I've always been prone to sensitive skin, a legacy from my father. I've searched for (and mainly found) products to alleviate this problem. Shaving was hell until I discovered a sensitive shaving oil. Washing my face left me with angry, sore skin and wasn't satisfactorily controlled until I started using a non-perfumed, non-coloured soap. But, what I hadn't previously considered was my hair, after all, there's skin under there too!

Until fairly recently I had had longish hair and didn't really see what was under it. That was until I decided to have a shorter than normal haircut. It was at this point I began to notice how red my scalp was. I realised then that it must be my nemesis again – sensitive skin.

I wasn't sure what to do. I had been suffering from dandruff ever since I was put on some tablets by the doctor. One of the side effects (amongst many) was dry skin which, in turn, led to those tell-tale flakes on the shoulders. I used some other anti-dandruff shampoos and found them to be fairly effective but more expensive than I was really willing to pay. So, I tried Head & Shoulders.

At that time there was only the one type of H & S, in a shampoo, conditioner or 2 in 1 formula. I used just the shampoo and found it just as efficient at preventing dandruff as any other brand.

Shortly after discovering my scarlet scalp, I saw the advertising, for amongst others, the 'sensitive scalp' version of H & S. It boasted that it was 'specifically designed to care for your sensitive scalp whilst fighting dandruff and leaving your hair looking and feeling beautiful'.

Its specific reasons for being a sensitive formulation was due to the fact that it was 'lightly scented' and 'dye free', both major contributors to sensitivity. It has a pH-balanced formula and is also dermatologically tested and proven with it's research backed by the British Skin Foundation. But, would this all be enough? Would my notoriously difficult skin be calmed by these reassurances?

Well, the short answer is yes, to some degree.

The anti-dandruff properties seem to be unaffected. Flakes are rare and usually only if I'm in a rush and haven't rinsed my hair quite as well as I should have done. It is a frequent use product, that still washes well and doesn't 'build up' like some shampoos. My hair is manageable, but only just as there is a slight tendency while using Head & Shoulders for hair to get 'fluffy', particularly for longer hair. I found this was true of the traditional version as well. I think the problem could probably be alleviated by using it in conjunction with the conditioner (also available in a sensitive version) but I haven't got around to testing this.

The redness? Yes, that's improved by about 80%. So, to a large extent, the product has lived up to its claim. Again, maybe this could be improved further by using the sensitive conditioner.

I think that to be a truly sensitive scalp shampoo it needs to become fragrance free. In the bewildering list of ingredients the perfume still comes in at 16th out of 33 indicating that there is still a fair bit of fragrance added. Would it be so terribly repulsive if it hadn't any added aroma? Maybe we'll find out one day.

Overall, this is a relatively good product which (almost) lives up to it's name. It is thick and creamy and lasts well. Fairly competitively priced at £1.85 for a 200ml bottle (also available in a 400ml bottle) it represents reasonable value for money. Worth noting is that there is quite a price variation depending on where you shop and can often be found on some kind of special offer.