Zinc pyrithione
On the label: Zinc Pyrithione · Active · regulated as a drug in some uses
What it is
The over-the-counter anti-dandruff drug ingredient in many shampoos. Banned in EU cosmetics since 2022; still allowed in the US.
Actives: Actives are the ingredients a product is built around: acids, retinoids, vitamins and the like.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q204602 →
In the research
120 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- High-throughput screening and quantification of eight anti-dandruff agents and antibiotics in hair care products by direct analysis in real-time high-resolution mass spectrometry a · Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis, 2026
- Pressure Alopecia in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report · Cureus, 2026
- Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Zinc Pyrithione and Nystatin against Multi-Drug-Resistant Candida (Candidozyma) auris: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Models · ACS infectious diseases, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other actives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.