31 Days

Fight
Flakes

With the weather turning colder,it's a good reminder to take care of your skin. All of your skin—including your scalp. Because dry, irritated skin on your scalp leads to itching and flaking. Stress and a lack of sleep can (how are you doing on those lately?) also tend to kick dandruff into high gear. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 50 million Americans deal with dandruff year-round, but it's made worse by air pollution and extreme weather.

“People often think that they have 'a dry scalp,' when in fact it's dandruff,” says Dr. Angela Lamb, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital. “At the first sign of dandruff, do not be in denial.” The flaking skin is actually your scalp's overreaction to yeast or fungus that occurs naturally on the body. Which means it's not something that can be fixed by drinking more water or using extra conditioner.

The good news is that after using the right daily anti-dandruff shampoo, your symptoms and suffering and embarrassing flakes ruining your outfits will be a thing of the past. Most of the time, you can completely clear it up in a week or two and then you simply have to maintain it by using the shampoo once a week. Here are the best ways to get your balance under control and stop the skin from drying and flaking off.

The Editor’s Pick

Of all the dandruff shampoos our team has tried, this one knocks it out of the park. It not only clears up flaking and dryness, it hydrates your scalp and leaves your hair looking and feeling healthy and shiny. The award-winning balancing shampoo offers a salon-quality wash that gets rid of product build-up and soothes itchiness while caring for your hair. Formulated with clinically-proven Zinc Pyrithione and such enriching natural ingredients as coconut oil, algae and plant-based Squalane, it's also got a refreshing minty, herbal scent that makes for a really nice morning shower.

Anti-dandruff treatment shampoo,
~~$29.99~~ / $26.99 by Jupiter

The Luxe Option

If you have colored hair or simply want to pamper your locks, Philip B.'s flake-eradicating shampoo employs oleosomes—microscopic droplets of oil—to not only hydrate your scalp but seal that moisture under the surface of your hair so that it gets softer and glossier every time you wash it. The soothing formula also helps alleviate itchiness while producing a rich lather and leaving hair full of body and never flat and dull.

Anti-flake relief shampoo,
$60 by Philip B.

The Best
Drugstore Option

Dr. Amy Perlmutter, of New York Dermatology Group, will often recommend that patients test out several shampoos—each one with a different active ingredient. Some will have “pyrithione zinc” while others include “selenium sulfide” or even salicylic acid, but it's smart to start with the active ingredient ketoconazole—an anti-fungal treatment that tackles the flaking, scaling and itching associated with dandruff. It's often prescribed in higher doses, but this is the closest you'll get to prescription-level strength without seeing a doctor.

Ketoconazole shampoo,
~~$29.99~~ / $15.99 by Nizoral

For Active or
All-Natural Guys

Formulated with 11 botanical ingredients to target sweat-induced dandruff, this shampoo is formulated with aloe and tea tree oil to help control dandruff. But this is the gentlest of the bottles here, so it may not be strong enough for more serious cases of flaking. But if you just have mild dryness, or want something you can use daily, this will leave your hair feeling clean and cared for without stripping it.

Tea tree oil shampoo,
~~$27.95~~ / $25.15 by Kick

Best for Coarse
and Thinning Hair

Apple cider vinegar balances the pH of your scalp's skin and can unclog hair follicles that have been blocked by dried skin cells, which is why it's great for anyone thinning up top. This option from SheaMoisture combines vinegar with vitamin B3 and shea butter for a moisturizing shampoo that's also great for coarse and curly hair to help it grow strong.

Anti-dandruff shampoo,
~~$13.99~~ / $10.49 by SheaMoisture

The Non-Shampoo
Treatment

If your scalp is more irritated, red and flaking (possibly from mild psoriasis), you may need a topical treatment like this one from Aesop. It's a tad pricey and requires you to apply it before getting into the shower, but because it sits directly on the skin for 15 minutes, it seeps in and really works fast. Testers reported a noticeable reduction in flaking, shedding and irritation within a few days. This is also good for guys who don't want to constantly shampoo. Just rinse it out with water in the shower.

Sage & Cedar scalp treatment,
$37 by Aesop

What Causes Dandruff?

There are a lot of reasons why the scalp dries out and starts to itch. It can be a reaction to a grooming product, from dirt and sweat, or because of a fungus called malassezia. It can also be a marker of another skin condition, like eczema or psoriasis. What dandruff is not? A marker of poor hygiene. It simply occurs when the microbiome of your scalp becomes imbalanced.

Best Practices

Massage the shampoo into hair, working it down to the scalp. With your fingertips, rub the scalp in gentle circles and leave the shampoo on for at least three but up to five minutes before washing it out. Follow with moisturizing conditioner if you notice dryness.