Dandruff Shampoos

The shampoos 

The mainstay of treatment for dandruff are shampoos that balance the flora of the scalp and calm inflammation.  Many of the shampoos that fight yeast in seborrheic dermatitis also help scalp psoriasis.  There are so many over the counter products– I hope this summary helps guide your search for your go-to dandruff shampoo.

Zinc pyrithione is my favorite ingredient in dandruff shampoos, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. I love Jupiter which has 1% zinc pyrithone and coconut oil, providing a soothing treatment safe for all hair types. Another brand I love is Free and Clear, which contains 2% zinc pyrithione and has a gentle, fragrance-free formulation.  If you’re loyal to Head and Shoulders, go for their Bare formulation which is less drying / harsh than their other products.

If, after a week or two, you are not getting enough relief from the shampoo, you can switch completely to a different shampoo or fold in another anti-dandruff shampoo with a different active ingredient to use on the off days. 

Salicylic acid is a gentle anti-inflammatory and exfoliating agent that’s actually from the same family as aspirin.  We use it for many skin conditions to help soften flaky, scaly skin. Salicylic acid is an excellent option to help break up flakes — there is a product from Jason’s called dandruff relief treatment shampoo that contains salicylic acid in addition to sulfur and is beloved by many dandruff sufferers.

Speaking of botanicals, tea tree oil has been shown to be effective in treating dandruff (41% v. 11% improvement in patients using placebo).  Note that tea tree oil may cause allergic contact dermatitis in up to 2.5% of people (refresher: allergic contact dermatitis is a type of skin allergy). In the study of using tea tree oil to treat dandruff, they did not observe this side effect. My take is that tea tree oil can help, though there are other ingredients that are more effective.

You can always talk to your dermatologist about prescription options – Nizoral (ketoconazole shampoo) is available as a prescription 2% or over the counter 1%. Selenium sulfide prescription strength is 2.5% selenium sulfide, though Selsun blue “max strength” shampoo and 1% selenium sulfide as its active ingredient.