Your scalp deserves as much TLC as the hair it hosts. A dry scalp is often a sign that your scalp is feeling a bit thirsty. To ensure both your scalp and hair are basking in the love they deserve, we're serving up 9 tried-and-true tips to turn your scalp into a sanctuary of hydration and nourishment.
What Causes Dry Scalp?
A dry scalp is a common issue that can often be triggered by harsh climates, dehydration, and overwashing. Cold, dry air can steal away precious moisture from the scalp, aggravating the issue as dehydration intensifies, leaving the scalp parched for moisture and hydration. Striking a balance is tricky – nobody enjoys an oily scalp, yet the quest for a fresh, clean feel through excessive washing can be counterproductive.
Indulging in a steamy shower might be a glorious experience, but it comes at a cost. The allure of hot showers can disrupt your scalp's delicate oil balance, exacerbating the problem. Not to mention, common beauty products, such as dry shampoo, gels, and hairsprays, can contribute to the scalp's distress due to drying agents.
Age, allergies, sensitivities, and underlying skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis can also be additional culprits.
How to Treat Dry Scalp?
Want to know how to begin to fix a dry scalp? As promised, we’ve got 9 game-changing tips to help with dry scalp treatment up our sleeves and we’re covering everything from selecting the best shampoo for dry scalp to making simple lifestyle adjustments.
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Choose a Scalp-Focused Shampoo
Make the switch to a scalp-focused shampoo tailored to meet the unique needs of your scalp. Their formulations are often inspired by skincare and boast balancing and moisturising ingredients like Defenscalp™, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Panthenol (Vitamin B5) and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3).
Treat your scalp as the delicate skin it is with a product like the skelp! Clean Sweep Shampoo. Infused with Defenscalp™ and Panthenol (Vitamin B5), it not only helps rebalance the scalp's microbiome but also provides a gentle cleanse, soothes, and hydrates. Experience reduced oiliness and maintained optimal moisture levels.
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Adjust Your Shower Routine
Hot water, while a tempting luxury, can strip away your scalp's natural oils, making it susceptible to dryness. These oils function as a protective shield, crucial for scalp health. Did you know that hot water can speed up colour fading for those with coloured hair? To preserve your scalp's natural oils and extend hair colour vibrancy, opt for the gentler embrace of warm water. This choice is especially beneficial if you grapple with a dry or sensitive scalp as it helps prevent irritation while making sure your scalp remains comfortably hydrated.
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Limit Shampoo Frequency
In the scalp and hair care realm, less is indeed more. Shampoos can inadvertently do more harm than good if used excessively. Shampooing too frequently may strip your scalp of its natural oils, leaving it vulnerable to the trifecta of dryness, itchiness, and flakiness. We recommend spacing out your shampoo sessions. If you deal with your scalp getting greasy too quickly, use a scalp pre-cleanser.
Scalp pre-cleansers are hidden gems of scalp and hair care. They’re essentially a pre-shampoo treatment or scalp exfoliator. Our skelp! Head First Pre-Cleanser, delicately purifies and refreshes your scalp. Formulated with Lactic Acid – an AHA known for its exfoliating properties – it dissolves product buildup and maintains the pH balance of the scalp without causing dryness. Apply it generously, leaving it on for 5 to 10 minutes, and rinse.
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Condition Regularly
Scalp dryness calls for a needed dose of moisture, and conditioners precisely deliver that to both hair and scalp. A dry scalp can often align with brittle hair, so, regular conditioning not only supports your scalp but also extends to help nourish, repair, hydrate and simplify detangling efforts.
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Stay Hydrated
Grab your Stanley Cups! While topical products like scalp serums, conditioners and masks are undeniably necessary, staying hydrated internally also plays a significant role in combatting dry scalp. When we stay well-hydrated internally, it helps maintain the body's natural balance, promoting the production of skin-friendly oils that nourish the scalp. Consistent hydration ensures that our hair follicles revel in all the moisture they need for healthier, more resilient hair and scalp.
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Use a Humidifier
Introducing a humidifier into your living space is an underrated home remedy for a dry scalp. Dry air, especially in colder months, tends to suck the moisture out of your skin and scalp. A humidifier adds much-needed moisture back into the air, preventing your scalp from feeling like a barren desert. This simple addition can help make a noticeable difference in alleviating dryness, reducing itchiness, and promoting a more comfortable scalp.
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Avoid Harsh Ingredients & Products
Keep a discerning eye out on the ingredient lists of hair products you use and reach for. Your hair care routine lineup can either worsen scalp dryness or lavish it with moisture. Go for formulations that promise gentleness and moisture, avoiding sulphates and parabens. Products enriched with ingredients like Defenscalp™, Biotin (Vitamin B7) and Panthenol (Vitamin B5) will be your scalp’s BFF.
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Massage Your Scalp
Amid our hectic day-to-day routines, sometimes our scalps long for a moment of care. Here’s where scalp massages step in – the must-have addition to your scalp care ritual. These massages increase circulation and stimulate blood flow, creating a healthier scalp environment. This uncomplicated practice not only provides a sense of deep relaxation but also serves as a tool to massage formulas deep into your scalp for the ultimate refresh.
skelp! Talk tip: Elevate the entire scalp massage experience using a scalp brush. Our go-to is the skelp! All-Rounder Brush, which helps exfoliation, increased scalp circulation, and stimulation. Boost product absorption, prevent build-up and promote a healthier scalp.
Talk to a professional
When in doubt, consult a professional or a specialist who can provide personalised guidance, so you don’t have to figure out how to get rid of dry scalp alone. A professional or a specialist can create a plan just for you and your scalp. They might give you prescription topical products, recommend a regimen, or suggest lifestyle changes to help. Their advice is like gold when you can't find success treating your dry scalp at home.
Your journey to a more hydrated and moisturised scalp starts here. Discover skelp! products and say farewell to dry scalp and hello to good scalp, good health, and good hair.
