If you have typed "minoxidil foam" into 1mg, Apollo, PharmEasy or Amazon.in lately and got a wall of "out of stock", you are not imagining it. I went looking for what actually happened to 5% foam in India, and what people with an itchy or sensitive scalp can buy instead.
I have been on Morr F 5% solution, 1 ml twice a day, since 30 November 2019. I took finasteride 1 mg alongside it, cut that to 0.25 mg at day 54, and stopped the finasteride tablets in 2022. I am still on the minoxidil solution in October 2026. Everything below is my personal experience plus public information from retailer pages, one Indian clinical paper and official leaflets. It is not medical advice.
Minoxidil foam in India, October 2026: what the shops actually show
I checked the big Indian pharmacy sites on 7 October 2026. This is what each showed for foam.
- PharmEasy: Tugain 5% foam 60 g, "Out of Stock", MRP ₹1,096.50. Tugain 10% foam, also "Out of Stock".
- Medkart: Tugain 5% foam, "Product Is Currently Unavailable".
- HealthKart: Tugain foam, 5% and 10%, "Currently Unavailable".
- Tata 1mg: Tugain 10% foam and Mintop Forte 5% foam both carry the line "The manufacturer has discontinued this product". Oddly, Tugain 5% foam was still orderable on 1mg at around ₹1,050 (MRP ₹1,130).
- Truemeds: Tugain 5% foam at around ₹905 (MRP ₹1,130.76) and Mintop 10% foam at around ₹891 (MRP ₹1,113.98), both available.
- Apollo: Mintop Forte 5% foam listed at an MRP of ₹2,076, around ₹1,447 after coupons. No Tugain 5% foam page at all.
- Bold Care 5% minoxidil foam on 1mg: out of stock, MRP ₹842.81.
- Amazon.in: the site would not load for me during this check, so I cannot say what it shows for Tugain foam or imported Rogaine and Regaine foam.
So it is patchy rather than a clean "foam is gone". Two foams are flagged as discontinued on 1mg. The main one, Tugain 5% foam, is missing from some shops and still orderable on others, which usually points to thin supply rather than a formal withdrawal. Check your own pin code: 1mg shows a "not for sale in this state" overlay on some listings.
Is there an official reason?
I could not find one. I searched for a CDSCO notice, an import alert, or any statement from Cipla or Dr. Reddy's, and found nothing. There is a r/tressless thread titled "Can't find 5% minoxidil foam in India" where one commenter guesses the brands were discontinued "possibly due to a regulatory issue". That is a user's guess, not a source, and I could not open the thread to check its date. The honest answer is that the cause is unclear; what I can tell you is what the retailers show.
Why foam mattered in the first place
Conventional minoxidil solutions dissolve the drug in alcohol and propylene glycol (PG). PG is the usual suspect for the itching, flaking and burning some people get. A 2020 randomised study in Indian men (Sarkar and colleagues, Dermatology and Therapy) puts it plainly: "Propylene-glycol-containing preparations are known to cause symptoms such as scalp sensitivity, itching, burning, and local irritation." It also notes that 5% solutions use more PG than 2% ones, and quotes an earlier trial where PG-free foam gave itching in 1% of men versus 4% with the alcoholic solution.
One thing worth knowing: foam is PG-free, but it is not alcohol-free. The UK Regaine foam leaflet lists ethanol first among its other ingredients, and the Truemeds listing for Tugain 5% foam shows "Absolute Alcohol (50.63 %) + Minoxidil (5 %)". If your problem was alcohol dryness rather than PG, foam was never the full answer.
What to use instead: alternatives sold in India right now
These are the products I found on Indian retailer pages on 7 October 2026. Prices are what the page showed that day and will move. The "PG / alcohol notes" column is only what the retailer or maker states. Where a page did not say, I have written "not stated".
| Product | Maker | Form | PG / alcohol notes | Price as of Oct 2026 | Where sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morr F Aqua+ 5% Solution Alcohol Free | Intas | Solution, 60 ml, minoxidil 5% + finasteride 0.1% | Labelled alcohol free. PG not stated. Store in fridge, 2 to 8°C. | Around ₹1,022 on 1mg (MRP ₹1,100); around ₹767 with coupons on Apollo | 1mg, Apollo |
| Mintop Alcohol Free 5% Solution | Dr. Reddy's | Solution, 60 ml, minoxidil 5% | Labelled alcohol free. PG not stated. Store below 30°C. | Around ₹959 on PharmEasy (MRP ₹1,261.46); around ₹1,134 on 1mg | PharmEasy, 1mg, Medkart |
| Formen Minoxidil 5% Alcohol Free Solution | My Puravida Wellness | Solution, 60 ml, minoxidil 5% | Labelled alcohol free. PG not stated. | Around ₹281 on Truemeds (MRP ₹351.56) | Truemeds |
| Morr Max 5% Serum | Intas | Serum, 60 ml, minoxidil 5% | Base not stated on 1mg, PharmEasy, Apollo or Netmeds. Sold as a "serum", nothing more. | Around ₹724 on 1mg (MRP ₹795); around ₹604 on PharmEasy; around ₹554 with coupons on Apollo | 1mg, PharmEasy, Apollo, Netmeds |
| Tugain 5% Gel | Cipla | Gel, 60 g, minoxidil 5% w/w | Base not stated. | MRP ₹1,114 on Apollo, around ₹776 with coupons | Apollo, PharmEasy |
| Tugain 5% Foam | Cipla | Foam, 60 g, minoxidil 5% | Foam base, no PG. Contains alcohol: Truemeds lists absolute alcohol 50.63%. | Around ₹905 on Truemeds; around ₹1,050 on 1mg. Out of stock on PharmEasy, Medkart, HealthKart | 1mg, Truemeds (patchy) |
| Mintop 10% Foam | Dr. Reddy's | Foam, 60 g, minoxidil 10% | Listing shows only "Minoxidil (10%)". Base not stated. | Around ₹891 on Truemeds (MRP ₹1,113.98) | Truemeds |
| Tugain 10% Solution | Cipla | Solution, 60 ml, minoxidil 10% | Excipients not stated on Apollo. The Tugain Plus 10% listing on PharmEasy shows absolute alcohol 40% v/v. | Around ₹1,159 on Apollo (MRP ₹1,316.51) | Apollo; Tugain Plus 10% out of stock on PharmEasy |
Things to watch in that table
Morr F Aqua+ has finasteride in it. If you stopped finasteride tablets like I did in 2022, it is not a like-for-like swap for a plain minoxidil foam. Morr Max, Mintop Alcohol Free and Formen are minoxidil only. What finasteride did and did not do for me is in my day 170 review. Aqua+ also wants a fridge, 2 to 8°C per the 1mg page.
Mintop Pro is not minoxidil. The name sounds like the top of the Mintop range, but the Truemeds listing (around ₹1,050, MRP ₹1,250) shows Procapil, glycerin and dimethicone, no minoxidil. It does not replace Mintop foam.
"Alcohol free" does not mean PG free. Not one of these pages prints the full excipient list. If PG is your problem, read the carton or ask the chemist for the pack insert before paying ₹1,000 for a bottle.
10% is not an irritation fix. More minoxidil means more solvent to carry it. If 5% is already burning, 10% is the wrong direction.
What I do about scalp irritation
For context, I have been on the same 1 ml twice a day of Morr F solution since day 1.
The alcohol solution never really irritated my scalp. I had some itching in the first months in 2019 that went away on its own, and dandruff that stayed as long as I used an alcohol base. I never changed brand because of the scalp. I changed in mid 2026 for a different reason: Morr F has topical finasteride in it, and I did not want finasteride any more. I now use a plain minoxidil generic, also alcohol based, and the dandruff is the same.
If the solution irritates you: what the reputable sources say
None of this is my advice. It is what the Regaine leaflet, MedlinePlus and two dermatologist-run hair clinics say. If your scalp is red and angry, see a doctor, not a blog.
- Dry scalp only. MedlinePlus: "Apply minoxidil to dry hair and scalp only." The Regaine leaflet: "hair and scalp should be thoroughly dry prior to topical application".
- Not on broken or already angry skin. MedlinePlus: "Do not apply minoxidil to a sunburned or irritated scalp." The Regaine leaflet: it "should not be applied to inflamed, infected, irritated or painful scalp skin."
- Drop to once a day before you quit. Bernstein Medical, a New York hair clinic, says once-daily application "seems to be less irritating than bid", meaning twice daily.
- Lower strength has less PG. Dr. Jeff Donovan, a Canadian dermatologist: "2 % minoxidil can be used as it often has less PG."
- Patch test on your arm. Donovan suggests a repeat open application test: product on the inner forearm daily for one to two weeks, photo each day. If the arm reacts, a dermatologist can patch test to tell minoxidil from the vehicle.
- Keep oils and moisturisers out of the application window. Cipla's instructions on the Tugain Plus 10% listing: apply to a dry scalp, no shampoo for 4 hours, and 2 to 4 hours before hair oil. Same logic for a moisturiser: well away from the dose, never on top of wet minoxidil.
- Persistent redness means stop and ask. The Regaine leaflet lists "persistent redness or irritation of the scalp" among the reasons to stop and see a doctor.
FAQ
Is minoxidil foam banned in India?
Not that I could find. No CDSCO notice or import alert, and no statement from Cipla or Dr. Reddy's. What exists is a mix of "out of stock", "currently unavailable", and on 1mg the line "the manufacturer has discontinued this product" against Tugain 10% foam and Mintop Forte 5% foam. Tugain 5% foam was still orderable on 1mg and Truemeds on 7 October 2026. Treat it as supply trouble with an unknown cause, not a ban.
Can I use minoxidil solution instead of foam?
Same drug, same 5% strength, different carrier. I have used solution the whole way since November 2019, and my one year results post shows what that did for me. If foam was your choice because of PG, pick one of the alcohol-free solutions in the table and check the insert. Solution is 1 ml by dropper or pump, foam is half a capful, so the routine changes a little.
Which minoxidil is alcohol free in India?
Labelled alcohol free on Indian retailer pages in October 2026: Morr F Aqua+ 5% from Intas (with finasteride 0.1%), Mintop Alcohol Free 5% from Dr. Reddy's, and Formen Minoxidil 5% Alcohol Free. Morr Max 5% is sold as a serum but no page I found calls it alcohol free. Alcohol free is not the same as PG free, and none of these pages prints the excipients.
Is foam better than solution?
For tolerance, the one number I have is the 1% versus 4% itching figure quoted in the Sarkar paper, which favours PG-free foam. For results, I cannot point you to a difference, and the solution has done its job on my head for nearly seven years. The best minoxidil is the one you will actually put on twice a day for years, and right now in India that is a solution you can buy, not a foam you cannot.
If you have found foam in stock, or your chemist has given you a reason for the shortage, leave a comment and I will update this. For the full story, start at day 1.
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