Together, they make your hair feel soft and silky without weighing it down, and also help repair damaged portions of hair giving them a boost of shine. Research each ingredient that goes into our products and make sure that it’s completely safe to use. All our reviewers are experts in product formulation, haircare, qualified pharmacists or haircare experts.

You can rest assured that when we select preservatives and any other ingredients for our shampoos, your safety is always our first priority. All the preservatives we use in our products strictly comply with the relevant regulatory requirements and safety limits in the regions they’re sold. Selenium sulfide is our most powerful and fast-acting active ingredient that we use to fight severe dandruff.Evaluate the final formula after looking at each individual ingredient. If the formula doesn’t pass the test, it simply doesn’t go to market and we start again. Sulfates can be made from coconut oil, but the process isn’t a natural one. The Ziegler Process converts fatty acids to alcohols, with a methyl aluminoxane catalyst. These are then further processed into SLS (…and then into SLES using sulfur trioxide and chlorosulfuric acid) [11]. Not quite the same as extra virgin coconut oil! This testing is part of our commitment to your safety when using one of our anti-dandruff shampoos or conditioners. Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, and Polyquaternium-10 – these conditioning ingredients cushion hair fibers – especially when hair is wet. They help to prevent hair tangles, and make it more manageable.

We applied these same principles when choosing our best coal tar shampoo. For example, the winner is one of the gentlest dandruff shampoos we’ve reviewed. It’s not perfect, but compared with the others it washed slightly better and the fact that it was fragrance-free gave it another edge. That’s not to say it’s the best coal tar shampoo for you. For example, Scalp 18 shampoo contains slightly more coal tar but is fragrance heavy. They’re both outstanding shampoos, so we eventually chose the gentlest formulation. What are sulfates? Bondi, C. A., Marks, J. L., Wroblewski, L. B., Raatikainen, H. S., Lenox, S. R., & Gebhardt, K. E. (2015). Human and Environmental Toxicity of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Evidence for Safe Use in Household Cleaning Products. EHI, 9, 27. European Union Council. (2009). Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Official Journal of the European Union, L 342/59. Every shampoo must achieve the right pH balance; sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid can be added until the shampoo is at the target pH. These ingredients are actually not present in the finished shampoo, because once they’re added they transform into salt and water. STARTING INGREDIENT QUALITY: To get some clarity on this, we asked Dr. Ben Barankin, a Toronto based board-certified dermatologist at the Toronto Dermatology Centre, for his advice, and he told us, “For mild-moderate dandruff, I recommend daily shampooing, and ideally alternating 3 shampoos, each with active anti-dandruff ingredients.”We know dandruff can be a chore, so we’ve worked hard to come up with solutions that are efficacious while being pleasant to use. Moisturising Agents: Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone/Amodimethicon. These ingredients belong to the family of silicones. Conditioning Agents: When you open the bottle at home, you expose the product to air and water and provide a way for bacteria to get inside. Preservatives keep your shampoo fresh, and people safe, by preventing the growth of bacteria and mold in products while they’re used at home. Dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance, this formula is Dermatologist Verified Safe & Effective. MHRA. (2013). Aqueous cream: contains sodium lauryl sulfate which may cause skin reactions, particularly in children with eczema.

In fact, sulfate-free shampoos are NOT surfactant-free shampoos— sulfates are just being replaced by a different type of surfactant. We’ve developed a blend of different ingredients that balance excellent cleaning properties without being harsh. Our shampoo and conditioner hair care products contain ingredients to treat your scalp, control dandruff, and make your hair silky and soft. But none of them could do their job without help from ingredients that maintain formula texture and product effectiveness over time.We want to make sure your hair feels and smells great long after the shower, which is why our shampoos are enriched with a blend of fragrances. To complete the shower experience, Head & Shoulders adds custom blends of color, plant essences, and fantastic, long-lasting scents ranging from fresh apple to cool mint, to keep your hair smelling great all day long. This isn’t to say sulfates are harmless. They are known to cause skin irritation by damaging membrane proteins, which can be particularly harmful to those with dermatological conditions, such as psoriasis, seb derm, eczema or a dry scalp [5, 6]. Individuals with sensitive skin may experience stinging, burning, or redness with sulfates, although several studies have shown that it’s difficult to predict who will be affected [7].

As with other ingredients, the safety of SLS and SLES all depends on the quantity in which it’s used. Like all other soaps or surfactants, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of SLS and SLES may have an irritant effect. This is even the case with sulfate-free formulas that contain different type of surfactants. If you’ve even a passing interest in shampoos you’d be aware that the use of sulfates in shampoos is a hugely controversial topic. The potential risks of sulfates can be a controversial topic because, for the vast majority of people, they are effectively harmless. There is no evidence that the use of sulfates in shampoos causes any systemic adverse effects in the short term or through accumulation, such as cancer, poor ocular development, cataract, or hair loss [4]. There is published evidence that if you repeatedly expose lab animals to surfactants, without rinsing them away, that long term damage is possible – but these studies clearly aren’t consistent with how shampoos are used. A lot of people are ashamed of dandruff and think it’s a reflection of poor hygiene, but that doesn’t have anything to do with it,” says Francesca Fusco, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and board-certified dermatologist in New York City. It’s important to not be too hard on yourself while experiencing something like dandruff because it’s totally normal and even common.Meet the experts: Francesca Fusco, M.D., board-certified dermatologist in New York City; Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital Pyrithione Zinc (ZPT) – our key active ingredient, ZPT helps prevent the dandruff-causing microbe, Malassezia globosa, from forming scalp irritants. All ZPT shampoos are not the same though – we use a unique, highly effective form of ZPT so it fights flakes better than store brands1. CLEANSERS AND LATHER-BUILDING AGENTS Glycol distearate – performs the vital job of keeping all the shampoo ingredients ‘blended and suspended’ inside the bottle so every drop has the right blend of ingredients. PRESERVATIVES Follow processes like those used by the FDA or World Health Organization to calculate how much of a particular ingredient we should use in our products.