How to choose the best shampoo to deal with dandruff?

Dandruff, greasy hair, unaesthetic look that lasts the entire day… Many people have to struggle with such problems. Luckily, there is an easy way to cope with them and it doesn’t necessarily have to be connected with a dermatologist’s appointment. The remedy here is offered by effective dandruff shampoo. How to choose the best one?

What’s dandruff?

Dandruff is skin ailment caused by yeast-like fungi. It appears through either white or fair yellow colour skin flakes. Scalp might itchy, be irritated and reddened. There are two types of dandruff:

• dry – appears in people with delicate, dry and sensitive scalp. It’s characterized by dry and white flakes which are the consequence of epidermal exfoliation that falls onto clothing with every head shake. Dry dandruff might be accompanied with itchy scalp. The development of fungi can be caused by being in contact with allergens, mismatching shampoo or poorly chosen styling products. Also, it might be linked with stress and diet that lacks essential vitamins and minerals;
• greasy – touches people affected with seborrhea. It appears through yellow, thin crusts residing on scalp and fair yellow flakes. This ailment is frequently accompanied with inflammation, irritation and itchy scalp. The development of blastomycetes is intensified by excessive sebum production and dry dandruff that is left untreated.

Shampoo and a type of dandruff

While choosing a shampoo, you should check whether it contains a few active substances eliminating the cause of dandruff. There are also products that combat both types of dandruff. It’s also important to find a shampoo that helps you cure psoriasis, reduce the number of blastomycetes and supply the scalp with nourishing substances.

The best way to fight back dry dandruff is a shampoo with birch tar, zinc salt, salicylic acid, selenium, sulphur as well as moisturising cosmetics. When it comes to greasy dandruff, it can be removed due to products containing antifungal compounds and keratolytic agents that help dead epidermal cells exfoliate properly.

Components of effective shampoos combating dandruff

An effective dandruff shampoo should contain the following substances:

• antifungal: selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole;
• regulating the improper multiplication of epidermal cells: the tar, ichthyol, selenium sulfide;
• keratolytic agents removing the calloused layer of the epidermis: salicylic acid, sulfur at a concentration of 2% urea in a concentration of more than 10%, tar at a concentration of 0.5%;
• extra substances: vitamins A, E, PP, B3, B5, glycerol, panthenol, clays.