The Helsinki Formula was much in the news in the 1980s and 90s: first as a miracle cure for hair loss; and then as the center of a long drawn-out legal battle and media circus. It is a compound whose active ingredient was originally Polysorbate 60 and later Polysorbate 80, ingredients still found in many hair treatment products today.

The Finnish developer, Dr. Ilona Schreck-Purola, basically gave her formulas to any company which wanted them. She accepted stipends if offered; but many manufacturers offered none. You may see the Helsinki Formula laughingly referred to in hair loss forums, but in my opinion, much of the bad press is undeserved. So what was all the fuss about?

Two manufacturers of Helsinki Formula-based hair loss products were hauled into court by the U.S. Postal Service for making unsubstantiated drug claims through the U.S. mail. After years of legal wrangling involving: the two companies; the combined forces of the FTC, the FDA and the U.S. Postal Service (jointly referred to as