Enhanced piroctone olamine retention from shampoo for superior anti‐dandruff efficacy

Abstract Background Dandruff is a pervasive chronic condition which negatively impacts quality of life. Effective treatment requires efficient delivery of scalp benefit agents that control commensal scalp Malassezia levels. Delivery of benefit agents from shampoos requires balancing many technical parameters to achieve the desired outcome without sacrificing secondary parameters, such as cosmetic attributes. Aim To develop formulation technologies that increase the shampoo delivery efficiency of the scalp benefit agent piroctone olamine (PO). Increased delivery should result in increased anti‐dandruff efficacy. Methods Micellar Stability and Association parameters were quantified via dynamic surface tension and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffusion parameters, respectively. PO delivery has been assessed in vivo both on the scalp surface and follicular infindibula using extraction procedures and analytical analysis. Clinical anti‐dandruff efficacy was assessed for an advanced delivery technology prototype in comparison to standard delivery technology. Results Shampoo prototypes have been developed that increase the delivery efficiency of PO. Both surfactant and polymer coacervate‐based approaches have been developed. Decreased micellar stability results in weaker association between PO and micelles, resulting in more efficient PO retention on the scalp surface and delivery to the infundibula. Increased charge density of cationic polymers optimizes coacervation enabling improved PO delivery as well. Increased PO delivery has been shown clinically to result in higher anti‐dandruff efficacy as measured by both visible flakes and underlying biomarkers. Conclusion Increased efficiency PO delivery shampoos have been developed by optimization of both surfactant and coacervate parameters. The increased deposition efficiency results in significantly more products with significantly greater anti‐dandruff efficacy.