Scalp Scrubs.

 

It is winter and most of us are familiar with what to do to keep our hair hydrated in winter.  We know not to take hot showers, wash hair only a couple times a week, Use a leave in conditioner and a mask for extra hydration, avoid using hot water when washing hair, instead of a towel use a microfiber towel or old t-shirt to blot or dry your hair so you don't break any strands, always wear a hat when going outside, and never leave with wet hair.  In addition.  get your hair trimmed regularly and if you spot split ends, go in for a trim. 

The one thing we forget about, either in winter or in summer is our scalp.  Hair tends to grow better when it is healthier.  Scalp scrubs are designed to get rid of product buildup, dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cells, all of which can make your hair dull because they end up around the roots. Your scalp produces a certain amount of natural oil to maintain the health of your hair and scalp but if it produces too much, you need to get rid of the excess.

To clean your scalp, you need either a chemical or physical exfoliant and you want a scalp scrub that is designed for your type of scalp.  If you use a scrub designed for an oily scalp on your dry scalp, you could end up with an even dryer scalp.  Regular use of a scalp scrub can decrease any irritation or dandruff you experience due to excess oil and eliminate product buildup that you can't get rid of through normal shampooing. 

A physical exfoliant is a physical ingredient used to scrub your scalp and  might contain salt, charcoal, sugar, clay, nuts, fruit pits, or plant extracts. It is important that the scrub containing a  physical  exfoliant have micro sized pieces and not the larger ones because the larger exfoliant pieces can cause micro tears which is not good.  A chemical exfoliant is an ingredient that gently causes the skin to come off and might contain glycolic acid, lactic acid, or salicyclic acid. 

Now if have a scalp that feels like a greasy pizza by the end of the day, you most likely have an oily scalp.  Look for a scrub that contains the BHA chemical exfoliant or zinc, both of which are good for absorbing excess oil. On the other hand, if your notice flakes accumulating around the roots of your hair and you seldom have any oil, you probably have a dry scalp and you want a scrub containing vitamin B-5 as that ingredient helps nourish your hair and helps prevent a dry scalp.

If you have an irritated, itchy scalp with flakes, you want a scrub to help with both.  Look for a scrub with charcoal, mints, and even tea tree oil as the charcoal helps get rid of flakes and the other ingredients are good for soothing the itch.  For a sensitive scalp, look for a scrub with salicylic acid and perhaps palm seed powder to gently exfoliate the scalp. 

We looked at types of scalps, now lets look at the types of hair.  If your hair is fine or you find you easily get a build up, you'll want a scrub with a slightly larger exfoliant such as sugar since it nicely unclogs hair follicles while washing away any product buildup. On the other hand, if you have thick or coarse hair, you might find you end up with an oily scalp while the rest of the hair strands are dry. Look for a scrub that has both charcoal and an oil like coconut oil since it both exfoliates and hydrates at the same time. 

Now if you color your hair, you want to avoid chemical exfoliation since that can dull and even strip the color.  Look for a gentle exfoliating scrub that has very few additives.  If you have normal hair and a normal scalp, you can use what ever you want but I'd look for a scrub designed for a normal scalp. 

So you might want to start using a scalp scrub at least once a week if you use a lot of hair products or wash your hair about once a week, otherwise do it every few weeks as needed.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.