Are you bothered about dry and itchy scalp? An itchy feeling can irritate one and also embarrass a person. The dry scalp causes it.
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What Causes Dry Scalp?
Dry scalp is due to dormant and/or underactive oil glands in one’s scalp, which is not able to produce the required amount of natural oil in one’s skin. Some of the common causes for this are:
• Long-term use of harsh shampoos that contain lots of chemicals
• Fungal infection
• Too much of exposure to hard water
• Lack of nutrients in one’s body due to improper diet
• Exposure to extreme weather conditions
• Excess usage of styling products
• Neglect of hair care, including unhealthy beauty habits, lack
• Oiling and conditioning treatments
Initially, one has to start treating one’s dry scalp to deal with dry scalp problem. Then one needs to make few required modifications to one’s hair care routine.
Top Home Remedies for Dry Scalp
1. Tea Tree Shampoo for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• Tea tree oil
• Shampoo
What One Has To Do?
1. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to one’s regular shampoo and shake the bottle well.
2. Use this as one would normally rinse one’s hair.
How Often Should One Do This?
Rinse one’s hair with this essential oil-infused shampoo about twice a week.
Why This Works?
When the dryness is on account of fungal infection, tea tree oil remedy works best as this essential oil is indeed a potent antifungal agent. It also unclogs the pores as well as helps to regulate the natural oil production.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Cotton ball
What One Has To Do
1. With the help of a cotton ball, one needs to apply the vinegar on one’s scalp.
2. Massage one’s scalp with one’s fingers for 2-3 minutes.
3. Let the vinegar be on for about 10 minutes and then do rinse it off with cool water.
How Often Should One Do This?
Repeat this only twice a week.
Why This Works?
Being an astringent, ACV does cleanse the scalp of harmful microbes and also helps in balancing the skin’s pH, which helps in rekindling the normal functioning of the oil glands and does provide relief to one’s dry scalp.
In case one has sensitive skin, it is better to dilute the ACV with an equal volume of water before rather applying. One can add some honey to the mixture instead of diluting the vinegar.
3. Oil for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• Coconut oil or even olive oil or rather baby oil or perhaps argan oil or castor oil and even Moroccan oil
• Few drops of tea tree oil (optional)
What You Have To Do?
1. Take an oil of one’s choice in a bowl and then warm it up slightly.
2. Add the essential oil and then mix well.
3. Apply this on one’s scalp and massage for 5-7 minutes.
4. Keep the oil for at least an hour before washing one’s hair. It is best if one keeps the oil on overnight.
How Often One Needs to Do This?
Repeat this oil treatment twice a week.
Why This Works
Hot oil treatments for dry scalp do wonders. Most of these oils are available at home and hydrate as well as relieve the flaky, dry scalp. Oil application has a moisturizing effect and also helps in retaining the existing moisture present in one’s scalp. Since the scalp is not able to produce sufficient oil, external application of oil can indeed nourish the scalp and also relieve the dryness
(a) Lemon Juice for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
Half a lemon
What You Have To Do?
1. While applying some pressure (in order to release the lemon juice), gently scrub the lemon piece on one’s scalp by taking out thin sections.
2. Leave it on for about five minutes.
3. Rinse and then condition one’s hair as usual.
How Often Should One Do This?
Do this up to two times a week.
Why This Works?
Lemon juice does work as an astringent and also regulates the scalp’s pH. It also gets rid of any dandruff-related fungal infection.
(b) Apple Juice for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
Juice from 1-2 apples
What One Has To Do?
1. Extract fresh juice from the apples and then rinse one’s hair with it.
2. Leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off with plain water.
How Often Should You Do This?
Repeat this 1-2 times a week.
Why This Works?
Apple juice does contain mild acids that do exfoliate the scalp to remove all the dead, dry, and flaky skin. It also does restore the scalp’s pH, thus ensuring the balance of low oil production.
(c) Onion Juice for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 1/4 cup onion juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Cotton
What One Has To Do?
1. Grate an onion and also extract the juice.
2. To this, add the honey and mix well.
3. Apply this on one’s scalp using some cotton and then allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes.
4. Wash the hair with regular shampoo.
How Often Should One Do This?
Apply the onion juice on one’s scalp twice a week initially. Once the dry scalp condition has improved, one can continue using onion juice for one’s scalp once every fortnight for healthy hair growth.
Why This Works?
The high sulfur content of the onion does help one get rid of dryness caused by dandruff. The flaky scalp will not be the problem. Onion also promotes healthy hair growth.
(d) Aloe Vera Juice for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• An aloe leaf
• Water
What You Have To Do?
1. Extract fresh aloe vera gel from the inside portion of the leaf.
2. Add some water to this extract and mix well with a juice.
3. Apply this juice on one’s scalp and hair. Massage one’s scalp for a few minutes.
4. Leave the aloe vera on for 20 minutes and then rinse one’s hair as usual.
How Often Should One Do This?
Repeat this twice a week.
Why This Works?
Aloe vera is indeed soothing for the dry as well as itchy scalp. It nourishes the skin on one’s scalp with amino acids, vitamins, sugars, and fatty acids. It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties as well.
5. Yogurt and Egg for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons unflavored yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
What One Has To Do?
1. Beat the egg along with the yogurt to get a smooth paste.
2. Add the honey and then mix well.
3. Apply this mask on one’s scalp as well as hair.
4. Let it sit for about half an hour and then wash it off with one’s regular shampoo.
How Often Should One Do This?
Do it once a week to reap the best benefits.
Why This Works?
Yogurt cleanses and does exfoliate the scalp to remove all the dead as well as dry skin. It also unclogs the pores and does aid in restoring the normal functioning of the oil glands. Egg, on the other hand, nourishes the scalp and also conditions one’s hair with its fat and protein content.
6. Listerine for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 1/2 cup Listerine
• 1/2 cup water
What One Has To Do?
1. Wash one’s hair clean and towel dry it.
2. Now, apply a diluted solution of Listerine (with water) to one’s scalp.
3. Massage one’s scalp with one’s fingertip and then keep the Listerine on for say about 5 minutes.
4. Rinse one’s hair thoroughly with clean water.
How Often Should You Do This?
Repeat this once every week.
Why This Works?
Listerine is a strong antiseptic cum antimicrobial agent. All the harmful microbes that cause dry and flaky skin are got rid of. It reduces itching.
7. Mayonnaise for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Shower cap
What One Has to Do?
1. Apply mayonnaise on one’s scalp and cover one’s head with a shower cap for 15-20 minutes.
2. Rinse one’s hair with warm water to remove the mayonnaise.
3. Follow this up with one’s regular shampoo rinse.
How Often Should You Do This?
Applying mayonnaise once a week for a few weeks will relieve the dry scalp problem.
Why This Works?
Mayonnaise is filled with oils and fats that do condition the scalp and the hair. All the dryness can be effectively treated with this ‘rich’ remedy.
8. Using Baking Soda for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 3-4 tablespoons baking soda
• Rosewater
What One Has To Do?
1. Make a paste of baking soda as well as rose water.
2. Apply on one’s scalp and also gently massage for 2-3 minutes.
3. Rinse with cool water.
How Often Should One Do This?
Do this twice a week.
Why This Works?
Apart from being an antiseptic as well as an antibacterial agent, baking soda also does happen to be a basic compound which does restore the pH balance of one’s scalp. It exfoliates well.This will not only cause healthy natural oil production but will also improve one’s hair growth.
9. Vitamin E for Dry Scalp
You Will Need
5-10 vitamin E capsules
What You Have To Do?
1. Carefully prick the capsules and then empty the oil present inside into a bowl.
2. Apply this on one’s scalp and massage well for 5-10 minutes.
3. Leave the oil for an hour and then wash one’s hair as usual.
How Often Should You Do This?
Massage one’s scalp with vitamin E oil at least once a week.
Why This Works?
Vitamin E oil will keep one’s scalp hydrated and also protect it from free radical damage.
10. Olive Oil and Egg for Dry Scalp
One Will Need
• 1 egg yolk
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
What You Have To Do?
1. Beat the egg yolk well and then add the other ingredients to it. Mix well.
2. Apply this on one’s scalp and allow one’s hair mask to sit for about 30 minutes.
3. Rinse one’s hair making use of shampoo cum lukewarm water.
4. This needs to be followed up with the cool water-based rinse.
How Often Should One Do This?
Apply this hair mask once every week.
Why This Works?
Egg yolk is accepted as an excellent remedy for dry skin problems as it contains vitamin A and lecithin sterols. It makes the skin smooth. Olive oil is also full of fatty acids that can nourish the dry skin. It also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that do help tackle any damage caused by free radicals, microbes, and pollutants.
Along with these remedies, drinking plenty of water is critical for one’s skin and one’s hair to be hydrated from within. One must also take nuts, eggs, seafood, chicken, tofu, dairy products, soybeans, canola oil, papaya, oranges, and green leafy vegetables in one’s diet. This will ensure the adequate supply of zinc, iron, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for a healthy scalp.