Selenium sulfide is an antifungal agent often used in shampoos for the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. In the United States, a 1% strength is available over-the-counter, and a 2.5% strength is also available with a prescription. At the 2.5% strength, selenium sulfide is also used on the body to treat tinea versicolor, a type of fungal skin infection.

In fiction

In the 2001 film Evolution, Selenium sulfide (as the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo), is used to fight the alien menace, on the faulty logic that because arsenic is poisonous to carbon-based humans, selenium must be poisonous to the nitrogen-based aliens, due to their respective positions in the periodic table. However, selenium itself is toxic to humans.

External links

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• PubChem

Antifungals | Cosmetic chemicals