The natural hair industry is getting huge. I mean in it now seems like each week there is a new product coming out. It’s sometimes hard to even tell what would and what would not work on your hair. But, I notice you can easily forget about the scalp. Scalp is where build-up occurs, where hair growth blossoms and where skin problems can easily happen. You might not know this but there are certain products that really isn’t necessary to even go on your scalp. It’s important to take the time to take care of your scalp because without it being maintained it can lead to hair loss, dandruff, or psoriasis.
@makalishauna
Before we get into the nitty-gritty on what products should and should not go on your scalp let’s discuss how to keep the scalp healthy.
- Your Wash day routine is important. By taking the time to wash your hair regularly whether that’s once a week or every two weeks or even more. I want to make sure your hair is washed regularly but not too much unless you are swimming consistently with your hair out.
- Scalp massages to help the blood circulation throughout the scalp which relaxes your muscles. What’s even better is how good it feels on your scalp. Scalp massages also help with hair growth. You can easily do a massage with fingertips in a circular motion or they even have products that can help with a good scalp massage as well.
- Tea tree oil w/ carrier oil. I discuss this a little bit more in my how to do a hot oil treatment but using the ingredient tea tree oil with castor oil can help with dry scalp issues. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties in it that can repair the dry scalp areas.
- Sulfate & paraben free shampoo & conditioner. Using organic ingredients work well but simply checking for the ingredients can help tell whether a product will be good for your scalp.
On the scalp
These two products are what actually should be more focused on your scalp than your actual hair. What shampoo is going to do is remove all the product build-up from styling products and dirt that has to build upon your scalp. Over the weeks we easily put plenty of gels, creams, and sprays that can easily lead to building up. If you don’t have the right product to help with your scalp it can even leave plenty of residues that can get worse over time.
Shampoo
I know in those lovely commercials they tend to put shampoo all throughout the hair but really shampoo is for your scalp. If you are not careful some shampoos do not get all the build-up off your hair. So, your hair needs to have a deep cleaning which is where a clarifying shampoo can come into play. It helps with removing through all the oils, dirt and build-up that you might have on your scalp without even realizing it. I would recommend only using clarifying shampoo rarely but if you have a lot of product build-up once a month should be okay because it can be fairly drying.
If you’re not able to find clarifying shampoo even using apple cider vinegar rinse can help with making sure the scalp is clean and healthy. An apple cider vinegar rinse can be 4 cups of water to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. What apple cider vinegar is going to do is help restore your scalp to its natural pH.
If you’re looking for your weekly shampoo please use a shampoo that has no sulfates, silicones or parabens in it. If you have sulfates, silicones or parabens in your products it can leave a residue on your scalp that won’t allow your hair to flourish as it needs too.
Oils
I wanted to address that oils are safe to put on your scalp. Please be aware of the kinds of oils you do put on your scalp. The oils that are closest to your natural sebum on your scalp is coconut and jojoba oil. However, if you want to add essential oils within the two oils I mentioned previous with tea tree oil for dandruff or peppermint oil for itchy scalp it will work just as well. If you feel like you could use a nice oil treatment you can look up how to do a hot oil treatment here.
Not on the scalp
Conditioner
Conditioner is supposed to be for the ends of your hair more than it is the scalp. Conditioner is what’s going to keep your hair moisturized and conditioned. Since the end of your hair is the oldest part of your hair this is why conditioning is best to use on the ends. Also, your hair roots do not need conditioning it can cause the hair to be weighed down if not properly removed.
Styling Products
Styling products can easily cause damage or irritation when on your scalp. When using styling products the ingredients can easily be overlooked when it looks like the hot new product. However, when you don’t look at the ingredients over a period of time, without the proper cleansing of your scalp it can cause irritation to your scalp.
