Confirmed: The Secret to Expensive-Looking, Glossy Winter Hair Is This Unsung Shower Step
I’ll be honest, there’s not much I won’t try in the pursuit of glossy hair. Hydrating hair masks, temporary in-shower glazes, and a trove of serums and oils are in constant rotation to maintain the shine and softness of my mane. But while it’s helpful to treat your strands with ultra-hydrating products for that healthy sheen, the one thing most shoppers overlook is where those shiny locks are growing from—and that, my friend, would be your scalp.
Our scalps can be scary terrains in winter due to a buildup of dandruff (which is very common and happens to almost everyone!). Dandruff, or the white flaky bits that litter your roots like snow, is a natural occurrence when your scalp is irritated by dry weather, agitating products (temporary hair dye is a common offender), or skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Many people deal with these pesky flakes every once in a while, which is why beauty editors always keep dandruff shampoo stocked in their showers—even if they don’t openly advertise it. But after testing a new shampoo and conditioner duo from Briogeo that treated my scalp like skincare and blasted dandruff into oblivion, I’m ready to shout it from the rooftops.
The Products
Briogeo
Scalp Revival Dandruff Relief Shampoo
Size: 8.4 oz. | Key ingredients: 3% salicylic acid, charcoal, AHA | Hair type: All, especially those with dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, and seborrheic dermatitis | Frequency: Twice weekly | Color-safe: Yes | Fragranced: Yes
Briogeo is the culprit behind so many of Who What Wear’s favorite haircare products, from growth serums to slick-back wax sticks. (No, really, the Brioego Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick won a WWW Beauty Award in 2025.) But as someone with eczema, these newest additions to the Briogeo lineup have become winter necessities that I wish I had access to years ago.
This shampoo is infused with exfoliating salicylic acid and detoxifying charcoal, which includes a combination of AHA and BHAs to cleanse and calm the scalp chemically rather than physically. Salt, sugar, and beads are physical exfoliants often found in other dandruff shampoos, which are great for sloughing dead skin, but can ultimately aggravate dry scalps if used too frequently. Think of this shampoo like a milky toner or mild chemical peel for your scalp: it’s gentle on dry, irritated skin, sweeps away flakes for better penetration, and hydrates your strands for calmer, healthier, and altogether shinier hair.
You may recognize its hero ingredient, salicylic acid, from the acne aisle (it’s in so many products for acne-prone skin), but this shampoo and conditioner set exemplifies why it’s also a game-changer for your scalp. “Because salicylic acid is a keratolytic agent, meaning it exfoliates dead skin cells by breaking cell-to-cell adhesion, it can remove scaly, flaky skin and thus improve the appearance of dandruff," board-certified dermatologist Rachel Westbay, MD, FAAD, previously told WWW.
But this formula doesn’t stop there. In addition to its skin-clearing and scalp de-gunking benefits, the shampoo is enhanced with sodium PCA, which penetrates the dermis and deeply hydrates your scalp to ward off any future flakes. However, the thing that wraps it all together is the matching conditioner.
Briogeo
Scalp Revival Dandruff Relief Conditioner
Size: 8.4 oz. | Key ingredients: 1.8% salicylic acid, coconut oil, colloidal oatmeal | Hair type: All, especially those with dandruff, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis | Frequency: Twice weekly | Color-safe: Yes | Fragranced: Yes
If Briogeo’s dandruff shampoo is a toner for your scalp and hair, the conditioner is a moisturizer. Think of it as the colloidal oatmeal bath that home remedy experts often recommend for eczema, because this silky formula contains exactly that (plus a nourishing elixir of coconut oil, bisabolol, and 1.8% salicylic acid).
