The latest trend on TikTok asks you to swap out your face wash for a bottle of shampoo. Here’s what the experts have to say
TikTok is the new hotspot for beauty trends—good or bad. Every week, the app offloads a new ‘it’ thing we should all try out, and beauty enthusiasts are quick to jump on the bandwagon. They are quick to either verify its veracity or diss its hype. And, their [TikTok trends] impact is so prodigious that it creates headlines closer home, despite the app’s ban here. A now-famous, somewhat polarising trend has recently caught our attention—using an anti-dandruff shampoo to treat acne on the face. If you thought dabbing toothpaste on your active zit or simply picking it was hard to wrap your head around, this one could leave you with many questions. We asked dermatologists whether swapping face wash for shampoo is the way to go.
Breaking it down
Anti-dandruff shampoo combats the pesky white fragments on your scalp, curtailing itching and irritation—a not so favourable spin-off of dandruff. And how does it do that? Dermatologists attribute this to two main ingredients—pyrithione zinc and selenium sulphide. “They work to lower the level of fungus, inflammation and flaking on the scalp. Selenium sulphide is a bit stronger (than pyrithione zinc) and can cause irritation if left on the scalp for too long. Due to their antifungal nature, both these ingredients can work only to destroy fungal acne rather than bacterial acne,” says Dr Kiran Sethi, celebrity dermatologist and founder of Isya Aesthetics.
Geetika Mittal Gupta, a dermatologist and founder of ISAAC Luxe, also says these ingredients can only help to wipe out fungal acne, also known as folliculitis, caused by Malassezia furfur or pityrosporum (a genus of fungi and species of yeast). “This is because they target the yeast that may be causing those acne bumps,” says Sethi.
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Using a product meant for one body part on the other is a strict no-no. Image: Pexels
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Different types of acne necessitate different treatments. Image: Pexels
Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist Dr Niketa Sonavane professes that dandruff shampoos containing pyrithione zinc, selenium sulphide, or ketoconazole are relatively safe for fungal acne. However, “different types of acne necessitate different treatments,” she says.
The perils
Understanding that “acne” is a broad classification and reaching out to an anti-dandruff shampoo without investigating and deciphering the acne on your skin could prove dangerous. “Anti-dandruff shampoo does not treat all acne,” says Gupta. “Anti-dandruff shampoos contain active ingredients like selenium sulphide and pyrithione zinc that only clears fungal acne. But, a common type of acne is ‘acne vulgaris’, which is an inflammatory skin condition caused due to excess oil production and clogged pores that will not be benefited from an anti-dandruff shampoo.” Sethi says various reasons, such as hormonal imbalance, stress, and certain foods such as dairy, facials masks, comedogenic makeup and skincare products, can cause acne. “Dandruff is just one of these reasons. So, if your acne can be attributed to excessive consumption of hot chocolate, no amount of anti-dandruff shampoo or neem face wash will help.”
Skin-positive influencer and content creator Prableen Kaur Bhomrah believes this trend proves that we’ve taken our obsession for acne-free skin too far. “I don’t think it’s a good way to go about a skincare routine by using anything that’s for another part of the body. The concentration of products is different and could cause acne.” She exemplifies this through her experience: “I would never use an anti-dandruff shampoo for my face. I, myself, had dandruff issues and my dermatologist even told me that when dandruff falls on your face, it can cause more acne. It doesn’t mean using an anti-dandruff shampoo will help.” When asked about her thoughts on this trend, she said, “I don’t think it’s worth it just for acne-free skin. It’s okay to have acne and I don’t understand trying to do anything out there, just to get rid of it. There are the right methods and products; even dermats, to understand what’s wrong with it and then follow the right regime to get rid of it. Trying anything just to get rid of acne is absurd.”
It’s important to note that this trend also involves breaking a golden skincare rule — using a product meant for one body part on the other is a strict no-no. “While dandruff can trigger acne on the forehead, face, back and other parts of the body, it doesn’t justify using it on the face,” says Shaily Mehrotra, CEO and founder of Fixderma. “The pH of shampoos and face washes differ. An anti-dandruff shampoo comprises ingredients that are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and exfoliating, but the formulation is made to cleanse and treat the scalp. Using shampoo can be harsh on the face and can cause dryness and sensitivity,” she adds.
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Mittal Gupta does not recommend using anti-dandruff shampoo for acne, even if it is fungal. “It can cause extreme dryness and, in the worst-case scenario, irritant contact dermatitis, characterised by reddened, itchy, and peeling skin,” says Sonavane.
The right approach
With an acute condition like acne, the best (and ideally only) way forward is to visit a dermatologist for a thorough checkup. Every detail of your medical diagnosis can demystify your journey to clearer and healthier skin. All dermatologists also recommend trusting single-ingredient formulations like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide specifically concocted to address facial acne—commonly caused by p. acnes, aka bacterial acne. “This is because they help unclog pores and remove dead skin cells, which contribute to the development of acne vulgaris,” says Mittal Gupta. Sonavane says deep cystic pimples require retinoids and anti-inflammatories, whereas hormonal acne necessitates oral medication to restore hormonal balance. In-office treatments like carbon laser, photo pro laser and black peel may also help, says Mittal Gupta.
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