While there are many brands of anti-dandruff products on the market today, they all essentially rely on 4 main active ingredients:

• Zinc Pyrithione
• Ketoconazole
• Coal Tar
• Selenium Disulfide

Each one of these ingredients has been used for decades to keep our scalps flake-free. However, a growing body of evidence is beginning to show how these ingredients may be dangerous, especially because of how a seborrheic dermatitis sufferer’s skin is different from a normal person’s skin.

Let’s take a closer look at each one of these active ingredients and see how they can be dangerous to your health…

Zinc Pyrithione: This is the most common active ingredient found in anti-dandruff shampoos that was previous considered safe because it was believed to not cross the skin barrier and enter the body.

We now know that zinc pyrithione is in-fact absorbed through mammalian skin where it can enter the blood stream. New evidence has even identified zinc as a neurotoxin even with small, sub-chronic exposures. This is because zinc concentrations in our brain are maintained within very narrow ranges and free ionic zinc has recently been implicated as a potent killer of neurons

In fact, research indicates that zinc may even be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease because it not only tends to accumulate in the neocortex but also because plays a role in beta-amyloid aggregation in the brain.

What’s more, a new study has now shown that zinc can also cause DNA damage in your skin cells, leaving the keratinocytes and melanocytes vulnerable to harm.

Ketoconazole: This antifungal compound is commonly found in both anti-dandruff shampoos and antifungal creams. One of the main reasons why ketoconazole or any other antifungal of the “azole” family is a poor choice for treating your seborrheic dermatitis is because it is extremely toxic to the liver. Exposure to ketoconazole has been linked to elevated liver enzymes and even liver failure.

Ketoconazole works by blocking a steroid compound called ergosterol which is found in the cell membrane of fungi. This has two negative effects…

First, since ergosterol acts as a natural sunscreen on our skin, blocking it can make your skin photosensitive and increase your chances of developing skin cancer.

Secondly, ergosterol is also the biological precursor of vitamin D2 in our body. Reducing the production of vitamin D2 can have very damaging effects on your health since it is crucial for healthy brain function, immune system function and bone health.

Coal Tar: Yes, the same substance used on pavements is also used in shampoos to help clear dandruff from your scalp. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has now categorized coal tar as a Group 1 Carcinogen – its highest hazard rating. There is significant clinical evidence linking polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in coal tar products to skin cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer and stomach cancer.

Independent studies support these findings and have concluded that topical coal tar preparations indeed do increase a person’s likelihood of developing cancer. This is why coal tar shampoos are banned in Europe and California not only restricts its use, it also requires these products to carry a cancer warning on their packaging.

Selenium Sulfide: This is another common active ingredient that works as a mild antifungal and helps relieve both itching and flaking of the scalp. Unfortunately, not only has selenium sulfide shown to cause hair loss, it is also considered to be a probable human carcinogen by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

While we’ve known about the link between selenium sulfide and liver and lung cancer for over 40 years, only recently have countries started taking action against its use with the EU and Japan outright banning it in consumer products

And these are just the risks of the popular over-the-counter products. As you’re about to see next, even the newer generation of all-natural products don’t fare any better when it comes to safety and efficacy…

Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used ingredients in “all-natural” products and see why they are not suitable for treating seborrheic dermatitis.

• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Shea Butter
• Cocoa Butter
• Almond Oil

Most natural products use these and other popular oils/butters to moisturize your dry skin and soften any thick plaques that you may have. Unfortunately, these products take a very superficial view of the problem and fail to consider the biochemical effects of these ingredients on seborrheic dermatitis.

For example, all of these oils and butters contain saturated fatty acids that are the primary food source of the Malasezzia yeast which causes seborrheic dermatitis. Remember, the way Malassezia grows on our skin and causes flareups is by feeding on the saturated fatty acids in our skin oils (sebum). That’s why one of the primary ways of alleviating a flareup is to clear our skin of its sebum. However, these products end up doing the opposite and flood our skin with nutrition for Malassezia, making us more prone to seborrheic dermatitis flareups.

The other major problem with these and most other natural oils and butters is that almost all of them contain oleic acid. Oleic acid happens to be one of the byproducts of the Malassezia yeast when it feeds on our skin oils and it is the main irritant that penetrates our epidermis, triggering seborrheic dermatitis flareups. In other words, even if you managed to somehow clear the Malassezia yeast off your skin, you will still be left with the very irritant it produces that is responsible for your seborrheic dermatitis symptoms.

Squalene and Glycine: Besides using commonly known natural ingredients, some of the more advanced products use active ingredients extracted from natural sources. For example, squalene, an anti-inflammatory ingredient that is derived from olives and glycine, a hydrating ingredient derived from coconuts.

Unfortunately, even these kinds of advanced ingredients extracted from natural sources can be harmful for seborrheic dermatitis sufferers. For example, both squalene and glycine have shown to transform Malassezia into hyphae – a growth phase in yeast. Hyphal growth of Malassezia is associated with deeper penetration of the epidermis and a stronger immune response (worse flareups).

As you can see, even natural and supposedly advanced ingredients that are otherwise helpful for most other people usually prove to be damaging to seborrheic dermatitis sufferers. That’s because almost all these products borrow from cosmeceutical science. However, the complex nature of seborrheic dermatitis requires a deeper understanding of dermatology, immunology, histology and even mycology, something almost no natural product devotes their R&D resources to.

This may seem like a small thing but in reality, it’s what has kept seborrheic dermatitis treatments back for a long time. For decades researchers have pointed out that dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are two distinct conditions. However, anti-dandruff products are still the mainstay of seborrheic dermatitis treatments.

There are two big reasons why you should never turn to anti-dandruff products to treat your seborrheic dermatitis…

• Because anti-dandruff products offer an incomplete solution for seborrheic dermatitis And
• Because anti-dandruff products are actually harmful to seborrheic dermatitis sufferers

Let’s look at both these things a little closer…
Anti-dandruff products offer an incomplete solution for seborrheic dermatitis

It’s true, both dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are the result of abnormal cellular turnover in your skin which leads to flaking and in both cases this abnormality is caused by the Malassezia yeast.
However, that’s where the similarities end because there are many additional issues involved in the seborrheic dermatitis disease process such as:

• An immune system dysfunction that causes immune over-sensitivity and overactivity
• A skin cell defect that allows Malassezia to easily penetrate the epidermis
• The failure of all 4 critical skin barriers during flareups
• A gut dysfunction that constantly triggers skin dysfunction through the gut-skin axis

Not only do anti-dandruff products leave all these critical issues unaddressed, they also offer no protection against the 5 long term dangers of seborrheic dermatitis.

Anti-dandruff products are also harmful to seborrheic dermatitis sufferers

While the active ingredients in anti-dandruff products tend to be safe for most people, the same active ingredients tend to be toxic for seborrheic dermatitis sufferers. The reason why these products are granted FDA approval and generally considered safe for use is because the safety studies on these products were done on people that had perfectly intact skin.
Unfortunately, seborrheic dermatitis sufferers have a problem with the “intactness” of their skin which allows for the increased absorption of the toxic active ingredients into the blood stream.

Take selenium sulfide for example. It is a common active ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos. While selenium sulfide itself is a very toxic compound, it is considered safe because it is not believed to cross the epidermal barrier.

However, research shows that selenium sulfide does absorb through your skin if it has lesions. Since the skin barrier of seborrheic dermatitis suffers is compromised it essentially allows for greater transdermal penetration and bioaccumulation of toxic substances into the body.

The same is true of all other active ingredients commonly used in anti-dandruff shampoos, including zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole and coal tar.

This is why you should always beware of any product that treats seborrheic dermatitis as if it’s simply a severe dandruff problem. For that matter, you should be cautious of any product that puts seborrheic dermatitis in the same category as any other skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, etc.

Remember, seborrheic dermatitis is a unique problem that requires a very unique treatment approach.

In many ways, antifungal products that kill the Malassezia yeast on your skin have become the holy grail of seborrheic dermatitis treatments and for good reason. Getting rid of Malassezia does indeed provide a degree of relief from flareups. However, this relief tends to be both inconsistent and unpredictable.

• The effectiveness of the antifungal products is not the same for everyone
• Antifungal products tend to work better on some areas of the body and not others
• They tend to be less effective during certain months and more effective during others

But why is that?
If it is the Malassezia yeast that is primarily responsible for all your seborrheic dermatitis symptoms and antifungal products get rid of Malassezia, then shouldn’t you see consistent and reliable results all over your body, all throughout the year?

However, we don’t
Why?
Because Malassezia isn’t just a single yeast – it comes in different varieties we call strains…

• Many different strains Malassezia have been linked to seborrheic dermatitis – For example, M. Globosa, M. Restricta, M. Furfur, M. Sympodialis, M. Slooffiae, M. Pachydermatis, M. Obtusa, M. Dermatis, M. Ovalis and M. Japonica (the M stands for Malassezia).
• Different strains are dominant in different parts of the world – For example, M. Sympodialis is the more prevalent species in Europe, while M. Sympodialis and M. Globosa are the most common species in the US and Canada and M. Restricta and M. Globosa are the predominant species in Asia.
• Different strains are dominant during different times of the year – For example, while seborrheic dermatitis symptoms tend to peak during the winter months, it can keep going in the summer months because M. Globosa responds to the high temperatures and sweat by increasing its growth.
• Different strains are dominant in different parts of our body – For example, M. Globosa is commonly found on the scalp, forehead and trunk, M. Restricta (scalp and cheek), M. Sloofiae (ears), M. Sympodialis (chest), etc.

And here is the most important fact of all…

• Different strains show different levels of weaknesses against antifungals – This is known as susceptibility and not all strains of the Malassezia yeast equally susceptible to antifungals. For example, ketoconazole shampoos kill M. Sympodialis much easier than M. Furfur.

So, this raises two important questions…
If there are different strains of Malassezia the are dominant in different countries,
during different months on different parts of our body…

It’s because they don’t have clinical data to show how effective their active ingredients are against the different Malassezia strains.

Remember, no single non-prescription anti-fungal ingredient has the ability to kill all the Malassezia strains on your body with equal effectiveness. However, unless you target of all the strains at once, the remaining strains can act as reservoirs to repopulate your skin and keep your seborrheic dermatitis going.

This is why it is so important to only rely on products that address this critical issue head on and don’t talk in general terms about Malassezia as if it’s a single microbe.

Let’s consider how antifungal shampoos work for a moment…
These products aim to relieve your seborrheic dermatitis symptoms by reducing the numbers of Malassezia yeast on your skin. However, recent studies have now pointed to why this approach may be ineffective by itself….

• For example, another fungus, besides Malassezia, known as Filobasidium floriforme,, has now been identified as a possible cause of seborrheic dermatitis (which most antifungal products ignore)
• Aside from skin fungus, several types of bacteria, such as Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, have now been linked with seborrheic dermatitis (something antifungals don’t even target)
• Recent studies have found that fungal diversity on our skin may be associated with reducing our risk of many diseases (antifungals reduce fungal diversity)
• We’ve also learned that the fungus Ascomycota actually plays a beneficial role on our scalps and getting rid of it may contribute to seborrheic dermatitis (something almost all antifungal products do)

What this tells us is that the strategy of just blindly targeting the Malassezia yeast takes a very narrow view of the problem. The same goes for almost every other type of anti-dandruff product that fails to take all the complexities and recent discoveries about seborrheic dermatitis into account.

If your goal is to find fast, safe, effective and long-term relief from your flareups, be sure to go beyond conventional over-the counter products. Always, look for a treatment that is based on our most current understanding of seborrheic dermatitis.

The most common methods of treating seborrheic dermatitis today involve either using anti-dandruff shampoos, antifungals, anti-inflammatory creams or moisturizers. Note how all these methods only treat the problem from the outside.

However, current research tells us that there are two root causes of seborrheic dermatitis present inside our body that almost always remain untreated…

• An Immune System Dysfunction – Where an immune system imbalance (TH2 Dominance) constantly causes it to launch an allergy-like response against our skin.
• A Gut Dysfunction – Caused by an imbalance in our gut bacteria (dysbiosis) and our digestive tract becoming unable to keep toxins and microbes from entering the body (intestinal barrier dysfunction).

Growing evidence now supports that treating these two internal issues may be more important and more effective than constantly treating the problem from the outside. In fact, most of the long-term dangers of seborrheic dermatitis arise from these two internal issues going unaddressed.

This tells us that topical treatments only offer an incomplete solution to what is a multifaceted condition. That’s why it is so important to take a multi-pronged approach that takes all aspects of seborrheic dermatitis into consideration.

Now, you might be wondering…

As it turns out, there are 20 specific things that your treatment should address

In other words, any therapy that accomplishes these 20 specific goals, is bound to be the most comprehensive seborrheic dermatitis treatment that leaves nothing out. Such a treatment is guaranteed to be far more effective than anything currently available on the market.

So, without delay, let’s look at what those 20 treatment goals for complete seborrheic dermatitis relief are.