Refresh Your Hair: 3 DIY Deep-Cleansing Scalp Scrubs to Try

Have you ever ever been tempted to forgo shampoo? I will be trustworthy: the no-shampoo adjustment interval, which is claimed to final weeks, has me completely petrified. Who can endure a 2-week-long dangerous hair day? Should you’re additionally not prepared for “no poo,” as some name it, there’s excellent news: a deep-cleansing DIY scalp scrub is not going to solely depart your hair refreshed, however it should additionally really feel superb. Listed below 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 useless 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 should look fuller too,” she says. “It’s particularly superb for individuals who use lots of dry shampoo, as a scalp scrub is one of the simplest ways to take away the beauty buildup on the dermis and maintain the hair follicles clear.”

Who wants a scalp scrub?

The common use of conditioners, gels, and hair spray also can make hair boring and flat. So it’s critical to strip away this buildup in your scalp and follicles with out jeopardizing the well being of your hair. In case your hair appears to be like limp and lifeless, and perhaps you are noticing slightly extra grease than typical, 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 sorts—they usually’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. Nevertheless, she does emphasize that curly hair sorts might want to give their hair a further 5 minutes of rinsing time to make sure all scrub components are washed away. “Failure to totally rinse can once more result in product buildup and would defeat the aim of utilizing a scalp scrub,” she provides.

3 Straightforward & Cheap DIY Scalp Scrubs

A wholesome scalp additionally means wholesome hair in the long term—so it’s price tackling the difficulty to profit each your scalp and your hair. Listed below are three of the commonest scalp-related points, what they’re telling you, and how one can repair ’em.

Is your scalp oily?

When you’ve got 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 filth and weighs hair down, making it look soiled all too quickly.

Shampooing an excessive amount of or too little can throw off the stability of your scalp’s wholesome oil manufacturing.

A number of elements can ship these follicles into overdrive, however the very first thing to strive is straightforward: shampoo much less usually.

It could sound counter-intuitive, however cleaning truly strips your hair of oil, inflicting your scalp to reply by producing extra! So by shampooing much less, you may prepare your hair over time and train these little factories to supply 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 method 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 totally and shampoo, if desired.

Is your scalp dry?

Dryness is attributable to too little moisture within the pores and skin, which then causes your scalp to develop into irritated and the pores and skin to flake off. Whereas there are various elements at play in relation to dry scalp, it normally occurs for fairly easy causes. Two of the commonest? Chilly, dry air, and harsh styling merchandise.

Up your hydration, and provides your scalp and strands slightly break from styling each time you may. And identical to with an oily scalp, it’s essential 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 progress and take away any flaky stuff with out drying out the scalp. Olive oil makes a wonderful 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 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 wonderful 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 nicely and comply with together with your typical shampoo.

Is your scalp flaky?

Once we consider flakes, most frequently we’re imagining that unpleasant dandruff. In contrast to with a dry scalp, dandruff flakes are attributable to 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 might 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, in line with trichologist Bridgette Hill. She additionally recommends baking soda for eradicating product buildup, because it offers antifungal properties. “It is extremely frequent for undetected fungal colonies to kind in tightly coiled dense, thick hair that’s braided down or coated,” she says. 

Add baking soda to your shampoo for a simple and cheap clarifying shampoo that lightly absorbs oil and removes product buildup. Use 1–2 occasions a month to take care of your scalp’s pure pH stage.

Tea tree important oil is of course antifungal and antibacterial [source], so utilizing it in your hair helps eradicate the sources of flakes and dandruff, too. To dislodge current flakes, you may add a tablespoon or two of salt to your scrub.

Word earlier than utilizing: This scrub is not really useful for color-treated hair because the baking soda can strip out hair colour.

—1 heaping tablespoon baking soda
—Massive squeeze of shampoo (roughly 1 tablespoon)
—A number of drops of tea tree important oil

Mix all the elements and distribute the combination nicely by means of your hair, specializing in the scalp and roots. Work the scrub into your hair, and revel in a pleasant scalp therapeutic massage to take away the accrued product and useless pores and skin buildup. Rinse totally 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 may also help seal the cuticle, the hair’s outermost layer, leaving it clean and tremendous shiny.

Wish to spark new hair progress? Strive a scalp therapeutic massage.

Useful Ideas

• Use mild, 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.
• Deal with 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. Keep on with utilizing a scalp scrub as soon as per week or each different week, relying in your scalp’s wants.
• Comply with with a shampoo. At all times shampoo after utilizing a scalp scrub to wash away any leftover scrub and oils. This additionally helps stop clogged follicles and ensures your scalp is left feeling contemporary.
• Situation your hair after. Utilizing a scalp scrub can depart 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. Should you’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 accommodates important oils or robust exfoliants.

Scalp Scrub FAQs

This submit was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with intensive expertise in medical, beauty, and surgical dermatology. Study extra about Hiya Glow’s medical reviewers right here. As at all times, this isn’t private medical recommendation, and we suggest that you just speak together with your physician.