Natural Remedies For Dandruff and Dry Scalp

6/2/2018

So another fun thing that happened when my hair started thinning from insomnia/stress/medication is that my scalp got pretty flaky. Like, I would stand over the sink and scratch the crap out of my scalp watching the dead skin snowflake all over my sink.
It's kind of annoying, but thankfully there are a few ways you can try to take care of those flakes with natural remedies.
It's important to note that dry flaky scalp and dandruff are different. so it might help to know which you've got. Dry scalp is what it sounds like - itchy, dry skin. Dandruff is actually from your scalp overproducing oil, and you get waxy, oily flakes.

Dandruff can be caused by a bunch of things like seborrheic dermatitis or a reaction to yeast naturally living on your scalp, and then other things like eczema, diet, medications, stress, and even heavy hair products with ingredients like silicone can make it worse.
Scientists aren't quite sure why some people have dandruff and others don't. It might be as simple as a sensitivity to a natural fungus on your scalp, which means anti-fungal things could be (and usually are) really helpful!

Natural remedies that can help with dry scalp and dandruff (check out my new Rosemary Hair and Scalp Spray below!):

Honey - raw, diluted honey (90 honey /10 water) has proven in studies to relieve dandruff and dermatitis. Honey naturally helps hair hold moisture so you aren't overproducing oil, plus it's really high in hair-healthy vitamins. Supposedly it can help with thinning hair too! Try a diluted honey mask on your scalp for a few hours (give it a good massage when you apply) a few times a week for treatment and keep it up if you get good results after a week or so! You can rinse out with warm water, or try a mix of 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts water....which leads me to my next remedy...

Apple cider vinegar - Apple cider vinegar can affect the pH of your scalp, plus has natural probiotics, making it harder for bad bacteria and yeast to thrive. It might also help unclog hair follicles for healthy hair and better regrowth. Try finishing your shower with an apple cider vinegar rinse (same ratio as above), and it can help make your hair shinier and healthier looking too.

Essential Oils (apply these directly to scalp if that does not cause you irritation, dilute in a carrier oil, or add to water to make a toner. Just a few drops per application is fine, or if you're adding to water, try about 5-18 drops of oil per ounce of water depending on your desired strength. You can always dilute further if it's a little too strong!)

Tea Tree Oil -- Tea tree essential oil is astringent, and can help unclog pores and reduce itching. Tea tree has anti-fungal properties also, so might be really helpful for reducing dandruff or irritation caused by natural fungus living on skin. Rub a few drops on your scalp (dilute in a carrier oil to prevent irritation), or make an essential oil spray with water, 5-20 drop of essential oil per ounce of water depending on your sensitivity to oils and how concentrated YOU want it! I like this method more than oil dilution because it's so quick and easy to just spray it right on your scalp whenever. Check out my Rosemary Spray for that convenience!

Rosemary - Rosemary is widely praised and used for its ability to help hair grow faster and stronger, and it can reduce or prevent hair loss. It stimulates circulation in the scalp which boosts nutrients to hair follicles, and can increase and improve hair growth. It is said to help hair grow back shinier too. Rosemary has properties to keep the hair follicle clean, which helps hair grow back healthier, and can also reduce scalp flakes or dandruff. Rosemary can also be calming for irritated scalp too and may possibly prevent gray hair. It's naturally high in protective and restorative antioxidants.

Thyme - Thyme encourages circulation, plus helps transport nutrients to hair follicles, both of which support hair growth. One study showed that thyme oil showed a 44% increase in hair growth over in just 7 months. It is also said to be good for treating dandruff because of natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Cedarwood - Cedarwood may promote hair growth and slow down hair loss, plus it has stimulating properties which means it can improve circulation in the scalp, leading the healthier hair. It might even be useful for thinning hair and alopecia. Alopecia is a condition where the body thinks hair follicles are foreign objects and it rejects them, not allowing them to grow.

Use these essential oils in combination with each other, or other ingredients, to promote a healthy, flake-free scalp and thicker, stronger, faster growing hair naturally.

(just a note, using undiluted essential oils while you are pregnant is not recommended)

I made my new Rosemary Hair and Scalp Nourishing Spray to help with hair loss, dandruff, and to help hair grow faster and stronger. It's made only with pure and natural ingredients to boost hair and scalp health - lots of rosemary and rose waters, plus thyme, cedarwood, tea tree, and more rosemary essential oils.