Reuben P. Hall was in the Patent Medicine business in Nashua, New Hampshire starting at least as early as 1864. That was the first year he was listed with his "Hair Renewer." Devner claims that Hall started out around 1847, but I've been unable to verify that. According to Holcombe, Hall claimed to have been given the formula by a destitute Italian sailor. That was why the preparation was called Hall's Vegetable Sicilian Hair Renewer. Apparently, Philander Ring marketed the product for Hall for a while, but discontinued on the recommendation of another Chemist.
Hall's Hair Renwer was apparently in stiff competition with J.C. Ayer's Hair Vigor in the late 1860s. Ayer bought out Hall's business in 1870 (see Ayer). The words "VEGETABLE HAIR" and "HALL'S VEGETABLE SICILIAN" were registered as Trade Marks of R.P. Hall & Co. in 1876. However, by then R.P. Hall & Co. consisted of James Cook & Frederick Ayer. The similarity between the Ayer's Hair Vigor and Hall's Hair Renewer bottles was probably due to the fact that during that time Ayer owned both businesses.
Fike also indicated that the Hair Renewer was still for sale until at least 1930, and Buckingham Whisker Dye was still being sold in good quantities until the 1940s.
Both Chase's Recipe's and The Era Formulary had recipes for Hall's Hair Renewer. The formula had changed at least once. The early formula contained about 60% water, 36% glycerine, 2% sugar of lead, and small amounts of lac sulphur, sage, raspberry leaves, tea, and oil of citronella. The later formula was about 52% water, 26% glycerine, 13% Jamaica rum, 7% bay rum, and small amounts of lead, sulphur, and salt. The lead content had been reduced from about 2% down to around 0.4%. The formula for Buckingham Whisker Dye was listed in Bradbury' Memory Work of Pharmacy. He said it contained 1 ounce of silver nitrate, 1 drachm of copper nitrate, 8 oz. of distilled water, and ammonia water Q.S.