A surprising and unfortunate area where the pesky, white flakes of dandruff can show up? In the eyebrows. Even worse? This ”lesser-known evil step sister to the same flaky situation that can haunt the scalp” plagues both male and female consumers alike.
While this itchy skincare condition is both annoying and embarrassing, an over-the-counter solution to eyebrow dandruff lies in the gentle exfoliant ingredient, glycolic acid.
Eyebrow dandruff 101
Similar to scalp dandruff, eyebrow dandruff shows up as flaking skin in the hair of the eyebrows. Other symptoms can include itchiness, irritation, redness, or oilier looking skin.
There are several causes of eyebrow dandruff, but the most typical instigator is seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic condition which can cause irritation, greasy or oily looking skin, rashes, and the telltale skin flakes of dandruff. While seborrheic dermatitis is most often a result of genetics, the condition can also be exacerbated by stress, cold or dry climates, and irritating soaps or shampoos.
Additionally, consumers with naturally oilier skin may experience eyebrow dandruff outbreaks more frequently. When the skin overproduces sebum, Malassezia, the yeastlike fungus that feeds on sebum and causes excessive skin cell growth, flourishes. The result? White flakes of dandruff in the eyebrows.
Luckily for consumers, there is a simple solution to fight eyebrow dandruff: a routine use of glycolic acid-based skincare products.
Gentle eyebrow exfoliation
Many consumers mistakenly believe eyebrow dandruff can be fixed with heavy duty moisturizers or serums. Instead, the key to preventing and treating eyebrow dandruff is regular exfoliation. However, the kind of exfoliant used in a dandruff-busting skincare routine is critical.
“Excessively scrubbing the skin or using harsh exfoliants might inadvertently make the scaling and redness worse,” dermatologist Monique Chheda, M.D. told SELF.
Rather than use grainy physical exfoliators, which can irritate the skin and cause even more sebum production, chemical exfoliators are the ideal option to gently treat eyebrow dandruff. Even more specifically? Chemical exfoliator products featuring the Alpha Hydroxy Acid hero, glycolic acid.
Glycolic acid to banish brow dandruff
As the most efficacious exfoliator around, glycolic acid offers two critical benefits for taming and preventing eyebrow dandruff.
To start, glycolic acid reduces the chances of skin flakes in the eyebrows. When applied to the face, glycolic acid quickly dissolves the glue holding damaged skin cells together. By rapidly sloughing off the dead, dry, and damaged cells from the skin, glycolic acid helps ensure the reduction of embarrassing flakes in the eyebrows immediately.
Two critical benefits for preventing eyebrow dandruff
Secondly, glycolic acid is key to preventing future issues with eyebrow dandruff, because it can help control the skin’s oil production. Regular exfoliation with glycolic acid based skincare products helps to prevent a buildup of excess sebum on the skin, which effectively starves Malassezia, the yeastlike fungus that creates dandruff outbreaks.
Eyeing the opportunities
Eyebrow dandruff plagues a surprising amount of consumers, and is especially prevalent among the staggering amount of adults who struggle with scalp dandruff. Formulators can help create gentle, effective, over-the-counter products to end this pesky, flaky condition once and for all by applying the eye-opening efficacy of glycolic acid.
