If you’re obsessive about your mane, you’ve probably heard about Monat haircare. This direct to consumer company sells naturally derived hair products and recently expanded into skin care, and its devotees say it’s transformed their hair. Here’s a look at what Monat sells and whether the products work- and is it worth a try?
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?
Is Monat Skincare Worth The Money?
A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost. Monat Skincare products are expensive, for example, the BeBalanced Brighten & Renew Normal & Combination Skin is $302.
In our opinion, Monat Skincare products aren’t worth the money, simply because there are other skincare brands that offer similar products that are less expensive.
One brand is Carrot & Stick, a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.
Carrot & Stick intro bundles deliver great value for money because you can bundle 3 full-size products worth up to $240 for $88.
What’s Inside Monat Skin Care?
One of the cornerstones of Monat products is its Rejuvenique Oil, which is found in its hair and skincare products. Monat calls it a “magic multi-tasking elixir” and it started with Abyssinian oil (which is from a plant native to Ethiopia) and includes more than 13 natural plant and essential oils rich in omega fatty acids and antioxidants such as meadowfoam, coconut oil, lime oil and bergamot oil. It can be applied to the hair, face and body.
The Monat Skin Care line also includes some of the gold standard ingredients in skincare, such as vitamin C, peptides, and retinol. These ingredients should all be part of your skincare routine. Here’s why:
Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.
It’s in Monat C. Radiance Illuminating Serum.
But our favorite antioxidant serum is Carrot & Stick The Concentrate. It contains a multitude of plant and marine antioxidants to help defend against visible aging and free radical damage. Use it every morning.
Peptides
As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness.
While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.
This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size.
Monat Exclusive Peptide is found in most of the brand’s skincare lineup, and it’s said to help skin plump, supple, and youthful from within.
If you’re looking for a peptide serum, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin.
Retinol
Retinol is the go-to anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. It’s clinically proven to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.
The only downside? Retinol can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation.
That’s why brands use retinol alternatives, such as bakuchiol. Bakuchiol has been shown to produce many of the same effects of using retinol, including the ability to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and reduce the effects of sun damage (including uneven skin tone).
One of the main benefits of bakuchiol is that it provides retinol-like effects without irritation. You can find this retinol alternative in Monat Botanic Bakuchiol Vegan Retinol Alternative Lotion. Another retinol alternative is Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits without the irritation.We recommend this retinoid oil serum with Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.
What Is Monat?
Monat means “modern nature” and launched in 2014 by Venezualan born Luis Urdaneta. When the company began, it sold naturally derived hair care products, and added a skincare collection in September 2019. The products are sold directly to consumers through its network of sales consultants and relies heavily on social media marketing. Some users say their products dramatically transformed their hair, helping to reverse hair loss and bald spots.
What Is the Concept Behind Monat?
Monat’s philosophy is to tap into the power of botanicals. As Jamie Ross, Monat’s Senior VP of Research and Development said in a press statement, “Through extensive clinical research we have combined ultra-progressive active botanical ingredients with state-of-the-art scientific technologies to create safe, high-quality, naturally based, age-prevention products.”
According to Monat, the hair care products are meant to restore and replenish hair that has been damaged by the sun, chemical processes and aging. The skincare products also have an anti-aging component, and the formulas are centered on botanical oils, frui and plant-based ingredients.
One of Monat’s key products is its Rejuveniqe Oil Intensive. The company describes it as a “clinically proven blend of rare, significantly potent botanical oils from different countries around the world that serve to enhance the effectiveness of its key ingredient, Abyssinian oil.” The oil is found in Monat’s hair and skin care products, and contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, beta-carotene, omega 3 fatty acids, nutrients and amino acids.
What Does Monat Sell?
Monat sells hair and skincare products for men, women and children, as well as a small line of pet grooming products. A lash serum is also available. Here’s a closer look.
Monat Haircare
Monat offers around a dozen hair collections that focus on everything from volume to hydration. The collections include a Restructuring Hair Care; Advanced Hydrating; Volume System; Hydration System; Magnifying System; Effortless Style; Classic Confidence and a Black collection for men. Theirs is also a Junior Line for children, and special products for color enhanced hair as well as styling products such as a texturizing mist, hydrating hair mask and blow out creams.
Monat Skincare
The skincare line has an anti-aging focus, and is formulated to help improve skin texture and elasticity while minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. Monat’s skincare philosophy comes down to a four step routine- cleanse, prepare, target and replenish. One collection is for dry/sensitive skin, and there is also one for normal/combination skin. Products can be mixed and matched. Here’s a closer look.
Be Gentle Creamy Cleanser – A cream based cleanser, this product can be used twice a day and is formulated to provide a deep cleanse without over drying the skin. The cleanser contains AHAs (alpha hydroxyl acids) and peptides.
Skin Revitalizing Essence – An essence should be applied after cleansing, and patted onto the skin to prepare the skin for the next product. This essence contains soothing chamomile as well as AHAs.
Rewind Age Control Nectar – This serum is designed to smooth and brighten skin, and targets uneven skin tone, age spots and loss of elasticity. Key ingredients include kakadu plum, Rejuvenique oil, peptides and AHAs.
Be Gentle Nourishing Moisturizer – This cream can be applied in the morning and evening, and provides hydration while helping to minimize the look of fine lines.
Be Balanced Foamy Cleanser – Designed for normal or combination skin, the Be Balanced Foamy Cleanser helps cleanse the skin while softening it with antioxidants and fruit acids.
Be Balanced Lightweight Moisturizer – The key ingredient in this lightweight moisturizer is hyaluronic acid, which delivers all day hydration.
How Much Do Monat Products Cost?
Monat products are sold as bundles as well as individually at two different price points- retail price and a lower VIP price which involves paying a one time registration fee in conjunction with signing up for scheduled shipments. The prices are in line with prestige brands. The Hair Transformation Masque is $65/$55 and the Advanced Hydrating Conditioner is $49/$42. The Renew Shampoo sells for $35/$30 while some of the most expensive hair care products are the Super Nourish Oil Crème duo for $82/$70. The skincare collection has a similar price point, with the four piece Be Gentle and Be Balanced set selling for $278/$236 each. The Revitalizing Essence is $45/$38 and the Rewind Age Control Nectar sells for $120/$102. The pet line has two products, a Gentle Dog Wash for $32/$27 and a Freshen Up Deodorizing Spray for $22/$19.
Is Monat Cruelty Free?
Monat says its products are cruelty free, naturally based and vegan.
Where Can I Buy Monat Products?
Monat is sold directly to consumers from its website and from its network of sales consultants.
Do Monat Products Work?
It always takes time to find the right products for your skin type and lifestyle, as your best friend’s desert island pick may do nothing for you – and vice versa. It’s helpful to look at customer reviews to gauge whether a product is worth a try. Since the Monat skincare line just launched, there isn’t any customer feedback yet but it has received a write up in New Beauty magazine. The writer called the collection “everything you hoped for” and said her favorite product was the Berry Refined Scrub. “[It] smells like a Capri Sun, feels super gentle on my skin but is powerful enough to exfoliate away grime, and leaves my skin feeling SO soft.”
There are thousands of Monat haircare reviews, and they tend to be polarized. Customers that like it love it, while some claim the haircare products cause hair loss. The Better Business Bureau has over 900 complaints from Monat customers, which largely have to do with refunds, along with some complaints about hair loss. A few class action lawsuits against Monat were filed in 2018 alleging hair loss.
TrustPilot.com has more than 2400 reviews of Monat haircare products, giving it a 3 out of 5 star rating. Sixty-three percent of reviewers called it “excellent” while 30% called it “bad.” Those who loved it, like a reviewer called Gibson, said she bought it for her husband and “who has been losing his hair for several years. While it didn’t really give him more hair it did save what he has and he says his scalp and hair feel really the best ever.” Reviewer Nicole Burns wrote, “If I could leave 100 stars I would!… Monat is the best brand I’ve ever used. And will now be the only brand I will ever use.”
Those who weren’t fans of the products wrote that it damaged their hair or did not have a positive experience being a Monat sales consultant. Reviewer Jessica Richardson wrote that since using Monat hair products, her hair is no longer oily but “I have so much breakage now that my hair is tangled and frizzy at the ends…. Not to mention the severe dandruff and itch on my head that both my boyfriend and I experienced while we were both using different systems.” A customer called Why?! said that Monat products turned her hair green and made it fall out. “My thick long hair was coming out in CHUNKS and it was doing this for about a week and half !!”
Hairstylist Lena Wald wrote a lengthy piece in Medium looking at Monat haircare after a friend who swore by it gifted her some products. She wrote that the Revitalize Conditioner had “a pungent, almost ammonia-type smell that was clearly masked with perfume.” After blow drying her hair, it “definitely feels softer, and I have a bit of volume and ‘grit’. “ Her conclusion? “In my own humble opinion, the Revitalize conditioner has ingredients that mimic protein. I think it coats the hair, rather than repair it,” Wald wrote.
What Are Some Alternatives to Monat?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend The Repair Serum, followed by The Moisturizer.
