Update 5/17/20. For healthy hair, eat the blue bear. It's a catchy slogan for Sugar Bear Hair Gummy vitamins, a popular supplement for improving the health and appearance of your hair. But do they really work – and more importantly are they better than Halo Beauty? I bring this up because I've reviewed Tati's supplement, Halo Beauty and it's logical to ask the question since both are very popular. SugarBear Hair Gummies and Halo Beauty are indeed different. In this review, I'll address the differences and help you decide which might be right for your needs.
SugarBear Hair Gummy Ingredients
The gummies have the following 10 ingredients, listed in
- Glucose syrup
- Sugar
- Water
- pectin
- Citric acid
- Sodium citrate
- Natural flavors
- Titanium dioxide (for color)
- Blue 1 (for color)
- Coconut oil
- Carnauba wax
While the first two ingredients are sugar, that's to be expected with most gummy supplements.
What is Blue 1?
One of the ingredients used to give the gummies their color is called “Blue 1” also known as FD&C Blue 1 and Brilliant Blue. According to the Environmental Working Group, it's derived from petroleum and FDA approved for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
What Do The Gummies Do?
The company claims their hair vitamins will:
- Grow your hair longer and make it stronger
- Nourish your hair from within
- Improve the overall health of your hair
- Improve hair elasticity
- Stop your hair from breaking
Notice there's nothing listed about regrowing hair. This is a hair health supplement, not a hair-regrowth supplement.
Sugar Bear Hair vs. Halo Beauty Ingredients
Here is a side-by-side breakdown of the ingredients of SugarBear vs. Halo Beauty:
| Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins
(2 gummies) |
Halo Beauty (2 capsules ) |
| Calories 15 | calories zero |
| Sodium 10 mg | Vitamin C 60 mg |
| Total carbs 4 g | Vitamin D3 1000 IU |
| Sugars 3 g | Vitamin B1 5 mg |
| Vitamin A 2100 IU | Vitamin B2 5 mg |
| Vitamin C 20 mg | Vitamin B6 2mg |
| Vitamin D 400 IU | Biotin 3000 mcg |
| Vitamin E 16.5 IU | Zinc 10mg |
| Vitamin B6 2 mg | Copper 2mg |
| Folic acid 260 mcg | Manganese 2 mg |
| Vitamin B12 6 mcg | Catalase 2500 IU |
| Biotin 5000 mcg | Rosehip powder 100 mg |
| Pantothenic acid 5.2 mg | MSM 160 mg |
| Iodine 42 mcg | Saw palmetto 160 mg |
| Zinc 2.7 mg | Amla 200 mg |
| Choline 40 mcg | Grape seed extract 60 mg |
| Inositol 40 mcg | Pumpkin seed 80 mg |
| Ceramide RX 40 mg | |
| Horsetail 20 mg | |
| Astaxanthin 4 mg | |
| Glutathione 10 mg | |
| Alpha-lipoic acid 30 mg |
In the table, mcg = micrograms and mg = milligrams
In the table, the ingredients in red denote the things both supplements have in common.
How Are They Different?
Here are some differences between these supplements.
Hair vs. Hair, Skin, and Nails
The name “sugar bear hair” tells us this is a hair supplement. The Halo Beauty bottle contains the words hair, skin, and nails.
Sugar Bear Has Calories
It's not many calories – just 15 – but if you count calories, it may be something to consider.
Sugar Bear Hair Has Sodium
The Nutrition Facts label tells us that 2 gummies have 10 mg of sodium. That's not much. For those watching sodium intake (for high blood pressure), it may be something to consider.
Possible Label Typos
The Nutrition Facts label appears to have two typos -for sodium and sugar.
1. The 10 mg of sodium in the gummies does not technically represent zero percent of the daily value. The daily value (DV) for sodium is 2300 mg daily (1500 mg if you have health problems). The amount of sodium is very low but for those who are sodium conscious, remember the only way for the gummies to have zero percent DV is to contain zero sodium.
2. The double ** next to sugar indicates there is no daily value for sugar. But, there IS a Daily Value for added sugars. It's 50 grams per day. We are advised to not consume more than 50 grams of added sugars per day. Either way, it's only 3 grams of sugar so it's not much.
To be fair, the company is using the old version of the Nutrition Facts label which does not list added sugars. I'm confident this will be eventually updated.
Sugar Bear Has More Biotin
Two SugarBear Hair gummies have 5000 mcg of biotin while Halo Beauty has 3000 mcg. The B vitamin biotin is usually found in hair and nail supplements. It helps hair and nails grow faster. Regardless of the dosage, biotin does not cause the growth of new hair or reverse hair loss.
Sugar Bear Has Iodine
We need iodine to make thyroid hormones. A lack of iodine could lead to hypothyroidism. One of the signs of hypothyroidism is hair loss. The interaction of iodine and the thyroid is complicated. Too much iodine can cause hypothyroidism too. If you eat seafood (a good source of iodine) you may not be deficient.
There's No Saw Palmetto
SugarBear Gummies are not promoted to re-grow hair. This may be why the supplement does not contain saw palmetto. The herb, saw palmetto, is popular in the hair-growth arena because it inhibits 5 alpha-reductase, an enzyme involved in hair loss.
Saw palmetto works the same way as Finasteride, a popular hair growth medication -albeit less aggressively.
When Halo Beauty was launched, saw palmetto caused some controversy.
I addressed the controversy here.
Online Reviews
Both supplements have their share of positive reviews. SugarBear Hair has a 4 out of 5-star rating on Amazon . The Amazon reviews and those on the company website also contain positive before and after pictures.
While Halo is not available on Amazon, a check of the supplement website shows a number of positive before and after pictures.
What About Rosemary Oil?
Some claim rosemary oil can regrow hair and there is some research on this. In this video see the proof for rosemary oil and how it compares to minoxidil.
Any Side Effects?
Both supplements are likely safe for healthy people. For those who are not healthy, here are some things to consider. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond
- Speak to your doctor/pharmacist if you take any medicine
- Talk to your doctor first if you're pregnant or breastfeeding
- Stop taking at least 2 weeks before surgery
- Biotin may interfere with various blood tests such as thyroid and diabetes tests. Tell your doctor you take biotin. Stop taking at least 2 weeks before you have blood tests.
Where Can You Buy Them?
You can purchase the gummies directly from SugarBearHair.com and at various local salons. I found them at Ulta. The company website has a handy store locator to help you find them locally. If you're going to purchase, know some knock-off brands may exist. If you get them from Ulta, approved local salons, or at the official website, you're getting the real stuff.
Halo Beauty can be purchased directly from HaloBeauty.com. They may also be on eBay.
How Much Do They Cost?
The gummies cost about $30 for a month's supply (60 gummies). The following prices were also listed on SugarBearHair.com:
- 3-month supply $79.99 (includes a hairbrush)
- 6-month supply $ 159.99 (includes hairbrush and cosmetics bag)
You can also subscribe to the company website to have the vitamins sent to you regularly.
For Halo Beauty, the price is $39.99. Halo has no auto-ship program. When you run out, you just order more.
See the Kiwi Seed Booster review for more info.
Who Makes Sugar Bear Hair?
The company is called BeeSweet Creations LLC. The owners are Nicole Christine Johnson (AKA Nicole Nightly) and Dan Johnson. Nicole Nightly is also the person behind SkinnyFox Detox Tea.
For more on Detox Teas, see these reviews:
Who Makes Halo Beauty?
The company is called Inside Out Beauty Labs LLC and the website is HaloBeauty.com.
Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins FAQ
1 How many do you take?
The suggested amount is two gummies per day.
2 Where are they made?
The package says they are made in America.
3 Do they contain soy?
There is no soy or gluten in SugarBear Hair gummies. The bottle also says the product is cruelty-free as well.
4 Are they vegan?
The bottle indicates the supplement is vegetarian.
5 What about acne?
While there have been some reports of biotin causing acne, there is no good clinical proof for it. Biotin is also present in Halo Beauty and the before and after pictures from that supplement show just the opposite effect. For those concerned about acne, start with less than suggested for a few weeks to see how you respond.
6 Will they make hair thicker?
There's no clinical research on this supplement. While it's possible some may experience thicker hair, individual results will probably vary.
Do Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins Work?
Neither SugarBear Hair or Halo Beauty vitamins seem to have published clinical research. For research nerds, that's something to consider. Both supplements have their share of interesting before and after pictures to support their use. Based on what I could see, the hair gummies look to be for general hair health. Halo Beauty has different ingredients which makes me think the company is going for more targeted outcomes.
Here are SugarBear vitamins