Honest comparison · Last checked November 2026
Nioxin is a 40-year-old professional salon brand owned by Wella, sold as numbered three-step kits: a cleanser shampoo, a conditioner and a leave-on scalp treatment. System Kit 3, its bestseller, is for colour-treated hair with light thinning. The actives are niacinamide, biotin, caffeine and peppermint. It is a well-made salon system and stylists like it. What puts many of our customers off, once they read the label, is that the shampoo is built on sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate, and the shampoo and conditioner list four parabens between them.
Nioxin ingredients and claims are taken from nioxin.com (UK). Nioxin is a trademark of Wella. Watermans has no connection with it.
Why people trust Watermans
PETABusiness FriendSide by side
| Watermans Grow Me® and Boost Set | Nioxin System Kit 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Shampoo £14.95, or the three-step Boost Set (shampoo, conditioner, overnight elixir) £53.40 | Three-step kit: cleanser, conditioner, leave-on treatment |
| Sulphate-free | ✓Yes | ✗No, sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate |
| Paraben-free | ✓Yes | ✗No, methyl-, propyl-, ethyl- and butylparaben listed |
| Actives | Caffeine, biotin, rosemary, niacinamide, lupine protein, argan oil, allantoin | Niacinamide, biotin, caffeine, peppermint and wild mint oil |
| Leave on the scalp | 3 to 4 minutes, plus the overnight elixir in the Boost Set | Leave-on treatment in step three |
| Consumer results | 122 people, three months: 72% said hair loss had noticeably slowed, 83% said hair looked fuller* | Clinically and dermatologically tested, per Nioxin |
| Made in | UK, Queen's Award for Enterprise | Wella, international |
| Money back guarantee | 90 days | ✗None stated |
| Cruelty-free | Listed by PETA | ✗Not stated on product page |
| Salons | Stocked in over 500 UK salons | Sold through salons worldwide |
*Independent consumer study, 122 people, three months. Perception results. Details correct at November 2026.
The honest verdict
Salon heritage and availability. Your hairdresser can sell it to you, there is a numbered system for every hair type, and the peppermint tingle is satisfying. If you want a salon brand and the ingredients list does not bother you, it is a solid system.
The ingredients list. No sulphates and no parabens anywhere in the Watermans range, and seven actives on the scalp for 3 to 4 minutes in every wash. The Boost Set gives you the same three-step structure as a Nioxin kit, shampoo, conditioner and an overnight scalp elixir, with a 90 Day Money Back Guarantee. Over 500 UK salons stock Watermans, so it is a salon product too.
122 people used unbranded Grow Me® Shampoo four times a week for three months. Here is what they said. See every result.
Every photo below was uploaded by the customer with their verified review. We have trimmed some quotes for length. Results vary from person to person.
50 days inCustomer's own photo“After 50 days I am very pleased. My hair might not feel thicker in a ponytail but it looks thicker and you can't see my scalp through my hair any more. I have ordered my second bottle to carry on for the recommended 3 months.”
7 weeks inCustomer's own photo“I've been using this shampoo and conditioner for about 6 to 7 weeks due to my hair randomly thinning. The improvement I've seen already is amazing. My confidence with my hair is much better and I've since purchased the set again and the hair mask.”
7 months inCustomer's own photo“I've been using this shampoo and conditioner for 6 to 7 months now and the difference in my hair is amazing. The condition of my coloured blonde hair is amazing, no breakage, super soft. I love it that much I bought the salon size in both.”
Long-term userCustomer's own photo“Rapid weight loss after surgery caused dramatic hair loss. I truly thought I was going to go bald. Then I discovered Watermans and won't use any other shampoo and conditioner. My hair is in beautiful condition, it's thicker than ever and I couldn't be happier.”
First weekCustomer's own photo“I haven't been using this product for a week yet and I'm already seeing improvement. My hair is fuller, it's glossy. I also have scalp psoriasis and it hasn't bothered me at all since I've been using this product.”
2 years inCustomer's own photo“I have been using Watermans for over 2 years and the proof is in my photos. I was a tape hair extension person for years so my hair was damaged and short with ratty ends. Now everyone asks me what I use.”
Repeat buyerCustomer's own photo“I had very thin hair before this shampoo. My hair is so healthy and thick now. I don't want to use any other shampoo but Grow Me.”
FAQs
Watermans products are cosmetics. They are not medicines and do not treat medical hair loss. If your hair is falling out suddenly, in patches, or with a sore scalp, see your GP.
Yes, straight away. Use Grow Me® 4 to 5 times a week, Condition Me® after every wash and the elixir on the scalp every other night. Give it 90 days.
Nioxin uses peppermint and wild mint oil. Grow Me® tingles because of the caffeine and rosemary getting to work on the scalp. Both are normal and fade in a few minutes.
No. Both are cosmetics. Grow Me® is drug-free and makes no medical claims. If hair is falling out suddenly or in patches, see your GP.
Yes. Grow Me® and Condition Me® are sulphate-free, so they do not strip colour the way a strong-foaming wash can. Use them as normal after colouring.
Use the products as directed for 90 days and if you are not happy, we refund you. The full terms are on the guarantee page.
£53.40£45.39 a delivery · £1.51 a day
The complete hair loss routine, delivered before you run out. Use all three together for optimal results and give it the full 90 days.
*Independent consumer study, 122 people, unbranded Grow Me® Shampoo, four washes a week for three months. Perception results. Watermans products are cosmetics, not medicines. Nioxin is a trademark of Wella; Watermans has no connection with it. Details correct at November 2026.
