You don’t want to use OTC medicated shampoos just like any other rinse—that’s because their main gig is to help with scaling and itching, not to simultaneously cleanse and infuse the strands with nutrients. Ingredients like ketoconazole and selenium sulfide (common lab-derived players in dandruff shampoos) are potent antifungals, sure, but they’re not particularly good for the hairs themselves. “[They] can be pretty drying, stripping, and not great for all hair textures,” says Landriscina.
Even natural-leaning dandruff shampoos with clarifying agents like tea tree, salicylic acid, and apple cider vinegar can dry out the strands when used too often. The bottom line? “You’re not really meant to wash your hair with these,” Landriscina continues. “Dandruff shampoo is for your scalp.”
This may have you wondering: Uh, how do I wash my scalp but not my hair? After all, you can’t exactly rinse out the suds without it running down the lengths of your hair. You’re absolutely right, but Landriscina focuses on the actual scrubbing, here: If it comes into contact with your strands, that’s fine, but you don’t want to massage a dandruff shampoo anywhere but your scalp, especially if you use a medicated number.
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