If you suffer from dandruff and are totally confused about the “right way” to stop those white flakes on your shoulders and clothes–you’re not alone. We grew up being taught to wash our hair every day, and then later we learned we should probably only be doing that twice a week. And now, there’s a proliferation of beauty products floating around the internet, promising all sorts of dandruff miracles.
Did you know that dandruff is typically found on areas of the body with hair follicles like the middle of the chest, ears and face and the scalp? No surprise there–for some of us, the scalp is probably an afterthought when it comes to our daily regimen. But that’s the complete opposite of how we should be approaching it.
Symptoms and causes of dandruff
The common symptoms of dandruff include white flaking, ear eczema, facial rash, scaly facial skin, itchy scalp, and chest rash.
Dandruff can happen for multiple reasons—poor hygiene, weather, stress, increased oil production, chronic illnesses, and hereditary components—but one thing is for sure: With healthy hair scalp or not, everyone is beautiful, and we are here to prove that.
Possible solutions
When it comes to hair care routine, there’s probably an order you’ve been following for who-knows-how-long. But the efficacy of anything can make a lot of difference, right?
Though there are a lot of ways to manage dandruff—including over-the-counter medications but we found you six of the best solutions.
1. Tea Tree Oil
Yeah, in case you haven’t caught on, coconut oil has been kicked to the curb, and tea tree oil is now being touted as a dandruff-fixing ingredient, especially if it’s caused by fungus. The oil can penetrate the scalp and re-balance the hair’s ability to hold moisture.
Tea tree oil solution infused in shampoos can be purchased in health food stores or drug stores. Alternatively, you can mix the oil into unscented shampoo. According to an Australian study, to effectively treat dandruff, mixing a 5 percent tea tree oil solution into shampoo would do the trick.
2. Eucalyptus Oil
Turns out eucalyptus oil is excellent for not just purifying pores, but also clarifying the scalp. The best part? While you’re reaping all of these amazing benefits, you also get to experience its incredible menthol-like scent at the same time.
Eucalyptus oil contains potent anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties. What more, a study conducted in India confirms that any solution containing eucalyptus oil and coconut oil can have significant anti-dandruff effects.
3. Avoid the use of too many products
As with most things in life, you’ll need a formula that won’t betray or undermine your good intentions. You must realize that all that gels, hairsprays and shampoo usage can leave residue that build up over a long time. These products not only leave flakes on the scalp, but can result in the irritation of the scalp, dry skin or allergic reactions.
To stem scalp irritation and alleviate dandruff symptom, simply switch or uprightly ditch some of these products.
4. Washing and combing
To open the cuticle and loosen the oils and any dirt trapped in the scalp, simply wash your hair with warm water. Also, if you tend to have dry hair, opt for moisturizing products and have a wash about three times a week. For oily or normal hair, you may need to shampoo daily.
Though a consistent hair grooming routine is advisable, but not everyone with poor skin or scalp hygiene is susceptible to dandruff. Of course, daily washing can induce blood flow and wash away flakes, however, be sure that your shampoo isn’t aggravating your scalp.
5. Baking soda
You ‘d probably considered baking soda as just a kitchen staple. Well, it is also well-known in the beauty industry. Its amazing alkaline properties clarify and clear out buildup of dirt and dead skin cells on your scalp. To counter all that flakiness on your scalp, this inexpensive and easy-to-find beauty tool may be all you need.
You may need to apply just a handful to your wet hair, while gently massaging your scalp.
6. Apple cider vinegar
Do you have your fridge stocked with apple cider just for ‘silly’ things like salad dressing? You must be missing the whole point. And no, we aren’t against your use of vinegar for cooking, but the citric acid in apple cider vinegar is what you need to kill follicle-clogging bacteria in your hair.
To balance the scalp, destroy fungus, bacteria, and yeast, basically use a cotton ball saturated in apple cider vinegar to apply the solution to your scalp. Massage it into the roots and leave on for about an hour, then rinse.
Bottom line
Dandruff can be embarrassing, but stressing over it can aggravate it. This is because stress can compromise the immune system and do unpleasant things to the body. So do your scalp some huge favor by relaxing. That way, you’d be reducing or avoiding triggers altogether.
To manage dandruff, you only need explore the easy solutions that we have suggested above. Luckily, they can easily be accessed right in your kitchen, at a nearby grocery shop or drug store.
See, there’s really nothing to worry about!
