THE SCIENCE BEHIND HEAD & SHOULDERS

Head & Shoulders is the brainchild of a scientist, Dr. Parran Jr.

When presented with the problem of dandruff he knew that the best way to find a treatment was to truly understand the root causes, and use that knowledge to design a targeted solution based on science.

He discovered the active ingredient we use today to treat dandruff by meticulously testing over 1,000 materials and learning until he found the special ingredient he was looking for.

When Head & Shoulders first came out in 1961, it was the best product available for treating dandruff, but with constantly changing technologies and new products emerging, we needed to stay curious to keep ahead.

Back in the sixties, that meant adapting the product into the first ever shampoo for dandruff. Now, it means using cutting-edge technology and over 225 clinical trials to better understand the causes and symptoms of dandruff and help us make an even more effective product.

Pioneers in our field

Head & Shoulders were the first to:

● Find an active ingredient to target the root cause of dandruff
● Create a shampoo that was enjoyable to use – and effective against the problem
● Discover that dandruff was caused by Malassezia globosa, a fungus which is naturally present on everyone’s scalp
● Map Malassezia’s genome to understand its genetic make-up and how it causes dandruff
● Create an effective way to measure dandruff severity – the Adherent Scalp Flake Score
● Create a shampoo that improves the quality of scalp skin, even below the surface layer, and improve the quality of new hair growing through

Throughout our 65-year history, we have stuck to Dr. Parran’s philosophy that careful investigation, planning and experimentation are the keys to being pioneers in our field and making a product that works.

It’s why scientists continue to work on Head & Shoulders to this day – because there’s always more we can do to make our shampoos and conditioners even more effective and nicer to use.

What is dandruff?
What goes into Head & Shoulders?
Product testing and clinical studies