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Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione.

CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione
Haircare

About this product

A fragrance-free anti-dandruff shampoo containing zinc pyrithione, ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, formulated to treat dandruff and flaking while supporting scalp barrier health.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

85%

Yay

9 experts · Strong agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
9Gurus
9Yay
0Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • Gentle on hair and scalp without overdrying
  • Fragrance-free
  • Affordable

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    What the gurus are saying

    Zinc pyrithione shampoos work by reducing the yeast that causes dandruff, and gurus praise this formula for being unusually gentle and fragrance-free compared to most medicated options on the shelf. The blend of ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid means it hydrates while it treats, making it especially suited to anyone with a dry or irritated scalp alongside dandruff. Gurus note it's also affordable, safe for colored hair, and may support scalp health for hair growth. For mild flaking, apply two to three times a week, letting it sit for five minutes before rinsing.
    Synthesized from 9 expert reviews · most recent take July 2026

    What the gurus are saying.

    Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

    All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
    Yay
    "The CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner contains pyrithione zinc, and it's my favorite pyrithione zinc option. This one is really gentle and it's a really solid maintenance option, and it can also be great during a flare, using it two to three times a week, applying it, scrubbing it into the affected area, and waiting five minutes before you rinse it out. I'm such a big fan of the CeraVe, I actually appeared in a commercial with them."
    Top Pick: pyrithione zinc shampoo
    All 3 takes from 208SkinDoc
    Doctor Reacts to Deep Pimple Pops, Scalp Scabs & Skincare Fails on TikTok
    "Over the counter you can get pyrithione zinc shampoos. My favorite to recommend is the CeraVe anti-dandruff hydrating shampoo and conditioner. They complement and work really well with each other."
    Why Beard Dandruff Keeps Coming Back (Dermatologist Explains Bruff)
    "The CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner contains pyrithione zinc, and it's my favorite pyrithione zinc option. This one is really gentle and it's a really solid maintenance option, and it can also be great during a flare, using it two to three times a week, applying it, scrubbing it into the affected area, and waiting five minutes before you rinse it out. I'm such a big fan of the CeraVe, I actually appeared in a commercial with them."
    Scalp Check — Dandruff, Psoriasis & What’s Actually Going On
    "I do really like the CeraVe brand because it's fragrance free, which is hard to find in a lot of shampoos. If you have a scalp issue where your skin barrier is compromised, you don't want fragrance up there, you're more likely to become allergic to it. We want to share with you guys the CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner, we've had great results with it from our patients, and I use the CeraVe ones pretty frequently myself."
    Yay
    "I love CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo with active ingredients like zinc pyrithione, but it's going to be way more gentle on your hair."
    All 5 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu
    The Right Way to Wash Your Hair (Most People Get This Wrong) | Dr. Jenny Liu
    "I love CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo with active ingredients like zinc pyrithione, but it's going to be way more gentle on your hair."
    Stop believing these hair loss myths! Dermatologist explains | Dr. Jenny Liu
    "If you have dandruff, that is another contributor of oxidative stress, so you definitely want to make sure you're using anti-dandruff shampoo. Even if you don't struggle with dandruff, incorporating an anti-dandruff shampoo is the best thing you can do to support a healthy hair environment. Studies have shown that anti-dandruff shampoos alone, whether you have dandruff or not, can support hair regrowth, namely zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole."
    Dermatologist Favorite Haircare Products of 2024 | Dr. Jenny Liu
    "CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is so lovely, so hydrating, makes my hair feel wonderful as well. It's great for those that have mild dandruff. [...] If you have mild dandruff with kind of intermittent itching and flaking here and there, I think this one would be a great one to use. [...] It contains 1% zinc pyrithione along with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, all wonderful ingredients to support the skin of your scalp. [...] After rinsing it off, it does not cause dryness of your hair. If you have [...] hair thinning and [...] want to use an anti-dandruff shampoo to complement minoxidil, zinc pyrithione has been shown to actually complement minoxidil for supporting hair growth, so this one would be a good one to use a few times a week without drying your hair."
    Dermatologist-Approved: The Best Drugstore Haircare You NEED to Try | Dr. Jenny Liu
    "The anti-dandruff shampoo [...] works great at controlling mild dandruff without overdrying your hair. If you have a sensitive scalp, eczema-prone scalp, or want a shampoo that can cleanse without stripping your scalp and hair, this hydrating shampoo is so good. [...] It really helps to cleanse but without making your hair feel dry and your skin is being hydrated while it's being cleansed. It contains [...] three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, and it's also safe for dry and color-treated hair too."
    How to treat scalp psoriasis | Tips from Dermatologist Dr. Jenny Liu
    "CeraVe hydrating Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione is definitely more hydrating and I find that zinc is great on hair. It's more gentle on scalp and it's great if you have dandruff, but for psoriasis I don't find it to be as effective alone. But certainly it can be a great one to rotate between the other shampoos."
    Yay
    "[CeraVe], in my opinion, they really did a good job. They really brought a full package here with their anti-dandruff line, the zinc pyrithione. If you dose conditioner up by your roots, they recommend coming in with the conditioner that has zinc pyrithione. According to Proctor and Gamble, when you put conditioner up there after you've rinsed the zinc pyrithione shampoo out and let it incubate before rinsing, you end up removing some of that initial zinc pyrithione from the shampoo."
    All 5 takes from Dr Dray
    Dermatologist Shops Walmart Skincare: What to Buy and Avoid
    "[CeraVe], in my opinion, they really did a good job. They really brought a full package here with their anti-dandruff line, the zinc pyrithione. If you dose conditioner up by your roots, they recommend coming in with the conditioner that has zinc pyrithione. According to Proctor and Gamble, when you put conditioner up there after you've rinsed the zinc pyrithione shampoo out and let it incubate before rinsing, you end up removing some of that initial zinc pyrithione from the shampoo."
    Dermatologist Hair Care Empties What I Used Up and Loved (or Didn’t)
    "The anti-dandruff stuff with zinc pyrithione is not only good for dandruff because it helps reduce the malassezia yeast on the scalp that is responsible for dandruff, but zinc pyrithione also shows promise for androgenetic alopecia. So it's helpful for supporting scalp needs for healthy hair growth. I finished the shampoo that went with this."
    *NEW* CeraVe Haircare Products Review
    "They have an anti-dandruff hydrating shampoo with 1% zinc pyrithione and an anti-dandruff conditioner with 0.5% zinc pyrithione. Using the shampoo and conditioner together resulted in my hair being clean, manageable, bouncy, and shiny. [...] I really saw a visible difference in my hair. The 2-in-1 product worked well for me and I liked how my hair was the following day, but it wasn't quite as impressive as using the shampoo and the conditioner separately. Remember, shampoo is a scalp-directed product, especially when treating dandruff. You want to direct the lather to your scalp, not the ends of your hair. Conditioner [...] is meant for the hair strands to make them more manageable and cut down on tangling. [...] The results with the shampoo and conditioner together were very impressive. [...] Some people with textured hair that is more prone to breakage and fragility may find that using a conditioner close to the scalp is helpful for their hair care needs, and I think this is a perfect pairing for those hair types."
    *NEW* Skincare Finds Shopping At Walmart
    "They came out with a 2-in-1 shampoo conditioner with 1% zinc pyrithione, there's also a zinc pyrithione conditioner and then a zinc pyrithione shampoo as well as a gentle hydrating shampoo and gentle hydrating conditioner. I'm really excited to have fragrance-free hair care because the options are sparse when it comes to fragrance-free hair care."
    You Asked, A Derm Answered! Skincare Q&A
    "Just finished up the CeraVe hydrating shampoo and I'm almost finished with the CeraVe anti-dandruff hydrating conditioner as well."
    Yay
    "The CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo treats dandruff while restoring moisture and supporting the scalp barrier. It's really best for dry, flaky scalp that needs extra hydration. I have oily scalp and kind of fine hair, and I absolutely love this one. It's also friendly to colored hair and it's good for teens and it has zero fragrance whatsoever. The key ingredients here are zinc pyrithione, ceramides, and niacinamide."
    All 3 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    Drugstore Haircare That Actually Works According to a Dermatologist
    "The CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo treats dandruff while restoring moisture and supporting the scalp barrier. It's really best for dry, flaky scalp that needs extra hydration. I have oily scalp and kind of fine hair, and I absolutely love this one. It's also friendly to colored hair and it's good for teens and it has zero fragrance whatsoever. The key ingredients here are zinc pyrithione, ceramides, and niacinamide."
    Why Hair Thins After 50: A Dermatologist on Menopause & Aging Hair
    "I love this CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo here. It treats the dandruff while restoring moisture and supporting the scalp barrier. It's best for dry, flaky scalp needing extra hydration. I absolutely love that it has zero fragrance and it's friendly to colored hair as well. The key ingredients are panthenol, zinc, ceramides, and niacinamide."
    Dermatologist’s Haircare Routine For Healthy Scalp & Strong Hair | Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    "My next anti-dandruff shampoo here is the CeraVe hydrating anti-dandruff shampoo. This one targets dandruff while restoring moisture and supporting the scalp barrier. It's really really good for that dry flaky scalp that needs extra hydration. Even though my scalp is more on the oily side, it does so much better with this one compared to Head & Shoulders, and it doesn't have any fragrance, which is really surprising to me that I would like something without fragrance, but I love this shampoo. My daughter loves it too. This one's perfect because it has no fragrance, it will not irritate anyone, has the pyrithione zinc which will help minimize the yeast and minimize the oil. It's a really good beginner starting place for anti-dandruff shampoo for anyone. In addition to pyrithione zinc, the CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo also has some ceramides and niacinamide which will help calm down some of the inflammation and hydrate the dry scalp."
    Yay
    "Again, it's fragrance-free. It contains ceramides. Not much else for hair growth, but it's affordable"
    Yay
    "[CeraVe] has entered the shampoo game and they have made some great products with zinc pyrithione anti-dandruff shampoo or their two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Great products."
    All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
    Shop with Me: Dermatologist Shops for Affordable Skincare at the Local Grocery Store
    "CeraVe has joined the shampoo game. It came out with the zinc pyrithione shampoo for dandruff with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Very affordable and no fragrance."
    Fine Lines, Clogged Pores & Dandruff: What Dermatologists Really Recommend
    "[CeraVe] has entered the shampoo game and they have made some great products with zinc pyrithione anti-dandruff shampoo or their two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Great products."
    Dermatologist Reviews: My New Skin & Hair Care Product Picks!
    "CeraVe has made a nice anti-dandruff hydrating shampoo. I've been using that every other day alternating with my prescription [ketoconazole] shampoo for dandruff and it's really nice. I like that it has hyaluronic acid in addition to their ceramides to help hydrate the scalp but also repair the skin barrier, plus adding in niacinamide which is one of my favorite skincare ingredients but so great to put in your hair care products to help with the skin barrier of your scalp and regulate sebum production. I think that sets it apart perhaps from Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders by having just simple ingredients plus the niacinamide, and of course it has zinc pyrithione to help work on the Malassezia yeast that causes dandruff, scalp itch, and scalp flaking."
    Dermatologist Explains: How to Manage an Itchy and Flaky Scalp
    "[CeraVe] has come out with their own anti-dandruff line. We have the two-in-one anti-dandruff shampoo, we have shampoo and conditioner, if you just want the shampoo you got this guy and they both have 1% pyrithione zinc. What I like about [CeraVe] is that it's free of fragrance if you are sensitive to fragrance, and also they have their three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid to hydrate the scalp, but also niacinamide which is soothing, helps repair the skin barrier and also helps regulate sebum production, and that's why we like it in our skincare but I love seeing it in our shampoos as well."
    Yay
    "The zinc pyrithione formula CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Hydrating Shampoo is very affordable and by a very reputable brand. This helps to treat flakes and itching while maintaining your scalp barrier, and it's a great option if you're dealing with dandruff but also noticing that you have dry, irritated, or itchy scalp. It has zinc pyrithione 1% which helps reduce yeast on the scalp. It also has ceramides which help to restore and maintain your skin barrier. It also has hyaluronic acid which helps you hold on to water in the scalp and niacinamide which helps calm inflammation and support your skin barrier function."
    Yay
    "Cerave decided to venture into haircare by launching anti dandruff shampoo and conditioner line. These products were formulated with ceramides and pyrithione zinc to improve scalp health while maintaining the skin barrier. The collection is getting mostly positive reviews, with many praising the same things people like about the rest of their products: efficacy, affordability and simplicity."
    Yay
    "I would try this first especially if you have mild sebic dermatitis. I would simply just use a regular non-medicated shampoo at first because for some people with mild sebic dermatitis or mild cradle cap, I'm doing for my daughter which is using this simple gentle cleanser from CeraVe. This is their wash and shampoo. I basically just massage it into her scalp and then I wash it out."
    All 3 takes from Doctorly
    Products We HATE and LOVE from CeraVe | Doctorly Reviews
    "There is pretty much almost no over-the-counter widely available shampoos for dandruff or just regular shampoos in general that don't have fragrances, essential oils, some of the more allergenic surfactants or some of the more allergenic preservative systems. So to have something that is for people who have that more gentle, more sensitive skin is really critical. It's so hard to make a recommendation for normal or medicated shampoos even the ones I recommend all the time like Nioxin or Head and Shoulders, all of these functional but have a ton of potential allergens in them. That's why this is so groundbreaking. It sounds crazy but just having a good functional shampoo that aesthetically does well, that actually serves its purpose and isn't going to cause you a ton of problems potentially on your scalp and hair, that's somehow like a novel idea now."
    How to Treat Cradle Cap like a Dermatologist | Doctorly Dads
    "I would try this first especially if you have mild sebic dermatitis. I would simply just use a regular non-medicated shampoo at first because for some people with mild sebic dermatitis or mild cradle cap, I'm doing for my daughter which is using this simple gentle cleanser from CeraVe. This is their wash and shampoo. I basically just massage it into her scalp and then I wash it out."
    Life Changing Hair Products You Need Right Now
    "They have a dandruff shampoo that's fragrance-free with zinc pyrithione, it's not that interesting of a product, but it's a nice product overall. They also have a hydrating shampoo, which is fragrance-free and available at Walmart and Target, so it's a good option if you have sensitive skin or a sensitive scalp. I can't speak highly enough about it. The more I use it, the more I appreciate how effective it is for dandruff and flaky skin, and the quality it leaves my hair, it feels like a deep clean but it's not stripping. It's kind of hard to find that combination, and I think they nailed it."

    What the evidence says.

    Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

    Niacinamide

    Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

    Source: DermNet

    Salicylic acid

    Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

    Source: DermNet

    Ceramides

    Ceramides are part of the skin's own barrier, and moisturisers built around them have evidence for holding water in and settling the tightness and flaking that come with a damaged barrier.

    Source: DermNet

    Frequently asked.

    What is CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione?

    A fragrance-free anti-dandruff shampoo containing zinc pyrithione, ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, formulated to treat dandruff and flaking while supporting scalp barrier health.

    Is CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione worth it?

    Yes. All 9 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 85%.

    What is CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione's Guru Score?

    CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione holds a Guru Score of 85%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

    Who is CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione best for?

    CeraVe Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Zinc Pyrithione is generally suited to sensitive skin.

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