Dandruff – Let’s face it, no one likes those dry, white flakes on one’s hair, especially when you are in a crowd as it can be very embarrassing. When you meet someone, or greet someone, the first thing you look at is their eyes. But what next? Your eyes start wandering and you look at their hair.
What Is Dandruff And What Causes It?
Dandruff is basically the shedding of dead skin on your scalp, i.e. skin cells that grow and die off. People with dry skin are more prone to getting dandruff. Dandruff can also be caused by the following aliments:
Yeast-like fungus
Dirty Hair and Scalp
Washing your scalp excessively
Psoriasis
Oily scalp
Poor nutrition
Seborrheic dermatitis
Dehydration
Environmental factors
Eczema
Dry scalp
Using the wrong hair products
Stress
Having said that, the various anti-dandruff products and shampoos have only helped me deal with dandruff and itchy scalp in the short term, i.e. it has never really helped me get rid of my dandruff permanently. Needless to say that I have tried multiple medicated shampoos and other products to try prevent and treat dandruff, but in vain.
Over time, I have found that essential oils offer a permanent dandruff cure if you follow the treatment outlined below meticulously. In addition, essential oils help with soothing inflammation of the scalp and for an after-care dandruff treatment to maintain a healthy scalp and shiny hair.
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Dandruff?
In my personal experience, I have successfully tried the following and confident in recommending the following essential oil:
Cedarwood
Lavender
Rosemary
Clary Sage
Geranium
Tea Tree
Patchouli
Essential Oil Recipes For Dandruff And Itchy Scalp
1. Cedarwood essential oil
The antiseptic, healing, uplifting properties of Cedarwood essential oil will sooth your itchy scalp and help in the healing process (do not use this essential oil if pregnant).
Recipe 1 – Itchy scalp massage oil
You will need:
Dark glass jar
100 ml organic coconut oil
10 drops cedarwood essential oil
What you need to do:
Add 10 drops of cedarwood essential oil to 100 ml organic coconut oil in the glass jar and mix thoroughly. Put a small amount of the mixture on your finger tips and massage gently onto your scalp for approximately 5 minutes. Leave the mixture on your hair overnight and wash with lukewarm water the next day.
Recipe 2 – Hair mask for dull hair and dandruff
You will need:
A glass bowl
200 ml thick full cream for long hair / 100 ml thick full cream for short hair
18 drops cedarwood essential oil
What you need to do:
Add the cedarwood essential oil to the cream and whip until thick. Massage your scalp and hair with the mixture. Leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Recipe 3 – Anti-dandruff shampoo
You will need:
A pump dispenser
300 ml fragrance free shampoo
24 drops cedarwood essential oil
What you need to do:
Add the cedarwood essential oil to the fragrance free shampoo in the pump dispenser and shake well. Massage in your hair, leave in for 3-5 minutes and wash your hair with cold water.
2. Lavender essential oil
This essential oil of lavender has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties that fight off the fungus that causes dandruff / scalp itchiness, whilst promoting a healthy scalp and hair growth.
Recipe 1 – Anti-dandruff egg mask
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
50 ml full cream milk
7 drops lavender essential oil
What you need to do:
Whisk the eggs and the milk together in a bowl and then add 7 drops of lavender oil. Pour over the head and gently massage into your hair, making sure to cover all areas; leave to dry naturally. When dry, rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Recipe 2 – Extra care anti-dandruff shampoo
Add 10 drops lavender essential oil to your usual anti-dandruff shampoo (200ml). Shake well. Wash your hair up to three times a week for optimal results.
Recipe 3 – Hair tonic spray
You will need:
Spray bottle
250 ml water
16 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops roman chamomile essential oil
What you need to do:
Pour the water into the spray bottle, add the lavender and roman chamomile essential oils and shake well before each use. Use this spray once per day, preferably in the morning.
3. Rosemary essential oil
The antiseptic, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties of rosemary essential oil will sooth your itchy scalp and help you get rid of dandruff. Rosemary essential oil is also a very good cleanser and tonic treatment for your hair (do not use this oil if you suffer from high blood pressure, epileptic seizures or are pregnant or on young children).
Recipe 1 – Tonic rinse aid for dandruff
Ingredients:
1 liter water
18 drops rosemary essential oil
3 drops peppermint essential oil
What you need to do:
Add the essential oils (rosemary and peppermint) to 1 liter of water; mix thoroughly. After washing your hair, rinse with cold water, then apply the above mixture over your head, covering all the hair. Leave to dry naturally.
Recipe 2 – Anti-dandruff shampoo
You will need:
A pump dispenser
250 ml fragrance free shampoo
15 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
What you need to do:
Add 15 drops rosemary essential oil and 5 drops lavender essential oil to 250 ml fragrance free shampoo in the pump dispenser and shake well. Massage blend into your hair, leave for 3 minutes, then rinse well with cold water. Repeat up to three times weekly.
Recipe 3 – Hot oil treatment for dandruff
You will need:
Glass bowl
30 ml jojoba oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
What you need to do:
Warm the jojoba oil in a bain-marie and add the rosemary essential oil. Dip your fingers in the blend and massage well into the scalp and hair. Leave on for as little as 30 mins and up to 6 hours. Wash/rinse your hair with lukewarm water.
4. Clary Sage essential oil
The essential oil of clary sage has calming, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties that will cure your dandruff and itchy scalp.
Recipe 1 – Anti-dandruff soak for itchy scalp
Ingredients:
250 ml flat beer (yes, beer!)
10 drops sage essential oil
2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
What you need to do:
Add the essential oils to the flat beer. Pour over your hair and leave to dry for up to 1 hour. Rinse your hair well with cold water.
Recipe 2 – Massage oil for itchy scalp
You will need:
Dark glass bottle
100 ml organic coconut oil
10 drops sage essential oil
What you need to do:
Add 10 drops sage essential oil to the organic coconut oil in the glass bottle and mix well. Put a small amount of the mixture on your finger tips and massage gently onto your scalp for approx. 10 minutes.
Leave the oils in your hair overnight and wash well with lukewarm water the following day.
5. Geranium Essential oil
The balancing, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties of geranium essential oil will help keep your hair’s natural oils in balance, deal with any inflammation on your scalp, sooth the itchiness as well as get rid of dandruff.
Recipe 1 – Anti-dandruff hair mask
You will need:
15ml apple cider vinegar
10 drops geranium essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
250ml distilled water
Dark glass bottle
What you need to do:
Put the apple cider vinegar into a dark glass bottle. Add 10 drops geranium essential oil, 5 drops of lavender essential oil and 250ml distilled water. Shake the blend well before every application. Apply to on wet or dry hair 3 times each week. There is no need to wash off.
Recipe 2 – Dandruff pre-treatment
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
3 drops geranium essential oil
What you need to do:
Mix the egg yolk with the apple cider vinegar. Add the olive oil, mix in the lemon juice and geranium essential oil. Massage into scalp and hair. Leave for 5 minutes then rinse with cold water.
Recipe 3 – Treatment for itchy scalp
You will need:
12 drops geranium essential oil
30ml jojoba oil
What you need to do:
Add the geranium essential oil in jojoba oil and massage into your scalp and hair before going to bed. You can wash off the in the morning or you can leave on.
6. Tea Tree essential oil
The essential oil of tea tree has antiseptic, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that can help with conditions like dandruff and itchy scalp.
Recipe 1 – For fungi-like patches
For dry itchy patches as well as dandruff on your scalp, dilute 6 drops of tea tree oil in 3 tsp of argan oil and apply to the affected areas.
Recipe 2 – Scalp massage
You will need:
2 tsp sweet almond oil
5 drops tea tree oil
2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
What you need to do:
Add 5 drops tea tree oil and 2 drops eucalyptus essential oil to 2 tsp almond oil and mix well. Apply the mixture onto your scalp with your fingertips and gently massage for 3 to 5 minutes. Leave the treatment for 1 hour then rinse off with lukewarm water.
Recipe 3 – Anti-dandruff shampoo
You will need:
200ml fragrance free shampoo
10 drops tea tree oil
8 drops geranium essential oil
What you need to do:
Add 10 drops of tea tree oil and 8 drops of geranium essential oil to 200ml shampoo. Shake well before each use. Apply to wet hair, massage well and rinse with cold water.
7. Patchouli essential oil
The anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and healing properties of patchouli essential oil will help eliminate dandruff as well as sooth an itchy scalp and help in the healing process.
Recipe 1 – Anti-dandruff conditioning hair mask
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 tsp sweat almond oil
3 drops patchouli essential oil
What you need to do:
Mash the avocado pear. Add the sweat almond oil and the patchouli essential oil to the avocado pear. Massage the mixture into your hair and scalp. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Recipe 2 – Refreshing spray for after dandruff treatment
You will need:
Spray bottle
250 ml distilled water
10 drops patchouli essential oil
5 drops spearmint essential oil
What you need to do:
Add the essential oils to the water in the spray bottle. Spray on dry clean hair. Repeat daily.
How Can I Prevent Dandruff?
As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Below are some tips and healthy lifestyle choices you can bank upon to prevent the occurrence of dandruff.
Maintain a healthy diet, i.e. avoid sugary and salty foods.
Eat more fish, salads and foods rich in Vitamin A (e.g. carrots).
Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
When rinsing your hair, use cold water in-lieu of hot water.
Wash your hair regularly and use plenty of water.
Avoid hair spray and gel.
Hair Treatment Routine For The Prevention Of Dandruff
Wash your hair well to make sure all residual oils, build-up, etc. are removed and your hair is absolutely clean.
Make sure all traces of shampoo are thoroughly rinsed from your hair.
Dry with a towel. Remember, wet hair is more fragile than dry hair and can break easily.
Massage your choice of hair mask to your scalp and hair (as per recipes). Leave on as required.
Rinse thoroughly with cold water and pat dry.
Add your essential oil treatment and leave in as required.
Wash your hair with your choice of essential oil shampoo (as per recipes).
Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Dab dry with a towel and spray your hair with your preferred essential oil tonic spray (as per recipes).
Let your hair to dry naturally.
Precautions To Take When Using Essential Oils For Dandruff
Never apply undiluted essential oil to the scalp and hair.
Keep essential oils away from the eye and mouth areas.
If you have any medical condition, consult your doctor before using essential oils.
Avoid citrus essential oils (lemon, bergamot, orange, mandarin, etc.) if going into sunlight within 12 hours of application.
Conclusion
It is important to take time to fully understand the real cause of your dandruff woes. The main thing is to always keep your hair clean and minimize the build-up of oils as well as maintain a healthy nutrition and lifestyle. Have a fabulous time making up the above essential oil recipes for dandruff and itchy scalp.
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