Scalp Health & Anti-Dandruff Patents: Leaders and White Space 2026
- 46.8% of all 1,157 records sit with the five leading assignees, a concentration that makes freedom-to-operate checks non-optional before filing near zinc pyrithione or antifungal actives.
- Filings fell 28% from 2021 to 2024 (46 to 33), the last span the data treats as complete once publication lag is accounted for.
- A61Q cosmetics-use claims sit under 745 of the records (64.4%) while therapeutic-activity claims under A61P cover only 16.3% — most protection here is cosmetic, not medicinal.
Filing growth compares 2021 (46 records) with 2024 (33) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 1,157 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
This landscape tracks patent families addressing scalp health and anti-dandruff formulation: zinc pyrithione and antifungal actives, flake reduction, scalp irritation and deposition control, and the newer thread of scalp microbiome work. It spans publications from 2015 through the 2026 data cut-off, drawing on 1,157 records held across 100 ranked assignees.
Filing is concentrated in cosmetic-use claims rather than pharmaceutical ones, and a handful of established personal-care and ingredient suppliers hold a disproportionate share of the field. The sections below separate that established core from the newer, less-crowded branches.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 1,157 records: how filing activity has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claim weight.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Filings peaked at 90 in 2017 and moved to 7 by 2026, though the last two years are still filling in given typical publication lag. Over the most recent complete span, 2021 to 2024, filings fell from 46 to 33 — a 28% decline that should be read as a plateau in a mature filing area rather than a collapse in interest.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
A61K (medicinal preparations) appears on 88.0% of records and A61Q (cosmetics use) on 64.4%, confirming that most activity is formulation-level rather than drug-development claims. Smaller subclasses — C07K peptides at 7.3%, A01N biocides at 5.4%, and the polymer classes C08F and C08G each near 3% — mark where delivery-system and biocide-adjacent claims sit, well below the two dominant classes.
Shares are the percentage of the 1,157 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Scalp Health and Anti-Dandruff with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about scalp health and anti-dandruff and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaMost-cited records and a recent filing
WO2026136768A1 — Formulations for improving scalp microbiome
An accord composition for improving the scalp microbiome is provided. Such accord compositions comprise hinokitiol and at least one synergistic compound. Consumer products and methods of use for the consumer products are also provided.Filed by Takasago International Corporation and published 2026-06-25, this is one of the most recent records in scope and sits squarely in the microbiome-modulation thread rather than the older antifungal-active tradition.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20040132667A1 | Compositions containing mixtures of tetrapeptides and tripeptides | 244 |
| 2 | US20040120918A1 | Cosmetic or dermopharmaceutical compositions of ceramides and polypeptides | 193 |
| 3 | US20060057075A1 | Pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical wash-off mousse shampoo compositions, processes for preparing the same and u… | 152 |
| 4 | US20090017147A1 | Cosmetic or Dermopharmaceutical Composition Comprising an Euglena Extract | 149 |
| 5 | WO2007077541A2 | Cosmetic composition comprising glaucine and its use | 146 |
| 6 | US6974799B2 | Compositions containing mixtures of tetrapeptides and tripeptides | 135 |
| 7 | US20060067905A1 | Formulations and method for treating baldness | 106 |
| 8 | WO2004006876A1 | Hair and/or scalp treatment composition | 105 |
| 9 | WO2005048968A1 | Compositions containing mixtures of tetrapeptides and tripeptides | 91 |
| 10 | US20080167376A1 | Methods and products which utilize N-acyl-L-aspartic acid | 89 |
Citation counts reward older filings simply by virtue of being searchable longer; treat this table as a map of influential prior art, not of current commercial importance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for filing strategy
Three figures from the dataset that change how a filing or freedom-to-operate decision should be framed.
The top of the field is dense
Five assignees hold nearly half of all records in scope, and the top ten combined reach 66.8%. Anyone filing near zinc pyrithione formulation, flake-reduction claims or wash-off delivery systems is filing into territory the leaders have already mapped closely.
A plateau, not a decline
Filing activity dropped from 46 to 33 records over the last span the data treats as complete. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, 2025 and 2026 figures will rise as filings catch up in the record — the field has not gone quiet.
Cosmetic framing dominates
Medicinal-preparation claims (A61K) sit on the large majority of records, while therapeutic-activity claims (A61P) cover a much smaller minority. Most protection in this space is built around cosmetic formulation and use, not pharmaceutical mechanism of action.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to scalp health and anti-dandruff, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the field, and what is still loosely claimed
The ranked leaders concentrate on established cosmetic-ingredient and formulation claims. Beneath them, several specific branches carry far fewer filings.
A single leader well ahead of the field
The top-ranked assignee holds 172 records, more than double the fifth-place holder at 81, indicating a long-running, deliberate filing programme rather than opportunistic patenting.
A steep drop after the top ten
Filing counts fall from 81 at fifth place to 38 at tenth, and the top ten together hold 66.8% of all records — the remaining 90 ranked assignees split roughly a third of the field between them.
Filing is mostly solo, with a few tight pairs
The strongest co-assignee pairing appears 63 times, well ahead of the next pairs at 20 and 19 occurrences, suggesting long-standing internal group filing structures rather than external joint ventures.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Sederma SA | 0 | -100% |
| Unilever NV | 0 | — |
| Clariant International Ltd | 0 | -100% |
| Unilever PLC | 0 | — |
| DSM IP Assets B.V. | 0 | — |
| Symrise GmbH & Co. KG | 0 | — |
| CONOPCO INC | 0 | -100% |
| Unilever Global IP Ltd | 0 | -100% |
Where to take this next
The dataset points to a mature, concentrated core and a thinner set of adjacent branches. Two practical next steps follow from that split.
Run a freedom-to-operate check on the core claims
Before drafting near zinc pyrithione formulation, wash-off delivery or ceramide/peptide compositions, map the ranked leaders' families directly against your intended claim language.
Explore assignee claim maps in Eureka →Scope the microbiome and biocide-adjacent branches
Filing density is far lower in scalp-microbiome modulation and non-pyrithione antifungal delivery than in the established core, leaving room for narrower, defensible first claims.
Search white space with Eureka →Common questions about this landscape
The dataset ranks 100 assignees, with the top-ranked holder at 172 records and the fifth-ranked at 81 — together the top five account for 46.8% of all 1,157 records in scope. This is a concentrated field: the top ten combined reach 66.8% of records, leaving the remaining ninety ranked assignees to share the rest. Most of the leading holders are established personal-care or specialty-ingredient suppliers with long-running filing programmes rather than recent entrants.
Filing peaked at 90 records in 2017 and has since settled lower, with the most recent complete span — 2021 to 2024 — showing a decline from 46 to 33 records, a 28% drop. However, publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete and should not be read as evidence of a continued fall. The honest read is a plateau in a mature filing area, not a shrinking one.
Overwhelmingly cosmetic in framing: 88.0% of the 1,157 records carry A61K (medicinal preparations) classification and 64.4% carry A61Q (cosmetics use), while only 16.3% carry A61P (therapeutic activity of compounds). That gap indicates most protected inventions are formulation and use claims aimed at cosmetic outcomes like flake reduction and scalp comfort, rather than claims built around a specific therapeutic mechanism. A record can carry more than one of these classes, which is why the shares add to more than 100%.
WO2026136768A1, filed by Takasago International Corporation and published in mid-2026, claims an accord composition for improving the scalp microbiome built around hinokitiol combined with at least one synergistic compound, plus related consumer products and methods of use. It sits in the newer microbiome-modulation thread rather than the older zinc-pyrithione or ceramide/peptide tradition that dominates citation counts in this field. Anyone working with hinokitiol-based scalp microbiome actives should review its claim scope directly rather than assume it only covers a narrow formulation.
The technology composition data shows peptide claims (C07K, 7.3% of records), biocide/agrochemical claims (A01N, 5.4%) and the two polymer classes (C08F and C08G, each under 3%) are far less crowded than the dominant A61K and A61Q classes. Scalp microbiome modulation, non-pyrithione antifungal delivery systems, and biocide-polymer conjugates for flake reduction are specific branches with comparatively few filings relative to the established core. These are reasonable areas to scope a first claim, though any filing there should still be checked against the leading assignees' broader portfolios.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.