| Description | Selenium sulfide is a selenium salt that exists as a yellow-orange to bright-orange tablet or powder at room temperature. It is insoluble in water or ether and soluble in carbon disulphide. It is incompatible with acids, metals, strong oxidising agents, chromium trioxide, potassium bromate, silver oxide, and ammonia. Selenium sulfide is used as an active ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos and as a constituent of fungicides.
Selenium sulfide is an anti-fungal agent as well as a cytostatic agent, slowing the growth of hyperproliferative cells in seborrhoea. Selenium sulfide is the active ingredient often used in shampoos for the treatment of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and tinea capitis, a fungal infection that is primarily a disease of preadolescent children. Selenium sulfide is highly active in inhibiting the growth of P. ovale. It is also a proven cytostatic agent, slowing the growth of both hyperproliferative and normal cells in dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. A 0.6% micronised form of Selenium sulfide is also safe and effective for dandruff. Selenium sulfide is not present in foods and is a very different chemical from the organic and inorganic selenium compounds found in foods and in the environment.
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| Chemical Properties | Bright-orange powder.Practically insoluble in water and organic
solvents.
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| Chemical Properties | There are various selenium sulfides: Selenium monosulfide, SeS, is orange-yellow powder or tablets, |
| Uses | Selenium sulfide (SeS2) is used for some medicines, as an additive for medicated shampoos
to control dandruff and scalp itching, and in treatment products for acne and eczema. |
| Uses | For treatment of tinea versicolor, tinea capitis, dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. |
| General Description | Orange-yellow tablets or powder. Has a faint odor. |
| Air & Water Reactions | Insoluble in water. |
| Reactivity Profile | Ignition takes place when Selenium sulfide is ground with silver oxide. . Inorganic sulfides, such as Selenium sulfide, are generally basic and therefore incompatible with acids. Many of these compounds are reducing agents and therefore react vigorously with oxidizing agents, including inorganic oxoacids, organic peroxides and epoxides. Simple salts of sulfides (such as sodium, potassium, and ammonium sulfide) react vigorously with acids to release hydrogen sulfide gas. |
| Hazard | Toxic by ingestion, strong irritant to eyes
and skin. Questionable carcinogen.
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| Fire Hazard | Flash point data for Selenium sulfide are not available; however, Selenium sulfide is probably combustible. |
| Clinical Use | Selenium sulfide is a cytostatic and sporicidal agent
available without prescription in a variety of shampoos
and lotions for treatment of scalp seborrheic dermatitis. |
| Safety Profile | Confirmed carcinogen with experimental carcinogenic data. Poison by ingestion. Mutation data reported. When heated to decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of SO, and Se. See also SELENIUM COMPOUNDS and SULFIDES. |
| Potential Exposure | Selenium sulfide is used for the treatment of seborrhea, especially in shampoos. The chemical is available over the counter as Selsun, a stabilized buffered suspension. FDA reports that selenium sulfide is an active ingredient in some drug products used for the treatment of dandruff and certain types of dermatitis. A dandruff shampoo containing 1% selenium sulfide is available without a prescription and is recommended for use once or twice a week. By prescription, selenium sulfide is available in a 2.5% shampoo or lotion, with the recommended application limited to 10 minutes for 7 days to avoid the possibility of acute toxic effects. Selenium sulfide is also used topically in veterinary medicine for eczemas and dermatomycoses. |
| Veterinary Drugs and Treatments | Selenium sulfide may be useful in seborrheic disorders (mainly for seborrhea oleosa) and for adjunctive treatment of Malassezia dermatitis,
particularly in dogs exhibiting signs of waxy, greasy or scaly (seborrheic) dermatitis. There may be some residual activity on the skin.
Selenium sulfide possesses antifungal (including sporicidal activity), keratolytic, keratoplastic and degreasing properties. It affects
cells of the epidermis and follicular epithelium (alters the epidermal turnover) and interferes with hydrogen bond formation of keratin
thereby reducing corneocyte production. Selenium sulfide’s antifungal mechanism of action is not well understood. |
| Carcinogenicity | Selenium sulfide is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals. |
| Shipping | UN2657 Selenium disulfide, Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials. |
| Incompatibilities | Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids, oxoacids, epoxides. Violent reaction with silver oxide. |
