Anti Dandruff Products

[ZGT Mummy]

Yet another of my copious threads asking for help! Has anyone had any success with anti dandruff products that are more natural? I normally use the usual selsun blue, head and shoulders etc. Thanks.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Again, this can come back to nutrition. If your zinc and other "skin" macro and micronutrients are out of whack, dandruff is the result.

Dandruff isn't an issue in this house, so I don't know what to do about it.

[Wonder-Full]

Hmmm, dh gets dandruff and has been wanting to get an anti-d shampoo. I have a big bottle of multis here for him to take and he's just started, but might look into zinc more closely for him too.

[Serephina]

I agree. I don't think topicals are particularly useful if the underlying issue is not addressed.

[ZGT Mummy]

What other nutrients should I consider? Sorry not sure of the difference between micro and macro nutrients. I am currently taking a zinc supplement, 5mg daily and eat plenty of meat (rich of of zinc, right?) so don't think that's the case. I have read that when lactating you need 12mg daily, so I think that seeing as I'm supplementing 5mg daily I should be getting the rest of it in my diet.

[Wonder-Full]

FWIW, I did find that the food sources of zinc are fairly minimal even if you eat all of the highest sources every day. I did a list out for my ds and we weren't even close so I am supplementing for the kids (their RDA is 15mg).

[amalie]

What about doing a zinc test at the chemist to check? Its free, I did one here.

[Seaweed]

When I was at tech ( many years ago now ) my then personal tutor's wife did some type of product testing. She had apparently been involved in the testing for head & shoulders. The rats all dropped dead so they used pigs instead as it was too late to change the product. That in itself would put me off.

I have read that dandruff is fungal. I would also look at those issues.

[ema-adama]

I had my hair cut yesterday for the first time in over a year and I was rather embaressed when the hairdresser pointed out that I have dandruff. My hair is long and just always up. When I do wash it, I use organic herbal shampoo and then just tie it up. I don't have time to fuss with it. Anyway, I have never had dandruff and am now quite keen to nip it in the bud.

I found this (http://www.dermaharmony.com/skinnutrition/severedandruff.asp), where it is mentioned that a diet low in sugar and yeast helps and B6, zinc, vit D3 and EFA's are supplements to try.

I am ignoring the recommendations for the 'special' shampoos on that sight, but found it interesting reading about what causes dandruff. Nettle was recommended as a good hair rinse by my hairdresser, so that is something I am going to try out, together with cutting out yeast and sugar and supplementing.


For years scientists debated the cause of dandruff, for while the flakes appear oily, the scalp feels dry and itchy, and the condition seemed to be caused by both dry and oily skin simultaneously. Recently a new culprit has been identified, Malassezia, a normally occurring yeast that seems to flourish on the scalps of those with dandruff.
Malassezia is a lipophilic yeast (which means it is a "fat-loving," or fat-eating yeast) found on the skin and body surfaces of humans and other animals. The genus Malassezia is now thought to contain at least ten different species. There is some controversy as to which specific species cause different skin diseases. Colonization by Malassezia may occur in humans as early as the neonatal period. The yeast is a member of the normal skin flora in as many as 90% of adults, but may occasionally cause superficial and deep mycoses. A mycosis is a disease of humans or animals caused by fungi (e.g., coccidioidomycosis, ringworm, athlete's foot and histoplasmosis). Malassezia species have no known teleomorphic phase - the sexual phase, or "perfect" stage, in a fungal life cycle.
It is still unclear what conditions cause the organism to multiply so quickly, but when it does it can cause skin to shed rapidly, producing those signature white flakes. In addition to dandruff, Malassezia can cause seborrhoeic dermatitis, sebopsoriasis, pustular eruption on young babies, and atopic dermatitis just to name a few. Some theorize that the overgrowth can result from overproduction of oil due to stress or poor diet, while others believe the link may be genetic. It's likely that both factors play a role.