This $11 'Miracle Shampoo' Stops Dandruff, Itchiness, and Hair Loss
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Dandruff isn't glamorous, but it is persistent—so much so that when little white snowflakes and scalp itchiness are affecting your day to day life, it can feel like anything would be worth it to find a cure. As someone with seborrheic dermatitis, I've been down that road, and can tell you that the glowing reviews for Nizoral's $15 dandruff shampoo are right on the money.
Unlike other dandruff shampoos that rely on pyrithione zinc, Nizoral's formula uses 1 percent ketoconazole. Per the brand, it's the only over-the-counter dandruff shampoo to do so—which might be why it's Amazon's best-selling shampoo, and a top-seller in Amazon's overall beauty category (and with over 20,000 hair care products alone on Amazon, that's no slight praise).
Yet, the spotlight makes sense for the midnight blue bottle. Over 39,000 shoppers have decreed the formula worth a five-star rating, and over 5,000 have added their two cents on why it's so good. The highlights: It clears up dander incredibly quickly, cleans hair, adds a nice shine, and aids hair growth as a pleasant side effect.
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To buy: $11 (was $17); amazon.com
"This stuff is absolutely amazing. I had severe dandruff that was so bad, I could shake my head and it would come off," writes one person, who says they were one step away from heading to the dermatologist. "With just a few uses per week, I got rid of all of my flakes. My scalp also stopped burning from dryness. My hair has never been healthier."
Another reviewer says: "Changed my life!!! It is the only thing that actually gets rid of the itching, scaling, and buildup. I suggest this to everyone I know who has dandruff. The plus is that it is also just a really good shampoo, [and] leaves your hair very clean and soft." Clean and soft isn't the end of it, with more people emphasizing how "shiny and smooth" it leaves their strands.
The shampoo's so hardworking that it cracks the case even for someone who experiences chronic scalp dermatitis and PCOS—and it reversed the "dramatic" thinning the twofer created. "I'm SO excited. I bought this shampoo as a last resort, after trying Head and Shoulders, charcoal shampoos, biotin shampoos and scalp clarifying solutions," the reviewer wrote. "My scalp was noticeably clearer after two uses, so I kept using it about two to three times a week. After almost a month, I realized I have new hair growth all over my scalp!"
RELATED: The 8 Best Products to Combat Hair Loss, According to Trichologists
According to research published in the journal Biomedical Dermatology, the hair growth effects aren't placebo; while it doesn't work quite as quickly as remedies like minoxidil, ketoconazole does encourage hair growth. Not a bad consequence of clearing up dandruff, I'd say. Especially when the positives don't stop there: Shoppers with peeling skin, dermatitis, and acne on their face say it's a godsend, too.
"It virtually fixed all of my problems within three days, and I didn't feel any discomfort or itching," writes one person. "All of my peeling skin, on both my scalp and face, quite literally just rolled off in my fingertips, revealing the smooth, baby-soft skin beneath. It's been life changing. You can buy it at Walgreens for about $30, so I recommend an Amazon subscription instead. Took me years to get to this point. Just try it, it might work for you."
A last fan says: "MIRACLE shampoo!!! I've had scales and flakes since my daughter was born. I noticed immediate results, as in, no flakes and no itching after ONE use!!! I've been using this shampoo, as directed, with each shower and I have not had a single reoccurrence. My psoriasis is GONE, and like Fräulein Maria, I will shout it to the hills and back again."
Try the highly endorsed, highly effective shampoo for yourself.
