Kérastase Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant Anti-Dandruff Moisturising Shampoo

Man, have I been let down by two high-end hair products in a span of a few months, and one of them is from my favourite hair brand, Kérastase, which I truly trust, so that's a bit painful (the other is Bumble and Bumble's Invisible Oil Primer). I must sound like a broken record by now, but I've been suffering from dandruff, flaky, dry and itchy scalp since I was 11 and nothing even helped for long, but I persist and try new treatments ever so often and Kérastase one is the latest. A lot of these treatments or shampoos, this one included, contain salicylic acid to remove the layer of dead skin on the scalp, however, this one also has beads in it to provide manual exfoliation. It's not a new idea as Fructis has a similar product in their line, but it is a nice step forward as the layer of dead skin on the scalp is very difficult to remove (pretty much impossible really, I've tried everything. Baking soda works best).

What I really like about this shampoo is the applicator and that's what differentiates it from the Fructis version. The precise nozzle allows for the shampoo with the beads to get right close to the scalp, so you get the maximum effect and the beads don't get "tangled" and lost into the rest of the length of the hair. But honestly that's about all I love about this shampoo. As much as the idea of beads is genius, they fail to properly do the job and most of the dandruff remains firmly stuck on my scalp (yes, it is as delightful as it sounds). The shampoo formula is creamy and foams very well, which is something I appreciate, however, I'm used to exceptional quality of Kérastase shampoos when it comes to leaving the hair nourished and tangle-free, but this leaves my hair a bit stripped, so it performs like an average, cheap drugstore shampoo. Actually, there are some drugstore shampoos that are way better (I'm currently using L'Oreal's Elvive and I love it). The beads wash off completely. Other ingredients include zinc pyrithione (it's fungistatic and  bacteriostatic) and glycerol. You can find the rest of the ingredients here.

Since I already mentioned the Fructis version, I might as well do a quick comparison/review. These two are very similar in terms of texture, so both have a thick-ish creamy formula with small blue beads. Fructis version also foams well, but it's even less effective than Kérastase and very average in general. It's not bad and I did use up one bottle (this is the second one), but it's just standing there in the bathroom mostly unused because no one really likes it (also the beads dissolved already). As far as Fructis shampoos go, I really like their Oil Repair 3 one, but's not designed to treat dandruff, just dry hair. Ingredients of Fructis Anti-dandruff shampoo here.

Kérastase Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant costs currently 18.36 € on Look Fantastic, while Fructis one is sold in Müllers for about 2-3 €. I like neither, but if you want to try if they'll work on you, they might be worth a go.

Have a great day!