Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a plant whose root contains ginsenosides, dammarane-type triterpene saponins studied for their ability to extend the growth phase (anagen) of the hair follicle. Hydrolysed lupine proteins (INCI: Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein), obtained from the seed of Lupinus albus, work at a different level: they bind to the fibre and to the epidermis of the scalp, reinforce the cuticle and improve the resilience of existing hair. Combined in professional anti-hair-loss care, the two actives therefore cover two distinct targets: the follicle that produces the hair and the shaft that must hold out until it sheds naturally.

This complementarity is why Hairswiss devotes an article to the pair rather than to each ingredient separately: understanding what each one does, and above all what it does not do, allows professionals to advise with precision.

Why does hair fall out? The hair cycle in brief

Each follicle alternates between three phases. Anagen, the growth phase, lasts 2 to 7 years and involves around 85 to 90% of hairs. Catagen, the regression phase, lasts 2 to 3 weeks. Telogen, the resting phase, lasts about 3 months before the hair is shed. Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is therefore physiological.

Hair loss becomes visible when the balance shifts: a shortened anagen phase, many follicles entering telogen at the same time (telogen effluvium after stress, illness or childbirth) or the progressive miniaturisation of follicles under the influence of dihydrotestosterone (androgenetic alopecia). Cosmetic actives do not treat alopecia, which is a matter for a doctor; they act on the follicle’s environment and on hair quality. For the structure of the follicle and the shaft, see our feature on hair biology.

What is a ginsenoside, chemically?

Ginsenosides are glycosides: a four-ring steroid backbone (a dammarane-type aglycone with 30 carbon atoms) linked to one or more sugar chains (glucose, rhamnose, arabinose). More than a hundred have been identified. The most studied fall into two families according to their aglycone:

• Protopanaxadiol (PPD): Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Rg3. Ginsenoside Rb1 (C54H92O23, about 1,109 g/mol) is one of the most abundant in the root.
• Protopanaxatriol (PPT): Re, Rf, Rg1. Ginsenoside Rg1 (C42H72O14, about 801 g/mol) carries an additional hydroxyl group on the backbone.

Beware of the shared abbreviation: the “PPD” of ginseng (protopanaxadiol) has nothing to do with the p-phenylenediamine used in oxidative hair colours.

Their structure is amphiphilic: the triterpene part is lipophilic, the sugars are hydrophilic. This is the typical profile of a saponin, hence a slight foaming power and good compatibility with cleansing formulas. Their high molecular weight (800 to 1,100 g/mol), however, limits skin penetration: efficacy depends on the vehicle, the concentration and the contact time, which favours leave-in lotions over shampoos.

How does ginseng act on the follicle?

The available data come mainly from in vitro studies on human dermal papilla cells, from cultures of isolated follicles and from animal models. Three mechanisms are described repeatedly:

• Stimulation of the dermal papilla: certain ginsenosides (notably Rb1 and Rg3) promote the proliferation of papilla cells and the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is involved in maintaining anagen.
• Delay of catagen: in follicle cultures, ginseng extracts reduce experimentally induced entry into regression, in particular by TGF-β.
• Androgen modulation: red ginseng extracts and certain ginsenosides inhibit 5α-reductase in vitro, the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone.

Clinical studies in humans remain few and small. Ginseng is therefore a plausible and well-tolerated supporting active, not an alternative to medical treatment of androgenetic alopecia. This is the nuance professionals should pass on to their clients.

What do hydrolysed lupine proteins do?

White lupine seed contains around 35 to 40% protein, mostly globulins called conglutins. Enzymatic hydrolysis breaks them down into low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids that are water-soluble and compatible with surfactants.

Their action is primarily physico-chemical. The peptides carry charged and polar groups that adsorb onto keratin, especially where the cuticle is damaged and more negatively charged. They form a hydrophilic film that holds water, smooths the cuticle scales and slightly increases the apparent diameter of the fibre. The amino acid profile of lupine, rich in arginine and in acidic amino acids (glutamate, aspartate), reinforces this affinity for keratin. The result is hair that resists breakage better, and therefore less “false hair loss” from strands snapped by the comb.

On the scalp, the peptides have a moisturising and film-forming role. Claims that lupine proteins directly stimulate the follicle rest mainly on supplier data and should be presented with caution.

A practical point: lupine is one of the food allergens subject to mandatory labelling in Europe and Switzerland. Skin sensitisation remains rare, but with a client allergic to lupine or peanut (a known cross-reactivity), a preliminary test is advisable.

Why combine ginseng, lupine and caffeine?

In modern anti-hair-loss formulas, ginseng and lupine are rarely used alone. They are often combined with caffeine, a methylxanthine that counteracts the effect of testosterone on the follicle in vitro (see our article on guarana and methylxanthines), and with refreshing essential oils such as menthol or eucalyptus, which activate superficial microcirculation.

The logic is action on several levels: caffeine and ginseng on the follicle, lupine on the fibre, menthol on sensation and circulation. A healthy scalp remains the precondition. Where there is dandruff or inflammation, that terrain must be treated first, for example with piroctone olamine.

Which professional products combine ginseng and lupine proteins?

Swiss professionals will find on cliCHair.ch the INEJ Loss Control line by Code Zero, which brings together precisely these two actives. INEJ Loss Control Serum is a leave-in lotion that combines Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein and Panax Ginseng Root Extract with caffeine, green tea extract and thyme and eucalyptus essential oils. Its leave-in format is the best match for the high molecular weight of ginsenosides.

INEJ Loss Control Shampoo carries the same complex (lupine, ginseng, caffeine) in a cleansing base. It prepares the scalp before the lotion is applied. Using the two together follows the logic described above: cleanse, then leave to work.

How can these actives fit into a salon protocol?

• Diagnosis: distinguish shedding (hair with a bulb) from breakage (hair without a bulb). Ginseng targets the former, lupine mainly the latter.
• Duration: a telogen cycle lasts about 3 months. Any assessment of an anti-hair-loss treatment therefore requires at least 8 to 12 weeks of regular use.
• Application: lotion on a clean, towel-dried scalp, section by section, with a 2 to 3 minute massage.
• Medical referral: sudden or patchy hair loss, loss accompanied by persistent itching, or progressive thinning at the temples and crown: the client should see a dermatologist.

In summary

Ginseng’s ginsenosides are triterpene saponins that, in the laboratory, support the anagen phase and slow catagen. Hydrolysed lupine proteins reinforce the fibre and reduce breakage. Their combination, often completed by caffeine, is a coherent cosmetic approach to seasonal or reactive hair loss, provided the product is applied for long enough and the situations that call for a doctor are recognised.