FAQ - Pyrithione Zinc Bar Soap

What does pyrithione zinc treat?

Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. We are prohibited from marketing our pyrithione zinc soap for any other uses. Folks use pyrithione zinc soap for a variety of other applications. Any off-label-drug-use (OLDU) should be managed by a medical professional.

Pyrithione Zinc is an active ingredient in our soaps. It is approved in concentrations from 0.3 to 3 percent when formulated to be applied and then washed away after brief exposure. It controls, fights, reduces, helps eliminate, helps stop, controls recurrence of, fights recurrence of, helps prevent recurrence of, reduces recurrence of, helps eliminate recurrence of, and helps stop recurrence of seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. It helps with itching, irritation, redness, flaking, and scaling.

What happened to the old ZNP bar & brand?

Stiefel Laboratories stopped producing the "ZNP Bar" in 2010. We don't know why. The product was well liked by professionals in the medical community and the public. Stiefel Labs was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in July 2009 to create a new specialist dermatology business. Glaxo, we gather by their actions, was uninterested in the soap business, likely due to lower margins and lots of competition. Availability of Stiefel Labs ZNP Bar ceased shortly after the acquisition. They also discontinued SAStid (their Salicylic Acid and Sulfur soap), Acne-Aid, and their Sulfur Soap. PanOxyl (the BPO cleansing bar) went into short supply in 2012. Zeasorb was discontinued in the UK in 2013. And the formula for the PanOxyl foaming wash was changed in 2018 leading to lots of consumer dissatisfaction. On the flip-side, we love our business and plan to make our products for many years to come. The DermaHarmony Pyrithione Zinc soap is very similar to the original Stiefel Labs ZNP. Many customers of ours say that they like our soap as well or better than the original ZNP bar. Others say that the liked the original.  Give us a try and let us know what you think.

How long do you leave the soap on your face?  Do you apply and wash it off right away?

Lather your hands with the soap (no wash cloth) and cover your face and do some lathering, then with comfortable warm water rinse thoroughly and dry with clean towel. The zinc in that soap is strong, but cleanses the pores well.  30-90 seconds is fine.  Don't leave in contact with sensitive areas longer. DermaHarmony Pyrithione Zinc Soap is safe to use every day.

What does the soap smell like?

The DermaHarmony zinc soap has no added fragrance. It smells like good old fashioned soap - we struggle to find words when asked to describe the soap's smell. Everything smells like something, right? Most non fragrance soaps, well, they smell like soap, but are slightly unique to one another due to their different ingredients. The best answer is simple, clean, and organic-like. The smell is very slight. A nice faint soap smell. A slight fragrance of what you would expect from a natural soap made from oils.

Does the soap contain any sulfates?

None of the DermaHarmony branded soap contains sulfates. We now have a second brand called Grace of Me the offers a wider range of cleansing products. Several of these new bars contain sulfates (e.g. Goat's Milk & Honey, Oatmeal, Lavender Flower soap). Others don't (e.g. African Black, Aloe-Cucumber-Bentonite-Clay). We're very cautious about how we use sulfates in these new products. None of the Grace of Me or DermaHarmony branded soaps or shampoo bars contain parabens, preservatives or PEG. The Grace of Me bars that are Sulfate Free are clearly marked so.

Can I use the bar soap as shampoo in my hair?

Yes.  We have thousands of customers that do so.  Notwithstanding, we think that our 2% Pyrithione Zinc Bar Shampoo by DermaHarmony or Grace of Me is a better option because it reacts better when used with 'hard water'.

How long before I see results for Seborrheic Dermatitis?

You'll see results in 2-5 days if you wash your face daily.

What pH of the Zinc Therapy Bar Soap?

Our zinc bar soap consistently tests at a pH of 8.25. We quote a range of 9 to 9.5 pH, as testing methods can vary.

Is the oatmeal gluten free?

Yes, colloidal oatmeal (oats) is gluten-free.

Can this product be use on children?

Yes - it can be used on children under adult supervision.  Keep away from eyes. Zinc Pyrithione will irritate the eyes (flush eyes for several minutes if soap comes into contact).

Do the zinc soap bars lather?

This depends on the hardness of your tap water. The hardness of water is determined by the milligrams of calcium carbonateper litre and is reported it in parts-per-million or ppm. In general, water with less than 60ppm is soft. Water 60-120ppm is moderately hard.  Water with greater than 120ppm is hard.  The zinc bars lather good until 140ppm.

Can I use the soap in my ears?

Ears need to be washed regularly, so wash them with your zinc soap while you're sudsing up the rest of your face/body in the bath or shower. Try not to get water or soap deep into your ear canal. Most people actually never need to clean their ear canal. Ear canals are self-cleaning.

See our Pyrithione Zinc Bar Soaps: