The Ordinary

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum.

Haircare

About this product

A lightweight scalp serum with hyaluronic acid and squalene designed to hydrate the scalp.

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Squalane, C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Pca, Sodium PCA, Zinc Pca, Magnesium Pca, Manganese Pca, Urea, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Lauryl Glucoside, Myristyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Isoceteth-20, Dextrin, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Guru Score

73%

Mixed

3 experts · Moderate agreement

What they liked

Hydrates scalp without greasiness
Absorbs easily, no residue on hair strands
Gentle exfoliants suit buildup and dry patches

What they flagged

Can leave scalp greasy and heavy
Does not noticeably improve hair density or thickness

What the gurus are saying

Greasiness is the sticking point. Those who love it praise the lightweight hydration without hair residue, especially for dry scalps with buildup; others felt it left them too oily. Apply nightly as a leave-in treatment, massaging it into the scalp when not actively showering.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take November 2024

Type

HaircareLiquid

Key actives

Hyaluronic acidAHASqualane

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"They also have another one which I found to leave my hair greasy, which is their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum. I found this to leave my scalp feeling greasy and needing a wash so I didn't love that one."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

My Most Often Repurchased Skincare Products from Ulta Beauty

"I was going through this one like every other month because I didn't necessarily use it for hair density but I use it more for hydrating the scalp without it being greasy. There's a lot of scalp products but they feel too greasy, making your hair look greasy, and I found this one has a nice light texture and didn't end up doing that. I've really pulled back on it, maybe it's healed my scalp or maybe my scalp just isn't as dry, I have no idea why, but it just seems to be doing its thing."

Ranking My Top Ten Summer Skincare Most Used Products

"I use this a lot year round but especially when I'm doing things like that and it's just wonderful. I use it at night typically. The regular Buffet which they renamed it, I think they renamed it their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Serum anti-aging serum, I don't know why they changed it but that's still, that's great. It's just not as pleasant when you apply it, the texture's just a little off but it's still a great formula."

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Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"They do sell a scalp moisturizer, a pretty inexpensive product from The Ordinary. It's their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA for scalp, fragrance-free, it's lightweight, it's hydrating. Urea and lactic acid in this formula are hydrating and can soften and exfoliate dry skin. They're part of your skin's natural moisturizing factors so they're helpful for moisture retention. This formula goes into the scalp very easily and doesn't really leave any kind of residue on the hair strands."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Nay

"I was so excited about these when I first tried them and I've actually been through multiple bottles, but I feel like all they've done is run down my scalp and make it greasy. [...] I just found that while this is great to moisturize the scalp if you have dry patches, I didn't see a big difference when it actually came to my hair's thickness or density or my actual hair roots."

All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson

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"This is actually very interesting. I love all of the amino acids in here. [...] It comes in [...] at 12.80, and comparing that to everything else on the market especially for a scalp serum this is not bad. The main ingredients are hyaluronic acid and squalene, so really focused on delivering hydration and moisture into the scalp and locking it in. This [...] is a much more liquidy formula."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Urea

Urea both holds water in the skin and gently loosens dead surface cells. At higher strengths it has good evidence for very dry or thickened skin.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum?

A lightweight scalp serum with hyaluronic acid and squalene designed to hydrate the scalp.

Is The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 1 of the 3 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 73%.

What is The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Scalp Serum holds a Guru Score of 73%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.