Anti-Dandruff Shampoo: Single Active vs Multi-Active, Compared on Reviews

Two of these five titles name their anti-dandruff actives. All five are sold on Nykaa.

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Dandruff is associated with Malassezia yeast and scalp flaking. Anti-dandruff shampoos usually use antifungal actives, skin-shedding actives, or both.

This piece uses public listing data only, not lab testing. Review counts reflect purchase and review volume. They do not show fit or quality.

All five listings show price last checked 2026-09-10. We don’t show a price here because it wasn’t checked in the last 24 hours — the listing may have changed. Verify the price at checkout.

The five compared

• Bare Anatomy has 24,852 reviews. Its title names two actives, salicylic acid and piroctone. Salicylic acid helps loosen dead skin scale. Piroctone is an antifungal.
• Be Bodywise has 8,880 reviews. Its title names one active, 1% ketoconazole. Ketoconazole is an azole antifungal.
• Head & Shoulders Silky Black has 7,264 reviews. Its title names the Silky Black variant and no active ingredient.
• Nykaa Naturals has 201,007 reviews, the highest of the five. Its title says sulphate-free and names apple. Sulphate-free means no sulphate surfactants, such as sodium lauryl sulphate. The listing data does not state apple’s role in the formula.
• The Derma Co Triple Actives has 585 reviews. Its title promotes “Triple Actives” but does not name the three.

Which one fits you

If you want two named actives, pick Bare Anatomy.

If you want one named active at 1% ketoconazole, pick Be Bodywise.

If you want the Silky Black variant, pick Head & Shoulders.

If you want a sulphate-free formula, pick Nykaa Naturals.

If you want a product marketed on triple actives, pick The Derma Co.

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