Truth be told, online shopping never appealed to me as someone who prefers buying things in person. I like the experience of tangibly scrutinizing and choosing a product instead of simply looking at its pictures behind a screen. Returning defective items is also a simple process for physically purchased items. Simply show the receipt and the defective article, and wait for a more suitable item.
But let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater, as online shopping has its perks. For one, there’s convenience. You can shop and pay for things without standing up to visit a physical store. There’s also reach – as items formerly unavailable to a certain market become easier to buy. And of course, online shopping doesn’t expose you to COVID-19.
Last December, our company gave us online shopping credits worth P650 ($13) as a Christmas token. The amount would be credited directly to the ShopeePay digital wallet developed by Singaporean e-commerce firm Shopee. Not wanting the money to go to waste, I registered and confirmed my account on the platform.
For my initial foray into online shopping, I opted to order toiletries that I seldom find whenever I go out. I managed to purchase two bottles of tar shampoo and tea tree oil soap, and I’ll be writing about my experience using these products. The first part of this series will talk about the shampoo.
I’ve had dandruff breakouts for several years now, and common shampoos on the market failed to address them. I alternated between Selsun Blue and SebaMed after dropping Clear and Head & Shoulders. Unfortunately, I learned that Watson’s – under the SM Group – would no longer re-stock the German SebaMed once existing stocks are cleared.
Selsun Blue was a familiar brand to me, being a 90s kid myself. I remember seeing a commercial for it when I was younger – and back when Abbott Laboratories still manufactured it. Today, Japanese company Rohto Pharmaceuticals owns the brand under the Mentholatum label.
I consulted with a dermatologist years ago who told me that my dandruff breakouts were actually a form of seborrheic dermatitis. She prescribed either the medicated Ionil shampoo with salicylic acid or its coal tar counterpart Ionil T. Dad used a proprietary tar shampoo before, so I never had doubts about it. But the problem was that the prescribed shampoo and its proprietary alternatives from other dermatologists were equally expensive, especially for a student like me that time.
I didn’t pass up the chance to purchase the Redwin Coal Tar Fragrance Shampoo the moment I saw it on Shopee. I bought two bottles at P285 ($5.58) each, amounting to a total of P570 ($11.17). I immediately tried it out days after I received it and, much to my delight, I saw an immediate benefit.
I no longer experienced an itchy scalp in the course of my use of this tar shampoo. The dandruff flakes that my scalp would typically produce dropped to almost none, with intense combing removing what remains. It even went to the point that my dandruff broke out after I used Selsun Blue again. (Thankfully, I finished the last bottle of Selsun Blue during that instance.)
The seller who is based in Binondo, Manila – where the world’s oldest Chinatown is located – managed to ship this fast. While the shampoo spilled slightly, the spillage did not reduce a substantial amount of the bottle. If this runs out, I’m surely buying from them again.
(Surprise, surprise! Both Selsun Blue and SebaMed are available on Shopee, but I guess I’ll stick with this one for now.)
I’m wrapping up this post here; Part 2 will focus on on the soap I purchased. How about you? What shampoos do you use to address dandruff breakouts?
Until the next post, keep it here on The Monching’s Guide!
(AUTHOR’S NOTE: The featured image for this post came from RODNAE Productions on the free stock image site Pexels.)
The Monching's Guide 
That was interesting Monch. I have used coal tar shampoos for years to control psoriasis of the scalp. Often it is Ionil T, but as you say, it is very expensive, so sometimes I have also used the Redwin product. Good luck! Oh, and by the way, when I had a job and went on annual leave, my psoriasis would clear up. Return to work, and it would return. Reason? WORK STRESS 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Gwen! Interestingly, I was expecting a comment from you — given that this one comes from the Land Down Under.
If I may ask though, how do you use the Redwin shampoo? I oftentimes use sufficient shampoo to lather the hair and leave it for around five minutes or more, then rinse. (I distinctly remember the dermatologist telling me to measure a capful of Ionil and dilute it in water, then use as directed.)
I’ve actually observed that too — I often have dandruff breakouts whenever there’s a stressful work day in the office. 😦
I’ve never diluted, except that my hair is already drenched from the shower. A capful is enough. But the first shampoo does not generate much lather. I usually give it a second shampoo and leave that in for ‘a while’ and meantime wash myself. It leaves the hair feeling like wire, so I am usually generous with a final conditioner – whatever I have on hand. I got a bundle deal on Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo/conditioner, but it’s not a brand I’d rush to buy. Generally I find their products soapy. All the same, you could try it and see what you think.
I never use any coal tar shampoo exclusively. Usually every second or third wash depending on how in need I am, and since retiring, I don’t seem to need it as much. Or I am just getting older?
With psoriasis, after shampooing, there can be red marks on the hairline and behind the ears, as if the top skin layer has been scoured, but that subsides the next day.
Hope that all helps. You certainly have a fabulous head of hair.
I see. Thank you very much for the tips!
Thank you likewise for the compliment! But with the dry season here in the Philippines and hotter temperatures — a much-needed haircut is due. ☀️
I know it maybe sound crazy but have you ever checked the shampoos you used before for ingredients like Dimethicone or other silicons and SLS (sodium laureth sulfate)?
Those two ingredients can ruin your scalp! The SLS dries everything out because it is too aggressive and the silicons aren’t washed off and build up. That can cause quite a lot of problems, but many aren’t aware of where those problems come from.
A friend from the Philippines suffered from dandruff, too, and when he visited us and used our shampoos (which are all absolutely silicone, SLS and PEG free), the dandruff was gone after 2 days.
We had switched to only buying shampoos without silicones a long time ago because we had had troubles with our scalps too. But those are all long time gone.
Oh, I may have overlooked those. That’s why I dropped Head & Shoulders and Clear — which I used early on. I did try out a local shampoo brand here in the Philippines (Human Heart Nature) as its shampoos don’t have those, and the shampoos use plant-based ingredients.
Thank you for the info! 😊
You’re most welcome 🙏
Ya in fact, the Head & Shoulders guys are among the worst. They use ingredients in their shampoos against dandruff, that are actually often causing the dandruff in the first place. 😣
By the way, I forgot: the brand we often use is named Mustika Ratu. But I’m not sure if all of their shampoos are without the “bad ingredients”. I just looked the brand up and it seems they are available in the Philippines, too. 😊👍
Awesome! Thank you again; I’ll go check that out here 😁
My pleasure 🙏😊
As a general rule, I now combine online shopping with You Tube videos to get more of “how to use “ perspective on various products. Various items that contain aloe seem to be good.
I like using shampoos that are Paraben and sulfate free. I find that these types of shampoos are less likely to make my hair oil ❤️
Indeed! Those chemicals often found in commercial shampoos are responsible for “bad hair days” most of the time, as they are often too strong for both the hair and scalp.
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
No problem! 👍
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