“I have dandruff, can you give me a shampoo?” It is one of the most frequent requests at the counter in autumn and winter, and one of the easiest to get wrong. Under the same word, the customer may be describing at least four different situations, and in one of them anti-dandruff shampoo makes things worse.
In summary
- Two questions are enough to guide us: what the flaking is like and what the scalp is like.
- Dry dandruff and oily dandruff respond to shampoos with different active ingredients. A dehydrated scalp does not respond to anti-dandruff shampoo.
- The formula matters: combinations of active ingredients and appropriate concentrations make the difference compared with mass-market products.
- Marked redness, plaques, lesions on the face or no improvement after four to six weeks: refer to a doctor.
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The two questions that guide us
Before recommending a product, we ask the customer to describe, or if possible show, two things:
- The flaking: small and white, falling onto the shoulders, or large, yellowish and attached to the hair? Or very fine scaling, almost like powder?
- The scalp: dry and dull, feeling tight after shampooing, or oily and shiny? Is there redness? Is there itching, and how severe is it?
We add two questions for context: how long it has been going on and what they have already tried. Someone who has been using an anti-dandruff shampoo for months without results, or uses it only occasionally and rinses it off immediately, is already giving us useful information.
Case 1: dry dandruff
What it looks like: small, white or grayish flakes that fall onto the shoulders. A dull scalp, with no itching or only mild itching. It is more common in women.
What we recommend: a shampoo combining an active ingredient against Malassezia (piroctone olamine, climbazole), a keratolytic (salicylic acid, urea) and moisturizing substances such as glycerin and panthenol. For stubborn cases, a product containing selenium disulfide.
Case 2: oily dandruff
What it looks like: larger, yellowish scales that do not fall off but remain attached to the hair and scalp. An oily scalp, sometimes slightly red, with more frequent itching. It is typical in men and adolescents.
What we recommend: a shampoo with an active ingredient against Malassezia, a keratolytic and a sebum regulator (zinc, sulfur and derivatives, shale oil), plus a soothing ingredient such as bisabolol. If there is significant itching, a leave-on lotion to apply after washing. We advise against 2-in-1 shampoos and greasy styling products at the roots.
If the customer describes hair that always seems wet rather than greasy, it may be sweating rather than sebum. Pressing a thin sheet of paper against the scalp helps distinguish the two: a sweat mark dries within a few minutes, while a sebum mark remains shiny.
Case 3: dehydrated scalp
What it looks like: very fine scaling, a scalp that feels tight and itchy after shampooing, worsening with cold weather, heating, frequent washing, coloring, and repeated bleaching. The customer has often already tried an anti-dandruff shampoo and tells us that the situation has worsened.
What we recommend: no anti-dandruff product. A gentle shampoo, without harsh sulfates, used for a single lather, and a conditioner or mask applied to the scalp as well, with moisturizing, nourishing, and soothing active ingredients: glycerin, low-concentration urea, panthenol, ceramides, plant oils, bisabolol. We recommend spacing out washes and keeping the hair dryer away from the skin.
This is what distinguishes professional advice from shelf advice. Recommending an anti-dandruff product for a dehydrated scalp means adding a product that dries it out even more and losing the customer's trust.
Case 4: when it is not dandruff
Refer the customer to a doctor or dermatologist when:
- the scalp is clearly red, burns, or the itching disrupts sleep;
- there are scales on the eyebrows, around the sides of the nose, or behind the ears: this may be seborrheic dermatitis;
- thick, silvery, sharply defined plaques appear, which may extend beyond the hairline: this may suggest psoriasis;
- there are crusts, oozing, pain, or patchy hair loss;
- there is no improvement after four to six weeks of correct use of the appropriate shampoo.
Cosmetics can support the management of these conditions, but diagnosis and any treatment are the responsibility of a doctor.
Formulas and concentrations: what we look for
The effectiveness of an anti-dandruff product depends greatly on combining active ingredients with different functions and on their concentration. Some useful points of reference at the counter:
| Active ingredient | EU regulatory reference |
|---|---|
| Piroctone olamine | Up to 1% in rinse-off products, 0.5% in other products. It is more effective at the upper end of the range. |
| Climbazole | As an anti-dandruff ingredient, up to 2% in rinse-off shampoos (EU Regulation 2019/698). |
| Selenium disulfide | Up to 1% in anti-dandruff shampoos, with warnings on the label. |
| Salicylic acid | Up to 3% in rinse-off hair products. |
| Zinc pyrithione | Banned in cosmetics from March 1, 2022 (EU Regulation 2021/1902). It is useful to check that no remaining stock is still on the shelves. |
With dermocosmetics, compared with mass-market products, the advantage lies precisely here: formulas with more combined active ingredients at appropriate concentrations, plus advice that matches them to the right condition.
How to explain its use
Many failures depend on how the product is used, not on the product itself. Three instructions to always give:
- leave on for two to three minutes on the scalp before rinsing;
- consistency: at every wash at first, then alternate with a gentle shampoo once the situation is under control, without stopping abruptly;
- when needed, shampoo and lotion together: the lotion remains in contact for longer and complements the shampoo's action. For anyone concerned that the lotion may make the hair greasy, it can be applied the night before washing.
One final warning for customers with colored hair: sulfur-based active ingredients can lighten the color.
Frequently asked questions
How long should it take for the customer to see results?
With the right shampoo used correctly, generally within two to four weeks. If there is no improvement after four to six weeks, the condition should be reassessed by a doctor.
Can the same shampoo be recommended for the whole family?
No. Dandruff is not contagious, and not everyone has the same scalp. For young children with scales on the scalp, the pediatrician remains the point of reference.
How should recurring dandruff be managed each winter?
With maintenance: use the anti-dandruff shampoo once a week, alternating it with a gentle one, and increase use at the first signs. Explaining this to the customer prevents them from considering it a product that “no longer works”.
The channel
Dandruff is a problem that customers bring to the pharmacy counter without a prescription and that they have often already tried to deal with on their own at the supermarket. Distinguishing between the four cases is the simplest way to demonstrate the value of advice in a pharmacy or para pharmacy.
For consumers, we have written a dedicated guide: dry or oily dandruff: how to recognize it and what to use.
Sources for this article
- Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annexes III and V, and Regulations (EU) 2019/698 and 2021/1902.
- Borda L.J., Wikramanayake T.C. (2015). "Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review". Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dermatology, vol. 3, no. 2.
- Turner G.A. et al. (2012). "Stratum corneum dysfunction in dandruff". International Journal of Cosmetic Science, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 298-306.
- Schmidt-Rose T. et al. (2011). "Efficacy of a piroctone olamine/climbazole shampoo in comparison with a zinc pyrithione shampoo in subjects with moderate to severe dandruff". International Journal of Cosmetic Science, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 276-282.
