the Hydration System is that the key ingredients in this are slightly different.
There are nine key ingredients in this product. Four have already been discussed before.
Here are the other five key ingredients:
| PatcH2O: PatcH2O6 is a powerful moisturizing agent whose effects can last upto to five days. Its chemical composition includes water, Glycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, etc. |
| Murumuru Seed Butter: Murumuru seed butter is made from the fruit fat around murumuru nuts which is native to South America. It has the ability to moisturize and restore hair, maintain elasticity in hair and preserve hair color. It also decreases fizzy hair without clogging pores. |
| Babassu Kernel Oil: Babassu Kernel which is found in South America is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing agent. While it moisturises skin, if you are taking a blood thinner, you may want to avoid this oil because it may slow down your body’s blood clotting ability. |
| Fision KeraVeg18: This is a vegetable-based keratin7 substitute for animal keratin. Since keratin is what makes up hair, this product provides numerous benefits for your hair. It can provide damage protection for hair from excessive force, harsh salon processes and environmental stressors while improving hair compatibility, hair strength and hair elasticity. |
| Ceramide C: This is a heterogeneous class of lipids8. It plays a key role in structuring and preserving the skin-water permeability barrier. Thus, this substance is beneficial for people with dry scalps. It provides hydration for your scalp while reducing irritation. |
Volume System
The Volume System is for men and women who want to recover their thin, limp, fly-away, flat, fine and lifeless hair and boost its strength, manageability and density.
Magnify System
The Magnify System is for men and women who need a little pick-me-up for their regular hair with no major issues.
Let it Grow System
The Let it Grow/ Intense Repair System is for men and women with extreme hair loss who want to counter their hair thinning and hair shedding.
Possible Side Effects and Disadvantages (General Overview)
Natural Does Not Mean Allergy Free
While the brand is known for using natural ingredients, that does not mean it is allergy-free.
Some people can be allergic to particular nuts, seeds, fruits, flower pollen, etc. and these products come packed with multiple kinds of oils derived from different natural sources.
That means, if you face any adverse and unusual side effects, to stop immediately and consult a doctor.
The Difficulty in Distinguishing the Actual Side Effects
Monat got accused of causing multiple side effects to consumers because of the scandal caused by the hairdressers and the former Market Partner promoting competing products.
While studies1,2 have shown that it does not cause irreversible damage to hair or other body parts as the most ludicrous of comments outlined, there are also limited ways to prove whether it does cause hair loss because hair loss can be triggered by a plethora of other reasons such as emotional trauma, hormonal imbalance, ineffective diet, lack of sleep, etc.
The takeaway is that:
There are a multiplicity of factors working in tandem that cause hair loss in people and therefore, tracing it to one source, i.e. a haircare product system yields limited results.
However people have complained about the effects of the hair detox which we will look at in the next section.
The Hair Detox Does Cause Some Hair Shedding
Monat’s argument is that when you start using their haircare systems for the first time, before they start repairing your hair, they remove all the toxins and additives that have been collecting in it for years.
It is a process of:
- removing years of additives and toxins in your hair,
- revealing the damage you have done to your hair and
- rectifying the damage using natural ingredients.
Thus, your hair undergoes something called a hair detox.
While it is true that hair is made of dead cells and therefore, cannot be detoxed in the conventional sense you understand the word, the scalp – which all hair strands are attached to – is alive, and therefore, can be cleansed to build a better environment for hair to grow.
This process of detoxing can cause itchiness, hair shedding and scalp irritations because your scalp is vulnerable and exposed for the first time in years. Monat claims that this is nothing to worry about and those symptoms should disappear after 3 months.
However we recommend that if you do see any adverse and unusual side effects than the ones Monat claims you would see, to stop using immediately and consult a doctor.
It is also noteworthy to mention that a lot of reviewers who underwent the detox period rave about how Monat actually changed their hair and made it healthy for the first time in years. Shedding can also be a sign of new hair follicles pushing out old hair strands to grow freely.
Not Suitable for People with Higher Estrogen Levels
Have you ever heard people compliment pregnant women for their thick and shiny hair?
This is because pregnant women have higher levels of estrogen which contributes to the growth of thick and vibrant hair.
Monat products use plant extracts to imitate estrogen which leads to the growth of thick and shiny hair. Therefore, people with higher levels of estrogen such as pregnant women or unstable levels of estrogen such as women suffering from PCOS should be cautious using Monat products.
At the same time, this makes the product ideal for women who are post-birth, experiencing hair loss due to drastic drops of estrogen in their bodies.
Considerable Investment
Investing in Monat is not cheap!
Moreover, they recommend that you invest in haircare systems and not individual products that can be mixed and matched with other brands because other brands may contain parabens, cyclic silicones, plastic microbeads and other toxins that can interfere with the hair detox process.
That means:
If you use other brands, you might have to restart the hair detox all over again.
Be Cautious when Consulting a Marketing Partner (MP)
While Monat has science backing up their products, it is a company that does direct sales.
This product is not sold in shops and relies on the goodwill of their MPs to get the message across about the quality of the products.
This means:
That some MPs or fake MPs may ultimately lie to you.
How can you be careful?
If you are buying Monat on the recommendation of a Market Partner, be sure to verify that it is a real and reliable MP.
There might be MPs who do not inform you how the products work, how to properly mix and match separate systems, how the VIP program offers additional benefits and how there might be additional costs you may have to incur when you invest in Monat. For example, there is a cancellation fee for cancelling the VIP membership.
Be cautious.
Monat Before & After Picture Reviews
All the side effects and disadvantages above may put you off Monat.
But why do people continue to use Monat despite the controversy surrounding the products?
Because of the results!
Here we have compiled a list of photos from the Monat website as well as from Amazon where real life users have shared their results.
Monat Alternatives
Olaplex
Founded: In 2014
Concept: A patented bond building treatment that repairs, hydrates, protects and strengthens hair at a molecular level.
Product Range: A system of products based around an additive, discovered accidentally, that eliminates the bad reaction oxygen has with broken sulfide bonds in chemically treated hair that leads to breakage. Limited product range compared to the other three. For men and women.
Price: Cheaper compared to Monat.
Additional Information
- Their haircare products are a limited range:
- No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
- No.3 Hair Perfector
- No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
- No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
- No.6 Bond Smoother
- No.7 Bonding Oil
- No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
- No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum
These six products work in tandem to repair, maintain and protect your hair.
- Their patented single ingredient is bis-amino diglycol dimaleate – which has the ability to repair our damaged hair by restoring the broken disulfide bonds in hair.
- Great to treat chemically treated/ color treated/ severely damaged hair on all hair types.
Note: Check full review of Olaplex
Aveda
Founded: In 1978
Concept: The power of living from a place of love, to make the world a more beautiful place. Key principles of Aveda embedded in their haircare products are derived from the ancient rituals of Ayurveda.
Product Range: Diversified product range which includes shampoos, conditioners, serums, masques, treatments, hair and scalp oils, hair brushes and hair color for men and women.
Price: Cheaper compared to Monat.
Additional Information
- Some of their haircare product systems are:
- Has a range of products that has a botanical-rich formula similar to Monat.
- The founder, Horst Rechelbacher studied ancient Ayurvedic practices relevant to mind and body wellness in the early 1970s in India.
Similar to Rejuvenique Oil of Monat, they have their own multi-use hair oil called Nutriplenish, containing oils derived from avocado, jojoba, pomegranate, mango and coconut.
L’ange
Founded: In 2017
Concept: There are no beauty standards, except yours. Integrity, open communication, sharing and understanding are their core principles.
Product Range: Diversified product range which includes shampoos, conditioners, serums, masques, treatments, balms, sprays and styling tools, predominantly for women. But there are also product lines that serve men’s hair problems.
Price: Cheaper compared to Monat.
Additional Information
- Botanical-rich formula similar to Monat.
- Sulphate and paraben free shampoos and conditioners.
- Contains natural ingredients such as argan oil, soy protein, lemongrass, white oak, chamomile, rosehip, etc.
- Has a product range for pets similar to Monat.
- Product design and packaging gives thought to reduction of carbon emission.
- Most bestsellers of the brand are the styling tools.
Conclusion – Are Monat Products Good/ Bad?
At the beginning of this article, we informed you that we will be trying to extract the truth from fiction about the effectiveness and defects of Monat products in this Monat review.
So what are our findings? Are Monat products good or bad?
Here we have given you a list of pros and cons for you to decide if you want to invest in their haircare range.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Have a diversified product range catering to your haircare, skincare, pet care and wellness needs made using natural ingredients. | Natural ingredients do not guarantee people not being allergic to the products because people are allergic to particular natural ingredients. |
| Have a diversified product range catering to your hair problems be it an issue regarding volume, regular maintenance, hair loss, hair thinning, frizz, dryness, coarseness, limpness, curls, etc. | While the multiple products counter multiple hair problems, it might not be suitable for people with unstable/ high estrogen levels. |
| Kick-starts a process called hair detox which can remove years of dirt, chemicals and additives from your hair. | Kick-starts a process called hair detox which can cause hair shedding, itchy scalp and scalp irritation depending on how damaged your hair is before you start seeing apparent results. It is a process – results are not immediate. |
| Makes hair healthy, shiny, bouncy, vibrant and super soft. | Super soft hair can get tangled and knotted easily. |
| Concentrated products – lasts a longer time than other haircare brands with diluted concentrations. | Expensive as you have to invest in haircare systems as opposed to individual products. |
| Visible hair growth within the first 2-3 weeks of usage. | Visible hair growth slows down with time. |
| Multiple good comments about the effectiveness of Rejuvenique Oil on Amazon and the Monat official website. | Customer service can disappoint you as they lag in serving you and refunding you money. |
| Good for color treated and/or damaged hair. | Marketing Partners might not have your best interests at heart, so should be careful when making an investment. |
After analyzing these pros and cons carefully, it is up to you to determine if you want to invest in Monat products or not.
Hope this helped. Leave a comment if you have additional queries.
