Growing hair is hard work. In-office treatments, prescriptions, and vitamins (kudos to biotin!) can certainly help, but Nutrafol shook up the over-the-counter options in 2016 with the launch of its four-tablet-a-day supplement. But the brand is no longer just about growing healthy hair from the outside in. The scalp microbiome is essentially a community of good and bad bacteria on the scalp that keeps skin and hair healthy. I promise, it's not as gross as it sounds.

Nutrafol has launched three products: the Build-Up Blocker is an exfoliating mask, Root Purifier is a cleansing shampoo, and Stress Reliever is a scalp essence. A healthy scalp microbiome does not mean hair will grow. But it does create a happy place for new hair to grow and help alleviate itching, scaling, redness, and inflammation of the scalp.

"Nutrafol has been studying and researching the impact of the scalp microbiome on hair health for years. Like the gut microbiome, the scalp microbiome protects the hair follicle and protects the scalp from infection, toxins, irritation, and hair damage," Sam Archer, Vice President of Product Marketing and Innovation at Neutrafol (opens in new tab), told Marie Claire exclusively "Overall, it's a well-balanced micro-biotech. Overall, a balanced microbiome is essential for optimal hair health."

While the launch of the brand is certainly exciting, there is clearly no shortage of scalp scrubs, hair thickening shampoos, and other products that promise great, life-changing, amazing things. On that note, this dermatologist-supported brand has made sure to meet the highest standards and produce a high-performance trio of products for all hair types. This is an indication that the products are *actually* beneficial to the scalp microbiome and have passed tests of diversity and quality.

Here, Archer describes the benefits of each item in the Scalp Microbiome Collection.