Scalp S.O.S.
Stress. Pollution. Buildup. All of these play a part in the health of our scalp. If our scalp is unbalanced you can experience anything from redness, sensitivity, flakiness, to hair loss and more. Yet why do so many of us (including myself) ignore the scalp when it comes to our hair and skincare routines?
We aren’t washing our hair as much as we used to. This can be a good thing! We all know how good it is to embrace a bit of our natural oils, especially if you’ve had issues with dryness. With magic inventions like dry shampoo, we can go longer without cleansing. So even better, right? Layer on the dry shampoo morning and night and never wash it, and sometimes brush it - well, not so much. Too much dry shampoo and styling products without cleansing can lead to some serious buildup of product, sebum (oil), and dry skin.
One of the easiest self care for scalps is incorporating mindful brushing! If you’ve been in my chair before you may have heard me mention brushing with a boar bristle brush. There are a ton out there, 100% boar bristle, or a blend of boar & nylon bristle. I recommend the blend for thick hair that needs some detangling! Brushing with a boar bristle bush helps to distribute our natural oils, exfoliate and clean the scalp, and increase blood flow. All of these are HUGE for scalp health, and hair growth. Take a few minutes at bedtime and brush in all different directions, and from roots to ends. I promise you will start to tell a difference in oil production, shine, and hair growth. (I am trying to find a nice line to carry at the studio!)
Sometimes you just have to go all out.
If you’re finding yourself getting dry, itchy, and feeling like you’re having a hard time getting it clean in the shower - then I found a few things that can help you. These are my two new favourite additions to help with exfoliation and stimulation! Enter the Hairstory scalp cleansing brush. I have been on the hunt for one of these for FOREVER. I love this one because it doesn’t tangle the hair and it’s soft rubber is gentle for sensitive scalps. If you’re extra like me you can buy two and do a double scalp massage. Also great for those of you with THICK hair that feels hard to get conditioner out.
Next one is the Davines Solu Salt Scrub. Good for that heavy duty deep clean! Scoop out a little or a lot and go to town. Awesome for those winter time dry skin situations that are hard to get! Think of the salt scrub as a weekly exfoliant like you might incorporate as a skincare routine.
If you’re on the more dry and irritated side, try doing an oil massage. I like to make my own, using your oil base of your choice - I like Jojoba - and a few drops of essential oils. Bergamot is great for irritation and Lavender helps soothe. Those are just a few examples. Place throughout the scalp and massage in before you wash. Really massage it in! Take a good few minutes and get all throughout, think of all that circulation you’re bringing in! Let it sit and then shampoo like normal.
Will you incorporate anything new into your routine this week?