Hair always seems to bring without an endless list of struggles and effort. Needs to be washed. Have to get a trim. Brush out the tangles. Hairstyle isn’t quite right. I could go on and on. But probably one of the worst struggles is dandruff. There is no easy remedy that you can use mid day when you are out and about like dry shampoo or a quick run through with a comb. What you start with is what you have for the rest of the day.
Dandruff or no.
There are many different dandruff shampoos out there but often times these have loads of harsh chemicals that are not necessary and only seem to aggravate your Scalp, causing more dandruff.
What many people don’t know is that the dandruff is simply a symptom of a much bigger problem of the balance of the oils in your scalp are not as they should be. So instead of simply scraping off dandruff, only to have it come back with a vengeance, with the help of a few ingredients you can create a natural remedy that will help return your scalp to a healthy and strong state that will remove at least one problem from your daily life.
Over the past couple of years, I have pulled a complete 180 with my hair from having never even so much as highlighted it before to full blown dye jobs.
Red.
Blonde.
Brunette.
You name it. I’ve probably done it.
I know that constantly using different chemicals on your hair is very counter productive to having a healthy balance of your scalp. But for me, changing my hair color often is a way to change my mood, change my way of thinking or simply changing my style as you would with the change of seasons.
Because I have dyed my hair so often, I have put my healthy scalp at risk because of the chemicals being used. One of these problems that is very clear to see after I dye my hair is that my scalp gets excessively dry for the first week. And nothing compliments a new hairstyle and color quite like white little flakes all over your head. It honestly looks like it has snowed every time I wear a black shirt.
I know it’s kind of gross to think about but it happens.
Originally I use to simply wait for my usual hair routine to wash out all of the flakes and moisturize my scalp back to its original state. Which sometimes takes more than a single week. So I began to venture into the realm of dandruff shampoos and allow they may have worked slightly, it only seemed to aggravate my scalp and make the rebalancing process that much longer.
So, much like many things, I began looking into the realm of more natural ways of rebalancing the oils in my scalp while still helping to get rid of the flakes. I found loads of one-ingredient recipes that say they are the ‘best’ way to cure you of your dandruff, but after a lot of reading, I so no reason that I couldn’t just combine several of them into one turbo dandruff clearer.
And oh my goodness is it turbo product.
After using this for the first time, I tried to explain how it felt to someone and the only way I could think of is after you chew peppermint gum and then breathe in cold air during winter, but on your head.
I also described the commercials that end with a woman saying ‘the chill of peppermint’ to another friend, and she looked at me just about the same one.
I know both are really weird descriptions but I honestly couldn’t figure out any other way to describe the sensation. After you try it tweet me, send me a message or leave a comment on how you would explain this feeling to someone who has never tried it before! Trust me. You will completely understand my logic after you do it.
What You Need:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lavender Oil
- Lemon Oil
- Lemongrass Oil
- Melaleuca Oil (Tea Tree)
- Peppermint Oil
- Rosemary Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Not only is apple cider vinegar great for a number of internal detoxification processes, but I mainly use it for external detoxes, mainly where my hair is involved. Apple cider vinegar is perfect for overall cleansing and clearing up any extra build up that has accumulated in the hair and scalp over time. But it does this in a way that is not harsh to the skin and hair follicles and actually balances overall oil production and pH levels of your scalp.
Lavender
Although lavender has the reputation for being a soothing emotional scent, it also has topical soothing effects. In terms of hair care, not only does lavender help to soothe an irritated scalp as well as heal dry skin, it also has antibacterial qualities to help keep your scalp completely healthy. And on top of it all, helps to promote hair growth.
Lemon
Often times natural scalp clearing recipes call for lemon juice that has intensive dandruff clearing capabilities. However, if you leave this ingredient out at room temperature for too long it can go bad. So instead I began to use lemon oils which has the same clarifying capabilities for oily scalps. It also has additional antiseptic and antimicrobial qualities similar to lavender.
Lemon Grass
Even though it has a similar smell and qualities to lemon oils, lemon grass oils have many additional traits that are beneficial to scalp and hair health. Lemon grass has not only been proven to help soothe itchy or irritated scalps as well as strengthening hair follicles to promote all around stronger and healthier scalp.
Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
As I always say, tea tree oil is the top dog in the essential oil world. It is often an ingredient in most mixes I use because of its overarching abilities to help with any kind of ailments as well as its ability to work well with different oils. Not only does it aide the lemon grass with relieving itchy and dry skin, but it also works deep into your hair follicles to unclog any build up that has happened. It also moisturizes your scalp while returning the normal flow of oils from your scalp.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the oils that give this mixture it’s tingly feeling. This is not only because of the cooling effect peppermint can have when exposed to air but it also has stimulating quality that promotes blood flow and for a healthy system in the skin of your scalp.
Rosemary
Now rosemary does assist in resolving dry scalp as well as promoting hair growth and thickness but the main reason I like to include it is because it promotes healing. Now for those who have ever had an excessively dry scalp you often end up itching it (sometimes aggressively so). This can result in shallow scratches that along with the antibacterial qualities in the other oils, will be taken care of and not cause any issues.
This is a lot of fun to make at DIY parties or even in a care package for a spa day with friends. It can be named anything from Dandruff Be Gone to Healthy Scalp if you rather not have the word dandruff on a product.
**Before you attempt to make this mixture, make sure that your essential oils are safe for topical use.
How to Make It:
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
5 drops Lavender Oil
8 drops Lemon Oil
8 drops Lemongrass Oil
10 drops Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Oil
10 drops Peppermint Oil
5 drops Rosemary Oil
There are one of two ways of going about using this mixture:
If you have exceedingly flaky hair or dry scalp, like I do the first couple of days, you can work the mixture into your hair on its own. Slowly, taking one to two pumps at a time, massage the mixture into your scalp before allowing it to sit for 10-20 minutes. Then follow your regular routine and washing it out.
The other way is more for every day, lightly flaky, or preventative care. Either add some of your own shampoo into your hand before adding a couple of pumps into the shampoo or add your shampoo directly into the pump bottle, mix up, and use directly from there as you would normally. Once again, massage into your scalp and allow to sit in your hair like a mask for 10-20 minutes while you finish the rest of your shower routine. Thoroughly wash it all odd and finish your usual hair care routine.
After the initial flakiness is over, I occasionally use this shampoo once or twice a week to just refresh my scalp every now and again and remove any extra product that has ended up sitting on my head, but also because I really like the peppermint breeze feeling I get. If anything, this mixture has given me a reason to continue changing up my hair color without worry. Because who has time for flakes when there are so many colors out there to try.
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