Last updated: September 10, 2026
Autumn presents its share of challenges. You’ve got to get the kids back to school. Traffic ticks up on the parkway a few hours after that last Labor Day barbecue, spoiling the leisurely morning commute of summer.
And your dandruff may get worse.
That’s right: more itching. More flaking. And perhaps a little less confidence about wearing that black T-shirt or dark blazer.
The reason is surprisingly seasonal. As summer disappears, so do some of the environmental conditions that can help keep dandruff—and the seborrheic dermatitis associated with it—under control.
Five takeaways
- Dandruff can worsen as the weather gets cooler and drier. Seasonal changes in ultraviolet light, humidity and temperature can change the environment of the scalp.
- Malassezia matters. This naturally occurring yeast is associated with seborrheic dermatitis and can contribute to scalp inflammation and flaking in susceptible people.
- A fall Scalp Reset is about more than washing away flakes. The goal is to cleanse the scalp while respecting its skin barrier and addressing the environment that contributes to dandruff.
- Ingredients matter. CLn Healthy Scalp Shampoo combines sodium hypochlorite with salicylic acid & glycerin, while using gentle cleansing ingredients and avoiding added fragrance and dyes.
- More washing isn’t necessarily better. Finding a shampoo frequency that works for your individual scalp can help you maintain a consistent routine without unnecessary dryness.
Why can dandruff get worse in the fall?
Here’s the surprising part: Summer, with all its heat, sweat and oil, in some ways can actually provide protection against dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. True enough: heat, and its associated increase in sweat and skin oil, are factors known to exacerbate seborrheic dermatitis.
But summer also brings more sunlight. Increased ultraviolet light during the summer can help suppress Malassezia, the exotic-sounding yeast associated with seborrheic dermatitis. As the days get shorter and our UV exposure declines, we begin to lose that natural seasonal effect.
Then there’s humidity. As the air becomes cooler and drier, the outermost layer of skin can lose moisture, contributing to dryness and itching. Cooler conditions may also favor higher levels of Malassezia on the scalp.
Put those changes together, and fall can create the perfect conditions for a familiar problem: an itchy, flaky scalp.
Believe me, I know.
Can a long weekend help reset your scalp routine?
One of the nice things about autumn is that it gives us a few natural opportunities to reset our routines.
A long weekend can be a particularly good time to start paying attention to your scalp again—especially if the first signs of fall flaking have begun to appear.
I think of this as a Scalp Reset.
The distinction is important. A Scalp Reset isn’t simply about washing your hair more frequently. It means thinking about the scalp as skin—and choosing a cleansing routine designed to address what is happening there while respecting the skin barrier.
CLn Healthy Scalp Shampoo is formulated with sodium hypochlorite, glycerin and salicylic acid for scalps prone to concerns such as flaking and itching. Sodium hypochlorite has antimicrobial activity, including activity against Malassezia, while salicylic acid helps loosen and remove thick scalp scales.
That combination gets at something important: cleansing the hair above while caring for the skin below.
I typically use CLn Healthy Scalp Shampoo one to three times per week, and I find that a long weekend can be a useful time to get back into the routine before Monday arrives—and before I find myself brushing flakes off a dark blazer.
What should you look for in a gentle shampoo for a fall Scalp Reset?
A Scalp Reset is not simply washing. It is cleansing the scalp with respect for the skin barrier.
That means thinking about more than the detergents that remove oil, sweat and grime. It also means paying attention to how gentle those cleansing ingredients are.
CLn Healthy Scalp Shampoo, for example, uses Cocamidopropyl Betaine as a cleansing ingredient and is formulated without added fragrance or dyes.
But I also tell my patients to look beyond the hair itself.
After all, dandruff is fundamentally a scalp issue. So a useful dandruff regimen should consider both: ingredients that cleanse the hair and ingredients that address the skin underneath it.
That’s the simplest way to think about a Scalp Reset:
Gentle washing above. Skin Reset below.
The goal isn’t to attack the scalp. It’s to help manage the scalp environment while respecting the barrier that healthy skin depends on.
How often should you shampoo during a Scalp Reset?
There isn’t one schedule that works for every scalp.
CLn Healthy Scalp Shampoo is recommended for use one to three times per week. I encourage people to pay attention to their own scalp early in the fall and find the frequency that works best for them.
That matters because consistency is more useful than overdoing it – you need consistent maintenance, and not just a one-time reset. But excessive cleansing can contribute to dryness, which is exactly what you don’t want as the weather itself becomes drier.
For people with especially dry or sensitive scalps, another option is CLn 2-in-1 Gentle Wash & Shampoo. Rather than salicylic acid, this formulation includes moisturizing glycerin.
In my own routine, I alternate between the two. That lets me strike a balance between addressing dandruff and giving my scalp additional moisture during the driest times of year.
That balance is really the point of a good Scalp Reset.
You’re not trying to scrub your way out of dandruff. You’re building a routine that helps manage the scalp environment, removes flakes and buildup, and respects the skin barrier—so you can keep doing it consistently throughout the season.
The Scalp Reset, Summed Up
Fall doesn’t just change the weather. It changes the environment of your scalp.
Less UV exposure, lower humidity and cooler temperatures can help create conditions in which dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis become more noticeable. That makes the beginning of fall a useful time to reassess your scalp-care routine.
Think beyond simply washing your hair. A Scalp Reset means choosing a routine that cleanses gently, helps manage the microbial environment of the scalp, addresses scale and buildup when needed, and respects the skin barrier.
Because sometimes the smartest response to seasonal dandruff isn’t to wash harder.
It’s to reset smarter.
Frequently asked questions
Is dandruff the same thing as seborrheic dermatitis?
Dandruff is generally considered a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis that affects the scalp. Both can involve flaking, itching and inflammation, although seborrheic dermatitis can be more extensive and can also affect areas such as the eyebrows, sides of the nose, ears and other oil-rich areas of the skin.
Why does my dandruff seem worse in the fall and winter?
Several seasonal changes may play a role. People generally receive less UV exposure as summer ends, humidity drops, and colder air can contribute to a drier scalp environment. Together, these changes may make itching and flaking more noticeable in people prone to dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis.
What is Malassezia?
Malassezia is a type of yeast that naturally lives on human skin, particularly in oil-rich areas such as the scalp. It isn’t inherently “bad,” but in people susceptible to seborrheic dermatitis, it can be associated with an inflammatory response that contributes to redness, itching and flaking.
Should I wash my hair more often if I have dandruff?
Not necessarily. More cleansing isn’t automatically better cleansing. The right frequency depends on your scalp, hair type and the products you use. The objective is to control oil, scale and buildup without unnecessarily drying or irritating the scalp.
What does salicylic acid do in a scalp shampoo?
Salicylic acid is a keratolytic ingredient, meaning it can help loosen and remove scales and dead skin cells. In a dandruff-prone scalp, that can help address the visible buildup associated with flaking.
What is a Scalp Reset?
A Scalp Reset applies the Skin Reset™ philosophy specifically to the scalp. Rather than thinking only about washing the hair, it treats the scalp as skin: cleansing gently while helping manage the microbial environment and respecting the skin barrier.
What if my dandruff doesn’t improve?
Persistent, severe or worsening scalp symptoms deserve medical attention. Significant redness, pain, crusting, hair loss or symptoms that do not respond to an appropriate scalp-care routine may indicate seborrheic dermatitis or another scalp condition that should be evaluated by a dermatologist or other healthcare professional.
About the author
| Dr. Douglas Krohn is a board-certified pediatrician with extensive experience in neonatal care, pediatric medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, and narrative medicine. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his pediatric internship and residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, followed by leadership training with OptumCare, executive healthcare education through eCornell, and CBT certification from Harvard Medical School. |