Dandruff and an oily scalp/hair?
We reveal why and the solution you need

Dandruff is one of the most common scalp concerns with 2 billion women experiencing unwanted dandruff flakes—that’s half the women in the world. Here we reveal what causes dandruff, as well as the lifestyle factors that trigger flare-ups, plus how to treat dandruff in the short- and long-term with our effective new SYMBIOSE range. Especially created for those who are dealing with dandruff, SYMBIOSE’s indulgent formulas mean you don’t have to compromise on your luxury in-shower experience when you want to wave bye bye to dandruff flakes.

Why dandruff and an oily scalp?

1) Malassezia restricta

One of the biggest causes of dandruff is a micro-organism called malassezia restricta. The excess sebum found on an oily scalp is a nutrition source for this micro-organism. Once consumed, the malassezia restricta produces oleic acid. This acid can be irritating to the scalp triggering a rapid production of skin cells that leads to dandruff flakes, irritation and redness.

2) A lack of humidity

In winter, there tends to be less moisture in the air that can dehydrate the skin and cause a surge in sebum production*. Since the malassezia restricta lives off sebum this can cause your dandruff to worsen.

To read out more about the causes of dandruff and how to treat it, click here.

Dandruff and an oily scalp: An endless cycle

Squalene (that makes up the sebum on our scalp alongside triglycerides, wax esters and free fatty acids) can peroxidise when we have dandruff**. What does that mean? Well, the process of peroxidisation occurs when free radicals “steal” electrons from the squalene. This leads to inflammation, barrier alteration and our skin cells to go into overdrive, causing - you guessed it - more dandruff.

In another study, dandruff was linked to unwanted micro-organism colonizing the scalp*** so the key to tackling dandruff in oily scalps is to manually remove the unwanted flakes from the scalp, feed the good micro-organism and soothe the scalp. Enter Kerastase’s new range, SYMBIOSE

SYMBIOSE routine for oily scalp

SYMBIOSE is a new range of formulated with three key ingredients to treat dandruff.

1) Salicylic acid: acts immediately to dissolve the unwanted flakes with its ability to exfoliate and cleanse the scalp;

2) Bifidus: since we know that the unwanted colonization of micro-organism on the scalp can contribute to dandruff, it’s important to focus on feeding a healthy eco-system, which bifidus does;

3) Piroctone olamine: alongside bifidus, this regulates the microbiome imbalance, tackling the unwanted malassezia restricta micro-organism and preventing dandruff flakes.

The SYMBIOSE range includes four products that are ideal for oily scalps with dandruff. With SYMBIOSE you can enjoy instant benefits and long-term efficacy allied with luxurious care.

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¹ Self-assessment, 61 women, immediately after application of MICRO-PEELING CELLULAIRE
² Instrumental test after application of Masque Revitalisant Essentiel
³ Clinical scoring on 37 women, after 4 weeks application (3 times a week) of SERUM CELLULAIRE NUIT ANTI-PELLICULAIRE INTENSIF, followed by assessment 3 weeks after last application.

SYMBIOSE works immediately and long-term in oily hair to reduce the irritation, remove the unwanted flakes and keep unwanted dandruff and oil at bay.

* Karger study
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/247853

** "Exploration of scalp surface lipids reveals squalene peroxide as a potential actor in dandruff condition", NIH
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26842231/

*** "Dandruff is associated with disequilibrium in the proportion of the major bacterial and fungal populations colonizing the scalp", NIH
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23483996/

How Can I Know If My Scalp Is Healthy?

If you want an expert opinion on your scalp, head to your nearest Kérastase salon. Our in-salon teams are expertly equipped to diagnose your scalp concerns and help advise you on the best products and in-salon treatments.

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