What's In Dandruff Shampoo? Chemist Breaks Down Head & Shoulders Ingredients | WSJ Label Lab

[@PugLovah]

This story could've been a real snooze-fest, but this scientist was a 5-star rockstar at breaking down the science. She needs her own show!!

[@mon6745]

Can you please bring Erica back and give her a series? Shes so interesting knowledgeable in explaining complex concepts to lay people - Thank you 🤗

[@ymk1708]

I like this lady. Seems knowledgeable and down-to-earth. Great episode.

[@garlicinthebread]

I mean she's a literal chemist of course she's knowledgeable

[@cupidok2768]

Dont add colors. Doesnt do clearing

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

@@cupidok2768 0.o Are you on drugs? That comment is completely incoherent.

[@der0ng]

Among the guest scientist, Erica is definitely a head and shoulders above the rest.

[@Sjalabais]

I can hear the echo of drum rolls from far away.

[@CRCC830]

we need more of this series. i’ve been super cognizant of the ingredients in my skincare/shampoo/etc so I’ve gotten into the habit of reading and researching the ingredients labels. now i can pick up a product and understand 90% of the ingredients without looking it up

[@abd12459]

Kinda same .. me a sunscreen fanatic

[@CrispPapa]

Yeah same i was even looking at trying Korean skin care even though I can’t read in Korean it feels like USA skin care is just an unregulated mess. I’m over here like with sensitive skin guys, get it together

[@anywhiteguyin1985]

im a year late but the skin care industry is a fraud!

[@Jp_116]

If she had been my chemistry teacher, I would have definitely not struggled with it. She makes me really want to listen 😮

[@pamaybassey8058]

The best thing is listening to someone who clearly knows her stuff...and can explain it to someone who knows nothing about a topic. I just learned some cool new things. Excellent!

[@llptg1016]

If you used Head and Shoulders for years but still have bad dandruff problems, try Nizoral. I went from shredding dandruff like it's snowing to now basically dandruff free.

[@rafaelacosta5724]

Yup. Head and Shoulders is useless for dandruff. Mineral oil for a month got rid of a relative's dandruff.

[@navajyotichetia8968]

​@@rafaelacosta5724 should you not be glad- mineral oil didn't leach through the skin of your relative and mess up real nasty

[@TBjunk25]

@@rafaelacosta5724 It’s banned in the EU for causing DNA damage….

[@ari-jv]

Nizoral 2% is good

[@theholypopechodeii4367]

Nizoral is super good for my scalp, gets rid of all itching and dandruff, but super terrible for my hair, it makes it really dry and gives it an almost scratchy texture.

[@TheSoBoGirlMindy]

Thanks WSJ for starting this series . Really grateful to see things more specific to consumer centric.

[@ceeril]

You better invite this cheerful lady back for more label lab, WJS.

[@madremaria.5513]

Thank you for real science based information vs all the noise especially in the natural hair community on sulfates and silicones👌🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@Sebastian-xy3xk]

I totally agree. I hope that more pseudoscience goes away with time in the curly hair world.

[@Cheer4Life825]

How easily she pronounced all those chemicals in the ingredient lists is amazing 😮

[@13579hee]

Head and shoulders is absolutely the most drying shampoo I have ever used. I actually don't think my hair has ever recovered from using one of their shampoos

[@OvhanDevos]

Avoid anything with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and similar names like Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Also consider checking into shampoos designed for sensitive skin. Even if you think you have oily hair, just give it a shot.

[@ostyne5523]

I stopped using Head & Shoulders because a hairdresser I visited recommended Loreal, as I was losing lots of hair at the time! My hair's THICKER now!🙂

[@MarcinaRiley]

Love her! She’s so great! I would love for her to do some content on being a scientist so that I can share it with my elementary school students ♥️

[@donting24]

Learned a fact already from the first few seconds. More channels should be like this. Not clickbait and straight to the point

[@jjk4891]

I was amazed by how well she presents and explains stuff! But I wish the video had a sentence or two on how pyrithione zinc fights dandruff.

[@JohnShawOhio]

I love Erica's style! 😊

[@candaceang2518]

Surfactants also help spread the product more evenly on hair in my opinion in comparison to shampoos that does not foam up

[@MrsLove-zp8jp]

been using head and Shoulders for years and love it.

[@NaturalDarkChocolate]

The scientist was wonderful! I agree with the sentiments of many other comments--make her WSJ regular...please and thank you.

[@javiersanchez1218]

Charismatic and intelligent host. What more does a video need? Great watch! Thanks

[@linking093]

As a chemical engineer that suffers this condition heavily I found this so informative

[@EquityChaser1]

That was an awesome demonstration Erica thank you I’ve learned so much in a few minutes about shampoo than I would in an an hour.

[@Ezel_00]

lady was awesome, I didn't get bored by her at all. and she was pretty knowledgeable about the topic so it's so easy to listen to.

[@sdabney012]

I can’t believe I watch this entire video! Informative and entertaining. Thanks WSJ. I hope to see from Erica.

[@michealwestfall8544]

Love how companies are like the regulations are killing the industry, but then be like we're within FDA guidelines. Legal doesn't mean safe.

[@yvonnezkea]

Erica is such a clear and engaging speaker! This was surprisingly informative.

[@kuku-xt7wm]

I'm pharmacy student and she really inspiring ❤

[@angeldavis2780]

This is so entertaining! More of her please!!!

[@jk_ilyu]

wow that's why head and shoulders cleared up my dandruff so well

[@gregorymeditz8573]

Erica Douglas, the delightful scientist

[@tooljack4439]

Erica is fantastic. love her personality.

[@goldsilver004]

This product made my hair fall off my HEAD & land on my SHOULDERS. Thanks a lot h&s

[@BenShutUp]

Who is this beautiful Black female chemist?! Hello! Yes girl, you betta teach us! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 WSJ, please do more videos with her 💯💯💯

[@boltez6507]

Feels good that i already completely understand everything that she says.

[@NC-gu8se]

Great video more of Sister Scientist please!

[@RubzNotNice]

As much as I appreciate the science and breakdown behind the shampoo and its chemical properties... I would've loved to learn more about what dandruff is and what causes it and remedies as well... She was starting to get into it at 0:55 and then WSJ cut her off lol

[@jocheidk176]

Search it up

[@TheBooban]

@@jocheidk176i have. It doesn’t make sense anyways. My dandruff never permanently goes away. I think it should.

[@mica4977]

@TheBooban To my understanding dandruff comes about because of an imbalance in bacteria/fungi on our scalp. The particular bacteria/fungus she mentioned overgrows & eats the oils off our scalp & its poops irritate our skin, which in turn causes our scalp to issue an auto immune alert to protect itself by turning up the skin creation speed up to 11! Causing layers upon layers of skin to build up & fall off as flakes. Compared to the normal amount of dead skin we shed off that is so small we don't notice it actively falling off. These shampoos kill of that fungi to limit the irritants but they just come back at times stronger & can even return with immunities. Generally other friendly fungy/ bacteria is meant to fight off the one irritating us but for some reason we may be creating an envirement where they can't thrive on equal ground and end up losing the war.

[@x-shadow-x]

So why was it banned in the EU? And why was this not mentioned in the video?

[@harshenvy]

it nails down to the fact that it potentially may damage DNA and be toxic for environment. there are similar chemicals that have been more tested and have similar effects to pyrithione zinc

[@weird-guy]

We have stricter regulations in the eu, still have heads & shoulders, H&S over other food also have different ingredients that why some products taste or are different in the eu .

[@x-shadow-x]

@@weird-guy Yes, I also live in the EU. It was more a critique of the video, to just pass over it, as if it didn't have a reason things are banned in the EU.

[@meninoesperto2773]

This video is brought to you by Head & Shoulders

[@watcbd]

I would watch an entire hair care documentary narrated by her! :)

[@WoodlandCompanies]

Very knowledgeable and entertaining.

[@stonefacedmedusa5542]

I’m surprised by the label standards in US vs Canada. I bought the same Vaseline lip balm in NYC and TO, and the number of ingredients listed was different.

[@yukinokuroshu]

Such a great and fun presentator :D

[@Justin_Osugi]

We need a series with Erica!

[@pilotkid2011]

I want more of her. She’s so cool

[@DarkZerol]

She is practically the Bill Nye of my science class when my science teacher is too lazy to explain anytime to the class and just put out an episode of Bill Nye.

[@knomesarecooliguess5928]

Erica is an amazing explainer! I retained more from her than most of my teachers! Side note : where did she get her sweater from? I love the color!

[@JUSTIN-lt8fy]

Wish she could teach me Organic Chemistry, my professor sucks

[@akinoz]

Erica’s energy is amazing.

[@moonflowerkei]

She was so great at explaining this and she's absolutely charming!

[@Ayzlxn]

We need more with Erica!

[@mllkc]

she need to host her own show 💚

[@michaelamartin2884]

Love how she mispronounced Malassezia but not a single chemical name. Truly a chemist! 😆💜

[@nicolas-lb4kd]

I used Head and Shoulders for years and it helped keep my hair clean, but now it gives me oiliness and horrible folliculitis, I'm sure they changed the formula or added a new compound in 2024. Anyone else?

[@magnoliaskogen]

I can't use Head and Shoulders due to the fragrances so I don't have experience with that specifically but another pyrithione zinc shampoo you could try is Vanicream. It's fragrance-free and also does not include some other common allergens

[@nicolas-lb4kd]

@magnoliaskogen Thank you! 🤩

[@giuseppinatrimarchi3972]

I love how she breaks down the ingredients of head and shoulders. As i stopped using it as it created an other problem with drying out my hair. I started using a localy made shampoo which is softer on my hair.

[@pheonixeternal8981]

I really enjoyed watching this very insightful and the scientist definitely sounded like they knew what they were talking about would be cool if she did more videos on shampoos and conditioners

[@karenphelan6107]

This is amazing are there more - I could watch something like this all day

[@spammusubi1607]

This was so cool and educational! I’m a long user of head and shoulders so this was really helpful to learn about

[@LazarusStr]

After reading some of the comments, I guess I am late 😂😂. Really loved this episode because of the personality behind the scientist ❤ I loved her presentation so much that I watched it twice. As a user or dandruff shampoo, I learned a lot #sisterscientist 🥰

[@robertnelson9621]

Love her enthusiasm

[@ExplorHits]

She's so charismatic and cute 🥰

[@nikolqy]

We need more videos with this lady!

[@johnnyarellano7653]

Please make more of these type of videos. It’s sooo good

[@100percentCATchannel]

My hair is your typical oily/dandruff scalp and slightly dry ends. I was prescribed ketoconazole shampoo and it works better than any shampoo I've bought, I use it once a week, dandruff doesn't completely go away but it does reduce the amount and the itchiness. Now I just have oily scalp with a bit of dandrufff and can stay fairly clean for 3 days. I also like scalp scrubs although it's a bit expensive.

[@ostyne5523]

I stopped using Head & Shoulders because a hairdresser I visited recommended Loreal, as I was losing lots of hair at the time! My hair's THICKER now!🙂

[@carmellelapointe7583]

Are the ingredients the same??

[@seankim2743]

Cool video. Cooler presenter. I'm leaving more informed about products and its ingredients' nature. Thank you.

[@llamalover02]

We need more Erica!

[@SumairKhan007]

Selsun Blue did wonders for my dandruff. Hand and Shoulders on the other hand increased my hairfall 😮

[@TheBooban]

Selsun Blue did nothing when I used it.

[@YourInternetPandaFriend]

Thank you for making this so easy to understand!

[@jkg4847]

I love her personality and she teaches really well😊

[@heliophobicdude]

More of these please!!

[@stonefacedmedusa5542]

5:10 FDA approved doesn’t mean it’s safe. Nowadays being FDA approved doesn’t mean much.

[@khariscadogan7619]

You can say that again seems like they approve anything!!!!!

[@cfoster6804]

​@@khariscadogan7619 ...for money.

[@khariscadogan7619]

@@cfoster6804 hmm exactly it sad yesss!!!!!!

[@sczarche5149]

I suffered from severe dandruff from highschool until I have my first job. Tried different anti-dandruff products but nothing is effective. My mom told me to use head and shoulders, although it does nothing but lessen the itchiness. Been really frustrated since its embarassing to have flakes of dandruff on my clothes every time. Then I use head and shoulders clinical and thanks mom I don't have it anymore.

[@stonefacedmedusa5542]

Nizoral does a better job I think

[@sczarche5149]

@melian7403 I live and sleep with same bed with my mom so I can assure you that it's always clean. Actually, it started when I tried to have hot oil treatment for my hair.

[@Ohkeh640]

Head and shoulders clinical shampoo was the best but in australia they got rid of it 😢😢😢

[@wayne02058]

I like this series it's very informative can you guys make more videos like this

[@DudeRandom]

Could someone explain more about her last comment at the end of the video? "I think a lot of people associate dandruff with being unclean but that's untrue", can someone elaborate? Serious question. Much appreciation!

[@codegeassfan4life28]

Great now where do i get non carcinogenic anti dandruff shampoo in the US.

[@houseplant1016]

Ask a European friend to buy it for you and ship it you ☺️

[@MRLONG758]

might have to order it

[@poshbo]

You will not get cancer from American Head and Shoulders unless you're drinking entire bottles of it (which would make you sick anyway). Just because an ingredient may be a carcinogen doesn't mean that exposure to microscopic amounts will have any impact. You're far more likely to get cancer from breathing in car fumes every time you drive but I'm guessing that won't stop you from driving a car

[@edNdr]

Your comment was 9 days old. As of right now, the subtitle has a line saying something "mutagenic, which means toxic for reproduction", but the video doesn't match. Did the video mention about carcinogens previously? If yes, that means it has been edited out.

[@houseplant1016]

@@edNdr Yes

[@nicolenicholas7039]

Amazing that you worked with Erica (@sisterscientist) to do this! I love the fun & informative videos she puts out to make products and the beauty industry easy to understand.

[@bolinvolovan3060]

Great explainer vid

[@ambergris5705]

The active ingredient in this works against oily dandruff, that comes from an excess of sebum (oil), which in combination with the surfactant will dry your hair of its oil. However, if your dandruff comes from your scalp being too dry, it's going to make your issues worse, so be mindful...

[@TheBooban]

There is fungus dandruff too. Mine is sebum, never permanently goes away. I used to use H&S every day but now once a fortnight and regular shampoo every day.

[@mangaoang]

Ive been using Head and Shoulders for sometime now. It’s nice to know about this cause im using this haha

[@kiyanaturner6291]

Love Erica! @sisterscientist She’s the best! 👩🏾‍🔬

[@360.Tapestry]

i struggled with stubborn dandruff and annoying scalp itch for a very long time. i switched to a pyrithione zinc shampoo, a copper-infused pillowcase, and limited my gluten intake around the same time. dandruff is no longer an issue in my day-to-day life... which one of these three options is the key factor? i'm not sure lol probably the shampoo for my scalp and the pillowcase to reduce the amount of bacteria that hangs out there

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

The easiest way to beat dandruff is to just shower every day, wear clean clothes and sleep in clean beds and stay away from oily places (like KFC kitchens). My dandruff gets so bad when I don't shower to the point where I turn into Shigaraki from My Hero Academia.

[@thisnthat7760]

It's not the dandruff but the itchy flake

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

@@thisnthat7760 wait what's the difference between dandruff and itchy flakes?

[@May-qb3vx]

Doesn’t matter the ingredient I and my dermatologist have tried: the only thing that has actually helped my seb derm has been the Alaffia Unscented Black Soap. Head and Shoulders, T-Sal, Ketoconazole 2% (basically prescription strength Nizoral): none of them worked. But the black soap has helped immensely. Only took 2 years of an active uncontrolled flare to find the thing that finally works..

[@mon6745]

Erica is so funny and interesting that I clicked right away 😊 - shes alao so pretty omg

[@kkate25]

Really good information and well delivered ❤.

[@2Fast4Mellow]

Is there some award for who can think of the most difficult name for an ingredient?

[@demonslayer4951]

This shampoo is good for oily scalp & oily hair. However, if u have dry scalp, it will dries it even more & cause dry skin in scalp which vulnerable to bacteria that leads to dandruff & scalp issues. I use this shampoo only on summer days even I don't have dandruff. In winter, this is a no no. Since I use hot water in bath when it's winter, this shampoos dries me & cause me dandruff. This is my go to shampoo in summer.

[@lankanpro]

In my experience H&S leaft a powder like substance after use, that caused scalp pores to block and caused excess dandruff and other scalp issues and this made me think daily use is the option to keep dandruff under control, but later it came to my mind that this can be a tactic used by the company, why would a dandruff shampoo company would make a product that will eliminate dandruff altogether? So what I would say is it's not for those who have oily scalp

[@yoring9826]

It could be a tactic from the company. Like you said, daily use is the option to control it and that's what they doing. So what they probably doing is by giving the users false result aka "Use daily for better result". Some ingredients obviously may leave some substances which can mimic 'danduff'. So if you use daily, obviously, the products would 'cover' the left behinds substances but after certains times, those products got dried and would look like danduff. This is a money tactics that most companies would use to make sure that users would think their products are good and can solve the danduff problems when in facts, they are the causes of the issues. The more you use, the 'better result' you would get, so then the more you buy it, the more money companies would get. This similar to how most products are not as good as it was years ago because how would companies continue to make money if their products are one stop solutions

[@TheBooban]

@@yoring9826no, i don’t get any dandruff after stopping. I use regular shampoo everyday for 2 weeks (some say you shouldn’t wash your hair everyday, but that’s disgusting), but around 3 weeks, then I get the itching, dandruff and have use H&S for a while.

[@jecoliahmcintosh8610]

Thank you, Ms Douglas. Thanks for that breakdown, can you do the same for neutrogena t gel. Would really appreciate it.

[@correct-wb1je]

Great explanation

[@OvhanDevos]

If they come off the hair when using a shampoo... how do they stay on when you add them via a shampoo? Also, for those who do not know, sulfates can cause dryness and irritation if you have sensitive skin like mine, or if you have fairly dry scalp to begin with.

[@ElenaTaneva]

Definitely need more of this series I wanna see more product reviewed. I personally don't like H&S but I was using it in highschool😆😆At least I am happy that EU had banned some of those ingredients that the US uses

[@Buster475]

She's fun to watch!

[@dianakolarova9428]

Not so bad after all! Thank you for the video.

[@TripleVortex]

Erica is so engaging to watch and listen to I would join her Patreon if she made her own content 😂

[@milo20060]

Head and shoulders shampoo and the conditioner the besttt

[@brandonlyniv]

This lady could be the new Bill Nye ! Also, I use H&S so this was interesting

[@hazqier]

Funny thing is using Head & Shoulders actually causes dandruff on my hair, there's white flakey dusty stuff on my hair after it dried, and it's not just me, my friends and families have them too after using it, so we mostly just make fun of each other and it became an inside joke where when we see dandruff on someone's hair, we say that they wore Head & Shoulders shampoo. I've used a lot of shampoos over the years and once I tried TRESemmè, I never go back. It has a large bottle which lasts months, and I've never had any dandruff problems or feel like my hair is too dry or too oily, it just feels natural. I've used them of the past 5 years already and I plan on using it for years to come as my go to shampoo.

[@demonslayer4951]

Tresemme got me acne on my scalf & it dries my hair.

[@HyuLilium]

Forgot to mention the parts that keep people addicted by making them feel unclean if they don't use them. Certain shampoos don't have those

[@TheBooban]

I’m addicted. How to stop?

[@annaclarafenyo8185]

The key ingredient in dandruff shampoo is a chemical that gives you dandruff when you stop. The product is therefore designed to cause addiction, and should be illegal.

[@TheBooban]

That’s kinda what I suspect too.

[@thekaerichtexas]

Alright miss Erica. 👏👏👏 love that hair