Fortero Shampoo Review: Does Carbonic Acid Really Work For Hair Loss?

I used Fortero's viral Carbonic Acid Shampoo and Revitalising Conditioner every day for 6 weeks to see if they really provide the deep-clean and hair growth benefits about which the brand has made some pretty bold claims.

There's no denying that when it comes to grooming, a lot of men choose to keep things dangerously simple. Yes, we're thinking of that 4-in-1 shower gel that supposedly cleans every inch of your body with equal precision or — even worse — those that still rely on a single trusty bar of soap for their neck, back, balls, and all the rest...

That's why we're strong advocates for investing in grooming gear that's built for purpose and gives you the clean and care you deserve. That's where Fortero comes into play: bursting onto the scene in recent months after a viral launch — powered mainly by the shampoo's bold claims to be able to thicken your hair and promote fuller growth — it's piqued the hopes and interests of balding men everywhere.

That's why we wanted to get hold of some and put it to the test, using it day in and day out for six weeks to see if the product could live up to its bold claims and what men should actually expect when they invest their hard-earned dollars— and quite a few of them at that — into this apparent wonder product.

We purchased the Carbonic Acid Shampoo and Revitalising Conditioner combo pack, and here's what we thought...

Short For Time? Here Are The Quick Take-Away Points Overall Rating: 7/10Delivery Time: 2 DaysPrice:Shampoo Only — $70 AUDShampoo & Conditioner Bundle — $144 AUDIn The Box:1x Carbonic Acid Shampoo, 1x Revitalising Conditioner, Instructions & Brand Contact DetailsFeatures & Claims:Fortero claims that the shampoo and conditioner provide an additive-free deep clean for your hair and scalp while simultaneously promoting thicker and fuller hair growth. Ingredients: Natural, Organic, Paraben-Free, Environmentally Sustainable. Size:200ml Shampoo, 200ml ConditionerSide Effects:None in our experience. Already Convinced? Buy It Now. Why Trust Us?

There's a lot to consider when buying men's grooming products of any kind. From price point, delivery times, effectiveness, side effects, as well as the product's look and feel. Luckily for you, we've got over a decade of experience working alongside the men's grooming market, trying out the newest products and seeing if they're up to scratch.

More importantly, we actually own these Fortero products and one of our editors used them every day for six weeks to see if they live up to their claims. You can't beat hands-on experience and that's exactly what we pride ourselves on. Having shelled out the not-inconsiderable sum for this shampoo ourselves, you know we're going to give you a full, honest, and authentic rundown of what it's actually like.

Plus, while this particular writer may not be balding at a terrifying rate of knots, he is — like so many men — feeling the slow dread that comes with watching your hairline creep back. Suffice to say, we are the target demographic, so we'll let you know if it really works, man to man.

The Fortero products in the corner of my bathroom, by way of proof that I actually own and use them. Image: Finlaay Mead/DMARGE A Bit About Me

I'll keep this short and to the point, given that you're here to read about the product, not me. More importantly, every bloke is different. However, knowing some core stats does help add some context to this review...

I'm a 26-year-old man with a decent head of hair... but a long history of balding in my family. While my father would prefer to describe it as "significant thinning", I'm becoming acutely aware as the years pass that my hairline threatens to creep back and that my auburn locks may not be far behind.

As such, while I'm very much the key demographic in the sense that I'm a man who doesn't want to lose his hair, I'm happy to admit that there will be blokes out there whose hair situation is a little more desperate than mine and, as a result, may have different experiences and results with the hair growth aspects of Fortero.

Where I'm all too similar to most other guys, however, is that I rarely consider what kind of shampoo I use and, mistakenly, believed that they were all pretty much the same. Fortero proved me wrong on this, and I can now attest to its deep-cleaning dimensions without reserve.

What Is Fortero Shampoo?

In short, Fortero is a brand and manufacturer that claims to have created a shampoo which:

"Actively cleanses the scalp and pores, and a matching conditioner that strengthens the hair to encourage growth."

Fortero

In addition to their product's cleanliness and hair-growth claims — designed to restore confidence in men who may feel that their hair and/or age lets them down – the product also boasts some impressive features regarding its composition:

"[Fortero is made] entirely of safe, natural ingredients you can trust. Unlike many medicines and healthcare products, it’s free from hormone-disrupting parabens. Everything that goes into a bottle of Fortero is ecologically friendly and sustainable and hasn’t been tested or used on animals at any time."

Fortero

The brand also claims to have the support of dermatologists and doctors in claiming that the product is healthy and free from side effects. While we didn't have any experiences to the contrary, be sure to read the labels and check with your doctor wherever necessary.

Packaging And Delivery

While this stuff doesn't come cheap, the premium packaging and rapid delivery time go some way for compensating the hole in your wallet... My Fortero products arrived less than 48 hours after we placed our order and were delivered on a weekday morning.

The box itself felt appropriately expensive and premium for the price, as did the actual bottles of product inside and the accompanying documentation. Another big win from my point of view is that Fortero hasn't made the classic mistake of trying way too hard to brand their products as overtly "masculine".

A couple of bits of documentation that came with my Fortero products. Image: Finlay Mead/DMARGE.

While the mid-blue and metal shampoo bottle definitely give it a utilitarian, blokey feel, they haven't gone overboard in making it feel so manly and grey that it becomes farcical, as other brands are seemingly very keen to do.

Marketing grooming products to men is hard, I get that, but Fortero has found a nice middle point between making me feel manly but appealing to my softer, cosmopolitan side...

How To Use It

Handily, Fortero includes a set of instructions in every pack of their products. I think this is a very classy, very helpful move, and I rate them highly for it. The diagrams almost beat IKEA's too...

Rather than repeating what they told me, I've included the instructions below so you can enjoy it straight from the horse's mouth. These are the steps I followed for all six weeks of my using Fortero:

The instructions that came in my box of Fortero products. Image: Finlay Mead/DMARGE Look, Feel, And Use

I'm going to approach this in reverse order for reasons that will become clear:

The conditioner looks and feels like pretty much any other normal conditioner, save for its light blue hue. It comes in a plastic, squeezy bottle with a flip-open lid; you drop a small puddle into your hand, work it through your hair, leave it to marinate as per the instructions above and then rinse it out. Simple as.

The Fortero shampoo is a little more... unique. It comes in a metal, pressurised bottle — a little like a spray-on deodorant — with a push-down mechanism. The shampoo then emerges in a pile of aerated foam as pictured below, much like shaving foam.

The annoying shampoo bottle and aerated foam within. Image: Finlay Mead/DMARGE

Though this took me off guard at first, I actually came to quite like the look and feel of this. It feels light in your hair and you can feel it bubble up as it gets to work.

I do, however, have a couple of criticisms here: First, because it's a foam rather than a liquid, I found myself requiring a massive volume to cover my head. This meant that I ran out of shampoo much faster than I ran out of conditioner...

Additionally, the bottle's metal design — though necessary, I understand — makes it very slippy when used in the shower; I definitely dropped it a couple of times. On top of this, it had a pop-off lid rather than a hinged lid; this too got dropped many a time and quickly became frustrating.

Results: Does Forterro Shampoo Actually Work?

For a deep clean: Absolutely. For hair growth: I'm not convinced.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Fortero gave me the deepest clean I've ever experienced. My hair felt clean, lightweight, and there wasn't any dandruff or residual hair product in sight. I'm still not entirely sure what Carbonic Acid actually is, but it definitely does the job.

In fact, the clean was so good that it almost entirely made up for my slight annoyances regarding the bottle's design...

When it comes to Fortero's claims regarding increased hair growth and thickness, however, I remain sceptical. I didn't notice any of these effects. While my hair felt better for the clean, it definitely didn't feel fuller or thicker.

However, as I mentioned at the very beginning, given my relatively full head of hair I may not represent the perfect target audience for this aspect of the product. Other men with different amounts of hair and at different stages of their life may have a drastically different experience, and I'd be keen to hear their thoughts.

Importantly, I didn't notice any adverse side effects whatsoever.

Alternatives To Fortero

If you're not convinced that Fortero is the thing for you, here are a few alternatives to consider:

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