TikTok is a weird place full of bad ideas, but the app didn’t get massively popular by solely feeding people content about mysterious sauces or by trying to convince people to cook chicken in NyQuil, the platform is also full of well-intentioned people who present functional hacks that can improve your life and save you some scratch in the process. In a viral TikTok content creator and comedian Elyse Myers let people in on a skincare hack that won’t just save your skin, but save you some money in the process.
“Before you spend a lot of money on skincare products just hold on,” Myers begins in a video that has now been viewed over 12 million times, “Just go buy Head & Shoulders and wash your face with it and see what happens. I have been using the Wal-Mart version of Head & Shoulders, since I was in middle school because I had a dermatologist tell me the zinc in it is incredible for your face.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@elysemyers/video/7148800536102423854?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en
Myers claims that for as long as she’s used the shampoo facewash hack she’s had clear skin and only began breaking out once she stopped using it in lieu of the fancy products that were being sent to her for free. We don’t blame you if you watch a TikTok telling you to smear stuff on your face that isn’t explicitly intended for your face with a healthy dose of side-eye but it turns out Myers is right about zinc’s beneficial effect on the skin.
According to Healthline, pyrithione zinc — the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders and most other dandruff shampoos — is effective at treating skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne due to its antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, a few TikTok dermatologists have weighed in on Myers’ hack, adding a bit more context as to why the product can be beneficial.
@dermguru #duet with @elysemyers dandruff shampoo for acne?! Hear me out. #dandruff #headandshoulders #elysemyers #dermguru #dermreacts #acnehack #dermtok #skintok #dandruffshampoo
@dermarkologist #duet with @elysemyers dermatologist reacts: head and shoulders shampoo as face wash?? #fungalacne #seborrheicdermatitis #headandshoulders
@drspf #duet with @elysemyers glad your skin is happy! Keep skincare simple but one size does not fit all. #simpleskincare #acne #affordableskincare #drsugaiskincare
@dr.ljmaxfield #duet with @elysemyers tagged in this so many times! And, this hack has its place #skincare #skincarehacks #skincarehack #zincpyrithione #dermatologist #greenscreen
@drjennyliu #duet with @elysemyers or just use an acne wash with BPO! #elysemyers #headandshoulder #fungalacne #dandruffsolution #dermreact #skintik #dermtok #acnetips #dandruffsolution #greenscreen
While it doesn’t sound like Head & Shoulders is the cure-all for every skincare woe, it looks like it’s worth a try if you’re suffering from the sort of skin condition caused by bacterial and fungal growths on the skin.
Also, a bottle costs under $5 so if it doesn’t work for you, you can just pass it on to a friend. Christmas is coming up after all.
