Seborrheic Dermatitis: Are There Shampoos That Help?

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Of course, shampoo can help with seborrheic dermatitis. But I’d be very worried if you’re considering using medicated pharmaceutical shampoos. Some of those products contain coal tar, and some contain pharmaceutical antifungals. There are even shampoos that contain steroid type medication.

My recommendation is to avoid going down the route of pharmaceutical preparations for your skin or scalp. There are plenty of natural compounds that are available for seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. All it takes is a quick Google search to find a list of organic shampoos suitable for seborrheic dermatitis.

Some of the options include John Mast’s organic zinc and sage shampoo or products with essential oils. Tea tree oil is another option.

You may see warnings about tea tree oil on some websites. They will call tea tree oil toxic and say that it can cause liver cancer and other diseases. I ignore that kind of information because I know that in many cases, tea tree oil products work beautifully for scalp conditions.

Related articles:

The brand of tea tree oil that I particularly like is called First Day Planation. This is an Australia company that makes oil out of Melaleuca alternifolia (Australia tea tree). This tree is known to produce the best tea tree oil in the world in terms of antifungal properties.

Many years ago, research was conducted comparing tea tree oil to pharmaceutical antifungal preparation. The results showed that tea tree oil has a potent effect on fungus.

When it comes to psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, or any scalp condition, I recommend using Australian tea tree oil. First Day Planation makes a beautiful tea tree shampoo. You only need a small amount to wash your hair in the morning and evening. You can also use it on areas of the scalp around the face that have been affected by seborrheic dermatitis. First Day Plantation also makes a tea tree powder that you can massage through your hair and scalp.

I also recommend washing your entire body with tea tree oil soap to keep the fungal spores at bay.

When it comes to seborrheic dermatitis, I’m going to recommend you take a natural approach and forego pharmaceutical medications. It makes good sense to me.

Sources:

About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.