'I tried using anti-dandruff shampoo on my acne for a month. Here's what happened.'

Adult acne has seen me try an assortment of different products and hacks (including using my own breast milk) in hopes of preventing the appearance of those dreaded pustules. 

Naturally, some products were more effective than others but for the most part, I still found myself dreading shark week – which always means a fresh crop of acne.

So when I stumbled onto funny girl Elyse Myers’ TikTok video talking about how she uses Head & Shoulders shampoo as her face wash to treat her acne, I was game to try it for myself.

Watch: You know what else we tried? That 10-pump foundation hack. Here's how it went. Post continues below.

In the viral TikTok video, Myers shares her experience with using Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo to clear acne on her face.

“Before you spend a lot of money on skincare products, just hold on,” she shares. “Just go buy Head & Shoulders and wash your face with it and see what happens.”

She goes on to explain that she's been using the shampoo since her high school days. “I had a dermatologist tell me the zinc in dandruff shampoo is incredible for your face,” she said. 

“I started trying to use fancy stuff because people were sending it to me for free — never had worse skin in my entire life,” she said. “Three days ago, I threw everything away and started using my dandruff shampoo again. [My] skin is already… clearer.”

In case you haven't seen it, check it out below:

@elysemyers

you ever look at a word so long it starts to look like a made up word? my brain started convincing me ‘zinc’ wasn’t the right spelling by the end of editing this. 😂

♬ original sound - Elyse Myers

Intriguing, right? 

Does anti-dandruff shampoo really clear acne?

As they say, you can’t believe everything on the internet, so I did a spot of research first before I added Head & Shoulders to my grocery list.

Elyse’s hack has blown up on TikTok and has since been stitched by a variety of people - from those who have tried it for themselves, to dermatologists weighing in on if anti-dandruff shampoo works as a face wash for acne control.

@jenna_michal @Elyse Myers why have you done this #headandshoulders #headandshoulderschallenge #headandshouldersforacne #headandshouldersshampoo #skincare #creators #explainyourself #elysemeyers #skin #acne ♬ original sound - Jenna B

Most dermatologists on TikTok agreed that the zinc ingredient that is found in anti-dandruff shampoo is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory – which can technically help acne. However, it's best for conditions such as fungal acne and seborrheic dermatitis.

@dermguru #duet with @elysemyers dandruff shampoo for acne?! Hear me out. #dandruff #headandshoulders #elysemyers #dermguru #dermreacts #acnehack #dermtok #skintok #dandruffshampoo ♬ original sound - Elyse Myers

Despite being mostly certain I didn't have fungal acne or seborrheic dermatitis, I couldn’t ignore all those who posted their success stories using Head & Shoulders to treat their acne. 

At this juncture, a single thought popped up. Was this the reason why men always seem to have such acne-free skin? BECAUSE THEY’RE USING THEIR ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOO ON THEIR FACE?! 

I was keen to find out if Head & Shoulders was going to be my saving grace, and whether all I needed all along was some shampoo and body lotion to say buh-bye to acne forever. 

In her TikTok, Elyse recommended pairing the Head & Shoulders shampoo “face wash” with CeraVe’s Moisturising Lotion as a face cream - so I added this to my list, too.

However, during my shopping trip, being acutely aware of what ingredient I was looking for, I noticed that Head & Shoulders didn’t actually have magic ingredient zinc pyrithione in it?? (I may have gone slightly cross-eyed looking at the ingredient list.) 

Luckily for me, OC Naturals’ anti-dandruff shampoo stated it had zinc pyrithione on the front of the bottle, plus it was a third of the price of Head & Shoulders – so, win-win.

What happened when I tried it.

Upon first use of the anti-dandruff shampoo on my face I instantly felt... stinging. The same kind of stinging you get when you use a liquid peel. 

I knew at that moment that my skin barrier was going to be put through the wringer while I exclusively used this combination as my skincare, twice a day, over the next month *crying emoji*. 

Here's what my skin looked like on day one:

Image: Day one.

I noted how several of the TikTok derms mentioned this should only be used for short-term use and immediately understood why.

Nevertheless, I forged ahead hoping to get some results and dreamt of the clear skin I would have by the end of the month. 

Many of the TikTokers who had success using the anti-dandruff shampoo saw results as quickly as the second and third day, however, I found myself breaking out and hoped it was because my skin was getting used to the new skincare routine and was purging itself of the last round of acne.

By week two, the acne that had cropped up in week one had popped and started fading, but I found I was beginning to get more little whiteheads. 

Here's what my skin looked like on day 14:

Image: Day 14

The norm for me is always one or two big pustules and a few whiteheads in the week leading up to my period, and then the rest of the month is usually spent healing up the scars. 

So, to find whiteheads appearing two weeks after their usual arrival, I was beginning to doubt whether this hack was going to work for me. 

Week three saw one big, sore sucker appear on my chin along with more whiteheads that appeared and disappeared just as quickly. 

I knew the ultimate test would be week four – the week before my next scheduled cycle.

Can confirm: I was right.

With week four came two giant pustules – one along my hairline and one on my right cheek. 

Here's what my skin looked like on the final day – day 32:

Image: Day 32.

The verdict.

Much to my disappointment, after a month of using anti-dandruff shampoo as 'face wash' and body lotion as my moisturiser, as lovely as it was to have a two-step skincare routine that cost next to nothing, it didn't work for me. And it honestly made me miss only breaking out once a month.

While this routine seems to work for quite a number of people on TikTok, I would recommend tracking down actual skincare products with zinc pyrithione in it, instead. 

Or, as this TikTok dermatologist recommends, look for products with ingredients such as zinc gluconate or zinc sulphate, in it.

@drjennyliu #duet with @elysemyers or just use an acne wash with BPO! #elysemyers #headandshoulder #fungalacne #dandruffsolution #dermreact #skintik #dermtok #acnetips #dandruffsolution #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Elyse Myers

Now, BRB as I return to my 10-step skincare routine and work to rebuild my skin barrier.

Would you try this anti-dandruff shampoo face wash hack? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied.