Head&Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoos that use active ingredients like pyrithione zinc or selenium sulfide to control dandruff and flaking.
Regulated substances (7)
Selenium sulfide (California Prop 65 substance)
sodium lauryl sulfate (Food additive (E-number))
sodium benzoate (Food additive (E-number))
magnesium carbonate (Food additive (E-number))
Selenium (except SeS2 in anti-dandruff shampoo) (Health Canada Cosmetic Hotlist)
Selenium sulfide is a chemical compound used in some dandruff shampoos and antifungal treatments because it helps control flaking and fungal growth. It is also found in certain industrial processes, such as glass manufacturing and rubber production. California's Proposition 65 program lists selenium sulfide as a substance known to cause cancer, based on scientific evidence from animal studies. The listing, effective since 1988, means products containing it must carry a warning label in California if exposure levels are significant. This does not mean you will get cancer from occasional use—it simply reflects regulatory caution. The source for this information is the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Proposition 65 list. This summary draws on public regulatory data; the linked source is authoritative.
Selenium is a naturally occurring element that, in certain forms, can be toxic. In cosmetics, selenium and most of its compounds are banned under EU regulations because of potential health risks. The exception is selenium disulphide, which is allowed only under strict conditions, such as in anti-dandruff shampoos at low concentrations. Selenium is sometimes used in industrial settings or as a dietary supplement, but in personal care products, it is restricted to prevent skin irritation or more serious effects. The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 lists selenium and its compounds in Annex II as prohibited substances, meaning they cannot be added to cosmetic products sold in the EU. This rule helps protect consumers from unnecessary exposure. For more details, see the EU CosIng database at https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/. This summary draws on public regulatory data; the linked source is authoritative.
GHS hazard classifications and PubChem CIDs from NIH PubChem (NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine, public domain). Hover any pictogram for its meaning.
🔍 What we found about this product
A factual report of what public registries and product databases returned for this EAN. We do not authenticate products or issue safety verdicts — we only report what we found.
Identifier checks
📋 EAN format: the GTIN-13 mod-10 checksum is consistent with the GS1 standard (format check only; does not authenticate the physical product)
📋 GS1 prefix 003 indicates the issuing office in United States / Canada (this is the country where the brand owner registered the EAN; it is not necessarily where the product was manufactured. Source: GS1 country code list)
📋 Brand entries found: no entry for Head&Shoulders in the Wikidata brand registry (our coverage of Wikidata is partial; absence is not a finding either way)
📋 Listed in 1 of the public product catalogue we check: Open Beauty Facts (catalogue presence only; the listing itself does not authenticate the product)
Registry scans
📋 Recall registry scan returned 0 matches (sources scanned: CPSC, FDA, RAPEX, Health Canada, NHTSA. Coverage gaps exist; we cannot speak to records outside these registries)
📋 Substance database scan returned 60 name matches with H-codes / regulated-substance entries (see substances section. This is a name match against label/ingredient text only; it does not confirm batch presence)
📋 Banned-ingredient scan (EU Cosmetic Annex II) returned 0 matches (source: EU Reg. 1223/2009. Scanned against available label text only)
📋 Certifications listed in our databases: none found (registries scanned: EU Ecolabel, US ENERGY STAR, US EPA Safer Choice. Many legitimate products are not enrolled in these schemes)
📋 Medical device registry: not listed in US FDA GUDID or EU EUDAMED (most consumer products are not medical devices and would not be expected to appear)
Sources scanned: GS1 country prefix · Wikidata brand registry · Open Beauty / Food Facts · USDA FDC Branded Foods · Nudger GTIN dataset · EU Safety Gate (RAPEX) · US CPSC · US FDA recalls · Health Canada Recalls · NHTSA recalls · ECHA SVHC · REACH Annex XVII · EU RoHS · Stockholm POPs · CLP Annex VI · EU Cosmetic Annex II · EU Ecolabel · US ENERGY STAR · US EPA Safer Choice · US FDA GUDID · EU EUDAMED. Last refreshed: .
About this section. We aggregated what we found across 24 public registries and product databases as of . This is not an authentication, certification, or safety endorsement. Coverage gaps in our source data exist. For definitive verification, please contact the manufacturer or the relevant regulator directly.
Disclaimer. Substance and ingredient information is matched against public government registries (cited above) and may be incomplete or imprecise for a specific batch. This page is informational only and does not constitute medical, legal, or safety advice. For health concerns consult a qualified specialist. For confirmed product safety status refer to the manufacturer and the linked regulatory source.
Provenance
Last updated: . See About for the full source list.