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An estimated half the population have suffered from a flakey scalp at some point in their lives.

Yet – there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of anti-dandruff shampoos on the market.

It’s a ludicrous situation that has led some experts to call dandruff the most commercially exploited skin and scalp disorder

It really shouldn’t be like this. The vast majority of dandruff sufferers are suffering needlessly. Chances are, you’re needlessly suffering.

Dandruff is both easy to diagnose and easy to control in the vast majority of cases.

If you’re currently suffering from dandruff and don’t know where to start then you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help you find your best dandruff shampoo.

What’s in this article:

How to control dandruff
What condition is causing your dandruff
What shampoos are designed to control my condition
How to find your best dandruff shampoo
The 50 best shampoos for dandruff in 2018

How to control dandruff

I’ve suffered from dandruff from my teens onwards. For years and years, I suffered aimlessly.

I didn’t know:

what was causing my dandruff
what the various treatments were designed to do
what was in my shampoo bottle

Basically, I didn’t know much.

I tried countless shampoos. It was really just a crap-shoot. A game of chance.

I was using random shampoos without really knowing what I was doing.

Not surprisingly some worked but others gave me worse breakouts than before I shampooed.

Things were pretty bad.

So I decided to take control of my situation. I documented what I was putting on my scalp, took note of the effects, studied the ingredients, worked out what worked, what didn’t and why.

I’ve controlled my dandruff constantly for over 20 years.

You can too.

Controlling your dandruff really boils down to three simple steps.

In order to control your dandruff you must:

Know what is causing your dandruff
Understand what shampoos are designed to control your condition
Find the best dandruff shampoo for your individual needs

What condition is causing your dandruff?

In order to find your best anti-dandruff shampoo, you will need to understand the condition that is causing your dandruff.

While self-diagnosis is possible – a trip to your doctor or dermatologist will save you a lot of time at this stage.

I self-diagnosed and it took a long time to find the truth. A qualified professional should be able to tell you almost immediately.

Without knowing the root cause of your dandruff, you will not be able to control it.

It might sound obvious but already you’re in unchartered territory here. The majority of sufferers don’t even realize there are different “types” of dandruff.

Not surprisingly, each type requires a different treatment.

The shampoo manufacturers don’t help. They know they will sell more shampoos if people don’t know the precise shampoo for their needs. They do little to educate on this simple, everyday condition.

Remember – this is the most commercially exploited skin condition in the world today.

The common conditions that can cause dandruff include:

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic Dermatitis is one of the most common and chronic causes of dandruff.

Although the exact reasons are still unknown, a reaction to the yeast Malassezia is the probable cause of Seborrheic Dermatitis.

If you suffer from this you’ll typically have oily skin and the flakes will be large yellow/white scales. You’ll probably have red patches on the scalp and maybe even other oil producing areas of your body such as the eyebrows, either side of your nose, behind your ears, your chest, groin or even your armpits.

Dry Scalp

The number one cause of dandruff isn’t technically dandruff at all. It’s an over-dry under-moisturized scalp.

There are a number of reasons for a dry scalp; washing your hair too much or even a change in the weather can cause dry skin. This explains why your dandruff comes and goes. Your dandruff will white crumbs of dry skin and your scalp will itch. Unlike seb derm, the flakes will typically not be oily or greasy at all.For mild sufferers of dry skin, a good moisturizing shampoo may be all that’s needed. Avoiding the harsh chemicals found in many shampoos may also help. More recently, a number of medicated shampoos designed to treat dry skin are entering the market.w

If you think you have a dry scalp, find the best dandruff shampoo for your needs

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that results in the overproduction of skin cells.

The dead cells build up into silvery-white scales. The skin becomes inflamed and red, causing serious itching and the skin flakes. Psoriasis can affect many parts of the body, but psoriasis on the scalp can cause chronic dandruff in certain cases.

Product build-up

If you regularly use a myriad of hair products, residues of these products will build up and cause a flaky scalp.

Your hair will feel lank and lifeless and you’ll have a build-up of gunk on the scalp. A good clarifying shampoo is recommended if this is your cause of dandruff.

Learn more about dandruff caused by product build-up

Not washing your hair enough

As well as washing your hair too much, not washing your hair enough will also cause dandruff.

The oils and scales of your skin will build up eventually causing dandruff. These flakes can be quite large and a bit icky oily. A regular use of a good shampoo is recommended here, maybe a good clarifying shampoo.

What shampoos are designed to control my condition?

Anti-dandruff shampoos can contain many different active ingredients.

These active ingredients are designed to control specific types of dandruff. They perform different tasks.

Without understanding your condition, it’s pointless to even try to find the right shampoo. You have to match the active ingredient to the type of dandruff.

Using the wrong shampoo on the wrong type of dandruff will, at best, have no effect. It may even aggravate the condition!

• Anti-fungals are best for seborrheic dermatitis e.g. ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, piroctone olamine

• Ingredients that inhibit cell growth or scalp exfoliators often work best with psoriasis e.g. coal tar or salicylic acid

• Conditioning treatments can help dry scalp.

• Clarifying shampoos are best for product build up.

Once you understand the condition causing your dandruff, and you understand the active ingredients or treatments you want to try, it’s time to find your best dandruff shampoo.

How to find your best dandruff shampoo

We have reviewed many shampoos and have developed a unique dandruff shampoo search to help you find your best shampoo.

To use this tool, simply the condition causing your dandruff, select what ingredients you’d like to avoid and we’ll show you every shampoo we’ve reviewed that meet that criteria.

Our reviews will explain, in detail, how effective these shampoos are and what chemicals these shampoos contain. They deconstruct the shampoos to their constituent parts and describe the key ones in detail.

Unlike most review sites, our reviewers personally try every shampoo they review. It may take us longer to get a review out there but try and find another site which provides such comprehensive information.

In addition, our reviews will warn you of the presence of any one of over 100 ingredients that can potentially itch, irritate and even cause dandruff themselves. A significant number (~90%) of these chemicals have never been tested for their effect on human health. Many of these chemicals are known to have adverse effects on our skin and one of these adverse effects is dandruff.

It’s absolute madness.

Many of us dandruff sufferers have sensitive skin. The gentler the shampoo the better as far as we’re concerned. And after a bit research on this site, we’re pretty confident you’ll agree. If you want to read an impartial scientific overview of sulfates, parabens, MI, silicones, alcohols, formaldehyde, phthalates or a whole host of other controversial ingredients, then you’ve come to the right place.

With that in mind, here are the 50 best anti-dandruff shampoos on the market today.

The Best Dandruff Shampoos of 2018

Pharmaceutical Specialities Free & Clear Shampoo

Designed to treat Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dry Scalp and Psoriasis

Pharmaceutical Specialties formed in 1974 to “start a company to make better products than were commercially available for people with sensitive skin”. And boy, have they achieved it with this Free and Clear shampoo.

What is perhaps surprising on a website dedicated to dandruff treatments is that this isn’t a dandruff shampoo at all.

It’s rather a "a non-medicated, mild shampoo for sensitive skin and scalp.”

That said, we can’t use a medicated shampoo all the time, and this is my go to shampoo for those “between” washes.