What Does Biotin Do For Your Hair?

What Is Biotin?

You’ve heard the word before, but do you know what it is? Biotin is a B7 vitamin (often called vitamin H) that is an essential nutrient. It is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in the growth and health of your hair, skin, and nails. This ingredient graces the bottles of many hair care products, promising thicker, fuller, and stronger hair. Sounds great, right? Let’s talk more about biotin and the seven reasons why it is great for your hair.

What Are The Benefits of Biotin For Your Hair?

Biotin is readily available in foods consumed everyday including: egg yolk, mushrooms, nuts, meats, soybeans, legumes, and grains. So, incorporating more of these into your diet may encourage healthier hair, skin, and nails. There are many benefits of biotin for your mane, including:

1. Biotin May Encourage Hair Growth

Biotin is great for combating hair breakage, strengthening and thickening the hair, and promoting hair growth. This is why biotin is the main ingredient in many hair growth supplements and hair serums.

2. Biotin Promotes Thicker Hair

Another popular claim for using biotin is that it promotes hair thickening. It is an ingredient in many hair care shampoos, conditioners, and supplements for this very reason. 

3. Biotin Protects The Hair

When used as part of a hair care formula, biotin makes hair less likely to break because it helps strengthen the strands and makes them thicker. As hair becomes stronger and less brittle, the chances of breakage decreases. 

4. Biotin Enhances Shine & Moisture

5. Biotin Promotes Healthier Hair & Scalp

6. Biotin May Prevent Hair Loss By Suppressing Swelling

7. Biotin Maintains Healthy Skin & Nails

How Much Biotin Do You Need?

Biotin is water-soluble (like all other B vitamins) so it passes through your body when you urinate - between 30-100 mcg of biotin per day is recommended for most adults. A biotin deficiency may result in brittle nails, hair loss and breakage, and red rashes if you're not eating a healthy diet or otherwise getting enough of the vitamin. 

Those who aren’t sure if they consume adequate amounts of the vitamin can incorporate biotin through pill or powder form, or through foods such as liver, eggs, milk, and some vegetables. Our Daily Scalp Essential, for example, offers enough of the recommended daily intake in just two capsules without any taste or aftertaste (not to mention, a host of other amazing ingredients like turmeric and a proprietary blend of adaptogenic mushrooms).

What Does Science Say About Biotin & Hair Growth?

Keratin is the protein foundation of your hair, nails, and skin. Science proves that biotin is involved in keratin’s infrastructure. So healthy hair and biotin are related for sure. Studies show that biotin deficiencies result in thinning hair and brittle nails, and biotin supplementation has the reverse effect, resulting in stronger, longer hair and nails.

While additional biotin studies still need to be conducted, many people find that this vitamin positively changed the way they look at hair care forever. 

Does Biotin Have Side Effects?

While uncommon, taking too much biotin may cause side effects such as acne, digestive upset, skin rashes, and insulin release problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor around any concerns.

Bottom Line

Biotin is a B vitamin that is popular for its claim to grow your hair longer, stronger, and thicker. Check out Jupiter’s Purifying Mask that is formulated with volcanic ash to gently exfoliate your scalp and biotin to promote healthy hair growth, among other natural scalp-healthy ingredients. 

Choosing the right hair care products are an important part in helping you achieve your hair goals. Look for shampoos and conditioners that support a clean, balanced scalp and supplements and treatments that include biotin to help boost scalp health which may in turn lead to strong, healthy hair growth.

Check out our quiz to find which scalp-healthy products are right for you.