But wait... there's more!

Can't read the fine print? Here's what the ad says:

Infectious Dandruff? Go after the germs with Listerine Antiseptic and Massage… Quick!

Those flakes and scales on coat shoulder — especially if they persist — may be symptoms of infectious dandruff and the millions of germs that go with it.

Don’t delay or experiment with untested methods. Get staffed at once with Listerine Antiseptic and massage twice-a-day and keep it up. This is the tested way that has helped so many… may help you.

Listerine treats the infection as an infection should be treated… with quick germ killing action.

Kills “Bottle Bacillus.” Listerine Antiseptic kills millions of germs associated with infectious dandruff, including the “Bottle Bacillus” (P. ovale). This is the stubborn invader that so many dermatologists call a causative agent of infectious dandruff.

Don’t expect results overnight. You must be persistent: use the treatment twice a day as long as necessary. You will be delighted to see how quickly flakes and scales begin to disappear . . . how itching is alleviated . . . how healthy your scalp feels.

Remember, in clinical tests twice-a-day use of Listerine brought marked improvement within a month to 76% of dandruff sufferers.

When You Wash Hair: To guard against infection, get in the habit of using Listerine Antiseptic every time you wash your hair. It’s a wise precaution against infectious dandruff as well as a grand treatment.

~Modern Mechanix, September 1953

And guess what!

They were right.

Most dandruff isn’t caused by dry scalp or poor hygiene but by Pityrosporum ovale, a yeast-like fungus that normally lives in harmony with the rest of the flora and fauna that inhabits our skin. Sometimes, though, the other microbes will die off, and P. ovale will take over in the same way that C. albicans will take over in cases of thrush mouth.

Listerine was at the time not just a mouthwash but an entire range of products, including a household antiseptic. Before antifungal medicines like miconazole and ketonazole were discovered, Listerine and other antiseptics such as Lysol and Dettol were the treatments of choice for any fungal or yeast infestation.

Nowadays if you have dandruff you can either use an antifungal cream or take an antifungal pill; dandruff shampoos, although popular, aren’t the treatment of choice. Often one pill is enough.

Interesting!! I've even heard that it will cure athlete's foot and also toenail fungus if you soak your feet in it. You have to do it every day for several weeks, but it's supposed to actually work. Now I know why.