I hadn’t either – until I noticed some peeling off from my left eye brow. I scraped it off and put on some ointment, but it kept coming back. I googled the phenomenon and found I wasn’t the only sufferer.
The condition in medicalese is called seborrheic dermatitis, and is the same thing as regular dandruff – just in a different location. It is thought to be due to having more oil glands in those skin parts, as well as a skin fungus called Malassezia (or Pityrosporum) that is growing out of control while feeding on the oil from the glands. (Don’t feel bad about having this fungus – everyone actually has it, but usually it is under control and out of sight.)
I’m not one to put all kinds of chemicals on my face, so I can’t say that I’ve tried all kinds of creams and lotions. But others say they did, and in many cases things got worse as a result (because the oils in the creams actually feeds the fungus).
Of course dandruff shampoo is being recommended for dandruffy eyebrows. I do hope you have found a shampoo that actually cures dandruff, because my son couldn’t so far.
I should also mention that alternatively eyebrow dandruff could be contact dermatitis brought on by a new face care product. In that case it would be best to get rid of the new product.
Magnesium oil
But to cut to the good news: After 10 years of flaky eyebrows I discovered magnesium oil, and my eyebrows have been beautiful ever since!
What is magnesium oil? Well, though it has an oily feel, it isn’t actually oil, but a 30{249cced840fdf7e7768cbaaa7c24de3a410ad330beb842934b571eecfacf7b94} solution of magnesium chloride suspended in water. And guess what?
Magnesium oil actually reduces oil production of the sebum, all the while keeping your skin hydrated! On top of that, magnesium happens to be a pretty strong antibacterial/antifungal mineral.
Just the thing we want for seborrheic dermatitis!
Magnesium oil usually comes in a spritz-bottle for easy application. You don’t want to get it into your eyes, as it will sting and require up to 15 minutes of washing out. So shade your eye with your hand, spritz on some magnesium oil on that eyebrow and massage it in. Let it work for 10-20 minutes. Don’t worry if you feel a slight tingling sensation, that is normal for magnesium oil on skin.
Suddenly more flakes than you knew were there will appear, ready to be washed away. Your skin might be red for a short time (where the flakes came off), but not to worry, it will soon be back to normal.
You may need to repeat this treatment a few times, until you are dandruff-free. Also do make it part of a bi-weekly regimen to maintain your freedom from dandruff.
Good bye, Malassezia!
PS: Please do make sure you get pure magnesium oil (without contaminants and pollutants).
Also, if you find the magnesium oil too strong (too much tingling), you can dilute it with water as much as you need to.
And yes, of course magnesium oil works the same for dandruff of the scalp. Feel free to experiment, you can’t really do anything wrong.
Sources (besides my own experience):
https://www.ancient-minerals.com/diy-with-topical-magnesium/
https://morganwlfc.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/malassezia-theory-the-oil-paradox-and-how-asthma-could-improve-our-understanding-of-seborrheic-dermatitis/
http://www.gestaltreality.com/2014/07/08/healing-skin-by-altering-its-ph-microbial-malassezia-profile/
https://www.healthline.com/health/eyebrow-dandruff#causes
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2012/03/mark-sircus/magnesium-oil/