As women, our routines have a science. Skinhair, nails, lips, eyebrows, teetheyes, you name it, there is a ritual for it.
But one area that almost everyone forgets? The scalp. The truth is that your scalp is the foundation of healthy hair. Plus, no one likes to have a scratchy, scratchy, dry head.
If scalp care isn’t yet on your self-care checklist, we’ve got you covered. First, you’ll need a deep clean with products that won’t strip your hair. Next, you’ll need to establish a routine that will keep everything balanced, healthy, and thriving in the long run.
Here’s how to achieve it:
How to Deep Clean Scalp Buildup Without Damaging Your Hair
What do dandruff, oily roots, slow growth and brittle strands have in common? Their root problem is scalp health (pun well intended).
If you want the best hair of your life, a scalp care routine is essential. And no, this will not require additional time night routine or a handful of overtime hours in the morning. Just schedule a deep cleanse every few weeks to keep your scalp balanced and your hair thriving.
Why is scalp care important?
Promotes strong, healthy hair
To grow strong, healthy locks faster, your follicles need the right environment to thrive. A clean and balanced scalp stimulates blood circulation, thereby providing more nutrients to your roots. This leads to stronger strands, less breakage, and thicker, fuller hair.
Improves hair shine and texture
Removing buildup from the scalp helps your natural oils do their job, coating the hair shaft just enough to provide the perfect shine. Neither too oily nor too dryjust soft, smooth, healthy-looking hair.
Reduces buildup and blockage
Your follicles go through a lot between styling products, sweat, dead skin cells, dirt, and more. All that gunk can clog things up, slow growth and grease roots. A deep cleanse cleans everything, allowing your hair to flourish.
Soothes dandruff and irritation
When buildup persists, it can trigger inflammation and flaking that causes itching, pain, and generally discomfort on your scalp. A good scalp reset helps calm irritation, fight dandruff, and restore balance so your scalp is comfortable again.
Balances oil production
An unhealthy scalp can go both ways: either producing way too much oil or barely producing it at all. However, with regular care, your scalp regains its balance, leaving hair light, fresh and more manageable. Plus, with a better oil balance, you can go longer between washes.
Prevents thinning and breakage
Strong roots start at the scalp. By reducing buildup and keeping follicles clear, your strands become stronger, thicker and less prone to breakage. This way your hair stays full and healthy from root to tip.
Bonus tip: If you are looking for another way to combat hair loss, here is how to microneedle your scalp.
What causes scalp buildup?
Excess oil production: Overactive oil glands can make your hair very oily and clog the hair follicles on your scalp. Sweat and dirt sometimes add to the mix as well.
Product residue: If your hair products aren’t washed out regularly, they can build up over time and cause problems.
Dead skin cells: Just like the rest of your body sometimes needs support to shed dead skin cells, so does your scalp. Without exfoliation, dead skin can build up and clog pores.
Hard Water Minerals: If you don’t have a water softener or showerhead filter (we highly recommend one), the calcium and magnesium found in your city’s water can leave residue on your scalp.
Infrequent washing: If you wash your hair too little, oils, products, dead skin cells, and other debris can build up.
How to Deep Clean Your Scalp
Step One: Detangle your hair.
Before taking a shower, detangle your hair. This will help prevent tangling when hair is wet, which could cause hair breakage. It will even begin to loosen dandruff, dirt and other residue from your scalp.
Additionally, we will be using a number of products throughout this process. Detangling your hair properly ensures even distribution of care from roots to ends.
Step Two: Pre-cleanse with a scalp brush and serum.
Take a lukewarm or cool shower (hot water is prohibited for your hair and scalp). Apply a scalp pre-cleanser or serum and use a scalp brush to begin removing buildup.
This pre-cleanse helps your follicles prepare for the deep cleansing to come.
Third step: apply clarifying shampoo.
Once you have thoroughly rinsed out your serum, apply your clarifying shampoo. This is not your everyday shampoo, but a specialized product containing more powerful cleansing agents to remove buildup on the scalp.
If you don’t have one, we’ll share plenty of product recommendations below to make this whole process super simple. (You can also use apple cider vinegar for a more natural approach.)
Step Four: Massage thoroughly with your fingertips or a shampoo brush.
Massage your clarifying shampoo deeply into your scalp with a shampoo brush. You can also use your fingertips, but make sure you apply the product to your scalp.
Bonus tip: If you have long nails, definitely use a shampoo brush. You don’t want to dig your nails into your scalp. This is where bacteria and tons of other debris can hide.
Step Five: Rinse and repeat.
Rinse everything, then shampoo again. Again, be sure to use lukewarm or cold water for best results.
Step Six: Exfoliate with a scalp scrub.
Now exfoliate. Apply a scalp scrubfocusing on areas with high accumulation: crown, hairline and nape of the neck. Use your fingertips or a shampoo brush (never your nails) and massage in circular motions for 3 to 5 minutes. Leave for a few minutes before rinsing.
Step Seven: Apply conditioner to mid-lengths and ends.
Now that your scalp and hair are clean, it’s time to restore moisture. Choose a conditioner with nourishing ingredients, but avoid heavy oils or butters.
Apply mainly to mid-lengths and ends: your scalp produces its own oils, so you don’t need to weigh it down. Leave for a few minutes, then rinse.
Step Eight: Rinse thoroughly and pat hair dry.
Rinse your hair completely, then dry it gently with a towel. Skip the hair dryer and let your hair air dry to completely absorb any treatments.
Step Nine: Apply scalp serum or rosemary oil.
After a deep cleanse, your scalp may appear bare. Light weight serum nourishes, soothes irritation and promotes healthy hair growth.
Apply a few drops directly to the scalp and massage with your fingertips or a scalp massager. If you do not want to get a serum dedicated to the scalp, rosemary essential oil is ideal for hair.
Step ten: Rethink your hair routine.
Finally, rethink your hair routine. A deep clean every few weeks is a great addition to your self-care routine, but preventing buildup is just as important as treating it.
Here are some things to consider to keep your scalp healthy:
Use a cleansing shampoo instead of regular shampoo once a week
Avoid applying your conditioner to the scalp
Make sure you have a shower head with filter
Do a pre-cleanse or scalp scrub once a week
Don’t overdo it with heavy styling products
Make sure to rinse your hair well after washing
Massage your scalp daily – here it is how to do a scalp massage
Choose one best dry shampoo this will not cause buildup
Best Products for Scalp Buildup
Shower filter capsules: Vitaclean Vitamin C Shots
The last thing you need to combat buildup is more accumulation of calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the water.
To keep your shower head working overtime, put these vitamin C shots inside. Not only does it turn your shower into a spa-like experience, but essential oils are amazing for your hair and skin. This is a great way to give your scalp treatment an extra boost. These are compatible with the Vitaclean shower head.
Scalp brush: Pellequr scalp massager
The plastic bristles help remove buildup and act as a physical exfoliator for the scalp. It will not cause breakage and can be used on the neck and shoulders for added benefits.
Use code TSC25 for 25% off your scalp massager.
Pre-cleaning: Nizoral Pre-Shampoo Scalp Buildup Remover
This pre-clean is specially formulated to break down and remove stubborn buildup. It’s gentle, but enhances the effectiveness of all your other deep scalp cleansing products.
Clarifying Shampoo: Davines SOLU Shampoo, clarifies and eliminates residue
This all-natural shampoo is designed to remove residue and buildup without completely stripping your scalp of its natural oils. It is also suitable for all hair types and leaves your hair looking amazing.
Scalp exfoliation: Kérastase Scrub Energizing Purifying Scalp Scrub
This scalp scrub is both a chemical and physical exfoliant. So you get the best of both my thanks to sea salt and salicylic acid. It’s gentle but super effective in removing buildup and excess sebum.
Nourishing conditioner: Kérastase Nutritive Lait Vital Conditioner
This lightweight conditioner is packed with hydrating and nourishing ingredients that can help restore any moisture lost during the cleansing process. Although it is rich in nutrients, it is not heavy. This is the perfect choice for a post-cleansing scalp conditioner.
Scalp serum: Vegamour GRO Detoxifying Scalp Serum
This is a great serum to remove any excess residue still on your scalp after treatment, while nourishing and hydrating your scalp. The ingredients are strategic to promote a healthy environment for strong hair growth.
Get rid of buildup with regular deep scalp cleansing.
Taking care of your scalp is better taking care of your skin And hair. It’s important to have a mindful routine that keeps everything healthy and balanced.
Use these tips to revise your daily and weekly rituals and give your scalp the attention it deserves.
How to take care of your scalp? Let us know below.
x, The Skinny Confidential team
+ Stalk Lauryn hair growth menu here.
++ To learn more about how to grow healthy hair, listen this episode on The Bosssticks.
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