Have you ever been tempted to forgo shampoo? I’ll be honest: the no-shampoo adjustment period, which is said to last weeks, has me totally petrified. Who can endure a 2-week-long bad hair day? If you’re also not ready for “no poo,” as some call it, there’s good news: a deep-cleansing DIY scalp scrub will not only leave your hair refreshed, but it will also feel amazing. Here are three recipes to try.
Meet the Experts
Penny James, IAT-certified trichologist and owner of Penny James Salon
Kerry Yates, a trichologist, hair stylist, and the founder of Colour Collective
Bridgette Hill, certified trichologist
What is a scalp scrub?
For those who don’t know, a scalp scrub is somewhat like a body scrub. It’s full of exfoliating ingredients and is intended to cleanse the scalp by removing dead skin and environmental buildup, explains stylist Penny James, IAT-certified trichologist and owner of Penny James Salon in New York City. “After a scalp scrub, your hair not only feels healthier, but it will look fuller too,” she says. “It’s especially ideal for those who use a lot of dry shampoo, as a scalp scrub is the best way to remove the cosmetic buildup on the epidermis and keep the hair follicles clean.”
Who needs a scalp scrub?
The regular use of conditioners, gels, and hair spray can also make hair dull and flat. So it is vital to strip away this buildup on your scalp and follicles without jeopardizing the health of your hair. If your hair looks limp and lifeless, and maybe you’re noticing a little more grease than usual, it’s time to give your scalp some TLC with a deep cleansing scrub.
One of the best things about scalp scrubs is that they can be used for all hair types—and they’re especially beneficial for anyone who experiences a challenge with dandruff, notes Kerry Yates, a trichologist, hair stylist, and the founder of Colour Collective. However, she does emphasize that curly hair types will need to give their hair an additional 5 minutes of rinsing time to ensure all scrub elements are washed away. “Failure to thoroughly rinse can again lead to product buildup and would defeat the purpose of using a scalp scrub,” she adds.
3 Easy & Inexpensive DIY Scalp Scrubs
A healthy scalp also means healthy hair in the long run—so it’s worth tackling the issue to benefit both your scalp and your hair. Here are three of the most common scalp-related issues, what they’re telling you, and how you can fix ’em.
Is your scalp oily?
If you have an oily scalp, you know how frustrating it can be for your hair to feel squeaky clean one minute and dirty the next. Hair gets oily because the sebaceous glands in your scalp follicles produce excess sebum, which holds onto dirt and weighs hair down, making it look dirty all too soon.
Shampooing too much or too little can throw off the balance of your scalp’s healthy oil production. Several factors can send those follicles into overdrive, but the first thing to try is simple: shampoo less often.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but cleansing actually strips your hair of oil, causing your scalp to respond by producing more! So by shampooing less, you can train your hair over time and teach those little factories to produce less oil.
1. Exfoliating Brown Sugar + Oatmeal Scrub
“For highly irritated, tender, scaly scalps, oatmeal-based exfoliants can assist with turning over the skin cells while offering reparative properties to the tissues of the scalp,” says Hill. This specialized scrub combines brown sugar and oatmeal to gently exfoliate, provide moisture, and increase circulation to the hair follicles. These ingredients exfoliate in a balanced way without adding excess oil or drying out your scalp.
—2 tablespoons brown sugar
—2 tablespoons finely ground oatmeal
—2 tablespoons hair conditioner
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Shampoo your hair first to remove any styling products, and then scoop a small amount of this scrub into the palm of your hand. Work it into your scalp using a circular motion. Rinse your hair thoroughly.
Is your scalp dry?
Dryness is caused by too little moisture in the skin, which then causes your scalp to become irritated and the skin to flake off. While there are many factors at play when it comes to dry scalp, it usually happens for pretty simple reasons. Two of the most common? Cold, dry air, and harsh styling products.
Up your hydration, and give your scalp and strands a little break from styling whenever you can. And just like with an oily scalp, it’s important not to wash your hair too often, or you risk stripping away its natural oils.
2. Deep Cleansing Salt + Olive Oil Scalp Scrub
Salt and oil combine to stimulate hair growth and remove any flaky stuff without drying out the scalp. Olive oil makes an excellent conditioning mask as its fatty acids coat the hair, providing moisture and protection against damage. Salt exfoliates the scalp, while the lemon juice dissolves any product residue.
If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, you can substitute apple cider vinegar, which helps close the cuticle and retain moisture—thanks to its acidic nature, notes Hill. Apple cider vinegar is also excellent for restoring shine, making it a very good DIY scrub ingredient.
—2 tablespoons sea salt
—1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
—1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix salt, lemon juice, and oil together. Then wet your hair and massage the scrub into your scalp. Let it sit for several minutes. Rinse it well and follow with your usual shampoo.
Is your scalp flaky?
When we think of flakes, most often we’re imagining that unsightly dandruff. Unlike with a dry scalp, dandruff flakes are caused by too much oil. This excess oil encourages the overgrowth of a natural yeast on the scalp, causing skin cells to build up and your body to respond with uncomfortable redness and itching [source].
Before turning to a harsh, medicated shampoo, treat your scalp. Start by getting rid of styling product buildup (which could be a cause of your flakes) and getting your scalp’s oil levels back to normal (if your scalp is super oily).
3. Clarifying Shampoo + Baking Soda Scalp Scrub
Baking soda-based DIY exfoliators and scrubs are ideal for nonproblematic symptom-free scalps, according to trichologist Bridgette Hill. She also recommends baking soda for removing product buildup, as it provides antifungal properties. “It is very common for undetected fungal colonies to form in tightly coiled dense, thick hair that is braided down or covered,” she says.
Add baking soda to your shampoo for an easy and inexpensive clarifying shampoo that gently absorbs oil and removes product buildup. Use 1–2 times a month to maintain your scalp’s natural pH level.
Tea tree essential oil is naturally antifungal and antibacterial [source], so using it on your hair helps eliminate the sources of flakes and dandruff, too. To dislodge existing flakes, you can add a tablespoon or two of salt to your scrub.
Note before using: This scrub isn’t recommended for color-treated hair as the baking soda can strip out hair color.
—1 heaping tablespoon baking soda
—Big squeeze of shampoo (roughly 1 tablespoon)
—A few drops of tea tree essential oil
Combine all of the ingredients and distribute the mixture well through your hair, focusing on the scalp and roots. Work the scrub into your hair, and enjoy a nice scalp massage to remove the accumulated product and dead skin buildup. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Finish your scalp treatment with a moisturizing coconut oil, honey, or avocado hair mask or an apple cider vinegar rinse to seal the cuticle, the hair’s outermost layer, leaving it smooth and super shiny.
Want to spark new hair growth? Try a scalp massage.
3 DIY Scalp Scrubs
Equipment
- Small bowl
Ingredients
Exfoliating Brown Sugar Scrub for Oily Scalp
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely ground oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons hair conditioner
Salt and Olive Oil Scrub for Dry Scalp
Shampoo and Baking Soda Scrub for Flaky Scalp
- 1 heaping tablespoon baking soda
- Large squeeze of shampoo —roughly 1 tablespoon
- 3–4 drops tea tree oil
Instructions
Exfoliating Brown Sugar Scrub for Oily Scalp
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Shampoo your hair first to remove any styling products, and then scoop a small amount in the palm of your hand. Apply and work the scrub into your scalp, using a circular motion. Rinse hair thoroughly.
Salt and Olive Oil Scrub for Dry Scalp
- Mix salt, lemon juice, and oil together . Then wet your hair and massage the scrub into your scalp. Let it sit for several minutes. Then rinse well and follow with shampoo.
Shampoo and Baking Soda Scrub for Flaky Scalp
- Combine all of the ingredients and apply the mixture throughout your hair, focusing on the scalp and roots. Give yourself a couple of minutes to work the scrub into your hair, and enjoy a nice scalp massage to remove the accumulated product and dead skin buildup. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Note: this scrub isn't recommended for color-treated hair as the baking soda can strip out hair color.
Notes
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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Thank you such basic, simple and natural recipes.. I look forward to using them.
Love the oatmeal + sugar one in here! I used to do it with shampoo, but the conditioner is way better. I saw online you can do baking soda too, which is also nice and it clarifies. Saw it on here: https://www.sittingprettyhalohair.com/blogs/news/should-you-exfoliate-your-scalp
xx, thanks for sharing!
These scrubs sound awesome! I totally need to try one of these over the holiday break!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Love this post! Thank you for sharing these 3 deep cleansing DIY scalp scrubs. I find them really helpful. I have dry hair and lots of dandruff and I usually use coconut oil to keep my hair healthy. I will be trying these scrubs too.
I will try the shampoo and baking soda that may help me the lot. You post a amazing information and I truly love this stuff.
I tried the baking soda scrub, I would not recommend. I mean sure it removed the build up but it comepletly dried out my scalp and giving me temporary dendruff that lasted for a week. It also made my hair knotted beyond oblivion. If you use this then I suggest bracing yourself for the hell to come
If you use baking soda, make sure to finish with an apple cidar vinegar rinse. Generally half water, half ACV. It will restore the natural balance of your hair.
I tried the oatmeal+brown sugar +conditioner and my hair feels like velvet.
I just finished blowdrying with the brown sugar, oatmeal, and my choice of conditioner.
I suffered from severely tangled hair and the steel cut oats I had finely ground in a Mr. Coffee grinder remained attached to so many strands of hair that I appears to have nits!
Now – after leave in conditioner, cool and gentle, patient blowdrying on cool, my scalp and hair feel so Good!
I’m sure the scent of my treatment made me apply too much. It’ll be a while before I try another homemade treatment but it’s really worth the effort.
I love the deep cleanse scrub. I made it with coconut oil and citric acid too. I added these to your original ingredients. The citric acid gives it some lather. Hair and scalp feel great after this.
I’m sorry but I really didn’t like the oatmeal one. I followed the instructions but the scrup was really hard to get on my scalp. It didn’t really do any exfoliating and now I have oatmeal bits stuck in my hair.
I also tried the oatmeal scrub, not only is it messy, but stays in the hair for a very long time.
The other ones are good though and have been alternating them.
I will never understand why people recommend oatmeal. It's not water soluble. It swells and gets stuck and tangled in your hair. I truly believe that people who recommend this have never really done it.
I used deep cleanse #3 first, massaged my scalp, left it on for 10 minutes, and washed my scalp with shampoo and baking soda twice( without the tea tree oil), applied some conditioner to the ends and my scalp feels so fresh and squicky clean and my hair is so shiny. I’m loving it!
Really then I will try it too
Hi Stephanie! Would really appreciate if you could reply me :)
#1 Are these scrubs meant to be done at the same time?
#2 How often would you recommend to do the oatmeal and salt scrubs?
Thanks :)
I have done the lemon olive oil and salt before and find it works wonders on my scalp. I find it is the best thing to get the gross build up I get from oily scalp with dandruff. But I find it is super messy!
Tonight I tried it with the shampoo, bicarb and teatree to get it all out and I am going too see if it will work too maintain a healthy scalp.
would it be smart to combine all the ingredients together for the effect of all 3?
i have long dreadlock .the deep cleansing remedy with salt lemon and oilive oil is only homemade remedy out of the numerous others ive tried that has worked good so far thanks for posting.
I have a mediterranian bold and feel some itchy like acne on my head skin.. Which method should i use?
Thanks
I usually use GKhair pH+ clarifying shampoo once a week on my scalp to remove an excess styling products, dirt, residue, product build up and other impurities. Amazing stuff. Works very well on my oily and greasy hair that is always suffering from residue and product build up. :) <3
I did the salt/lemon/o.o. scrub and it not only helped my scalp but i was so surprised to find that it made my hair so incredibly soft and strong feeling. my hair has NEVER felt so healthy, it was as if i had great virgin hair when its actually been colored/bleached many many times. Its been 5 days and my scalp hasn’t itched or flaked. Ill be doing this every week or 2 for life!
Hi. What type of salt did you use?
I used rock salt and added molasses. Perfect.
hey umm when you did this, did you need shampoo to wash it out? Or did you just rinse with water?
I would like to know too if the olive oil will need to be washed out. I couldn’t get my head to not stay being greasy afterwards. I only rinsed with water but my hair was still VERY oily.
Am I supposed to do these all the same night one after the other? And how often should I do each one?
Thank you
is any flavor of oatmeal usable? eg. cinnamon flavored.
I’d say use a non flavored oatmeal. 100% natural. Those flavorings may irriate your scalp.
Why is the clarifying shampoo not recommended for color treated hair? I’ve tried so many shampoos and alternatives but I cannot get a handle on my greasy and dandruffy hair, and I’d like to try that one. :(
The baking soda will strip out your hair color. It’s a handy trick if you overdid it with a hair color that’s too dark or something but otherwise you’ll end up having to color more often :/
Won’t the lemon juice scrub also mess up color treated hair? I’m really scared of using this one on my freshly dyed hair! Help!!
Thanks a lot for this wonderful post. I had a terrible dandruff since I was in college due to the chemical of straitening my hair. For almost 10 years my dandruff likes me but I don’t like him. I got a snowflakes even when it’s spring, summer or fall. It’s very itchy and bloody scalp and bruises. Went to doctor but nothing works the medication. Tried different anti dandruff shampoos and everything online but still the same. Garlic, vinegar, baking soda, lemon. It burns my scalp but the dandruff comes back again. But find this one, from step 1, 2, and 3 in one shower. It took me 1 hour to do the ritual. And now, for the first time in my life my hair feel so lovely and my scalp comes back to life, I mean his breathing. No more itchiness and snowflakes baby. Thanks you so much.