Success story: Selsun on face

Dandruff is recognised by the medical community as a light form of seborrheic dermatitis (SD). Both conditions are known to be caused by the malassezia yeast that lives on the skin. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that shampoos with active ingredients that are effective against dandruff will also be effective against SD. The most well-known anti-dandruff shampoo is Head&Shoulders (active ingredient: Zinc Pyrithione 1%) and was discussed in a previous post. Another popular and very effective anti-dandruff, that we are going to discuss today, is Selsun (or Selsun Blue). This shampoo contains Selenium Sulfide 1% as active ingredient.

Testimonials

Countless users with SD across the world swear by the effectiveness of Selsun and there are numerous reviews testifying that it worked in cases where other anti-dandruff (or antifungal) treatments failed. Here are just a few of them:

I’ve used just about all the shampoos, prescription and over the counter, mentioned in the article over the years, with mixed results. I finally read some testimonials about Selsun Blue shampoo, extolling the great results. I though this was hard to believe, as this shampoo has been around for many years, and I never heard that it was so effective for Seborrheic Dermatitis. I purchased a bottle and began to use it, with incredible results!!! My face has cleared up, as well as my scalp. I use it every three or four days to maintain the effect. I wish I had known about this treatment many years ago. I’m now 78 years old.

Reproduced from here.

So after 15 years of unsuccessful fights against this seborrheic dermatitis, I found a way, the 5 min shampoo does not work, I use a surfers hat or swimming hat with selsun rubbed in for 2 hours with vaseline, then washed out, now all good, but need this every 3 days and no flakes AT ALL, But it must be SD or Malassezia you tackling cause I was never totally sure it was SD or psoriasis, Yes 2 hours all gone for days! Well Thats my remedy and it did the trick

Reproduced from here.

I too have seborrhea of the scalp and face.  I use Selsun Blue shampoo that contains selenium sulfide and I add an ounce of tea tree oil to the bottle.  I shampoo my hair and wash my face with it.  Becareful and don’t let it get in your eyes. I also use the Wet Ones on my face as well as my eyes. It has really helped.  Hope this helps.

Reproduced from here.

Scientific evidence

Scientific studies confirm that anti-dandruff shampoos (and Selsun in particular) are also effective when applied to the face.^​1​ Additionally, another study^​2​ gives an overview of the most efficient anti-dandruff shampoos for SD. Selenium sulfide shampoos, of which Selsun is the most widely known, are shown to be among the most efficient treatments for SD:

Efficacy for scalp SD has been demonstrated in some studies with selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoo (Selsun, Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio) and zinc pyrithione 1% and 2% shampoo (Head & Shoulders, Procter & Gamble), with some studies demonstrating that the former is the more effective of the two agents. Ketoconazole 2% shampoo appears to have a greater prophylactic effect against relapse than selenium sulfide. Salicyclic acid shampoos may be used for adjunctive benefit to reduce scaling; however, their efficacy has not been well studied for adult scalp SD. Tar shampoos, also not well studied for adult scalp SD, can stain blond, white, or gray hair a greenish or brown color. Additionally, selenium sulfide shampoo may cause residual odor, discolor hair, or create a sense of hair being more oily.

Reproduced from this study^​2​

Additional reading

https://skindrone.com/articles/seborrheic-dermatitis-shampoos/