ACTIVE
Zinc Pyrithione
- active
An over-the-counter anti-dandruff active that reduces the yeast associated with flaking. Its percentage is stated in the drug facts panel.
- products in our library
- 4
- of researched products
- 0.1%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #2
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Insoluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
Why a formulator says it is in there.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a real cleanser | 5 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Removed mechanically | 1 of 5 |
| Prominence | Leading | 5 of 5 |
| Stated purpose | A stated active | 4 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Zinc Pyrithione does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Named on the label for a specific purpose rather than for texture.
It dissolves in neither water nor oil, so it is removed by washing or brushing.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Does not dissolve in water or oil. It sits on the surface and is removed mechanically or by cleansing.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
3 products
|
leading · #2 | |
Conditioner
1 product
|
leading · #1 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 3 | 0% | 2 | 1 | leading |
| Conditioner | 1 | 0% | 1 | 1 | leading |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 3 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 1 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 0 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 1 |
| 26+ | Trace | 0 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Why it matters to shoppers
What this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- an ingredient included for a stated purpose
- a visible surface effect
- an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
- how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a primary active near the top of the ingredient list in our shampoos
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Sodium Chloride · 4
- Polyquaternium-10 · 3
- Dimethiconol · 2
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 2
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · 2
- Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid · 1
- Rosa Gallica Flower Extract · 1
- Zinc Carbonate · 1
- Ceramide NG · 1
- Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate · 1
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to keep the formula stable, improve feel after rinsing, and smooth the surface.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Royal Oils Moisture Boost Shampoo with Coconut Oil
#1 on the label · $0.67/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Supreme Soothe & Strengthen Shampoo with Argan Oil and Rose Essence
#2 on the label · $0.84/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Hydrating Coconut Dandruff Shampoo
#5 on the label · $0.56/oz
As I Am · Shampoo
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo
#19 on the label · $1.15/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Zinc Pyrithione
- CAS 13463-41-7
- PubChem 26041
- pyrithione zinc
- zinc pyrithione
For your hair?
Whether Zinc Pyrithione matters for your hair depends on your hair.
4 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above is read from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references — the consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem — Compound identity: CID 26041, CAS 13463-41-7, C10H8N2O2S2Zn · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 4 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.