Selsun Blue facts for kids

Selsun Blue is a special kind of shampoo that helps people with dandruff. Dandruff is when your scalp (the skin on your head) gets flaky and itchy. You can buy Selsun Blue in stores without needing a doctor's prescription.

This shampoo brand is now owned by a company called Sanofi. It was first made by Abbott Laboratories. Later, in 2002, another company named Chattem bought the brand. Then, in 2010, Sanofi bought Chattem, so Selsun Blue became part of Sanofi. In some countries, a different company, Rohto Pharmaceutical, sells it instead. Selsun Blue has been shown in tests to work very well, sometimes even better than other popular dandruff shampoos like Head & Shoulders.

How Selsun Blue Works

Most Selsun Blue shampoos you buy in stores have an ingredient called 1% selenium sulfide. This is the main thing that helps fight dandruff. The name "Selsun" actually comes from combining parts of "selenium sulfide" and "n".

In 2005, Chattem also launched a new line of shampoos called Selsun Salon. These shampoos used a different main ingredient, pyrithione zinc (1%), and were made for a slightly fancier shampoo market. Other types of Selsun Blue shampoos might also contain ingredients like salicylic acid or natural plant extracts.

Different Types of Selsun Blue

By 2011, there were 15 different Selsun Blue products. They were divided into two main groups: Naturals and Base.

Selsun Blue Naturals

The Naturals line of products uses salicylic acid as its main ingredient. This acid helps to gently remove dead skin cells and flakes from your scalp. These shampoos also have 8 moisturizers, plant extracts, and vitamins B5 and E to help keep your scalp healthy.

Selsun Blue Base Shampoos

The Base group of Selsun Blue shampoos includes six different types:

• Medicated with menthol
• 2-in-1 (shampoo and conditioner)
• Normal to Oily scalp
• Moisturizing
• Itchy Dry Scalp
• Deep Cleansing with micro beads

The first four types (Medicated, 2-in-1, Normal to Oily, and Moisturizing) all contain selenium sulfide. This ingredient is known to fight tiny germs called fungi, which can cause dandruff. Selenium sulfide helps stop the itching and flaking of the scalp and removes the dry, scaly bits we call dandruff. It can also be used to treat a skin infection called tinea versicolor, which is caused by a fungus.

The Deep Cleansing shampoo was launched in 2011. It contains salicylic acid and also has tiny scrubbing beads to help clean the scalp very well.

Where to Find Selsun Blue

You can find Selsun Blue products in many different stores. They are sold in large stores that sell many different things, as well as in drugstores and grocery stores.