Acne Treatments - Dandruff Shampoo
Using dandruff shampoo to clear your skin |
There is a lot of talk about using dandruff shampoos to clear up acne. The reason why dandruff shampoo can be used to treat acne is because dandruff shampoos contain ingredients, acting as a fungicides, that get to the root of the problem (no pun intended).
Ketaconazole (in Nizoral), zinc pyrithione (in Head & Shoulders), and selenium sulfide (in Selsun Blue) kill the fungus (P. ovale) that is responsible for dandruff. Just like p.acnes, p.ovale is present on everyone's skin but simply causes more problems for some people compared to others.
Dandruff can also be caused by psoriasis and different types of folliculitis, which are two conditions often mistaken for or misdiagnosed as acne. Therefore, some people see their skin improve after using dandruff shampoos because fungi are killed, follicles develop normally, and pores remain clear. However, this is largely individual. What works for one person may or may not work for you.
How to Use Dandruff Shampoo for Acne
To try out this home remedy, you basically replace your normal cleanser with some dandruff shampoo. You don't have to wash with the shampoo twice a day because that could get really drying. Once a day will suffice. It's also best to start off using the dandruff shampoo 3-4 times each week and then gradually increase usage as your skin tolerates it more (or if you start seeing your skin clear up).
I have personally tried this before with Head & Shoulders Classic Clean. However, after washing for 3 weeks, I didn't see any improvement. Overall, washing with dandruff shampoo wasn't all that different from washing with a facial cleanser, but dandruff shampoo was much more drying and heavily scented compared to a cleanser formulated for the face. Some shampoos also contain emollients (or even conditioner) which can be problematic for acne-prone skin.
In my opinion, dandruff shampoo isn't the best acne home remedy out there. If you want to try it, it's worth a shot though. Plus, if the shampoo doesn't work for your skin, it won't go to waste because you can at least use it for your hair.
Last updated: October 8, 2012
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