Targets dandruff and associated scalp itch
It carries an over-the-counter anti-dandruff active.
—
Supported
A recognised active does the work.
Selsun Blue
Naturals Itchy Dry Scalp Shampoo
Shampoo / Clarifying, deep-cleaning
- Shampoo
- Silicone-free
- Protein-free
- Moisture-rich
Size11 fl oz
Price$8–10 Good valuecommonly seen · 11 oz
Price / oz$0.78/ozat 11 oz
Where to buy5 stores · $7.49–10.99
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
Scent:
Reviewers describe it as fresh.
Strength: Strong
Listing used for research: target.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 23 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
All types
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Cleansing strength
Strong
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Some
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Scent
Fresh & airyStrong strength
Not in your profile
Show all 23 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Sulfates
Sulfate detergent
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
High
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
pH adjusted
Adjusted
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
13 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Drugstore
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Grocery / massOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Lower cost than most shampoos
$0.78/oz at 11 oz, less than 75% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz.
Great for
Flaking scalpsit has an over-the-counter active
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fast-oiling scalpsthat need a real reset wash
Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
Hard waterand swimmers dealing with mineral deposit
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Maybe skip if
this product has a strong scent
Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Dry or damaged haira strong detergent system strips as it cleans
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
Non-medicated routinesthis is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Cleansing strength
Strong
A reset wash that removes oil, buildup, and most residue.
Expected lather
High
Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair.
Slip and detangling
Some
Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners.
Water-binding (humectants)
Moderate
Humectants in the working part of the formula.
Scalp active
salicylic acid, 3%
Carries an over-the-counter scalp active, listed under Drug Facts.
Hard-water defence
Chelators present
Contains chelators, which bind hard-water and pool minerals.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Protein
None
No protein or amino acids in the list.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | amphoteric cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate | sulfate cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Potassium Hydroxide | pH adjuster | Fine-tunes the pH | pH balancer |
| Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate | light ester | A light, silky feel | Softens |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | humectant | Adds a little water-binding | Moisturizes |
| Niacinamide | vitamin | A trace vitamin addition | Detangles |
| Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate | mild anionic cleanser | — | Cleanses |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo silicones or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance. An over-the-counter scalp active is listed (salicylic acid 3%).
Full ingredient list (13)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Water
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
General function
A mild coconut-derived co-cleanser that boosts foam and softens the effect of stronger detergents. It appears in most shampoos, gentle or not.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
Indian Journal of DermatologyMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairMild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesThe mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairAmong the mildest detergents in use — it is what baby shampoos are built on — but it is almost always the second detergent in a formula. How much a wash strips is still decided by the primary detergent listed above it.
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
3
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
General function
A sulfate detergent similar in strength to sodium lauryl sulfate, used for fast, high foam.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesA sulfate detergent can lift deposited silicone, wax and styling films, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairFine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.
- sulfate cleanser
- cleanser
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
4
Potassium Hydroxide
General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to set pH; it is fully neutralised in the finished product.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
5
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
General function
A fatty ester. Esters give slip and a smooth after-feel; lighter ones read dry and silky, heavier ones read rich.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairA light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairSpreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.
- light ester
- emollient
-
6
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
General function
Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
-
7
Niacinamide
General function
Vitamin B3, used in scalp products for conditioning claims.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
- vitamin
- conditioning agent
-
8
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
General function
A mild cleanser that keeps foaming in hard water and rinses cleanly.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdThe detergent class most curl routines are built around: it lathers and cleanses without stripping the strand back to bare.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairA gentler detergent leaves more of the surface oil that slows water loss from coarse or porous hair.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairCleanses with less sebum removal than a sulfate detergent, so hair that is short of moisture keeps more of it through the wash.
- mild anionic cleanser
- cleanser
-
9
Tocopheryl Acetate
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
10
Disodium EDTA
General function
Grabs metal ions from hard water so they cannot dull the hair or destabilise the formula.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairCopper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
- hard-water chelator
-
11
Hydroxyacetophenone
- preservative
- antioxidant
-
12
Sodium Citrate
General function
Used with citric acid to hold the formula at a steady, slightly acidic pH. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesBinds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.
May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hairCopper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.
DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
-
13
Fragrance
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 cleansers
- 2 pH adjusters
- 2 vitamins
- 2 antioxidants
- 2 hard-water chelators
- 1 solvent
- 1 amphoteric cleanser
- 1 secondary cleanser
- 1 sulfate cleanser
- 1 light ester
- 1 emollient
- 1 humectant
- 1 botanical extract
- 1 gum
Drug facts actives
- salicylic acid 3%
This product is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic. It treats a cosmetic scalp condition; it does not diagnose or treat disease.
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-04. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 11 oz
Commonly seen
$8–10
Good value under
$31
Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $31 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $38 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it4 listings · 4 stores
-
Target
$7.4911 oz · $0.68/ozOct 22Lowest per oz
-
Walmart
$7.9211 oz · $0.72/ozOct 22
-
Vitacost.com
$9.3211 oz · $0.85/ozOct 22
-
CVS
$10.9911 oz · $1.00/ozOct 22
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product. and 1 listing we don’t count, from grey-market or unverified sellers.
How we work this out
- 11 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 11 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $31 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.81/oz; at 11 oz that is $31. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $38 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 11 oz.
Formula
8
Formula score
8 of 10
This formula covers the systems a shampoo is built around, and it costs less per ounce than most of the shampoos we have researched.
How the score is counted
- 1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 75% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
- Covers 6 of the 7 things a shampoo should do
- Reviewers mention 3 things they like about how it performs
- A working detergent systemWhat actually removes oil and product.3 pts
- Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A hard-water chelatorBinds the minerals that dull hair in hard water.1 pt
- A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
- No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
Herbal EssencesLowest cost per oz
Classics Shine Shampoo with Chamomile
$0.38/oz $0.40/oz less
- Protein-free
- Deep clean
- Hard water
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Flaking scalps, looking for an over-the-counter scalp active and a protein-free formula
Biggest tradeoff
Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, or dry or damaged hair
Best alternative if not
Herbal Essences Classics Shine Shampoo with Chamomile, for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
1
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Users describe hair feeling soft and hydrated while the shampoo soothes their dry scalp.
Exact Target written2026 reviews: YusleydisG22April describes hydration and softness; DianaD17February describes softer hair without drying it out. Syndicated Influenster reviews; AI summary excluded.Users report relief from itching and flakes.
Exact Target PDP written 2026 reviews, syndicated from Influenster; AI summary and other-variant cycling review excluded.Users like the fresh scent that does not linger.
Exact Target PDP written 2026 reviews, syndicated from Influenster; AI summary and other-variant cycling review excluded.More from Selsun Blue
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
- The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
- 7 sources consulted for this product (2 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 4 editorial), last checked 2026-10-22.
- Ingredient references are linked for 6 of 10 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-10-07.
