People with sensitive skin are typically told to avoid products that contain added fragrance, which is one of the most common (potential) irritants out there. That goes for people with sensitive scalps, too. The best shampoos for sensitive scalps are all fragrance-free, but they're also free of the types of harsh ingredients that typically cause rashes, itching, or other kinds of flareups, though this all — both the trigger ingredients and the type of reaction — can vary widely from person to person.
Though there are a lot of reasons why your scalp might be irritated, including eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff, patients who experience itching after shampooing are "likely allergic to an ingredient in their shampoo such as dyes, fragrances, botanicals, preservatives (methylisothiazolinone, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea) or surfactants (i.e. cocamidopropyl betaine, dimethylaminopropylamine, sodium laureth sulfate)," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Susan Bard, M.D., tells Bustle. If a patient tells her they experienced irritation after washing their hair, she steers them towards a gentle, scent-free shampoo — like the ones featured below.
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