I just wanted to make a post here in case any of the members suffer from the same scalp condition I have experienced for the last 16-17 years.
Ever since I was a late teenager, I have had chronic seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp. This included yellow plaque build up, constant itching and irritation, sores, excessive oil, and never ending skin flaking.
I have been washing my hair twice a day for at least 10 years with pyrithione zinc shampoos, as it was the only way to get temporary relief from the constant, and often times painful, scalp condition.
It has basically been the bane of my existence.
A couple months back I had an exchange with another member here that included a sample packet of Tact Olive Oil Shampoo (I can't remember who sent it to me, but THANK YOU!). I had dismissed it originally, and it sat on the top of my shower door sill for a while... one day (last Thursday to be exact) I reached up to grab some soap, noticed the packet, and thought what the heck? I washed my hair with it and let it sit for a few minutes... same as I always do with my dandruff shampoo.
It lathered well enough, and my hair seemed clean afterward... as I was combing my hair I noticed that my scalp seemed to have calmed down and felt sort of normal. I didn't think much of it and went to bed, when I woke up I realized that my head hadn't returned to its over oily state that usually occurs over night, and that my head for some reason didn't itch.
I decided to use the sample again in the morning, went to work and realized that I hadn't the slightest inkling to itch or scratch... by the end of the day, I realized not only did my head not itch, it wasn't nearly as oily as it usually is by that time.
Long story short, I read the ingredients and saw that the Tact shampoo didn't contain any Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate. I did some googling and found that it is a skin irritant to many people (as well as surfectant and degreaser). I tried to get the shampoo in stores, but it is only available online. So, I started looking for other similar shampoos I could get locally, as I did not want to go back to my Neutrogena Daily T-GEL. I found that Kiss My Face also had a similar type of shampoo at Target and Whole Foods. It was cheap and decided to pick up the shampoo and conditioner.
I have been using it for over a week and the seborrheic dermatitis has not returned, my scalp feels like it did when I was a kid... no more redness, irritation, itching or flaking... it truly is nothing short of miraculous, and I am still having a hard time accepting it. I feel like the second I post this I will jinx myself and it will come back
It makes sense to me. I have a family history of allergies. And, although I tried every shampoo that claimed to be gentle, natural, anti-dandruff, salon, etc... I am 99.9% positive they ALL had SLS.
So, if you have suffered from this like I have, it can't hurt one bit to give an SLS-free shampoo a try... and, I hope you have the same results that I have had.
All the best!
EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have seen several dermatologists over the years for this, and none had mentioned the possibility of SLS as an irritant. And, all the suggested shampoo remedies (e.g., Nizoral, T-GEL) have SLS in them.
EDIT 2: Also, the yellow, crusty, flaky things that I started getting in my ears the last few years have disappeared as well.
EDIT 3: I went through all the bath products in our house... SLS was in all of them (pump soaps, shampoos, toothpaste)... basically anything that foams.
Ever since I was a late teenager, I have had chronic seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp. This included yellow plaque build up, constant itching and irritation, sores, excessive oil, and never ending skin flaking.
I have been washing my hair twice a day for at least 10 years with pyrithione zinc shampoos, as it was the only way to get temporary relief from the constant, and often times painful, scalp condition.
It has basically been the bane of my existence.
A couple months back I had an exchange with another member here that included a sample packet of Tact Olive Oil Shampoo (I can't remember who sent it to me, but THANK YOU!). I had dismissed it originally, and it sat on the top of my shower door sill for a while... one day (last Thursday to be exact) I reached up to grab some soap, noticed the packet, and thought what the heck? I washed my hair with it and let it sit for a few minutes... same as I always do with my dandruff shampoo.
It lathered well enough, and my hair seemed clean afterward... as I was combing my hair I noticed that my scalp seemed to have calmed down and felt sort of normal. I didn't think much of it and went to bed, when I woke up I realized that my head hadn't returned to its over oily state that usually occurs over night, and that my head for some reason didn't itch.
I decided to use the sample again in the morning, went to work and realized that I hadn't the slightest inkling to itch or scratch... by the end of the day, I realized not only did my head not itch, it wasn't nearly as oily as it usually is by that time.
Long story short, I read the ingredients and saw that the Tact shampoo didn't contain any Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate. I did some googling and found that it is a skin irritant to many people (as well as surfectant and degreaser). I tried to get the shampoo in stores, but it is only available online. So, I started looking for other similar shampoos I could get locally, as I did not want to go back to my Neutrogena Daily T-GEL. I found that Kiss My Face also had a similar type of shampoo at Target and Whole Foods. It was cheap and decided to pick up the shampoo and conditioner.
I have been using it for over a week and the seborrheic dermatitis has not returned, my scalp feels like it did when I was a kid... no more redness, irritation, itching or flaking... it truly is nothing short of miraculous, and I am still having a hard time accepting it. I feel like the second I post this I will jinx myself and it will come back
It makes sense to me. I have a family history of allergies. And, although I tried every shampoo that claimed to be gentle, natural, anti-dandruff, salon, etc... I am 99.9% positive they ALL had SLS.
So, if you have suffered from this like I have, it can't hurt one bit to give an SLS-free shampoo a try... and, I hope you have the same results that I have had.
All the best!
EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have seen several dermatologists over the years for this, and none had mentioned the possibility of SLS as an irritant. And, all the suggested shampoo remedies (e.g., Nizoral, T-GEL) have SLS in them.
EDIT 2: Also, the yellow, crusty, flaky things that I started getting in my ears the last few years have disappeared as well.
EDIT 3: I went through all the bath products in our house... SLS was in all of them (pump soaps, shampoos, toothpaste)... basically anything that foams.
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