Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo is the 13th best selling product on Amazon.com this week. But at about $17 for 7 ounces it’s significantly more expensive than Head and Shoulders and other dandruff products. Why is that?
Nizoral Ingredients
Here are the ingredients according to Drugstore.com (Amazon doesn’t list them!)
Active ingredient: Ketoconazole, 1%
Inactive Ingredients: Acrylic Acid Polymer, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Cocamide MEA, FD&C Blue 1, Fragrance, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium 7, Quaternium 15, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrochloric Acid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Water (Aqua)
However, looking at this list it’s clear that they are not presented in the right order. Water and surfactants have to be the ingredients at the highest concentration in a product like this. My guess is the correct order is closer to this:
Water (Aqua)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
Cocamide MEA
Acrylic Acid Polymer
Fragrance
Glycol Distearate
Polyquaternium 7
Quaternium 15
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
Hydrochloric Acid
Tetrasodium EDTA
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
FD&C Blue 1
Why should you spend more on this dandruff shampoo?
As you can see the active ingredient in this product is Ketoconazole, an antifungal agent. Ketoconazole reduces Pityrosporum ovale, the yeast associated with dandruff. The ingredient used in Head & Shoulders (and most other dandruff shampoos) is Zinc pyrithione (or ZPT). While ZPT does have some antifungal properties it is primarily is an antiseborrheic agent and it reduces the production of skin cells, which helps to reduce scalp flakiness.
Our understanding of the causes and treatment of dandruff is still not complete but we do know that people react differently to different active ingredients. If you’ve found that typical over-the-counter products like Head & Shoulders don’t work for you, you certainly might try a Ketoconazole-based product. However, and here’s the important part, you should try the cheapest product first!
Reference: http://www.gwebcreator.com/Fhair/pdf/Ketoconazole.pdf
If you’re still scratching your head over which dandruff shampoo to use, you can buy Nizoral AntiDandruff Shampoo, 7-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 2)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
As a teenager I had some dandruff problems and this shampoo got rid of them quickly and effectively. I would recommend it to anyone. Too bad it’s so expensive over there…where I am from (Poland) you can get 100ml bottle for around 9 dollars and you can also get single 6ml sachets for the fraction of the price if you think you don’t need more.
It’s interesting that outside of the US (in this case in Poland but also Latin America) it’s common to sell small sachets of products. this practice makes it more affordable for people to try products that they might only need to use occasionally, like this dandruff shampoo.
I was thinking about trying Nizoral, but I am going to try a 1:1 mixture of apple cider vinegar to water, first. Supposably the vinegar restores the acidic ph of the scalp (4.5-5.5), creating an inhospitable environment for the yeast and discouraging growth.
Does anyone think there is any truth/effectiveness to this approach?
NIZORAL SHAMPOO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES. I CAN ONLY FIND IT—SHIPPED FROM THAILAND. CAN YOU RECOMMEND ANOTHER ‘EQUAL’ (TRIED THE FAKES) ANTI FUNGAL SHAMPOO WITH KETOCONAZOLE?
THANK YOU