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(More customer reviews)We have used this product, which amazon.com calls "Heritage" (the name of the distributor) but the label calls Tannenbaum, for years, but never as our primary shampoo, always as a supplement. Strictly as a dandruff remedy, there is no better over the counter dandruff shampoo.
In a detailed review here on amazon.com of Packers Pine Tar Shampoo for Hair and scalp - 8 Oz, I explained that over the counter dandruff shampoos may be grouped into four categories according to the active ingredient:
1. Coal tar. Coal tar is a known carcinogen, and (to us) it matters not whether it may be effective against dandruff; we will not have it in our household.
2. Salicylic acid. Safer than coal tar, but not unconditionally safe: Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database rates it as a class 7 "high hazard" ingredient. We have tried salicylic acid based shampoos, and -- on our dandruff -- they have proved ineffective, anyway.
3. Zinc pyrithione (or pyrithione zinc). Zinc pyrithione is the featured ingredient in the great majority of shampoos that make claims to be dandruff remedies. From a safety standpoint, zinc pyrithione is more benign than either coal tar or salicylic acid; but we have given various brands of zinc pyrithione shampoo a fair trial, and from an effectiveness standpoint in controlling dandruff, none ever has worked for us.
4. Pine tar. For controlling dandruff, it gets the job done for us. It works, plain and simple. As a bonus, it is about as nontoxic as any product you can bring into your shower; Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database rates pinus paulustris (pine tar) as a class 1 "low hazard." You could use most pine tar shampoos as a baby shampoo (just keep it out of bambino's eyes). Do not confuse pine tar (quite safe) with coal tar (known carcinogen).
We have used two of the three pine tar shampoos that currently are sold through amazon.com, and both have proved more effective -- on our dandruff -- than every other dandruff remedy that we ever have tried. However, the one reviewed here, Tannenbaum (Heritage), is more effective as a dandruff remedy (on our dandruff) than Packer's is.
The downside of Tannenbaum pine tar shampoo is that its cleansing ingredients -- SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate), apparently in a high concentration -- are perhaps TOO aggressive. When you shampoo with Tannenbaum, your hair and scalp certainly will feel squeaky clean, really, really clean. But after your hair is dry, it may feel REALLY dry and perhaps brittle, as well. That is why we never have used Tannenbaum as an every day or every other day shampoo. (We prefer Jason Natural Biotin shampoo or ShiKai Everyday shampoo for frequent cleansing.)
If you do use Tannenbaum (Heritage) pine tar shampoo frequently, you may wish to look into using one of the conditioners that include behentrimonium methosulfate as the effective conditioning ingredient. Two conditioners that feature behentrimonium methosulfate are the widely available Neutrogena Clean Replenishing Conditioner and Save Your World Conditioner -- the latter available through amazon.com. Save Your World - Rainforest Conditioner 8oz. We have found the Save Your World conditioner (which also contains the premium ingredient avocado oil) more effective as a moisturizer than the (excellent in its own right) Neutrogena Clean Replenishing.
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