Unregistered and excessive use of restricted anti-dandruff agents and the illegal addition of prohibited antibiotics in hair care products pose growing concerns, but monitoring is complicated by lack of integrated screening workflows, as well as the presence of surfactant-rich matrices and metal-chelating properties of some anti-dandruff agents like zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) and piroctone olamine (PO). This study presents a high-throughput "profile-and-quantify" strategy combining direct analysis in real-time high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to monitor eight targets in shampoos and conditioners. After acetonitrile-methanol ultrasonic extraction, samples were screened using DART-HRMS under optimized parameters. Samples containing the target analytes were subsequently quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Validation of this dual-platform approach demonstrated limits of detection ranging from 0.1 to 4 μg/g for the target analytes. For quantitative analysis, the HPLC-DAD assay exhibited good linearity (r[2] ≥ 0.9995). Spiked recoveries ranged from 96.1% to 107.2% with precision (RSD) ≤ 3.22%. This integrated strategy was applied to a longitudinal survey of 150 commercial products collected from 2022 to 2024. Screening revealed a widespread occurrence of ZnPT, salicylic acid, climbazole, and PO, while also identifying illicit additions of antifungal drugs including miconazole, elubiol, ketoconazole, and clotrimazole in cosmetic formulations. Featuring a rapid screening step of under 2 min per sample prior to targeted quantification, this integrated workflow offers a highly efficient, sensitive, and eco-friendly solution for large-scale regulatory monitoring of cosmetic safety and compliance.

Microbiome refers to the collection of microorganisms living in the human body. Skin, intestines and upper respiratory tract are particularly inhabited by microorganisms. The microbiota of the scalp and hair, though so far little understood, is particularly abundant in terms of microorganisms, which play an important role in maintaining the health of the scalp by inhibiting pathogens and promoting optimal skin condition. Dysbiosis of the scalp microbiota can be influenced by many factors, both exo and endogenous leading to the development of pathological conditions such as dandruff or seborrhoeic dermatitis. The aim of this preliminary study was the microbiological diagnosis of the scalp and hair in the group of individuals aged 20-40 years old. The samples for the research have been obtained from three different sites on the scalp of 6 individuals aged 20 to 40. The material for the study was collected using contact plates for total bacterial counts - Rodac Contact Test. The colonies grown on the microbiological media were characterised in terms of their size and shape. Subsequently, Gram staining was performed to assign the colonies of the bacteria to Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi characterisation of the scalp and hair was conducted using a trichological camera. Finally, on the basis of the study following conclusions have been drawn. There were observed differences in the appearance of microbial colonies between younger and older people and in the group of 40-year-old, there was a significantly less colony diversity monitored. In terms of bacteria, Gram-positive cocci got isolated most frequently. In addition, yeast as well as filamentous fungi occurred abundant in the middle of the head of the research participants.

Dandruff (DF) is a prevalent, recurrent inflammatory scalp disorder increasingly recognized as a complex state of functional dysbiosis rather than a simple Malassezia overcolonization. The scalp microbiome is predominantly shaped by Malassezia species (M. restricta and M. globosa), Cutibacterium, and Staphylococcus species. Recent multi-omics evidence indicates that DF pathogenesis is driven by the destabilization of microbial interaction networks and strain-level functional heterogeneity, characterized by the disruption of the C. acnes/S. epidermidis balance and the opportunistic expansion of Staphylococcus aureus. Mechanistically, Malassezia utilizes its lipolytic repertoire to hydrolyze host sebum into irritant free fatty acids and peroxides. Concurrently, oxidative metabolites like squalene peroxide (SQOOH) penetrate the stratum corneum to activate the NF-κB and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathways, triggering a pro-inflammatory cascade that overexpresses keratins (K6/16/17) and downregulates filaggrin. This molecular cascade drives abnormal keratinocyte turnover and lipidomic remodeling, establishing a self-perpetuating "metabolism-inflammation-barrier disruption" pathological cycle. This review systematically elucidates the molecular etiology of DF as an ecological disorder driven by a tripartite imbalance among the microbiome, host physiology, and the environmental niche. We propose that next-generation therapeutic paradigms must transcend traditional antifungal eradication, focusing instead on targeted molecular intervention and microecological restoration to recalibrate overall scalp homeostasis.

Zinc Pyrithione is a naturally occurring zinc complex well-known as an antifungal agent, used in the treatment of dandruff and other scalp-related diseases for more than half a century. Pyrithione has been exploited as a potential antimicrobial and anticancer agent with other clinical applications for treating glaucoma, epilepsy, and neurological conditions. The market for zinc pyrithione has been steadily increasing over the last two decades and is estimated to exceed $1 billion in 2024 alone. Pyrithione is one of the forgotten privileged structures in drug discovery. It is a zinc-specific chelate that possesses the essential pharmacophore for inhibiting zinc metalloenzymes. Its potential has been revisited recently for a variety of zinc metalloenzyme targets containing one or two zinc atoms. In this review, we describe the broad-spectrum inhibitory activities and the exact mechanism of action of pyrithione against validated and promising zinc metalloenzyme drug targets, including vancomycin-resistant element VanX, Histone deacetylases (HDAC) 6 and 8 in cancer treatment, carbonic anhydrase for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and glaucoma, and metallo beta-lactamases for overcoming beta-lactam antibiotic-resistant infections. Continuing the enrichment of pyrithione analogues to reduce off-target activities, improve inhibitory potency, and increase metabolic stability could revitalize their relevance in drug discovery.