Redken Brews Thickening Shampoo is aimed at men with fine, thin, or visibly thinning hair who want a fuller-looking style day to day. Because it's a sulfate-based cleanser with menthol and salicylic acid, it suits hair that can handle a thorough, invigorating wash rather than color-treated, chemically relaxed, or already-dry hair that needs a gentler formula. It's an everyday retail product, not a professional-only treatment, so no salon appointment or mixing is required.

The case for this shampoo comes down to what it does to hair fiber and scalp feel rather than any single standout ingredient: the sulfate base lifts oil and buildup thoroughly, while menthol delivers a cooling tingle and salicylic acid works on the scalp the way it would on skin, helping clear away the flakes and residue that can make fine hair look flatter. That combination, paired with conditioning agents like glycerin and safflower glucoside, is what's behind the fuller, thicker look Redken markets it for, rather than any permanent change to the hair strand itself.

Redken Brews Thickening Shampoo is used the same way as a standard shampoo, with no mixing or processing time involved.

1. Wet hair thoroughly.
2. Apply the shampoo and massage into hair and scalp for about one minute.
3. Rinse thoroughly.

• Pro: Menthol and salicylic acid give an invigorating, exfoliating scalp cleanse that plain shampoos don't offer.
• Pro: Formulated specifically to improve the appearance of fine and thinning hair, rather than as a general all-purpose shampoo.
• Pro: Vegan formula packaged in a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic.
• Con: Contains two sulfates (sodium laureth and sodium lauryl sulfate), so it's not a good match for color-treated or already-dry, brittle hair.
• Con: Salicylic acid and menthol can feel too intense on sensitive or easily irritated scalps.
• Con: Marketed and scented specifically for men's grooming, which may not appeal as a unisex product.