Have you ever ever been tempted to forgo shampoo? I will be sincere: the no-shampoo adjustment interval, which is alleged to final weeks, has me completely petrified. Who can endure a 2-week-long dangerous hair day? If you happen to’re additionally not prepared for “no poo,” as some name it, there’s excellent news: a deep-cleansing DIY scalp scrub won’t solely go away your hair refreshed, however it can additionally really feel superb. Listed here are three recipes to strive.
Meet the Specialists
Penny James, IAT-certified trichologist and proprietor of Penny James Salon
Kerry Yates, a trichologist, hair stylist, and the founding father of Color Collective
Bridgette Hill, licensed trichologist
What’s a scalp scrub?
For individuals who do not know, a scalp scrub is considerably like a physique scrub. It is stuffed with exfoliating elements and is meant to cleanse the scalp by eradicating lifeless pores and skin and environmental buildup, explains stylist Penny James, IAT-certified trichologist and proprietor of Penny James Salon in New York Metropolis. “After a scalp scrub, your hair not solely feels more healthy, however it can look fuller too,” she says. “It’s particularly best for many who use loads of dry shampoo, as a scalp scrub is one of the simplest ways to take away the beauty buildup on the dermis and hold the hair follicles clear.”
Who wants a scalp scrub?
The common use of conditioners, gels, and hair spray also can make hair uninteresting and flat. So it is important to strip away this buildup in your scalp and follicles with out jeopardizing the well being of your hair. In case your hair seems to be limp and lifeless, and perhaps you are noticing a little bit extra grease than common, it is time to give your scalp some TLC with a deep cleaning scrub.
Top-of-the-line issues about scalp scrubs is that they are often used for all hair varieties—and so they’re particularly helpful for anybody who experiences a problem with dandruff, notes Kerry Yates, a trichologist, hair stylist, and the founding father of Color Collective. Nonetheless, she does emphasize that curly hair varieties might want to give their hair a further 5 minutes of rinsing time to make sure all scrub components are washed away. “Failure to completely rinse can once more result in product buildup and would defeat the aim of utilizing a scalp scrub,” she provides.
3 Simple & Cheap DIY Scalp Scrubs
A wholesome scalp additionally means wholesome hair in the long term—so it’s price tackling the problem to learn each your scalp and your hair. Listed here are three of the most typical scalp-related points, what they’re telling you, and how one can repair ’em.
Is your scalp oily?
When you have an oily scalp, you know the way irritating it may be on your hair to really feel squeaky clear one minute and soiled the subsequent. Hair will get oily as a result of the sebaceous glands in your scalp follicles produce extra sebum, which holds onto dust and weighs hair down, making it look soiled all too quickly.
Shampooing an excessive amount of or too little can throw off the steadiness of your scalp’s wholesome oil manufacturing.
A number of components can ship these follicles into overdrive, however the very first thing to strive is easy: shampoo much less usually.
It might sound counter-intuitive, however cleaning really strips your hair of oil, inflicting your scalp to reply by producing extra! So by shampooing much less, you may practice your hair over time and educate these little factories to provide much less oil.
1. Exfoliating Brown Sugar + Oatmeal Scrub
“For extremely irritated, tender, scaly scalps, oatmeal-based exfoliants can help with turning over the pores and skin cells whereas providing reparative properties to the tissues of the scalp,” says Hill. This specialised scrub combines brown sugar and oatmeal to softly exfoliate, present moisture, and improve circulation to the hair follicles. These elements exfoliate in a balanced manner with out including extra oil or drying out your scalp.
—2 tablespoons brown sugar
—1 tablespoon finely floor oatmeal
—2 tablespoons hair conditioner
Mix all the elements in a bowl. Shampoo your hair first to take away any styling merchandise. Then scoop a small quantity of this scrub into the palm of your hand. Work it into your scalp utilizing a round movement. Rinse your hair completely and shampoo, if desired.
Is your scalp dry?
Dryness is brought on by too little moisture within the pores and skin, which then causes your scalp to turn into irritated and the pores and skin to flake off. Whereas there are numerous components at play relating to dry scalp, it often occurs for fairly easy causes. Two of the most typical? Chilly, dry air, and harsh styling merchandise.
Up your hydration, and provides your scalp and strands a little bit break from styling at any time when you may. And similar to with an oily scalp, it’s necessary to not wash your hair too usually, otherwise you threat stripping away its pure oils.
2. Deep Cleaning Salt + Olive Oil Scalp Scrub
Salt and oil mix to stimulate hair development and take away any flaky stuff with out drying out the scalp. Olive oil makes a superb conditioning masks as its fatty acids coat the hair, offering moisture and safety in opposition to harm. Salt exfoliates the scalp, whereas the lemon juice dissolves any product residue.
If you do not have lemon juice readily available, you may substitute apple cider vinegar, which helps shut the cuticle and retain moisture—because of its acidic nature, notes Hill. Apple cider vinegar can be glorious for restoring shine, making it an excellent DIY scrub ingredient.
—2 tablespoons sea salt
—1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
—1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine salt, lemon juice, and oil collectively. Then moist your hair and therapeutic massage the scrub into your scalp. Let it sit for a number of minutes. Rinse it properly and comply with together with your common shampoo.
Is your scalp flaky?
Once we consider flakes, most frequently we’re imagining that ugly dandruff. In contrast to with a dry scalp, dandruff flakes are brought on by an excessive amount of oil. This extra oil encourages the overgrowth of a pure yeast on the scalp, inflicting pores and skin cells to construct up and your physique to reply with uncomfortable redness and itching [source].
Earlier than turning to a harsh, medicated shampoo, deal with your scalp. Begin by eliminating styling product buildup (which may very well be a reason for your flakes). Then comply with up by getting your scalp’s oil ranges again to regular (in case your scalp is tremendous oily).
3. Clarifying Shampoo + Baking Soda DIY Scalp Scrub
Baking soda-based DIY exfoliators and scrubs are perfect for nonproblematic symptom-free scalps, based on trichologist Bridgette Hill. She additionally recommends baking soda for eradicating product buildup, because it supplies antifungal properties. “It is vitally widespread for undetected fungal colonies to type in tightly coiled dense, thick hair that’s braided down or lined,” she says.
Add baking soda to your shampoo for a straightforward and cheap clarifying shampoo that lightly absorbs oil and removes product buildup. Use 1–2 instances a month to take care of your scalp’s pure pH degree.
Tea tree important oil is of course antifungal and antibacterial [source], so utilizing it in your hair helps get rid of the sources of flakes and dandruff, too. To dislodge current flakes, you may add a tablespoon or two of salt to your scrub.
Observe earlier than utilizing: This scrub is not really useful for color-treated hair because the baking soda can strip out hair shade.
—1 heaping tablespoon baking soda
—Huge squeeze of shampoo (roughly 1 tablespoon)
—Just a few drops of tea tree important oil
Mix all the elements and distribute the combination properly by way of your hair, specializing in the scalp and roots. Work the scrub into your hair, and luxuriate in a pleasant scalp therapeutic massage to take away the gathered product and lifeless pores and skin buildup. Rinse completely with heat water and, if wanted, shampoo hair a second time to eliminate any lingering baking soda.
End your scalp therapy with a moisturizing coconut oil, honey, or avocado hair masks or an apple cider vinegar rinse. This will help seal the cuticle, the hair’s outermost layer, leaving it easy and tremendous shiny.
Wish to spark new hair development? Strive a scalp therapeutic massage.
Useful Suggestions
- Use light, round motions. When massaging the scrub into your scalp, use your fingertips (not your nails) to softly rub in round motions. This improves circulation and ensures a radical exfoliation with out scratching or damaging your scalp.
- Concentrate on the scalp, not the hair. The aim of the scrub is to exfoliate the scalp, so think about massaging the roots. Don’t rub the scrub into your hair strands, as they don’t want exfoliation.
- Don’t overdo it. Over-exfoliating could cause irritation and strip away pure oils, resulting in dryness. Stick with utilizing a scalp scrub as soon as every week or each different week, relying in your scalp’s wants.
- Comply with with a shampoo. All the time shampoo after utilizing a scalp scrub to wash away any leftover scrub and oils. This additionally helps forestall clogged follicles and ensures your scalp is left feeling recent.
- Situation your hair after. Utilizing a scalp scrub can go away your hair feeling a bit dry, so comply with up with a conditioner or a scalp therapy to rehydrate and nourish your hair.
- Check for sensitivity. If you happen to’re utilizing a brand new scrub, check it on a small patch of your scalp first to make sure you don’t have a response, particularly if it incorporates important oils or sturdy exfoliants.
Scalp Scrub FAQs
The perfect scalp scrubs sometimes embrace a mixture of pure exfoliants, nourishing oils, and soothing components. For exfoliation, sugar or sea salt are best decisions as a result of they gently scrub away buildup with out being too harsh. So as to add moisture and nourishment, oils like coconut oil or jojoba oil work properly. And for soothing advantages, you may incorporate issues like aloe vera or important oils.
Sure, when performed appropriately, scalp scrubs will help create a more healthy surroundings for hair follicles, selling higher hair development and total scalp well being. They work by exfoliating the scalp, eradicating lifeless pores and skin cells, extra oil, product buildup, and dandruff, which in flip permits hair to develop stronger and extra resilient.
Whether or not you need to select sugar- or salt-based scrubs actually is determined by your scalp well being. Sugar dissolves simply in water, making it nice for delicate scalps. In the meantime, sea salt is simpler for shiny or dandruff-prone scalps as a consequence of its detoxifying properties.
All the time exfoliate your scalp when it’s moist or damp. Wetting the scalp softens the pores and skin and hair, making it simpler to use and therapeutic massage the scrub with out inflicting irritation. This additionally permits the scrub elements (like sugar or sea salt) to dissolve or glide extra simply, permitting for a gentler and simpler exfoliation.
Whereas it is a matter of private desire, I like to recommend at all times shampooing after a scalp scrub. Washing your hair and scalp helps eliminate any leftover elements and oils which will make hair really feel dirty or limp.
For most individuals, utilizing a scalp scrub as soon as every week or each different week is good for sustaining a clear, balanced scalp with out inflicting points. So long as it’s performed moderately and with light, nourishing elements, weekly scalp scrubs can considerably enhance the well being of your hair.
No, I like to recommend doing these scalp scrubs separately with a number of days relaxation time in between. When you can combine and match elements from the completely different scrubs, you may by no means know which scrub works finest on your specific hair sort for those who do them all of sudden or mix all of the elements into one scrub.
3 DIY Scalp Scrubs
Give your hair a detox with certainly one of 3 all-natural DIY scalp scrubs that take away product buildup and dry flakes.
Yield: 1
Price: $3
Supplies
Exfoliating Brown Sugar Scrub for Oily Scalp
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely floor oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons hair conditioner
Salt and Olive Oil Scrub for Dry Scalp
Shampoo and Baking Soda Scrub for Flaky Scalp
Directions
Exfoliating Brown Sugar Scrub for Oily Scalp
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Mix all the elements in a bowl. Shampoo your hair first to take away any styling merchandise, after which scoop a small quantity within the palm of your hand. Apply and work the scrub into your scalp, utilizing a round movement. Rinse hair completely.
Salt and Olive Oil Scrub for Dry Scalp
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Combine salt, lemon juice, and oil collectively . Then moist your hair and therapeutic massage the scrub into your scalp. Let it sit for a number of minutes. Then rinse properly and comply with with shampoo.
Shampoo and Baking Soda Scrub for Flaky Scalp
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Mix all the elements and apply the combination all through your hair, specializing in the scalp and roots. Give your self a few minutes to work the scrub into your hair, and luxuriate in a pleasant scalp therapeutic massage to take away the gathered product and lifeless pores and skin buildup. Rinse completely with heat water. Observe: this scrub is not really useful for color-treated hair because the baking soda can strip out hair shade.
Notes
If you happen to endure from effective or naturally greasy hair, it is best to scrub the oil out with shampoo earlier than hopping out of the bathe.
This put up was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with intensive expertise in medical, beauty, and surgical dermatology. Be taught extra about Howdy Glow’s medical reviewers right here. As at all times, this isn’t private medical recommendation, and we advocate that you just speak together with your physician.