Review :: Dead Sea Spa MAGIK Mineral Shampoo

I was initially disappointed when I bought this shampoo. Dead Sea Spa MAGIK Mineral Shampoo is said to contain minerals from the Dead Sea, Harmonised Water while containing a number of “organic” ingredients. None of this means anything to us dandruff sufferers and I’m too long in the tooth to fall for such marketing waffle.  The reason for my disappointment was that the shampoo had been recommended to me as a great treatment for dry scalp dandruff.

After purchasing the shampoo I was pretty horrified to see Salicylic Acid in there as well as Zinc Pyrithione.  This isn’t a straightforward moisturizing shampoo at all.  It contains more active ingredients than shampoos like Head And Shoulders! The addition of Salicylic Acid in particular really surprised me. This acid is keratolytic;  it dissolves and breaks down components of the skin and is commonly used to treat warts and hard skin. Subtle it is not. Long term use of this stuff can actually cause dry skin so it’s not a permanent cure for dry scalp dandruff at all. Quite the opposite!  The acid is FDA approved to treat scalp psoriasis and is also included in many generic dandruff shampoos. It’s mostly effective at getting rid of the skin on the scalp but does little to actually control your dandruff at all. The other active ingredient is Zinc Pyrithione which is a mild anti-fungal agent that can help control very mild Seborrhoeic Dermatitis.

The other ingredients are pretty well thought out. Its SLS/SLES free, and the only disappointing additive is Cocamidopropyl Betaine. I had to flag the use of Fragrance in the shampoo but the manufacturers insist they use allergen-free ingredients there. Without listing them I can’t confirm this at all, however, none of them are on the 26 EU list of 26 known allergens that manufacturers must list. That aside, the ingredients are very gentle when compared with the vast majority of other dandruff shampoos.

The shampoo itself is a thick white liquid that is very mildly scented. It foamed pretty well too. My hair felt great after the shampooing, lots of bounce and volume and wasn’t dry at all. Although I was initially disappointed, I actually recommend this shampoo wholeheartedly if you suffer from dry scalp or mild seb derm. The presence of the Salicylic Acid means that I wouldn’t use it constantly, and would shampoo using a really mild shampoo in between washes. But this is a really good shampoo when used correctly.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Mineral Shampoo is on sale now