Does tea tree oil shampoo help dandruff?

Why could tea tree oil help?

Dandruff can involve yeast that naturally lives on the skin. An overgrowth of yeast is also thought to contribute to seborrhoeic dermatitis, a condition that causes scaly, itchy and red patches on the scalp and sometimes elsewhere. Tea tree oil acts against fungi in laboratory testing, but laboratory activity does not tell you how much a particular shampoo will reduce flakes or itching.123

Which shampoo should you choose?

For treating dandruff rather than simply washing your hair, start with a shampoo containing ketoconazole, coal tar or salicylic acid. A pharmacist can help you choose and explain how to use it. A plant name on a shampoo bottle is not a treatment plan, however impressive its botanical credentials look, even if the label seems to be applying for a botany degree.2

Ketoconazole reduces the yeast load on the scalp and can help seborrhoeic dermatitis. Coal tar and salicylic acid preparations are other options for reducing scalp scale. These ingredients do different jobs, so changing the active ingredient can be more useful than changing brands while buying essentially the same treatment.4

How should you use tea tree shampoo?

Choose a formulated shampoo rather than applying pure tea tree oil or mixing your own concentration. The EU safety assessment considers tea tree oil safe in shampoo at concentrations up to 2%. That is a safety concentration, not a proven dandruff treatment strength. Follow the shampoo's directions for frequency and rinsing rather than borrowing a medicated shampoo's schedule. Tea tree oil has a distinctive medicinal smell.15

How do you use ketoconazole instead?

1. 1Wet your hair and scalp with water.
2. 2Shake the bottle and apply a small amount of shampoo to the affected scalp.
3. 3Massage the shampoo into your scalp until it lathers.
4. 4Leave it on for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse with water. Keep it out of your eyes and mouth.
5. 5Wash your hands afterwards.

For dandruff, use ketoconazole shampoo twice weekly for 2 to 4 weeks, then once every 1 to 2 weeks to help prevent recurrence. Follow your medicine's instructions or your doctor's advice. More frequent use can irritate the scalp; extra washes are not a shortcut.6

Who should be careful with tea tree oil?

Avoid tea tree oil if you are allergic to it or to colophony, also called rosin. Safety information also advises against use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, while trying to conceive, and in children under 12 because safety data are lacking. Do not apply tea tree oil inside the eyes, ears or mouth. A formulated shampoo and a bottle of essential oil are not interchangeable.7

When should you see a doctor?

Give an antidandruff shampoo up to 4 weeks to see whether symptoms improve. See a doctor if symptoms persist after at least 4 weeks, dandruff is severe, or your scalp is very itchy, red, swollen or painful. Flaky, itchy patches on your face or elsewhere also need assessment. A doctor can check whether another skin condition is causing the scaling.2

How does tea tree oil shampoo help hair?

The potential benefit here concerns the scalp, particularly yeast linked to dandruff, rather than hair growth. Do not choose tea tree shampoo expecting thicker hair or faster growth, even if the name makes the tree sound unusually productive. For dandruff, judge progress by fewer visible flakes and less scalp itching, not by how your hair smells after washing.23