A New Purpose to Old Arsenal: Exploring the Safety and Efficacy of a New Regimen Comprising a Combination of Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Cetrimide for Seborrheic Dermatitis Treatment in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Seborrheic dermatitis is a common scalp condition affecting the quality of life of individuals across all age groups. The uninhibited proliferation of Malassezia spp. and enhanced sebaceous gland activity often leads to scalp flaking, mild erythema, and itching, thereby worsening the situation. Here, we aimed to study the efficacy of an antiseptic liquid as a pre-shampoo rinse followed by a non-anti-dandruff shampoo as a dandruff care strategy.  Methods: The anti-dandruff efficacy of a chlorhexidine-cetrimide-based antiseptic liquid (ASL) as a pre-shampoo scalp rinse, followed by a regular non-anti-dandruff shampoo, was compared with a commercial Zinc pyrithione (ZnPTO) based anti-dandruff shampoo following a half-head paired treatment design in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. The study was conducted on 50 healthy human adults of both genders with moderate to severe dandruff. During the 12 weeks of this study, the product's safety and efficacy were evaluated based on the dermatologist's visual assessment, the subjects' self-assessment, the loose flake density score, and hair fall.

RESULTS: ASL as a pre-shampoo scalp rinse demonstrated significant reduction (p<0.001 for n=47) in dandruff and itching after the treatment and the regression phase, performing at par with a marketed anti-dandruff shampoo. Moreover, ASL was established to be safe, non-irritant, and well-tolerated. No product-related adverse event, discomfort, or irritation symptoms were recorded, having any impact on hair sensory properties.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a regimen of a chlorhexidine+cetrimide antiseptic liquid for scalp treatment followed by rinse with a regular shampoo can prove as effective as a ZnPTO-based anti-dandruff shampoo in reducing dandruff symptoms for individuals with moderate dandruff.