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Today, I’m going to be talking all about why I started to exfoliate my scalp once a week. I’ll also be sharing the best scalp scrub from the drugstore that I’ve found so far.
We all know that we should regularly exfoliate our skin, it’s a key step in almost every skincare routine.
Shouldn’t this be the same for your scalp?
The answer is, YES!
I’ve started to exfoliate my scalp once a week and I have noticed such a big difference.
If you have oily or fine hair, scalp exfoliation is something that you especially need to try.
What is a scalp scrub?
A scalp scrub is a product you use on wet hair before shampooing to lift away dead skin and product build-up. There are 2 types of scalp exfoliants:
- chemical exfoliant
- physical exfoliant
Chemical exfoliants are products that contain chemicals like AHAs and BHAs that get rid of dead skin cells without the need to physically scrub.
Physical scrubs are gritty exfoliants that normally include ingredients like salt, sugar, nuts etc. that you massage into the scalp, the small exfoliating pieces will physical lift away any dead skin or product.
Benefits of using a scalp scrub
- Encourages hair growth
- Keeps hair healthy and shiny
- Removes dead skin and product build-up from the scalp
- Helps to minimise oiliness, allowing you to go longer without washing your hair
Using some kind of scalp exfoliant, whether it be chemical or physical, is a great step to add to your hair routine as it promotes healthy hair follicles, and allows your hair’s natural oils to keep your scalp healthy through removing any product build-up that could be clogging your follicles.
How to use a scalp scrub
Scalp exfoliation is best done once a week, any more and you risk damaging your scalp. I love exfoliating on a Sunday after a week of product build-up from the shampoo, dry shampoo, styling products etc. I use throughout the week.
You only need a walnut-sized amount of product that gently massage it into my scalp for a minute or so. I do this in the shower when my hair is wet, but before I’ve used any shampoo.
You really need to be gentle when using scrubs, especially physical scrubs, as you don’t want to scratch your scalp.
After massaging, you’ll want to rinse out all of the product with water until your hair feels clean.
The Hair Boss – The Scalp Scrub review
This was the first scalp scrubs that I ever tried. I picked it up on a whim in Superdrug purely because it was on offer and I’d had a few people recommend scalp scrubs to me. I thought this would be a good place to start.
This is a very gritty scrub, the exfoliating pieces are quite large so you definitely need to be gentle when massaging this into your hair.
The scrub also contains Tea-Tree oil and Rosebay extract which reduces dandruff and flakiness, while not messing with the scalp’s natural oils.
Like I’ve mentioned, I use this every Sunday. During the week, I try to wash my hair every other day so I find that by Sunday I can really feel the build-up from the dry shampoo I use.
This scrub gets rid of all of the product build-up, leaving my hair healthy and feeling light after shampooing. I notice that I can forego the dry shampoo in-between washes now, my hair is noticeably less greasy than it was before and it doesn’t feel so weighed-down all of the time.
The Hair Boss’ Scalp Scrub also smells really good, and is super affordable at only £7.99 in Superdrug and on ASOS. It’s such a bargain, and a great starting point if you want to start getting into scalp exfoliation.
Favourite scalp scrubs from other brands
- NatureLab TOKYO Perfect Shine Clarifying Scalp Scrub
- The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Treatment
- Davines Solu Sea Salt Scrub Cleanser
- Umberto Giannini Exfoliating Scalp Scrub
DIY homemade scalp scrub
I’ve mentioned some great no-fuss scalp scrubs that you can pick up for a range of prices, but you can also easily make your own at home with a few ingredients.
To make your own, you want to start with a gritty ingredient that will exfoliate the scalp, something like finely ground salt or sugar.
Remember that the bigger the exfoliant pieces, the harsher it will be on your hair. You don’t want anything that’s too chunky.
You’ll then want to mix it with some kind of oil to make it softer on the scalp and make it easier to apply. You could use something like argan oil or coconut oil.
And that’s it!
A final optional step would be to add something soothing like aloe, or an essential oil like tea tree – what you add will depend on your hair type.
Have you tried a scalp scrub?
molly
