The One Ingredient That Could Be Making Your Dandruff So Much Worse

Keeping your hair looking healthy during the cold winter months can be difficult as it is, but experiencing dandruff is a whole other battle.

We spoke to hair experts and stylists about one common chemical ingredient in many hair products that you should look out for— parabens— as they can worsen dandruff. Before getting into what your products contain, however, you should first take note of the main reasons for the formation of dandruff.

Those pesky flakes can be attributed to several things— over-shampooing, irritated and oily skin, skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema or having a sensitivity to certain hair products. We spoke to Amanda Moore, Gem House hairstylist and hair expert about the causes of dandruff and how it is different from just having a dry scalp. 

“There is a common misconception about dandruff,” says Moore. “Dandruff, or Seborrheic Dermatitis, is a skin condition that should be treated by a dermatologist. Many people think that they have dandruff but really just have a dry scalp.” Moore also explains that dry scalp is “dehydrated skin” whereas dandruff is caused from “oil buildup from the sebaceous glands.” 

“On one hand, we want to cleanse the scalp from oils, but we do not want to over-cleanse and dry the skin out,” adds Moore. “Sulfates and over-shampooing are a huge cause of dry scalp.”

You may have also heard about the dangers of sulfates— the harsh detergents that create lather in shampoos and that all too often dry out our scalps. That’s the last thing you want in an already dryness-inducing season, so buying sulfate-free products is one necessary move you should make. 

Sulfates, however, aren’t the only ingredient that could further exacerbate dandruff and dry the scalp of its essential oils.