“I am a victim of miel hair products,” TikTok influencer Bethany titled her video earlier this week. She holds in her hand a large mass of hair that is no longer on her head. The video, which attributes her hair loss to Miel's cult-favorite Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Enhancing Oil and Rosemary Mint Enhancing Shampoo, has received over 4 million views.

The content creator's experience with one of the fastest growing hair brands in the multicultural sector clearly did not exist in a vacuum.

Following her viral share earlier this week, dozens of natural hair miel users posted their own experiences on social media. Ashlyn Delaney, associate social media editor at Marie Claire, was one of those who saw the light as the miel controversy went viral. [I ran out of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products. But it was really insane how much hair fell out between washes,” she shared with her team on Slack. 'I never thought about that until this came to light. My hair would not stay in the braid so much ...... One time it even fell out at the roots.”

Rumors swirl that the January 2023 acquisition of the brand by Procter & Gamble led to a secret formula change that resulted in the pile of hair loss that content creators now share. However, brand founder and current CEO Monique Rodriguez insists that the formula is unchanged and the product has been rigorously tested for both efficacy and safety.

Independent testing has shown no signs of irritation or sensitization, and independent experts believe that Miel is unlikely to be the sole cause of such dramatic and widespread hair loss.

As the Miel controversy became a horde of “she said” and “she said she said” on the Internet, Marie Claire turned to a cosmetic chemist and a certified dermatologist for an unbiased opinion. Ahead, find the latest breakdown of the controversy and what it means for your hair care routine.

The videos of Miel's “victims” seem convincing, and from the looks of it, hair loss coinciding with product use seems to be widespread throughout people with natural hair texture. Nevertheless, Robert Finney, M.D., a FAAD-certified dermatologist, emphasizes that “no specific ingredient causes clumps of hair to fall out.”

“It is unlikely that these ingredients cause severe hair loss. Things like genetics, stress, and medical conditions can be involved, so it's important to evaluate all possibilities before assuming a product is the sole cause.”

From an ingredients standpoint, however, Miel's formula contains essential oils and seed oils that can promote irritation, sensitivity, or sudden scalp irritation, leading to hair loss and breakage. 'There are irritants like peppermint and nicotinate,' explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King. If someone with a sensitive scalp can't tolerate the irritation and scratches, that can lead to hair loss. It's not the product; it's the individual's sensitivity.”

It is also possible that after six months to a year of favorable results, the patient developed an allergy to the product. 'Essential oils are a well-known cause of contact allergies. In other words, repeated exposure to contact allergens sensitizes the body over time and causes allergic contact dermatitis,” Amna Adel, FAAD M.D. and certified dermatologist, told me. 'This is just my theory, but why did you develop an itchy scalp and hair loss when you initially had no problems?'

Miel started small in 2014, but its proprietary blend of herbs, amino acids, and minerals continues to be a selling point, even as it expands to more than 100,000 stores in 87 countries. When Procter & Gamble acquired Miel for an undisclosed sum in January 2023, many consumers believed that the change in management had adversely affected the formulation.

Although the labels look exactly the same and Miel has repeatedly assured consumers that the formulation has not changed, long-term users believe that the sourcing of ingredients and the concentration of active ingredients have affected the efficacy of the product. (There is no evidence of this change.)

Following the backlash on TikTok, Rodriguez shared a video on Miel's Instagram page on Sunday, September 8, reassuring consumers that her formula will not change from 2019 to 2024. She said, “My decision to partner with P&G was driven by my vision to take Miel to new heights and make it a global beauty brand. I am so grateful for the opportunities this partnership has brought,” she said, citing becoming the WNBA's first textured hair sponsor and partnering with HBCUs. Our products are made with healthy ingredients and formulated to deliver safe and healthy results.” That commitment never wavers. If you have any doubts, I urge you to examine our labels; nothing has changed since the P&G acquisition.”

On Monday, September 9, the brand issued an additional statement emphasizing that “none of the alleged negative experiences have been medically confirmed by our products.”

Marie Claire contacted the brand to see if it planned to further investigate consumer complaints. She stated, “We are constantly evaluating the quality of our products with respect to compliance and safety. We conduct rigorous and frequent testing, both in-house and in independent third-party labs, to ensure the safety and efficacy of our products,” the representative said.

According to experts, the only reason to stop using Miel products is if one is experiencing inflammation. No lawsuit or specific medical diagnosis against the brand states that Mielle products are the sole cause of hair loss.

Nevertheless, Dr. Finney adds that people with dandruff should avoid Mierle products. Dr. Adel points out that hair loss and breakage can be due to dozens of factors. 'If you have no symptoms at all, then it's safe to continue. Be aware that anything with essential oils can increase the risk of contact allergic dermatitis in the future. The most important thing for me is that people just notice.”