5 Natural Scalp Treatments You Can DIY
This is what your haircare routine's been missing.
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TBH, a natural scalp treatment is what your haircare routine has been missing. When you drop dollars on the best shampoo and conditioner systems, commit to inversion therapy massages, and locks still aren't swinging in slow-mo montages, what your hair might need is ingredients you can actually pronounce. Enter: a natural scalp treatment at home.
If you're looking for how to naturally promote hair growth, how to moisturize the scalp naturally, or just the best natural scalp treatment for a good hair day, then think of the pantry as your new blowout bar.
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Treatment: Hair Growth
Hair growth can come from many things: a well moisturized scalp, a protein mask to your strands, or growth happy ingredients that increase blood flow (like castor oil). Hair grows from tiny follicles that are embedded in your skin's surface so when these are dry or malnourished, hair's not going anywhere fast.
If you're looking to naturally promote hair growth, some key ingredients you’ll wanna add to a DIY scalp treatment are lavender and castor oil. Why? Lavender oil has been proven to grow hair in some legit scientific studies; reporting thicker and faster hair growth in a 2016 lab study. And castor oil benefits include a powerful mix of proteins, vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants–making it a superfood for follicle to strand. Not to mention, both are antimicrobial.
Here's how to make the dream team work in our fave scalp treatment for hair growth…
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup castor oil
- 10-12 drops of lavender essential oil
Method:
- Place castor oil in a small bowl
- Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds
- Mix in lavender oil
- And massage into a dry scalp for 5-10 minutes
- Cover with a towel, t-shirt, or cap and leave on overnight
- Take the time to really massage this natural scalp treatment in to stimulate blood flow!
ICYMI: hair growth thrives on a good head massage because of the influx of blood flow. And that helps stimulate growth via cell turnover!
Read Next: 10 Tips To Grow Your Hair Faster
Treatment: Moisturising
Breaking news in natural scalp treatments and that’s: coconut oil is not your BFF. Cheered as the MVP in the hair mask department, this comedogenic, and kinda thick, oil is better reserved to your ends. Why? While great for thirsty locks, your scalp is skin and that requires a very different type of TLC.
In short, many of those mega-moisturizing oils like coconut or olive oil have a high comedogenic level meaning they can clog pores and disrupt your scalp sebum outflow (they process that ensures your scalp doesn’t can sebum overproduction).
But! No need to return the BFF bracelets; just swap in a new carrier oil like jojoba oil, castor, or sweet almond. And if you must, just use coconut oil sparingly.
For a heavenly, moisturizing scalp treatment, try this simple recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons castor oil
- 2 tablespoons honey (a natural humectant)
- 3-5 drops tea tree oil
Method:
- Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients together
- Apply on your scalp (and hair too!)
- Massage gently for 5-7 minutes
- Leave on for at least 1 hour or cover with a cap overnight
- Rinse with a mild shampoo
Read Next: How to Hydrate Hair (By Hair Type)
Treatment: Clarifying and Detoxing
You've likely seen salt scrubs suddenly popping up everywhere (thanks, Gwenyth) but, luckily there's already some A-list ingredients waiting in your kitchen. Perfect for when your hair product just can't let go, this pore-stimulating scalp exfoliant helps send buildup packing.
Joining us on the travel itinerary is baking soda for it's salt-like gentle exfoliation and apple cider vinegar (ACV) for it's probiotic and bacteria-killing properties. Both are great for promoting scalp clarity and removing product buildup. Added bonus? ACV acts as an anti-humectant for additional moisture and shine.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (preferably organic)
- 5-10 drops of peppermint oil
Method:
- Create a paste by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl
- Apply to a dry scalp, only going an inch down your hair
- Get a thorough massage in for 5-10 minutes
- Leave on for 5 minutes.
- And rinse!
Read Next: How to Hydrate Hair After Bleaching
Treatment: Strengthening
Never thought you'd be a gym bro, did you! But, getting strong hair requires a lot of the same things as strengthening muscles would. In order for the follicle cells to create healthy new strands, we need a nourishing diet of protein and vitamins and consistent attention to the gains; not unlike other natural scalp treatments.
For a full protein-powered Rocky moment use a hair treatment with egg yolks as your base ingredient.They contain peptides, vitamins A and D, biotin, and folate, plus they have the same proteins that make up a strong hair follicle.
FYI: While doing this natural scalp treatment weekly is amazing for maintaining good strand strength straight from the scalp, we know there’s a lot of debate over eggs in hair masks because the protein molecules aren’t small enough to infiltrate your hair strand. Adding egg to a DIY mask won’t cause it from never breaking again, but the additional vitamins and fatty acids will definitely make hair less brittle, which results in less breakage and hair fall.
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3-5 drops clary sage oil (optional booster)
Method:
- Blend the ingredients together until fully pureed
- Apply to wet hair, focusing on the scalp
- Cover with a plastic cap or towel
- Leave on for at least 1 hour
- Rinse off with cool water to seal cuticles
Read Next: Here's Why Your Scalp Is Sore Or Feels Like Its Burning
Treatment: Scalp Soothing
If your scalp has a fun, annoying way of telling you what it needs without telling you why… a multi-tasking, soothing treatment could restore the channels of communication. Itchiness, dryness, and burning are all signs of irritation and they can range from simple seasonal dryness to full-on fungal infection.
So, if you're scratching your head (too often) to find the reason, seek medical attention beyond a mixing bowl. For general discomfort or to treat a bout of dandruff, you can find comfort in natural scalp treatments at home.
To get the most out of your DIY, use a balanced mix of anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and moisturizing oils like:
Witch hazel: a perfect anti-inflammatory and anti-itch option for its astringency.
Chamomile oil: not only calming for follicles, but antiseptic too.
Tea tree oil: one of the strongest anti-fungal oils out there, it's a staple in dandruff control.
Jojoba oil: a nourishing moisturizer to combat any dryness (even from ailments like psoriasis).
Measurements:
- 1/4 cup witch hazel
- 1/2 cup jojoba oil
- 5-10 drops chamomile oil
- 3-5 drops tea tree oil
Method:
- Warm up jojoba oil so it's warm (not hot) to the touch
- Mix together the jojoba oil with the rest of the ingredients
- Massage into your scalp until fully saturated
- Leave on for 1-3 hours
- Rinse well
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