MONAT systems compared: which one suits your hair?
9 min read Care know-how Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
Which MONAT system suits your hair comes down to two things: your main goal and the thickness of each individual strand. Dry lengths get Advanced Hydration if your hair is fine and Renew™ if it is coarse, flat roots get Revive™, hair that snaps gets Bond IQ™, frizz gets Smoothing Anti-Frizz™, and hair that is getting thinner overall gets IR Clinical™. Find the row in the table below that matches what bothers you most day to day, check the hair thickness column and read the “Not for” column before you commit. You can tell whether you chose well after four weeks: if your roots still hold up in the evening and a comb glides through your lengths, the weight of the care is right.
This comparison covers the six care systems for hair and lengths plus the two scalp lines. For everyday washing, pick one of the six shampoo systems as your base, ideally the shampoo and conditioner from the same line. Purifying Vinegar and Scalp Comfort™ are added when needed, because they are made for the scalp and do little for the lengths. If you only want a quick shampoo match for your scalp type, the short shampoo finder by scalp type gets you there faster. This page puts every system side by side, limits included.
All MONAT systems compared
| System | Who it suits | Not for | Hair thickness | Main goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Hydration | Dry, dull lengths that are hard to comb | Very dry, coarse hair; hair that mainly lacks volume | fine to medium | moisture without weight |
| Renew™ | Clearly dry, rough, straw-like lengths | Fine hair that goes flat quickly | medium to coarse | rich moisture |
| Revive™ | Flat roots, limp but otherwise healthy hair | Very dry or brittle hair | fine to medium | volume and grip |
| IR Clinical™ | Hair that looks thinner overall than it used to | Bald patches and hair falling out in clumps, which are for a dermatologist | any | fuller-looking hair |
| Bond IQ™ | Hair that snaps after colouring, bleaching or heat | Existing split ends, which need scissors | any | more resilient lengths |
| Smoothing Anti-Frizz™ System I | Frizz in humidity, flyaways | Curls you want to keep | fine to medium | a smooth, calm surface |
| Smoothing Anti-Frizz™ System II | Frizz in thick, unruly hair | Fine hair; curls you want to keep | medium to coarse | a smooth, calm surface |
| Purifying Vinegar | Roots that get oily fast, a film of product residue (build-up) | A red, irritated or tight scalp | any, as an add-on | thorough clarifying |
| Scalp Comfort™ | A dry, tight scalp | Dandruff, eczema, roots that get oily fast | any, as an add-on | a calm feel on the skin |
Do two rows fit you? The free hair analysis sorts your main and secondary concern for you and suggests a base.
How to work out your hair thickness
The hair thickness column refers to the diameter of a single strand. How many hairs you have makes no difference here. Take a shed hair from your brush and roll it between thumb and forefinger. If you can barely feel it, it is fine. If it feels like thin thread, it is medium. If it feels almost like wire, it is coarse.
Lots of fine hair looks thick and is still fine. A rich conditioner flattens it just as quickly as a small amount of fine hair, which is why diameter matters more than quantity for Renew™ or Smoothing System II.
Six questions to find your system
Work through the questions in order and stop at the first yes. Breakage, thinning hair and frizz come before dryness, because a moisture base alone does not cover them. Dry ends turn up alongside almost every one of these concerns and are looked after by the conditioner or a mask.
- Is your hair coming out in clumps, do you see round bald patches, or is your scalp red, weeping or painful? See a dermatologist first, because these signs can point to an autoimmune reaction, iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or scalp inflammation that no shampoo reaches.
- Is your parting wider or your ponytail thinner than a year ago? Then IR Clinical™, and ask a dermatologist to check your iron levels and thyroid once if that has never been done. If your roots just lack lift while the amount of hair has stayed the same, you are looking at volume rather than density, and Revive™ is the lighter choice.
- Does your hair snap when you comb it, or do you see short broken hairs in the lengths or white dots at the tips? Then Bond IQ™.
- Does your hair frizz in damp weather, and do you want to wear it smooth? Then Smoothing Anti-Frizz™, and the diameter of your hair decides which of the two Smoothing systems matches your hair thickness.
- Do your lengths feel rough or straw-like after washing? Then Advanced Hydration for fine to medium hair and Renew™ for medium to coarse. If you sit on the border between the two, the comparison of the two moisture systems helps.
- Do your fine roots lie flat even though your hair is healthy? Then Revive™.
Then check your scalp. If your roots are oily by day two or you can feel a film, use Purifying Vinegar in place of a normal wash every one to two weeks. If your scalp feels tight after washing, add Scalp Comfort™ to your base. If both apply, start with one line and watch it for four weeks; the stronger of the two sensations decides whether your scalp needs clarifying or soothing care.
If none of the six questions applies, your hair is balanced. A light moisture base matched to your hair thickness is enough, and a specialist system adds little.
What each system contains and where it goes
The contents listed here follow MONAT's range in Germany; the range in your country and the sets on offer can differ. Shampoo and conditioner from one line are also sold individually, and your consultant knows what is currently available.
| System | What's included | Where it goes | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Hydration | shampoo, conditioner, plus the Super Moisture Masque | conditioner from ear level down, on lengths and ends | every wash, the masque once a week instead of the conditioner |
| Renew™ | shampoo, conditioner | conditioner on lengths and ends | every wash |
| Revive™ | shampoo, conditioner | conditioner from ear level down only | every wash |
| IR Clinical™ | thickening shampoo, thickening conditioner, serum | serum section by section onto the towel-dried scalp | shampoo and conditioner every wash, the serum as directed on the pack |
| Bond IQ™ | strengthening shampoo, strengthening conditioner, leave-in cream, day and night serum | leave-in on the lengths after washing, before heat protection | every wash for very damaged hair |
| Smoothing Anti-Frizz™ | shampoo, deep conditioner, blow-dry spray | blow-dry spray into towel-dried hair, then blow-dry | every wash |
| Purifying Vinegar | vinegar shampoo, vinegar rinse, purifying scalp scrub | scalp and roots | every one to two weeks |
| Scalp Comfort™ | rebalancing scalp treatment, rebalancing serum | onto the scalp in several partings | two to three times a week to start |
MONAT shampoos are concentrated. Start with a hazelnut-sized amount for chin-length hair and a walnut-sized amount for shoulder-length hair, and lather it between your hands before it goes on your wet scalp. Give the conditioner two minutes on fine hair; on coarse hair it can stay on a little longer.
Two concerns at once: combining a base and an add-on
Most heads of hair have a main concern and a secondary one. The base follows the main concern, and the secondary one gets a single extra product.
| Your combination | Base | Add |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and dry | Advanced Hydration | Super Moisture Masque once a week, on the ends only |
| Bleached and dry | Bond IQ™ | the Super Moisture Masque instead of the conditioner once a week, or the Replenish™ Masque for coarse hair that is coloured often |
| Oily roots, dry ends | Advanced Hydration or Renew™ by hair thickness | Purifying Vinegar every one to two weeks |
| Frizz and split ends | Smoothing Anti-Frizz™ | have the split ends cut off |
| Tight scalp, dry lengths | Advanced Hydration or Renew™ by hair thickness | Scalp Comfort™ two to three times a week |
You can mix shampoo and conditioner from two lines, for example the Revive™ shampoo for roots that get oily quickly and the Advanced Hydration conditioner for dry ends. Still, start with a matching pair from one line and swap only one product after four weeks. If you change both at once, you won't know which product made the difference.
How to tell after four weeks whether you chose right
The first wash shows you whether the amount is right. Whether the system is right only shows over several washes, in rain and central heating, with and without styling. Typical mistakes in this period and how to correct them:
- Roots lie flat by the evening of wash day and get oily sooner → one step lighter, from Renew™ to Advanced Hydration or from Smoothing System II to System I.
- Lengths still feel rough after conditioning → one step richer, or the masque instead of the conditioner once a week.
- Conditioner right up to the scalp → from ear level down only, on lengths and ends.
- Purifying Vinegar at every wash → every one to two weeks, with your base in between.
- Four new products in one week → one at a time, a week apart, so you know what your hair and scalp are reacting to.
- System chosen by scent or packaging → by main goal and hair thickness, using the comparison table.
If your scalp itches or burns after a new product, stop using it. If it hasn't settled after a week without the product, have a dermatologist look at it.
When none of these systems fits
If you want to define your curls rather than smooth them, Smoothing takes you in the wrong direction. For waves and curls, a wash day with Curl Perfection focuses on definition and moisture. For children, MONAT has its own mild line, Junior™, and the age guidance is on the label.
Quick questions
How long should I test a MONAT system before switching?
Four weeks. At two to three washes a week that is eight to twelve uses, enough to try out amount, weather and styling once each. Switch earlier only if your scalp itches or burns. With IR Clinical™, judge density after three months by comparing photos, because hair grows roughly one centimetre a month.
Can I change system when my hair changes?
Yes. After bleaching, during the menopause or after a short cut, a different main goal often moves to the front. Go through the six questions again.
Is there a MONAT system just for men?
No, the systems are chosen by hair and scalp. MONAT Black™ is a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner for short hair and minimal effort. A man with longer hair chooses from the comparison table.
Are shampoo and conditioner enough, or do I need the whole set?
Shampoo and conditioner are enough as a base. A serum, leave-in or masque is worth it when your main concern lies there: the IR Clinical™ serum for the scalp, the Bond IQ™ leave-in for lengths that break during styling.
If you're torn between Advanced Hydration and Renew™ or between System I and II, the free hair analysis asks about your hair thickness and suggests the right base.