Head & Shoulders

Head & Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo produced by Procter & Gamble.

Procter & Gamble researchers first decided on making a new anti-dandruff shampoo in 1950, when massive public opinion made it clear that the current products on the market were not helping their scalp problems. Nearly a decade of research went into making a new formula, which introduced the product pyrithione zinc into a shampoo for the first time.

Head & Shoulders was first introduced to the U.S. market in November 1961, as a blue-green shampoo formula. Unlike other shampoos, Head & Shoulders had relatively few variations until the late 1990s and early 2000s, and there are now in excess of ten different kinds of shampoo for different hair types under the Head & Shoulders banner. It has since then grown into a billion dollar brand. The people responsible for this were Robert Jongstra (Procter & Gamble General Manager) and Olga Barr (Saatchi & Saatchi Global Creative Director).

A study conducted by University Medical Center Sart Tilman (Belgium) comparing the efficacy of the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders (zinc pyrithione) versus the active ingredient in Nizoral (ketoconazole) found that "Ketoconazole [Nizoral] 2% shampoo was significantly superior to zinc pyrithione [Head & Shoulders] 1% shampoo in the treatment of subjects with severe dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp". (Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2002 Nov-Dec;15(6):434-41.)

The brand's "Extra Strength" product had a cameo role in the 2001 film Evolution, where its startling copper orange color was shown. Head and Shoulders' original ocean blue formulation is more widely recognized.

Product list

 * Classic Clean
 * Classic Clean 2 in 1
 * Classic Clean For Men
 * Cool Menthol / Refresh - with refreshing menthol
 * Citrus Fresh - long lasting fragrance
 * Ocean Spa / Ocean Lift / Ocean Energy
 * Soothing
 * Sensitive - without potential allergens
 * Smooth & Silky - high conditioning formula to help prevent frizzies and fly aways
 * Extra Volume - lower conditioning formula to help add volume to hair
 * Intensive Treatment (1% selenium sulfide)
 * Intensive Solution (2% pyrithione zinc)