Natural, effective, science-backed method to resolve the hard-to-eradicate fungal infection that causes dandruff of the scalp, eyebrows, nose, and beard area without resorting to anti-dandruff shampoos with toxic ingredients.
Dandruff is a very common problem affecting at least one in every five people. Although it primarily involves constantly flaking skin on the scalp, it can also affect the eyebrows, nose, beard area, and even the chest.
Sometimes, when the flaking skin appears in areas other than the scalp such as the chest, it might be treated as eczema, which can produce similar flaky skin symptoms.
Real Cause of Dandruff
Contrary to popular belief, the cause of dandruff is not dry skin or poor hygiene. While cold weather can exacerbate the symptoms, it is not the cause either.
Dandruff is triggered by an infection with Pityrosporum ovale (P. ovale), a fungus that thrives on the scalp and other areas of skin with numerous hair follicles.
Genetic susceptibility to the fungus can also play a factor.
This fungus is very small and quite difficult to eradicate from the body once it gains a foothold!
Acne on the forehead, neck, and back can also be triggered by this pathogenic yeast.
Fungal infections can more easily take hold after a round of antibiotics or regular use of the dozens of other pharmaceuticals like the birth control pill that disrupt gut flora, allowing systemic fungus issues to spread to other areas of the body.
Antibiotics kill pathogenic bacteria but have no effect on fungus. Hence, a round of antibiotics gives pathogenic yeasts unchecked opportunity to quickly grow and take over dominance from beneficial microbes that are killed off.
Since children today have on average 17 rounds of antibiotics by age 20, problems with intractable fungal infections of the scalp are only getting worse as time goes on. (1)
Toxicity of Anti-Dandruff Shampoos
Conventional dermatologists typically recommend anti-dandruff shampoos to resolve the problem. If over-the-counter versions don’t work, stronger products are available by prescription.
Because the fungus that causes dandruff can develop resistance to one type of chemical, rotating brands of anti-dandruff shampoos is typically advised.
Dermatologist Dr. Jean Buhac suggests to:
Use one for two weeks another two weeks and do a rotation with maybe three or four types because there are different ingredients and different shampoos. (2)
The substances used as the active ingredient in these products commonly include:
- zinc pyrithione
- coal tar
- ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- selenium disulfide
All of these anti-dandruff chemicals are toxic!
For example, ketoconazole is a known endocrine disruptor, coal tar is carcinogenic, and selenium disulfide is classified by the EPA as hazardous. (3-6)
Not to mention the “inactive” ingredients in these shampoos such as sodium laureth sulfate among many others are also toxic! (7)
Hence, it’s not just the individual toxicity of each chemical that is at issue. The greatest concern is the untested synergistic toxicity of all the ingredients together.
And … these shampoos are typically used every day! So, exposure is constant, and since the fungus is never completely eradicated, never-ending.
Resolving Dandruff Naturally…and for GOOD!
Once a person realizes just how toxic anti-dandruff shampoos, creams, salves, and other products truly are, they frequently turn to natural anti-fungals for safe at-home treatment.
Of these, good quality brands of virgin coconut oil are the easiest to use.
Simply slather a few tablespoons into the scalp and massage in for a minute or two. Leave on for as long as possible, but a minimum of 20-30 minutes. If you are able to wrap your head in a towel and leave overnight, so much the better.
Shampoo out and notice how your dandruff problems are significantly improved! Repeat as often as necessary.
Healing Severe Dandruff
For severe cases of dandruff or situations where the flaky skin keeps coming back even after repeated applications of virgin coconut oil, the best and most effective remedy is allicin supplements.
Allicin is the most powerful active ingredient in fresh garlic cloves. And, unlike anti-fungal chemicals in anti-dandruff shampoos, pathogenic yeasts do not develop a resistance to it over time.
But, don’t try to use garlic cloves alone, as you are going to need A LOT of them!
One capsule of a therapeutic strength allicin supplement contains 360 mg of allicin, the same amount as 68 garlic cloves!
Note that garlic supplements are not the same thing as they do not contain much if any allicin. They contain precursors that the body must convert into allicin but this depends on the prevailing stomach conditions and may take several hours to accomplish.
Similarly, garlic oil supplements are produced by distilling fresh garlic, the oil that is produced is then diluted and placed into a capsule. This destroys most, if not all of the available allicin.
Make Your Own SAFE Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Here’s how to resolve dandruff using therapeutic strength allicin.
- Open 2 capsules of therapeutic strength allicin and mix the powder with a quarter-sized squirt of nontoxic shampoo.
- Mix the powder and shampoo together in your palm.
- Shampoo as usual.
- Repeat every day for one month.
- During this same month of external treatment, swallow one capsule of therapeutic strength allicin with water every day. You can take with or without meals.
At the end of the month, continue taking one capsule daily of a lower dose allicin supplement internally for general health maintenance and to keep the fungus from returning.
References
(1) Missing Microbes: How Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues
(2) One in Every Five People Suffer from Dandruff
(3) Zinc Pyrithione
(4) Coal Tar
(5) Ketoconazole
(6) Selenium Disulfide
(7) Sodium Laureth Sulfate
One more question. I normally only wash my hair a couple times a week. Do I need to wash daily for a month?
Would the liquid form be as effective to use in your recipe? It’s so much more affordable.
My daughter is 10. She seems to have some dandruff. She has never had antibiotics and we have never washed her hair with shampoo. She’s only ever used water. And I don’t force showers or baths either. Maybe once a week or ten days she’ll take one.
She eats very good, loved garlic (I realize she can’t be eating enough), she eats it all when I make it. Lately she even learned to cook it herself because she likes it so much.
Any ideas where her dandruff is coming from? It’s not noticeable, unless you brush and cut. But I find it interesting because hers isn’t related to the usual causes.
Children inherit their gut microbiome from their parents, particularly Mom. If anyone in the home has had antibiotics, then that can disrupt everyone’s flora living in the same house. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/microbiome-cloud-sharing/
Any idea if the allicin would work for a fungal ear infection? I’m trying to use home remedies to get rid of mine.
Anything that is fungal related internally or externally would be affected by taking the allicin internally. You could also combine taking it internally with the allimax drops in the ear for a dual approach if it is particularly stubborn.
Hi Sarah, Please advise your readers to avoid the topical use of coconut oil if they are prone to acne. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic. Acne is a very complicated genetic skin disorder. What you apply to your skin is just as important as diet and stress management. Many people with acne also have dandruff. Mineral Fusion has an anti-dandruff shampoo that does not contain any of the toxic ingredients listed in this article. It does, however, contain salicylic acid. In my opinion though, it is a better option than most.
Good point …. I should have linked to my article about that. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/coconut-oil-may-not-be-right-for-you/
Another thought… it is possible that some people with acne may not have true dandruff (caused by fungus). The flakes in these cases might just be the rapid shedding of skin cells (an acne trait).
Not according to my research. In fact, using this DIY anti-fungal/anti-dandruff shampoo as outlined above frequently gets rid of acne issues too especially forehead, neck and back acne. Dermatologists suggest using anti-dandruff shampoos (the toxic ones unfortunately) to relieve bad cases of forehead, back, neck acne … because it is fungal related and even if there isn’t any flaking from the scalp or it is not easily perceptible, the issues are typically from a systemic fungal infection. People have used so many antibiotics and flora destroying drugs nowadays that it is so easy for fungus to get a foothold systemically and cause these types of issues.
I have tried coconut oil along with different essential oils in the past for one of my son’s severe dandruff. These results didn’t last long, we had to treat weekly, however we never tried adding garlic to it. But we did try something else that was suggested on your website, scabisil sulfur ointment. You had suggested it for rosacea which it did cure along with Eczema, tinea versicolor, one severe case of dandruff and one mild case. My son’s dandruff is very mild now due to the sulfur ointment, as in we only treat his scalp about every 3 months now. My friends and family I shared this with are forever greatful to you for suggesting sulfur ointment.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know that rosacea ointment would work for dandruff too!
Can you tell me how you used the scabisil sulfur ointment to cure your son’s dandruff?
I discovered this by accident. I’ve always struggled with dandruff. I was on vacation and didn’t have hair gel. I look like an early member of the Beatles without hair gel, so I tried using coconut oil and was shocked at how well it worked as hair gel. At the time, I had just used coconut oil as a lotion, so what a shocker that it can be both a great stiffening agent for hair and at the same time the softest lotion for your skin. From then on, just cause I liked how well it worked, I kept using it as hair gel, and low and behold my dandruff went away. Coconut oil is the miracle food. No wonder the powers that shouldn’t-be want to CRUSH IT. I used to spend so much money on hair gel, lotion and shaving cream. Now I just use coconut oil.
Do you think it would be safe for breast feeding moms?
I take crushed garlic a couple of times a week and I was taught that to wait ten minutes before taking it and taking it within the hour or it is useless do to the chemical reaction, do you know if this is true?