Last weekend, I was doing a hair-brushing booth for a community fund-raiser event.

One of the most gorgeous heads of hair in our community came to get her hair done....I kid you not, this woman's hair is gorgeous, and I tell her so every time I get a chance - natural pale blonde, 1b, M/C, iii/iv, hip length.

Anyway. So I'm massaging and combing and brushing away, and we're chatting about hair. Of course, I ask her how she cares for it. She answered with the usual W/C, couple of times a week, airdry. OK. But then she tells me that she used to have a lot of scalp problems with dandruff and seborraeic dermatitis, until she discovered that doing Listerine rinse took care of it.

What she does - S/C, then pours about half a bottle of regular Listerine on her scalp. Massage, rinse. Air dry. Voila - cleared up all the dandruff, etc, and no scalp itchies, either!

Have any of you ever heard of such a thing?

Listerine has alcohol in it, right? I wonder if that's what does it, or if it's something else? And no, never heard of that. It's interesting...

Yes, Listerine has alcohol in it and it is HOT! I couldn't imagine pouring it on my head.

Menthol as well, I believe - I have a drop of peppermint EO (and some others) in my scalp oil, and that helps clear the flakies, itchies or gunk.

quidscribis

Yes it does - but I do not think it is a high enough concentrtion to do any harm - the ethanol content is designed to dissolve other ingredients according to this.

See "Composition"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listerine

Saldana

This is interesting.

I wanted to see all of the ingredients so I checked here
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=15707&catid=1122

If you read the reviews, below the product description - one reviewer says that his/her dermatologist recommended Listerine for dandruff. drugstore.com issued a disclaimer.

Ah, okay. Thanks. :)

Actually, a lot of their vintage adverts tout it as a cure for dandruff. (I've seen them in Vintage Advertising Blogs and such). They also say that it makes a good astringent for pimples.

Saldana

Apparently Listerine at one time advertised that the product could be used to treat dandruff.

ETA cuddledumplin - Sorry, I did not see your post.

Here are some instructions on how to use it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2075261_treat-dandruff-listerine.html

More history on Listerine advertising, uses and recipes
http://www.healthcentral.com/peoplespharmacy/408/60818.html

My son has some dandruff and says he might try it.

Scalpicin, a saborrhetic dermatitis, dandruff and itch remedy contains similar ingredients to listerine plus salicylic acid and aloe, minus the coloring. So I don't see why listerine wouldn't be likely to help. Kaminomoto, a Japanese hair growth and hair fall remedy that is known to work is also alcohol filled with similar base ingredients, plus a couple of essential oils.

Huh! Very interesting! I'd never heard the 'cures dandruff' claim before...but then again, I don't pay a whole lot of attention to TV or advertisements.

But my 'client' absolutely swore by it, said she'd been doing it for quite some time. And her hair certainly showed no ill effects from it.

Maybe I'll give it a shot....I've dealt with seborrheaic (sp) dermatitis for years and years.....some times it's worse, sometimes it's better.....maybe this will help.

I wonder if it has to be Listerine itself, or if a knock-off brand will work...

Wow that is really cool; I would never have thought of that.

Saldana

According to the information I found, Listerine no longer advertises the dandruff connection and has not for a very long time.

It is apparently the original version of Listerine that was promoted to be used - check out the ingredients on the drugstore.com link to see the differences between versions - that will tell you about options in the line itself.

Also by having the ingredients for the original version - you can see how that compares to any knockoff.

ETA I took a quick look at the different Listerine versions - the active ingredients are the same percentages in all of them - they added sorbitol and sucralose to some versions which could make them more moisturizing and extra colours, chemicals and flavourings.

If you can, I would ask the woman who told you about it - which one she uses.

People have actually been using it for dandruff for a pretty long time. My grandmother, age76, said her family used it for that purpose when she was young.

Yep! An older gentleman.. who is a little on the ecentric side.. told me that he poured listerine into his hands (like after shave) and smoothed it over his hair and scalp every day.. he also DRANK a lid full every day.. he said it kept him healthy and dandruff free... *rolls eyes* LOL

I have heard that it will kill nail fungus too. Just soak nightly. I have no idea if this works, but I am sure the effected area would smell minty fresh!:p

That sounds like it might burn. But if I had a really bad problem, im betting I'd try it out.

I used to put it on my horses mane to stop the skin underneath from flaking. It seemed to work, so I guess it could work for people too.

I trhink I might muster enough guts to give this a go.Can I request someone reporting back here when they try it?I hate to put someone on the fireing line before me though :(

I haven't heard about it helping with dandruff . Though now I have I might try it, but I think I will have to take alot of precaution not to get it on the length of my hair, (I think it will dry it out).

A few years ago though, a male friend told me that he used it on his hair to prevent hairloss and to grow hair back, he said listerine has the same active ingrediant as rogaine. I never looked into it, so I have no idea if that is true.Something to research though if it is just as effective as Rogaine. Rogaine is expensive!

According to the reviews - the Vanilla Mint is somewhat milder than the other versions for some people - the active ingredints - the same percentages as the Original version.

Ingredients and some reviews for Vanilla Mint
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=155154&catid=1122&brand=7915&trx=PLST-0-BRAND&trxp1=1122&trxp2=155154&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-BRAND&cmbProdBrandFilter=7915

All reviews for Vanilla Mint
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=155154&catid=1122&brand=7915&trx=29983&tab=1#1

I haven't heard about it helping with dandruff . Though now I have I might try it, but I think I will have to take alot of precaution not to get it on the length of my hair, (I think it will dry it out).

A few years ago though, a male friend told me that he used it on his hair to prevent hairloss and to grow hair back, he said listerine has the same active ingrediant as rogaine. I never looked into it, so I have no idea if that is true.Something to research though if it is just as effective as Rogaine. Rogaine is expensive!

Active ingredient in Rogaine: minoxidil

Active ingredients in Listerine: menthol, thymol, methyl salicylate, and eucalyptol

Could one of these be similar?

I have no Idea longhaired fairy. maybe if the balding is caused by a fungus or mite then I can see listerine helping to kill the crud enabling the hair to grow freely, but thats just a vague theory. I really dont know anything about balding, but the guy friend claims he was told this info by a doctor or a hair specialist , I cant remember exactly.

I think listerine is not for my scalp since it is very dry already.I must say that my first thought was What?Listerine in your hair,this must be a joke.But the more I read about it it starts to make a little sense.

Ok - I clarified it (pun intentional) with my friend - more info: She's kind of generic Celtic/Germanic Caucasian, middle aged, with extremely thick, wavy, M/C hip length blonde hair, starting to grey (but you can't tell it's greying, really....it's natural blonde).

She said when she started growing her hair longer several years ago, she started having trouble with a lot of dandruff, flakes, and itching. A friend told her about the Listerine, so she tried it and found it stopped the dandruff, the flakies, and the itching....almost immediately. AND keeps it at bay. I had my hands in her hair, massaging her scalp...and it felt very healthy and clean.

What she does:
She uses the regular, yellow, Listerine brand Listerine; just buys a big bottle of it.
She shampoos and conditions about twice a week, air-dries, combs and/or brushes, that's about it. (I forgot to ask what kind of S/C she uses...but I don't think it's anything special)

Once every other week or so, she'll wet her hair, shampoo it, rinse, condition the length. Then, with the conditioner on the length, she just takes the Listerine bottle and pours it carefully onto her scalp. Then she massages it in, and rinses. That's it. She does say that she's careful not to get too much onto the length.

I don't know when the formulation changed, but she seems to have started this maybe a couple of years ago.

I'm thinking of giving it a shot....

Actually, a lot of their vintage adverts tout it as a cure for dandruff. (I've seen them in Vintage Advertising Blogs and such). They also say that it makes a good astringent for pimples.
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/Cosmopolitan/9-1953/xlg_listerine_dandruff.jpg

:)

That's interesting. Definitely something to keep in mind if my scalp starts acting up again.

Yeah, I think I'll try it the next time my scalp gets irritated, too. I wonder if maybe a diluted version could be used for acne on the face or possibly just the back.

ive read if you want to go inbetween washing to douse a cottom ball with it and rub it along your scalp (like part the hair and use the alcohol to dry up the sebum) or something....but hte harsh ingredients scared me from trying. They recommend the same thing with the alcohol in hair spray.

Saldana

The yellow one she referred to is probably the one called Original - so if you like - start with that one.

The differences between formulas are not the main ingredients - just extras like flavours and colours and a few chemicals which would not affect how it works on flakes, IMO.

a friend of mine uses it for her dandruff... I might give it a try :)

Wow, this sounds like something that might actually work. I've had problems with dandruff for years now. It's not flaking out anymore unless I scratch, but it's still a major annoyance. I'm going to try this out soon.

I'm going to try this :D

I've used Listerine for YEARS, but not for dandruff. I like the way it clarifies my hair. It feels very tingly when you pour it on, and makes your hair feel "squeaky". After you rinse it off it's still a bit squeaky, (as in extra clean) and after it dries, my hair is very fluffy. But when I get buildup, it really seems to cut it. My Mom taught me this when I was about 7 years old. Don't get it in your eyes though lol! I've never heard of using it for dandruff however.......

I think there could be a logic to this old-fashioned remedy. If people back then were washing with soap, it could cut through the soap scum.

I read about that tip somewhere a long time ago, but I've never tried it or anything.