Seborrheic dermatitis (seborrhea) is an annoying and very common scalp problem which can cause itchiness and soreness of scalp, greasy hair and dandruff – though not everyone with seborrhea has dandruff.
Seborrhea is thought to be caused by excessive grease production of the scalp. Fungi can also contribute to the problem, which is why some sufferers are helped by the antifungal ketoconazole (Nizoral) shampoo and also why many natural products contain tea tree (melaleuca) oil, a natural antifungal.
Remove Shampeeling
Wella System Professional Remove Shampeeling Anti-Dandruff Shampoo does not include tea tree oil, but it contains extracts from several herbs and other substances that help to fight scalp irritation. The main active ingredients are:
- climbazole: antibacterial, antidandruff
- zinc pyrithione: antifungal, antibacterial
- piroctone olamine: antifungal, antidandruff
In addition, the shampoo contains following helpful ingredients:
- allantoin: a moisturizing and keratolytic compound (causes the skin to shed its extra crust)
- inositol: a sugar sometimes considered to be a B complex vitamin
- tocopherol (vitamin E): anti-inflammatory
- calcium pantothenate (pantothenic acid, vitamin B5): soothing, moisturizing
- Equisetum arvense: astringent, antiseptic
- Salvia officinalis (sage): astringent, antifungal, antibacterial
- Betula alba (birch): astringent, antidandruff
- Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary): antibacterial, antifungal, increases circulation
- Urtica dioica (stinging nettle): astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic
- Achillea millefolium (yarrow): astringent, anti-inflammatory
(The ingredients are listed in the bottle, but their properties were looked up by the reviewer - this information does not come from the manufacturer.)
Test Results
The shampoo looks like toothpaste in color and has a mild, neutral fragrance. There are no grains like there are in most skin peeling scrubs, probably because the "peeling" is chemical in nature. Scalp does not feel "peeled" after use, but the tester felt like her non-permanent hair dye washed off faster than with normal shampoos.
Already after the first wash the tester's scalp felt less crusty, irritated and itchy and with further use she noticed about 80-90% improvement in her seborrhea. This came as a pleasant surprise, as she had not benefited at all from several other shampoos or conditioners meant for seborrhea or other scalp problems, only from liquid hydrocortisone. However, hair seemed to get greasy just as fast as usual.
Another good thing about Remove Shampeeling is that it does not have to be used on every wash, which not only saves money but allows one to use other shampoos. The label suggests that four weeks of use provides two months of relief of scalp problems, but it also seems to work when used for two washes followed by a break for another two washes.
The downside is that it does contain parabens and synthetic colors, which some people might wish to avoid, and the plant extracts could cause allergic symptoms in sensitive people (even though they are not highly allergenic plants).
A 4.2 oz/125 ml bottle of Remove Shampeeling costs about $15-20 (10-15 euros). It can be purchased from salons and online vendors.
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