Vanicream Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 8oz

I was told I had psoriasis on my leg. LOL. I was given clobetasol and calcipotrene for it. After six months, no change. At. All. I knew it wasn't psoriasis, but I'm not a doctor, so I did what he told me to do. After doing a ton of research and looking at thousands of photos, I realized it was a fungal issue. (There was one photo that looked like I had taken a picture of my own leg)! So I started trying everything over the counter to deal with it. I decided to go with this option first because it is unscented and not expensive. Pyrithione zinc is used for dandruff, but also can be effective for fungal infections and folliculitis. Well, long story short, it is working albeit slowly. The lesions on my leg are changing for the better. They are getting smaller and there is much less irritation within the hair follicles. I use this before bathing. I slather is on all of the areas and then let it sit for five minutes, then I hop in the shower and wash it off. I follow up with urea and then Vaseline while my skin is still moist. I am hoping it will be a lot better after several more weeks. I will start using it every day once I determine that it won't irritate the area. I was gonna try Nizoral, but the fragrance is a deal breaker for me. I wish I could find an unscented version because ketoconazole works quite well on fungal infections. And yes, I tried the pads for dogs and cats, but the fragrance and methylisothiazolinone broke me out and I had to return the item. I am going to add in some benzoyl peroxide for good measure because most fungal infections don't become resistant to benzoyl peroxide. I purchased that item from Paula's Choice btw. Her benzoyl peroxide formulation is pretty great. I didn't use this on my scalp. Yet. But it seems like it wouldn't dry out your scalp or cause issues if used as directed. You'll need a moisturizing conditioner after using this on your hair for sure. And it also might cause fading if you dye your hair.

This is my honest review. I have purchased this product at least 3-4 times. I have Afro 4C, kinky coily natural hair that is medium density. I have a sensitive scalp and I am prone to eczema flare ups. Positives: -great for sensitive scalp, eczema prone scalp, irritated scalp -calms inflammation -great for dandruff -fragrance free -little goes a long way (bottle last a while) -lathers well -cleanses and clarifies very well -fragrance free Negatives: -dries out hair! especially if you have kinky curly hair it can make hair feel like straw ( condition/ moisturize well after or use a moisturizing shampoo for hair and this only on the scalp) -careful not to leave it on scalp for too long or rub your scalp too rough because it can cause discomfort on the scalp My experience: This this the only shampoo I use on my scalp, or the the only shampoo I can use on my scalp. My scalp two years ago broke out from all the fragrances in regular shampoos such as Shea a Moisture and Carol’s daughter ( no longer use them). Both left my scalp inflamed, sensitive and bleeding. In addition to the painful irritation my scalp became prone to dandruff. I found this shampoo while researching and it has saved my scalp. This shampoo is very cleansing so it takes away all the dandruff and dirt etc. My scalp always feels cleansed and clean and fresh afterwards. It helped heal all the sores and I have not used another shampoo on my scalp sense. The downside is because it is so cleansing it dries out your hair. If you have oilier hair then this may not be so bad but natural and drier hair it will make it feel like straw. I use this on my scalp and use Pantene gold series shampoo on my hair ( I don’t let it touch my scalp), and I do a pre shampoo with oil as well. It is a great product for sensitive scalp, irritated scalp, eczema prone scalp and dandruff prone scalp. Overall I highly recommend for sensitive scalp and dandruff prone hair.

In a nutshell, this product works as advertised to make the hair and scalp soft, soothed, and flake-free. It has almost no scent and should be friendly for any type of skin or hair needs due to its very gentle formula free from common irritants. My main gripe is that this bottle is only 8 oz, and it tends to be more expensive than the 12 oz bottle of 'regular' Free and Clear shampoo. A double-edged sword of this shampoo is that precisely BECAUSE it doesn't contain potentially irritating compounds found in 'normal' shampoos, it doesn't foam up well, and I find I have to use more than I anticipated. I have long hair and I am going to go through this bottle in a small number of shampoos, so I wish it came in a larger size that was also more cost efficient. Two things I noticed upon my first time using it: * This is NOT a tearless shampoo despite its gentle formulation. I got some in my eyes and it stung real bad. * After first rinse, my scalp was MORE flaky than when I started. I was initially outraged and thought this product was a bust. Once I shampooed again a few days later, the flakes were all gone and remained gone, and I was comforted that it actually worked. I think it was just dislodging all the residue that was on my scalp and setting it free. A little more about my overall experience with these types of shampoos in case it helps others - I have a contact dermatitis allergy to CAPB, a common foaming/sudsing agent that is in literally every commercial shampoo, so the options I have are very limited. I also have eczema where my skin can be sensitive and flare up bad if exposed to something it does not like. I have been familiar with many of the Vanicream / Free and Clear products for years due to my skin's needs, and I had been using the other type of Free and Clear shampoo off and on, but I didn't really like that it made my hair feel kind of like straw. I had switched to using Dr. Bronner's multipurpose soap/cleanser/shampoo because I liked the scents, but I found that it was giving me flaky scalp and my head would get horribly itchy about 2-3 days after shampooing. So I tried this one, and I will keep using it because it works, but I will still grumble a bit about the price. In comparing this to the other Free and Clear shampoo, this one actually seems to make my hair feel a little softer. I do also use the Vanicream conditioner after, and then I spray a leave-in conditioner in and comb my hair really well to get all the snarls out. I wash my hair about every 5 days and this shampoo also does seem to help make my hair shinier, more bouncy, and less greasy.

It turns out I have "contact dermatitis" -- deep rashes triggered by scents and additives in household products. I've changed everything I use to clean or scent myself, with this wonderful shampoo and product line as my go-to. Nature-derived Zinc Pyrithione is the active ingredient (studies say it can also help with hair loss, and is the same 2% Pyrithione Zinc found in the Vanicream Z-Bar). It pours scentless as a white cream, disperses with no foam, and owns my contact dermatitis. It's designed to do the same for psoriasis, eczema, and other generally sensitive skin ailments. Hair is left wonderfully manageable -- no over-dryness, no sacrifices at all in look or feel or ability to style it. These Vanicream/Free & Clear products have changed my life. Rashes that once tore me open are gone. For those with skin ailments, eliminating scents and additives might be a wonderful place to start. My best to you! - Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!

TRULY scent free! Great for MCS and ones who have fragrance issues!! I wished I would have taken a picture before and after. This stuff is the ONLY stuff out of 5-7 different dandruff shampoo that has worked. And tried baking soda and vinegar and other home remedies. I have had 3 children and after each child my head got worse then over the last 3 years just gross. I give it a 5 Star for what my scalp looks like now. I give it 4 star because it is like putting a little water down elemers glue in your hair. It does not lather at all. Great for short hair. Did wonders for my sons dandruff also just after two uses. DO LEAVE IT ON FOR THE TIME IT SAYS! It’s worth it. I have thick medium length hair. I brush my hair before I get in the shower. Get it wet. Split my hair down the middle. Then I put some in my left palm, I am right handed so, then just put a little on my right fingers then put it where the bare part of the scalp is then section some over and repeat then rub in at scalp. I do that around my whole head. Then leave on. I then just take that time to do other shower stuff. You then can use your normal shampo and conditioner or just your conditioner. I had no success using this shampoo like normal shampoo and just rub it in. This is a pain but my scalp has been SO MUCH BETTER! Not so self conscious of my hair anymore. I only used it 2-3 times a week for about a month and now I am down to 1-2 times a week. I have thick, dark below shoulder length hair.

Dermatologist prescribed this for my son. Best product out there .

The shampoo is basically scentless so it will not bother your nose. My problem however was that it dried out my scalp and my hair really badly. My hair felt coarse and wiry after using the shampoo and looked very dry/dull. After all the good stuff I read online about this shampoo I did not expect that to happen. Used it a few times and then stopped after I realized the dryness getting worse with prolonged use. So beware of that, especially if you have a sensitive scalp. I gave it 3-stars for "value for money" because I only used a small amount of the shampoo each time and that small bit was powerful enough to dry me out that much. So I guess value-wise, you get your worth (if it works for you) since a little bit goes a long way (which it did, but negatively in my experience).

This is the best therapeutic shampoo I have found for my seborrheic dermatitis. I first started suffering with itchiness, burning, and then a painful scalp in 2019. I finally went to my dermatologist in 2020, he advised using any of the OTC dandruff products on a DAILY basis, and the dr also prescribed two types of prescriptions that I was to apply to my scalp. Nothing worked and I was miserable and fed up! It got so bad that it even hurt my scalp severely if I moved my hair around. After using several OTC coal tar, pyrithione zinc (1%) and ketoconazole products, I was desperate, since NOTHING helped!! The best results were with the OTC pyrithione zinc, but it did not seem strong enough, so I searched Amazon and found this product having a 2% pyrithione zinc shampoo, so at this point I thought... what do I have to lose, so I ordered this Free and Clear Medicated Shampoo and couldn't be more happy, as it has been life changing for me!!!! My misery is GONE...NO more itching, burning or pain on my scalp. Plus, it is hypo-allergenic with no dyes or perfumes! THIS IS THE BEST PRODUCT OUT THERE PPL...YOU MUST TRY IT, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! I do not have a problem, but some ppl may want to use a conditioner following the shampoo treatment. I noticed that there is a Free and Clear Conditioner that Amazon sells too, altho I have not used it!