French biotech firm Greentech has announced a natural alternative to zinc pyrithione for the treatment of dandruff. ‘Dandrilys’ is derived from the bark of a Brazilian tree, Ziziphus joazeiro, and the firm says it works to reduce dandruff within 72 hours.
“In Brazil, the bark and leaves of Ziziphus joazeiro are used in traditional medicine for external application to cleanse hair and teeth, and to whiten facial skin thanks to their foaming properties,” said the firm. “Ziziphus joazeiro is also traditionally employed for anti-dandruff hair care.”
Dandruff is due to abnormal desquamation of the cells of the epidermis at scalp level. Proliferation of the fungi Malassezia enhances the phenomenon since it provokes inflammation, which can manifest as unpleasant itching, irritation or an excess of sebum. Dandruff can also be affected by factors such as stress, hormonal imbalances, excessive sweating and repeated aggressions to the scalp such as strong detergent, hair dye and perms.
Greentech claims that its in vivo and in vitro tests show that Dandrilys is as efficient as zinc pyrithione, due to Dandrilys’ high concentration of saponins. It also claims that the product was preferred by volunteers over zinc pyrithione as its soft handle enables it to be incorporated into daily-use formulations.
