I don’t understand the concept of dandruff very well. Apparently it is caused by a yeast on our skin, so why can’t it just be killed? I mean, is it really that important for anything?
Can’t I just, you know, take/lather myself in something that kills all Malassezia?
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This is what I can find after a quick search:
Malassezia is difficult to grow in lab conditions, in order to put a product on the market it has to be fully tested and that has not been done yet. Also functionally there are still question marks on how this yeast works.
This yeast is so abundant on everybodys skin (even on animals), that there is no way to get rid of it forever. It forms spores, “mini cells”, that are very well preserved, difficult to get rid of and can therefore spread more easily. Malassezia will find its way back to you in no time.
There do seem to be certain anti-fungal methods to get rid of Malassezia, but since research on the topic is still ongoing they cannot claim anything specific Malassezia yet. Also I found this from some BBC program called “trust me I’m a doctor”:
“However, there are some chemicals that can help kill it off too. The most effective anti-fungals are miconazole and ketokonazole. Ketokonazole is found in some shampoos, but miconazole is currently only available in skin creams (and some pet shampoos!).
You may find, though, that the effects of an antifungal shampoo wear off after a while, so you might need to cycle some alternatives. Shampoos containing zinc or selenium can also target the fungus, so there are a wide range of solutions to try.”
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