The Science Behind Dense Hair Formulas
Our science is saying only what we can prove.
Most supplement science pages are a wall of borrowed studies. This one is different. It explains how a claim earns the right to appear on a Dense label, which claims have earned it, which ingredients we name without claiming anything, and how hair actually works, so you can judge us properly.
Every hair claim we make is an authorised claim from the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register, and every one is backed by a published scientific opinion you can read yourself. Everything else on the label is named and dosed, and left unclaimed.
Written by Dense. Checked against the register on 4 September 2026.
Three gates before a word reaches the label.
A scientific opinion
The European Food Safety Authority reviews the human evidence for a nutrient and a specific effect. It publishes an opinion saying whether cause and effect is established. Most proposed claims fail here.
Authorisation
Claims that pass are written into law with fixed wording and conditions of use. In Great Britain that is the nutrition and health claims register. If a claim is not on it, it cannot be made, however good the marketing sounds.
The dose that qualifies
A claim can only be used if a serving supplies enough of the nutrient, at least 15 percent of the daily reference intake. We print every amount and the percentage, so you can check the gate yourself.
Eight nutrients. Every claim authorised. Every dose above the gate.
These are the nutrients in Daily Densify that carry an authorised claim, the amount in one gummy, the share of the daily reference intake that amount represents, the claim in its register wording, and the opinion behind it.
| Nutrient | Per gummy | Reference intake | Authorised claim | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biotin | 300 mcg | 600% | Contributes to the maintenance of normal hair. Also normal skin and normal energy-yielding metabolism. | EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1209 |
| Zinc | 7.5 mg | 75% | Contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, normal skin and normal nails, and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. | EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1819 |
| Selenium | 75 mcg | 136% | Contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal nails, and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. | EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1727 |
| Copper | 0.5 mg | 50% | Contributes to normal hair pigmentation and normal skin pigmentation. | EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1211 |
| Vitamin E | 6 mg | 50% | Contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. | EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1816 |
| Vitamin C | 33 mg | 41% | Contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. | GB register entry |
| Iron | 5 mg | 36% | Contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. | GB register entry |
| Iodine | 60 mcg | 40% | Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. | GB register entry |
Reference intake percentages use the UK nutrient reference values. The opinion links open the EFSA Journal; the register link opens the Great Britain register on gov.uk.
Fourteen botanicals. Named, dosed, unclaimed.
Pumpkin seed extract at 400 mg. Saw palmetto fruit extract at 320 mg. Beta-sitosterol, pygeum, nettle root, green tea, reishi, amla, horsetail, MSM, quercetin, trans-resveratrol, fo-ti and BioPerine, every one at a printed dose.
None of them carries an authorised health claim in Great Britain, so we make none. Not a hint, not a hedge, not a study screenshot. If another brand tells you what a botanical will do for your hair, ask them where that claim is authorised.
We include them because we believe a serious hair formula should be complete, and because you should be able to read exactly what you are taking. That is a formulation choice we are proud of, not a promise.
Why we plan in months, not weeks.
The cycle
Each hair grows for two to seven years, rests for around three months, then sheds and restarts. Roughly 85 to 90 percent of your hairs are growing at any moment. Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal.
The speed
Scalp hair grows about one centimetre a month. Whatever is happening at the root today becomes visible hair many weeks later, which is why anything judged in a fortnight is being judged on nothing.
The honest window
Because of the cycle, we suggest a twelve-month arc in four chapters, with dated photos in the same light. Nutrients that contribute to the maintenance of normal hair do an ongoing job, so the routine is built to be kept.
General hair biology, not a statement about this product.
Five things you will never read on a Dense page.
- No medical-sounding proof words. We are a food supplement, and the register is the only proof that counts.
- No before-and-after theatre. Your own dated photos are the only comparison we ask you to trust.
- No growth promises. No supplement in Great Britain is authorised to claim it grows hair. Ours included.
- No proprietary blends. Every dose printed, so you can check the reference-intake gate yourself.
- No borrowed studies. If we cannot say it ourselves, we do not say it through a link.
Frequently asked questions
What does an authorised health claim mean?
It is a claim that has been reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority, found to be supported by the evidence, and written into law with fixed wording and conditions of use. In Great Britain the list is the nutrition and health claims register on gov.uk. A claim that is not on it cannot be made for a food supplement.
Why do you not claim anything for pumpkin seed or saw palmetto?
Because no health claim for them is authorised in Great Britain. We include them at full printed doses as a formulation choice, and we say plainly that they carry no claim. Any brand that tells you what a botanical will do for your hair is making a claim it is not allowed to make.
Which nutrients in Daily Densify carry a hair claim?
Biotin, zinc and selenium each contribute to the maintenance of normal hair, and copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation. All four are present above the reference-intake threshold that the claim requires, and the percentages are printed.
How long should I give it before judging?
Hair grows about a centimetre a month and each hair cycles over years, so we plan in a twelve-month arc of four chapters and ask you to keep dated photos in the same light. Individual experiences vary. There is a 60-day guarantee if it is not for you.
Is it suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting any supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a health condition.
Where can I read the evidence yourself?
Every claim in the table above links to the EFSA scientific opinion behind it or to the Great Britain register. Read them, then read our label. That is the whole point of this page.
Read the label, then decide.
Every dose printed. Every claim authorised. One gummy a day.
See Daily Densify from £0.83/dayFood supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.